Homebrew Lone Modron Species Details

Exiles of The Great Machine

The modrons, construct-like outsiders and masters of law and order, are cells in a giant mechanical body known as Primus. Like actual cells in a body, modrons die and are replaced, and sometimes something goes wrong with a cell. Perhaps they received two conflicting orders. Perhaps they were logic bombed. Perhaps they somehow became self-aware and the shock of enlightenment was too great. This is how modron adventurers come to be. These newfound individuals can no longer work within the system and they become rogue modrons. They are stripped of the power of Primus, but continue to persist. These modrons are the outcasts of Mechanus, insane or rebellious by modron standards even though to the average mortal they seem as lawful and mechanical as ever. Once separated, they are transformed into a spherical shape resembling the lowest form of modron, the monodrone. They have a face made up of a single big eye and a mouth, two thin arms and legs, and two thin small wings. Their bodies appear made of a strange copper-like substance, but they have both organic and mechanical parts seamlessly integrated within each other. Their forms may possess any number of gears, circuits, and lenses as part of their function.

Absolute Order

Lawfulness of modrons often greatly exceeds all others. They like order and repetition, and while they can tolerate the "chaotic" whims of your common adventuring party, many insist on knowing their place in the party hierarchy. This isn't to say they allow themselves to be abused slaves at the bottom, as they do possess self-worth and a desire to be positioned to encourage greater order. Because their minds are so logically alien, they have difficulty speaking with others but understand that they must in order to survive the world around them. Thus they often befriend adventurers, if only to act as translators to help them understand and communicate with other beings. modrons, even those cut off from the great machine, don't view themselves as an individual. To a modron, there is no "I," but only "we" or "us."

The Great Modron March

When the gears of Mechanus complete seventeen cycles once every 289 years, Primus sends a vast army of modrons across the Outer Planes, ostensibly on a reconnaissance mission. The march is long and dangerous, and only a small number of modrons return to Mechanus.

Modron Traits

Beings of clockwork routine and perfect order
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2 and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. modrons are immortal so long as they remain on the plane of Mechanus. The mechanical clockwork that runs a modron takes roughly 100 years to decay when outside the plane of Mechanus, but can be increased with advanced maintenance.
Alignment. Modrons are almost always lawful, and usually neutral. Rarely the events of a modron's life trend it to good or evil, but its almost unheard of for a modron to be anything but lawful.
Size. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Singular Purpose. Modrons are designed upon creation to fulfill a certain task with utmost efficiency. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Mechanical Legacy. You know the mending cantrip.
Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to diseases. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Modron, and two other languages of your choice.

The Modron Language

The language of the modrons is just as precise, ordered, and inscrutable as the modrons themselves. It's exact, mathematical, and incredibly complex to non-modron. But it has specific rules, and while those rules are difficult to learn they are not impossible. A non-modron can learn the language of the modrons, but must use two language options to do so.

The Modron language is not on the available language list on D&D Beyond, so if you know it you should make note of it yourself.

Adjustable Vision. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Remnants of Truesight. Though you were stripped of your Truesight when you were cast from Mechanus, some of its effects still linger:

• You have Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks to discern if something is an illusion.

Inherent order. Always acting and responding in the same way, as a modron you roll initiative once. Just once. During character creation, make a Dexterity check and make note of your result. This result is your initiative count for all future encounters. You may re-roll this Dexterity check whenever your Dexterity modifier increases, and take either result.

Law of Averages. Whenever you would roll damage against a target, you instead take the average result for each die. Always round down after multiplying. For example: if you roll 2d6 damage, the result is will always be 7. See the table below for average die results.

Die Type	Average result
d4	2.5
d6	3.5
d8	4.5
d10	5.5
d12	6.5
d20	10.5

 

Natural Armor. Much of your body is made of metal. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Orderly Whole. Comprised of both mechanical and organic parts melded into a single form, the nature of your physical being is a hybrid of both. You have two creature types: humanoid and construct. You can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types.

Structured Mind. Your mind is a strictly ordered system of thought, making you less susceptible to magics that would affect it. You have advantage on Wisdom and Intelligence saving throws against magical effects that would make you charmed or frightened, or otherwise take control of your mind, as well as effects that would deal psychic damage to you.

Lone Modron Traits

As a modron player character, you have the following traits.

Creature Type

Living Construct. Even though you were constructed, you are a living creature. You are immune to diseases. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.

Size

You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Singular Purpose

Modrons are designed upon creation to fulfill a certain task with utmost efficiency. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

Remnants of Truesight

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of yourself as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Mechanical Legacy

You know the mending cantrip

Adjustable Vision

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Natural Armor

Much of your body is made of metal. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Structured Mind

Your mind is a strictly ordered system of thought, making you less susceptible to magics that would affect it. You have advantage on Wisdom and Intelligence saving throws against magical effects that would make you charmed or frightened, or otherwise take control of your mind, as well as effects that would deal psychic damage to you.