Homebrew Defected Modron Species Details

The Modron are the essence of order on their home planet of Mechanus. However, once every 289 years they perform The Great Modron March (When the largest gear of Mechanus rotates 17 times exactly. They trample through all of the planes of existence during this march, and many defect when they see how free the adventurers of other planets seem to be. 

A defective Modron defers immediately to the shape of a Quadrone: cuboidal shaped, weighing 600 pounds, and about 6 feet tall.

 

Hive-Mind

Modrons usually all feel like the limbs of some great planar hive-mind, but the rogue modrons have defied this unity, broken with it by believing that they are separate from it, and for that, they have been tossed out of the modron hierarchy and abandoned to the wilderness of the planes. These creatures are naive and curious, and still, typically, achingly, pointedly lawful, trying to see patterns and meaning in every little detail. They combine this neophyte's wonder with the body of an immortal icon of true universal order, with bodies of soulstuff, flesh, and steel, and minds that have faced unflinching the infinite reality of their homes. This makes them powerful neophytes, creatures who, even without the army of modrons at their backs, can more than hold their own against the dangers of the planes they now must find a home in.

A Piece of Mechanus

Rogue modrons are split off from Mechanus in a fairly predictable form: that of a cube exactly 3 feet on a face, on legs exactly 3 feet long, with arms exactly 3 feet long. Many modrons augment their form further, adding wings or crossbows or armor plating, but this happens long after they leave the crucible of their creation, being added later according to their individual whims…and thus separating them entirely from their original form. Additionally they may add signature markings on their bodies to signify their name.

Clueless & Curious

Rogue modrons are born into a world where their kind is unusual and remarkable. Each one sees the multiverse through new eyes, and understands their place in it with a new mind. This leads them to be deeply naive about the multiverse in general and intensely curious about it at the same time. Many seek patterns and order, hoping to apply the logic of Mechanus to the entirety of creation, and often looking for patterns that apply to their current situation and adapting them as the situation changes. Old habits die hard, and for an rogue modron, being ordered is an older habit than even the idea of selfhood.

Exiles

Rogue modrons have no home, no refuge, no true place to settle. This influences their desire to impose logic on their world, as this makes wherever they happen to be a little bit more like the home they remember. Mechanus itself is not barred to them, but they are not recognized as a modron by the modrons any more than a dwarf or a shator is. Thus, they can never truly return home, and efforts to do so frequently leads to their destruction as they are obliterated by creatures they once fit comfortably among.

A Place to be Useful

Every rogue modron is an adventurer of necessity, at least for a time. Some manage to find a comfortable position in their world, a place that they can understand and that accepts them, but most continually struggle with their fate. Because each rogue modron is individual, and thus unique in its own way, they don't all find the same solution to their problem of being homeless and alone. A planewalking troupe is often a welcoming place for the odd and the unusual, and so is often a welcoming place for an rogue modron. The modron itself might eventually be quite content seeing the world through a planewalking lens, hoping to comprehend reality by experience and empiricism, rather than by simply trusting the authorities of the land.

Quirks

Rogue modrons possess traits and behaviours that may seem odd to others. A rogue modron character can have one or more such quirks, you can pick from or roll on the table below for some ideas.

Rogue Modron Quirks

d8	quirk
1	You never refer to yourself with singular first person pronouns, only plural ones. No "I," "me," "my," or "mine," only "we," "us," "our," and "ours."
2	You have singled one of your companions as your superior, and often look to them for orders.
3	You have no understanding of personal property within your group.
4	You attempt to strictly schedule everything that you and your companions do.
5	You regularly make quiet ticking, whirring, or humming noises.
6	You fixate on certain numbers, such as primes or powers of two.
7	You make siren-like "wee-woo" noises when in danger, until told to stop.
8	You try to find patterns in things that you encounter, often spending a lot of time to see if you can identify any.

 

 

 

 

Defected Modron Traits

Modron, even those defected, attempt to rationalize that which cannot be rationalized. This causes significant pain for those who venture outside of Mechanus.

Ability Score Increase

Your complete metal exterior grants you increased constitution and decreased Dexterity. Your extreme rational thinking gives you increased Intelligence and decreased Charisma.

Age

Outside of Mechanus without the help of a master craftsman, the body of a Modron will begin to decay and last about 100 years.

Alignment

Modrons have an absolute sense of what is best and worst. However the idea of right and wrong escapes them.

It was possible, for a defective modron to go rogue and start acting in its own interests or no longer in accordance with its instructions, sometimes even becoming violent. Such rogues would experience tics or odd obsessions due to it going against its own nature.

All-seeing

• You possess sensory organs on all six sides of their cubic bodies making you incapable of being surprised.
• You need to rest 4 hours per day outside of Mechanus, however, you do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.
• You have the abilities of Darkvision, and vision in infrared and ultraviolet spectrums up to 180 feet.
• You have advantage on Wisdom and Intelligence saving throws against magical effects that would take control of your mind or deal psychic damage to you.

 

Living Construct

Enemies roll disadvantage on charms and illusions against you.

You don't need to eat, drink, or breathe.

Immune to disease, however, you can be affected by a game effect if it works on either of your creature types. 

Additionally, you require specialized modron armor for your character if you require it.

Proficiency Bonus

You have proficiency in any skill of your choosing.

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.

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.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Modron.

Flight

Can fly with a max of 1 person but decreases flying speed to 15 from 20.