Ingenious shindroids employ battle armor to increase their field presence. Mimicking magitek, warmechs are equipped with weaponry and use their battle armor and force fields to protect allies in battle.
The warmech is an archetype of the engineer class, available only to shindroid engineers.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The warmech mainly focuses on STR/DEX for martial combat and INT for his class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Automaton, Limit Breaks, Technologist. 2nd – Tinkering. 3rd – Rough and Ready. 4th – Support Droid. 5th – Crafting Expertise. 7th – Quick Craft. 8th – Durable Materials. 11th – Unflustered. 15th – Construct Expertise, Rapid Rebuild. 17th – Master Engineer. 19th – Primal Technomancy. 20th – One With Machines.
Limit Breaks (Su)
At 1st level, the warmech receives the Limit Breaks (Battalion and Rebuild).
Battalion (Su): This Limit Break allows the warmech to summon a temporary set of battle armor upon himself and any allies within 15 feet for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four engineer levels after 1st. Allies gain the same bonuses as the warmech while in the battle armor. Casters are unaffected by arcane spell failure.
Rebuild (Su): This Limit Break allows the warmech to repair his battle armor to full health. In addition, for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four engineer levels after 1st, the battle armor grants a +2 dodge bonus to AC for every four levels of engineer attained after 1st.
These abilities replace the engineer’s standard Limit Breaks.
Force Field
At 1st level, a warmech gains the Force Field feat as a bonus feat.
This ability replaces technologist.
Battle Armor (Ex)
A warmech crafts a suit of magic-powered armor that is grafted to the warmech, rather than an independent automaton. These battle suits are of medium size and grant the warmech many of the bonuses normally gained by automatons as they are improved and upgraded, at the cost of taking up the warmech’s Armor Slot.
The warmech gains the automaton’s hit points as temporary hit points which stacks with shindroid’s force field (but the temporary hit points from the force field are taken off first and cannot be repaired). These temporary hit points can be restored any way in which the engineer could restore his automaton’s hit points, including the repair skill. Furthermore, the warmech can use his Repair ability on his battle armor as a swift action so long as the battle armor continues to provide temporary hit points.
When in his battle armor, the warmech uses the automaton’s size and shape rather than his own. He gains the automaton’s base movement, armor bonuses (including armor plating, which counts as light, medium, or heavy armor depending on plating) and a slam attack. The warmech also gains the automaton’s Strength and Dexterity bonuses as equipment bonuses to his own Strength and Dexterity scores. The warmech retains his own Base Attack Bonus, Saves, other ability scores and does not gain the Share Trick ability (Though the battle armor is treated as the engineer’s armor for the purpose of abilities such as the Invisibility Cloak), and does not gain the Automaton Upgrades (but see below).
If the temporary hit points granted by the battle armor is reduced to half its maximum, it gains the broken condition, and takes penalties as a suit of armor (attacks are unaffected). If the temporary hit points granted by the battle armor is reduced to 0, it becomes inactive. The warmech may only take mental actions, use the Repair ability, or exit the battle armor. Using Repair on an inactive battle armor requires a standard action, and exiting an inactive battle armor requires a full-round action.
This ability modifies and replaces the automaton.
Battle Armor Upgrades
At 5th level and five engineer levels thereafter, the warmech upgrades his battle armor.
- Battle Armor Upgrade 1: A warmech may add this upgrade to his battle armor at 5th level. The battle armor grants the warmech DR 5/- and the warmech may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his battle armor.
- Battle Armor Upgrade 2: A warmech may add this upgrade to his battle armor at 10th level. While the warmech is in his battle armor, he can make an additional attack with its slam as part of his full-attack action, at the warmech’s highest base attack bonus. In addition, the warmech can select one feat for which he qualifies. He gains the use of that feat while inside his battle armor, but cannot use it for prerequisites. The warmech can retrain the bonus feat once a level. In addition, the warmech may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his battle armor.
- Battle Armor Upgrade 3: A warmech may add this upgrade to his battle armor at 15th level. Adding the third upgrade to the battle armor grants it the use of an elemental energy attack. At the time of the upgrade the warmech chooses from fire, ice, or lightning elemental energy and picks either a 60-ft.-line or 30-ft.-cone, inflicting 4d6 points of damage plus an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 2 HD the battle armor possesses. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1 per 2 HD the battle armor possesses) halves the damage. This ability is usable once every 3 rounds and cannot be changed until the battle armor is upgraded again. The warmech also gains the Grab special attack with the battle armor’s slam while inside his battle armor. This can be retrained once a level. In addition, the warmech may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his battle armor.
- Battle Armor Master Upgrade: A warmech may add this upgrade to his battle armor at 20th level. The warmech can select one feat for which he qualifies (for the purpose of this bonus feat only, the bonus feat granted by Battle Armor Upgrade 2 may be used as a prerequisite). He gains the use of that feat while inside his battle armor, but cannot use it for prerequisites. The warmech may also increase the size of the battle armor to the size of Large (gaining +8 Strength. -2 Dexterity, +2 natural armor bonus to AC, and 10 additional temporary hit points), and can change the battle armor’s elemental energy attack to earth, water or wind damage. In addition, the battle armor’s DR increases to 10/- and the warmech may add a +2 equipment bonus to Strength or Dexterity to his battle armor.
These abilities replace automaton upgrades.
Protective Armor (Ex)
At 2nd level, whenever the warmech is inside his battle armor, he gains a +2 shield bonus to his Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on his saving throws.
This ability replaces tinkering.
Backup Force Field Battery (Su)
At 3rd level, as an immediate action, the engineer can spend a repair usage to restart his force field if the temporary hit points of his force field drops to 0. The warmech’s force field reenergizes and grants him half of his normal temporary hit points granted by the force field.
This ability replaces rough and ready.
Improved Battle Armor (Ex)
At 4th level, the warmech, through repairs and improvements, makes his battle armor tougher and stronger, granting the battle armor a +1 bonus that improves its armor bonus to AC by 1 and increasing its attack and damage rolls with its slam attack by 1.
At 8th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the battle armor gains an additional +1 bonus.
This ability replaces the support droid ability and support droid upgrades.
Extend Force Field (Ex)
At 5th level, as a swift action, a warmech can extend his force field to protect an adjacent ally, granting the warmech’s temporary hit points. At 15th level, a warmech can extend his force field to all adjacent allies.
This ability replaces crafting expertise and construct expertise.
Shield Ally (Ex)
At 7th level, as an immediate action, once per round, the warmech can intercept an attack on an adjacent ally, effectively moving the target out of the way, trading places with him or her and forcing the enemy to make the Attack roll on the warmech’s armor class instead. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity for either the warmech or the target. He can only intercept physical melee attacks and ranged attacks, such as an incoming arrow or a blow from a sword, not from spells and other effects. This action may only be taken before the result of the attack roll is determined.
This ability replaces quick craft.
Rapid Shield Repair (Ex)
At 9th level, as a free action, a warmech can reduce power to his battle armor to increase force field regeneration. The warmech effectively penalizes himself with a -5 penalty to AC, -5 to attack rolls, -5 to all skill checks, and a -10 movement speed. For each round the warmech reduces power to his battle power, his force field regenerates at double capacity. A free action is required to deactivate.
This ability replaces durable materials.
Greater Protective Armor (Ex)
At 11th level, whenever the warmech is inside his battle armor, he gains a +4 shield bonus to his Armor Class and a +4 circumstance bonus on his saving throws.
This ability replaces unflustered.
Improved Shield Ally (Ex)
At 15th level, the warmech’s ability to intercept attacks improves. The warmech can now intercept spells with a touch or ranged touch on an adjacent ally.
This ability replaces rapid rebuild.
Counterattack (Ex)
At 17th level, a warmech can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who hits an adjacent ally with a melee attack, so long as the attacking creature is within the warmech’s reach.
This ability replaces master engineer.
Retributive Attack (Ex)
At 19th level, if an adjacent ally of a warmech is rendered helpless or unconscious, the warmech can make a retributive attack against the creature that felled his ally. When making a retributive attack, the warmech adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to his attack roll and deals an extra 1 point of damage per engineer level on a successful hit. A warmech can make a number of retributive attacks per day equal to his Intelligence bonus (minimum of one), but never more than once per round. He may make more than one retributive attack against the same foe.
This ability replaces primal technomancy.
Indestructible (Ex)
At 20th level, a warmech gains complete immunity to critical hits and sneak attacks while he is wearing his battle armor. In addition, unless his battle armor has the fragile armor quality, it cannot be sundered while he is wearing it.
This ability replaces one with machines.
