[Index]
Numenera Destiny
Whether encountered in the deeps of a lonely ruin or wandering across the empty landscape, the sorrow-wracked griefsteel is an automaton that is unlikely to ever find solace. Crafted to serve as a companion to someone who died aeons before, these shambling mechs are forever heartbroken. Though they are self-aware automatons that are able to learn, some still get stuck in a mental loop from which they're unable to escape.
Unending sorrow makes them unpredictable. They're not usually a threat, but they're also not usually helpful. They're too lost in their own misery to notice or care about others' needs.
Sometimes, an anguished automaton strikes out in fury over their loss, and explorers who've disrupted their iterative depressive cycle make good targets—especially those who remind griefsteels of what they've lost.
Sometimes a griefsteel mistakes a traveler for the one who originally built them.
Motive: To be left alone
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 25
Damage Inflicted: Major wound (8 points)
Armor: 3
Movement: Short (some individuals can fly a long distance each round)
Modifications: Ability to detect falsehood or pierce disguise as level 4, because they want to believe
Combat: A griefsteel can be one of many different kinds of automaton, which means that different ones will bring different abilities in combat, though most prefer not to enter combat unless they are provoked (and some, not even then). At minimum, a griefsteel can batter three or more foes within immediate range with their metallic limbs. Many can also emit an energy ray that inflicts damage on up to three targets within long range.
If direct mental or machine communication is attempted, or any other sort of interaction, the creature attempting the interaction experiences the trauma of the griefsteel's loss directly.
Unless they can resist, they are stunned and lose their next turn.
Interaction: Griefsteels might first ignore, then wail at someone trying to communicate with them. If communication attempts persist, they will finally strike out at whoever is bothering them, unless the intruder is extremely persuasive and calming.
Use: The characters who've learned that plans (or components) they want might be found within a crashed vehicle or ruin are stymied by a griefsteel that is using the place as a base of sorts.
It must be mollified or deactivated before the PCs can gather what they need.
Loot: 1d6 cyphers and 1 or 2 units of psiranium can be salvaged from a griefsteel's deactivated form.
GM Intrusion: The griefsteel mistakenly believes that the character is their long-lost companion, but it begins to have doubts, which makes it very angry.