MECHADRONE 7 (21)

The Strange Bestiary

Mechadrones were the pinnacle of the killing machines produced by rogue AIs to combat their biological enemies. Most mechadrones were destroyed, but those that survived the conflagration that led to Cataclyst's apocalyptic state continue the work they were designed to do: kill.

Robotic mechadrones are so dangerous thanks to their ability to reconfigure their forms into almost any mechanical shape. In these forms, mechadrones can hide in plain sight. What might appear as a heap of junk can, in an instant, transform into a multilegged mechanical monstrosity bristling with rockets, beam emitters, and slug throwers. If their prey attempts to escape, mechadrones simply adjust heir shape to give chase, whether that means up the side of a mountain, into deep water, or through the air.

A dormant mechadrone looks like a bit of ancient echnology—just another pile of wreckage in a landscape littered with such things. The mechadrone’s sensors detect life forms that come within a long distance, and if any of them register as human (or mutant), the mechadrone powers up, which takes a few minutes.

Motive: Kill humans

Environment (Cataclyst | Magic or Weird Science): Almost anywhere

Health: 21

Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (7 points)

Armor: 3

Movement: Short (requires one action to convert movement mode between land, air, and sea)

Modifications: All tasks related to climbing, flying, jumping, and swimming as level 8.

Combat: Mechadrones are, simply, mobile arsenals. They can bring to bear just about any weapon imaginable to dispatch their enemies. A mechadrone uses whirling blades and spikes to attack all characters within immediate distance as a single action. However, a mechadrone is deadliest at range and can use any of the following weapons to attack (each once per round, but it cannot use the same weapon two rounds in a row).

• Particle Gun: The mechadrone emits a purple energy beam at a target within long range. The beam inflicts 9 points of damage. Rocket: The mechadrone launches a missile at a target within 1,000 feet (305 m). If the attack misses, the rocket strikes a random spot within a short distance of the target. Wherever the rocket lands, it explodes and inflicts a moderate wound (7 points) to everything within short range.
• Micromissiles: The mechadrone launches a barrage of six small missiles, divided among up to six targets within long range. Each missile that hits inflicts a minor wound (3 points).
• Slug-Thrower: The mechadrone fires a hail of slugs at up to three targets (all within an immediate distance of each other) within long range as a single action.

Interaction: Mechadrones xist to kill humans, not talk to them.

Use: A malfunctioning AI deems one of the PCs to be a threat and sends a mechadrone to hunt the character.

GM Intrusion: When the mechadrone misses with one of its special weapons, it causes a terrain feature to explode, creating a pit hat's dangerously close to where the PCs are standing.