While gnomes have a martial tradition at least as old and proud as that of any other race, gnomish generals have long since grappled with the simple problem that their troops are smaller and weaker on average than the typical orc or hobgoblin warrior. To help combat this disadvantage, gnomes turn their penchant for invention and innovation to help even the odds in battle. Few gnomish hosts march into battle without a few contraptions designed to wreak havoc and terror amongst their enemies. This use of advanced clockwork mechanism extends to gnomish adventurers. Many of the weapons and designs that have proven their worth on battlefields eventually find their way into the backpacks of adventurers across the world. While most gnomes rarely sell their items to just anyone, an adventurer who has proven herself a friend and ally to a gnome community can gain access to these items if she has enough gold to offer.

Gnomish inventions are not as reliable as magic items but they are much cheaper. Any item listed below that does not list any spells under the process necessary to create it is a wholly mundane item. To construct these items, use the rules listed under the Craft skills. The DC to build these items is 30 if you have access to an example of the item and can take it apart in an effort to reverse-engineer it. If you do not have an example to work from, you cannot use a Craft skill to build these items. Any craft involved with woodworking or metalworking may be used to construct a clockwork item. At the DM’s option, you may purchase the Craft (clockwork) skill. This allows you to build the mundane items listed here at a DC of 25 and without having to examine an example of the item.

Clockwork Bolt: These projectiles are steel bolts heavier and slightly longer than standard bolts. On a successful hit, four steel pincers snap out of the bolt’s shaft and grab on to the target, securing the bolt in place while a second mechanism within the shaft drills the bolt’s head into its victim.

Clockwork bolts are less aerodynamic than standard ammunition, halving the range increment of the crossbow from which they are fired. On a successful hit, they deal normal damage. On the two rounds following the successful hit, the bolt deals 1d4 damage as it continues to drill into its target. The target may remove the bolt and prevent it from dealing extra damage with a partial action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

Market Price: 47 gp each

Medium-Size Construct

Hit Dice: 2d10 (11 hp)

Initiative: +0

Speed: 10 ft.

AC: 12 (+2 natural)

Attacks: Heavy mace +2 melee, ballista +1 ranged

Damage: Heavy mace 1d8+1, ballista 3d6

Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.

Special Qualities: Blindsight, construct

Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0

Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1

Climate/Terrain: Any land

Organization: Solitary or squad (2 — 4)

Challenge Rating: 1

Alignment: Always neutral

Sentry golems are the first line of many gnome fortresses’ defense against stealthy or invisible intruders. One of the gnome clockworkers’ most successful designs, these golems are ballistas given mobility and the ability to detect and fire upon targets without a crew. Sentry golems are mounted on a swiveling platform attached to three wooden legs arranged like a tripod beneath the siege engine. The golem’s stock ends in a steel mace used to strike enemies in melee. The golem has two racks mounted on its sides, each capable of holding ten darts for the ballista. Two small, mechanical arms pluck ammunition from the racks and load the ballista.

Sentry golems are capable of patrolling without supervision. They make predictable sweeps across their assigned area, usually moving back and forth over the same exact path. Unfortunately, the golems are incapable of determining friend from foe. They can be ordered to fire in one direction or cover a given area but have no other capability to recognize an ally with on exception. At the time of its creation, a sentry golem can be linked to a particular symbol or piece of heraldry. Any creature displaying that symbol may give the golem verbal orders and the golem does not fire upon such creatures unless specifically ordered to do so. Typically, the gnomes of Norrickhold pick an obscure rune or symbol as a sentry golem’s "safety sign." An easily guessed symbol could render sentry golems completely useless.

Combat

Sentry golems are best deployed during a battle or a period of heightened alert. Their propensity to attack anything that comes into their assigned area makes them liable to attack innocent travelers or fellow guards. Most gnome commanders use sentry golems to secure a flank or free up guards for more important tasks. Still, sentry golems lack the thinking power to make tactical decisions or follow complex plans. They stand their ground, pumping bolts into the enemy until they are overwhelmed or their targets withdraw.

Sentry golems may reload themselves as a free action. The golem is designed to rapidly load itself, allowing it to maintain a much heavier volume of fire than a standard ballista.

Construct: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, disease, and similar effects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Blindsight: Sentry golems are sensitive to heat, vibrations, and even scent allowing them to detect targets within 120 feet. Neither invisibility nor darkness can foil this ability and the sentry golem does not need to make Listen or Spot checks to notice creatures within range of this ability.

Construction

A sentry golem’s body is simply a masterwork ballista fitted to a specially designed swivel joint mounted on a tripod.

This golem costs 7550 gp to create, including 800 gp for the body. Creating the body requires a successful Craft (weaponsmith) check (DC 15).

The ritual requires a 13th-level creator who can cast arcane spells. Completing the ritual drains 400 xp from the creator and requires lesser geas, limited wish, true seeing, and polymorph any object.

Dervish Cane: A dervish cane appears as three-foot tall walking stick. Based on the design of the clockwork bolt, a dervish cane transforms from an innocent looking walking stick to a whirling machine of destruction. When struck forcibly against the ground, three legs slide out of the cane’s bottom third while a set of sharp blades unfold and snap into place at the cane’s top. The cane then begins to spin rapidly while bounding about erratically on its spindly legs. The cane counts as a creature with a 5 ft. by 5 ft. facing and has a 5 ft. reach. The cane may make one attack of opportunity against each creature that moves into its threatened area at a base attack of +2 and doing 1d6 points of slashing damage on a successful hit. The cane continues to dance about and attack for 2d6 rounds after activation. After this duration, the cane’s internal mechanism winds down and it collapses to the ground. Folding the cane back into its mundane form and cranking up its internal mechanism requires 20 uninterrupted minutes of work. A dervish cane is AC 12 and can take 5 hit points of damage before it is destroyed.

Note that the cane does not actively move about and attack anyone. It remains within the same spot. However, due to its erratic movements it threatens the area around it. The cane blunders into those who carelessly move past it and slashes them with its blades.

Market Price: 2300 gp

Trap Golem: One of Margaunt’s most important innovations was his development of intelligent traps capable of obeying verbal orders. An intelligent pit trap or scything blade could be commanded to operate only at night or to allow visitors who spoke a code phrase to pass unmolested. A poisoned needle could replenish its venom after a designated interval. In general, trap golems can be given traits to look for in a target that determines whether it triggers or not. In addition, the trap is capable of performing basic maintenance on itself. A pit trap closes, a crossbow trap reloads, or a scything blade trap moves itself back into position. Of course, traps that fire projectiles must have access to ammunition to fire again.

Trap golems are represented by a series of templates that may be added to traps. Each template modifies the base trap’s CR and grants it some special abilities. The trap gain an Intelligence of 6, normal human sight and hearing, and 4 ranks in the Listen and Spot skills. This traps can understand one language, chosen at the time of the trap’s creation, and is capable of remembering and carrying out basic orders. For example, the trap may be ordered to trigger only at certain times of the day, to ignore intruders who display a particular badge, or to trigger once part of a group of intruders has passed by. In addition, the trap acquires limited mobility. It may incorporate simple limbs that allow it reload or reset itself, provided that a supply of ammunition is within its reach.

Intelligence increases the trap’s CR by 2. Creating a trap golem requires a ritual performed by 13th-level creator who can cast arcane spells. Completing the ritual requires limited wish and polymorph any object. The ritual costs 15,100 gp in addition to the cost of the trap and 500 xp to complete.

Darkvision: This template may be added to a trap golem at the time of its creation. It grants an intelligent trap darkvision with a 60 ft. range. Adding this ability to a trap golem requires an additional 500 gp and knowledge of the spell darkvision in addition to the requirements listed above.

Blindsight: This template may be added to intelligent traps. It grants an intelligent trap blindsight with a 60 ft. range. Adding this ability to a trap golem requires an additional 1000 gp and knowledge of the spell true seeing in addition to the requirements listed for the trap golem.

Steam Titan Armor: This item appears at first glance to be no more than a suit of full platemail fitted with a steel backpack. Closer inspection reveals gears and primitive motors fitted at each joint in the armor and tubes and lines running from the backpack to the joints. Steam titan armor was originally developed by Maurgant to serve as a useful tool in exploring hostile environments such as the ocean floor or the deepest portions of the underdark. All too often, the armor is pressed into service to help fight off the enemies of the gnomes.

Steam titan armor grants its wearer several bonuses and abilities. First, it counts as a standard suit of full plate armor for purposes of determining its AC bonus, check penalty, and so on. While the armor weighs 100 lbs., a clockwork mechanism mounted in its backpack improves the user’s Strength by +4 and allows him to move at base speed of 30 ft. Finally, the back-mounted clockwork mechanism also pumps air through a filter into the suit, granting the wearer a +4 bonus on saves against all gas attacks and providing him with an emergency supply of clean air that lasts one hour. Note that if a gas attack strikes the wearer while he is using the emergency air supply, he is completely immune to the gas’s effects. Activating the air supply is a full-round action. Multiply the minutes worth of air used by two to determine how long it takes to refill the supply. The armor’s internal mechanism pumps air into its tank during this time in order to fill it.

Market value: 19,150 gp

Helpbench: This automated set of work tools allows a craftsman to work faster and improves the quality of his creations. A helpbench looks like a regular work bench, forge, or other work area that incorporates a number of bulky, wooden arms sprouting from a iron-bound wooden box. When cranked up and activated, the arms help relieve an artisan from much of the drudge work involved in his craft. For instance, a woodworker may order his helpbench to sand down a piece of lumber or rapidly saw planks in half. A workbench grants its user a +8 competence bonus to Craft checks. Each helpbench is specifically designed to aid in the practice of a particular Craft, such as carpentry, blacksmithing, or weaving. A helpbench provides no bonus for Craft checks that do not involve the specific skill for which it was designed. At the DM’s option, it may provide a +2 bonus if it is used with a Check closely related to its original purpose. For example, a Helpbench (weaponsmithing) may provide a +4 bonus for Craft (blacksmithing) checks.

Market value: 1335 gp

Autopack: This clockwork backpack is designed to retrieve items in the midst of combat. The autopack is a normal wooden framed leather backpack with a small, cylindrical mechanism mounted at the pack’s mouth. Attached to the cylinder are six metal arms, each of which is keyed to a different button mounted on the backpack’s shoulder straps. When a button is pushed, the arm linked to the button pulls out of the backpack and dangles in front of the backpack’s wearer at eye level. Each arm ends in a small hook or clamp that may grasp and move an item that weighs up to 20 lbs. A character’s wearing an autopack may designate up to six items that he has attached to the autopack’s arms. In combat, retrieving one of those six items counts as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Market value: 300 gp

Weapon Minder: Designed to allow gnome warriors to drop their weapons in battle without fear of losing them, the weapon minder is a 6-inch wooden cube that holds two coils of line. The weapon minder is normally mounted on top of a backpack and includes a short wooden handle that projects over the wearer’s shoulder and ends in a metal button. When the button is pushed, the two lines coil up in the weapon minder. Typically, gnome warriors tie the end of each line to their shield and a weapon. In combat the warrior can drop his weapons without fear of losing track of them, as a simple touch of the button drags his items back to his pack. The weapon minder can pull up to 20 lbs. of equipment 15 ft. per round. Using the weapon minder is a free action that allows its user to catch weapons or other items.

Market value: 100 gp

Lock Spider: This small, metallic tool looks like a spider that has a set of tools projecting from its underbelly. The lock spider allows its user to disable a trap or open a lock from a safe distance. When wound up, the lock spider marches forward towards a designated trap or lock. A thick control cord 30 ft. long runs from the lock spider, allowing its own to control it from a distance. When commanded to work on a lock or trap, the spider clamps itself over the item it has been sent to work on and uses the tools embedded in its belly to open or disable it. The lock spider has the equivalent of four ranks in both Disable Device and Open Lock and uses its skills on whatever item its user has designated. Note that the lock spider cannot find traps. Its user must be aware of the trap for the lock spider to disable it.

The lock spider has a speed of 15 ft., AC 12, and can take 5 points of damage before it is destroyed.

Market value: 2000 gp

Tremor Bridge: A favorite defensive fortification of gnomish engineers, the tremor bridge is designed to shake and twist when activated, tossing anyone upon off it. Large clockwork mechanisms mounted beneath the bridge cause it to sway and tremble, requiring a Balance check (DC 20) to avoid falling off the bridge. The tremor bridge may also split at its mid-point, with both halves of the bridge dropping downward like a reverse drawbridge. The tremor bridge is activated by a triggering mechanism connected to the bridge by a thick cord.

Market value: cost of bridge + 6000 gp

Goblin Mower: This gnomish war engine is rightly feared amongst goblins, orcs, and other evil humanoid. The goblin mower is a 10 ft. long and 10 ft. wide wooden wagon fitted with a large, clockwork engine and a set of sharpened blades beneath its hull. The wagon rides four feet above the ground, with oversized, steel banded wagon wheels. Blades and spikes protrude from the mower’s sides, many slanting downward towards the ground. Once the mower’s firing lever is pulled, its engine snaps into action. The mower hurtles forward at a speed of 60 ft., the blades mounted beneath its hull spinning rapidly. Any medium or smaller creature caught in the mower’s path must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or take 4d6 points of damage from the mower’s deadly blades. A creature larger than medium-size must also make a Reflex save (DC 15) or take 2d4 points of damage from the spikes and blades mounted on the mower’s hull. When the mower hits a large or bigger creature, the creature has the option to stop the mower or allow it to pass. If the creature tries to stop it, resolve a bull rush against the creature using an effective Strength of 20 for the mower. Smaller creatures are too short to attempt stop the mower.

The mower hurtles forward for five rounds before coming to a stop. Winding up the mower’s engine requires three minutes of work. The mower moves and resolves its effects at the initiative on which it was activated. The mower may carry a burden. Calculate its movement rate as if it were a creature with a 30 ft. speed and a 20 Strength.

Market value: 4575 gp