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Template Grafts | Universal Monster Rules


Lore Guardian

Source Starfinder Dead Suns Adventure Path pg. 274, Starfinder #2: Temple of the Twelve pg. 57

Lore Guardian CR 2

XP 600
N Medium construct (magical)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +12

Defense

HP 28
EAC 13; KAC 15
Fort +2; Ref +2; Will +0
DR 2/adamantine; Immunities construct immunities; SR 13

Offense

Speed 30 ft.
Melee tactical spear +10 (1d6+6 P) orslam +10 (1d4+6 B)
Ranged tactical spear +8 (1d6+6 P)
Offensive Abilities eldritch attacks, transposing strike

Statistics

STR +4; DEX +2; CON —; INT —; WIS +0; CHA -5
Languages see species tradition (can’t speak)
Other Abilities mindless, species tradition, unliving
Gear tactical spear

Ecology

Environment any
Organization solitary or congregation (2–8)

Special Abilities

Eldritch Attacks (Su) A lore guardian’s slam attack and attacks it makes with analog weapons are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming DR and damaging incorporeal creatures.
Species Tradition (Ex) A lore guardian mimics the anatomy and mannerisms of the culture that created it. A lore guardian counts as both a construct and a member of its parent species for any effect related to its type and subtype (such as for the bane weapon fusion). It also understands but cannot speak one of its parent species’ languages.
Transposing Strike (Su) Once per day after making a ranged attack with an analog weapon, a lore guardian can activate a special teleportation effect as a swift action. This either teleports the ranged weapon back into the construct’s hands or teleports the construct to the weapon’s location (maximum 100 feet). When using the latter option, the lore guardian appears with the weapon in its hands adjacent to the target of its ranged attack (if it hit) or in a randomly determined nearby space (if it missed; see Missing with a Thrown Weapon on page 245 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook).

Description

Although technological constructs are especially popular in the modern era, many ancient cultures created magical automatons in their own images. Known as lore guardians, these sentries are fairly common in abandoned ruins from bygone eras, where they tirelessly chase off would-be looters. Unlike golems, lore guardians have only limited magical resistances, and they’re animated strictly by magic, not by bound spirits or outsiders.
Lore guardians are echoes of their parent cultures, and they’re often psychically imbued with those societies’ basic traditions. They infrequently move about their assigned areas, mindlessly aping their creators’ behaviors and rituals. Even after millennia, lore guardians recognize their creators’ species, and a creature of such a species can often approach the constructs peacefully. A successful DC 18 Diplomacy check is often sufficient to calm most lore guardians susceptible to negotiation (though the GM can decide whether this is possible for a particular lore guardian).

Variant Lore Guardians

Most lore guardians are made of stone, but different materials are equally suitable. The following are typical variants, though versions made of stronger materials are possible and often have a higher CR.
Common Metal: The construct’s DR increases to 4/adamantine, but the construct’s spell resistance doesn’t apply to spells that deal electricity damage.
Wood: The construct’s base speed increases to 40 feet, and its Reflex save bonus increases to +4, but it loses its DR.