#construct handbook
It’s fairly predictable that once we hit the word “construct” in my master list of archetypes and options for this blog that we would have at least one more archetype from Construct Handbook, and it’s yet another one that focuses on destroying constructs or using their remains after destruction, we’ve seen it all before… or have we?
From the perspective of occultists and psychic spellcasting in general, constructs can actually prove a proverbial gold mine even after destroyed. The vast majority of constructs are works of art and engineering, and you can’t pour your heart and soul into something without literally metaphysically pouring yourself into it, making constructs a natural receptacle for all sorts of mystical association and energies, and that’s before even considering the animating force that constructs serve as a vessel for.
The occultists known as construct collectors may be archeologists, treasure hunters, or antique dealers, but they all share a fascination for constructs, both the intact and destroyed alike. If at all possible they enjoy studying the psychic energies coming off of these beings, though for their own safety they often have to defend themselves from and destroy constructs. That intimate knowledge, however, does let them draw upon the last vestiges of a fallen construct, as we’ll see below.
Honestly while part of me sees this archetype as just another construct-breaker, the themes of the occultist class help elevate the concept for me.
By searching through the remains of constructs, these occultists can find mystically significant trinkets that still carry a bit of power: a stone shard with an intact cluster of runes, a clockwork heart, and the like. By keeping these items with them, they can draw upon them for a little bit extra focus in a pinch that is not tied to any of their implements. However, draining this energy from the components removes the last vestiges of power from them, rendering them inert and only valuable as collector’s bric-a-brac.
More impressively, with a surge of uninvested focus, these mystics can pour their power into a construct that has just been destroyed in order to animate it briefly under their control. This power starts out only lasting a moment, but later on they can invest more power to make it last several seconds, or even minutes before the construct collapses, inert once more.
A simple archetype, this version of the occultist doesn’t really specialize you for fighting against constructs, but it does reward you for slaying them, either by giving you a small supply of extra focus points, or that rare opportunity where you get to destroy a foe’s construct bodyguard and immediately turn it against them, which is a niche ability, but a satisfying one. The focus on having a supply of un-invested focus points means you’ll have to carefully decide when to invest and when to leave some points free, but you’re losing out on a portion of your focus powers as well as all the magic circle gimmick stuff anyway.
I never thought I’d look to modern collector culture for inspiration with an archetype, but there you have it. Construct collectors most likely have a large selection of bits and bobs taken from destroyed constructs, some from before they were able to draw power from them, many after. Even after they’ve used up the power within, I imagine they still keep many of them around as mementos or collector’s items from those meaningful encounters. Additionally, some may choose to learn how to craft constructs themselves, copying or drawing inspiration from ancient and novel designs.
For decades, the Red Eye, once the focus for a mighty robot weapon from the Star Invasion, has passed from construct collector to collector, seething with potential. However, unbeknownst to anyone, reinforcements of that invasion have arrived, and they are eager to retrieve and revive what once was theirs.
They say that the cecaelia once had a great undersea empire now long lost. Regardless of whether that is true, there are plenty of octopus-folk that are curious about ancient sunken ruins, and the guardians that their owners made long ago to protect them.
Alien and cryptic, flail snails are a mystery whose shells have strange mystical properties that were once valued by an ancient civilization, so much so that entire colonies of the beings are protected to this day by eternal construct guardians. However, this new interloper, Vaxi Thunderclash, is not interested in the flail snails, but rather, in their guardians, eager to study and collect bitf of the golems as an archaeological expedition.
(art by butterfrog on DeviantArt)
And we’re back again, too soon, to my favorite punching bag: Construct Handbook, with another archetype.
By my own admission I rag on that book as a disappointment a lot, but today’s archetype I don’t actually mind that much, and in my opinion provides an elegant solution to something that felt missing from the game for a long while: A summoner character that conjures a construct-like eidolon to aid them!
Unlike other summoners, construct callers use their rote and rituals to literally build their eidolon, crafting astral quintessence into a perfect orderly form which might resemble any sort of construct, from a golem to a clockwork to something more cultural or regional. However, others might resemble more esoteric concepts, such as a mathematical or geometric equation given roughly humanoid form. Unlike inevitables, however, they are not necessarily lawful.
Some of these summoners might craft their eidolon entirely from scratch, but others might instead use an eidolon consciousness as a “seed” or core around which their body is built. Either way, as we’ll soon see that prove to have impressive control over their eidolon’s form.
As this archetype specifically works with the eidolon subtypes of the unchained version of the summoner class, it is limited to that version, but we’ll soon see exactly what that means.
The summoner’s eidolon functions much like an inevitable, but having no constitution and having size-based vitality. What’s more, their durability against all but the most chaotic attacks is instead bypassed by the hardest materials.
Additionally, due to how thorough their control over their minion’s form is, they prove able to squeeze more unique abilities and evolution out of their eidolon than most.
A simple archetype which provides a different sort of companion creature at the cost of limiting the progression of their ability to summon other creatures, this option is a fun, flavorful way to scratch that “pet automaton” itch, no matter what form it takes. You’ll be a bit less reliant on your other summons, so I suggest a build focused on supporting your eidolon in particular.
While some of these summoners might be brilliant engineers, capable of crafting complex esoteric constructs, the fact that they remain charisma-based casters does suggest that there may be a significant portion that are not so extremely gifted when it comes to engineering expertise, and might instead construct their eidolons because they lack the ability to craft such a being from components more restricted by the laws of physics than quintessence. In such cases, many might struggle with imposter syndrome, particularly if they had construct-crafting or engineering-focused peers. Conversely, however, some may see their creations as just as much art as engineering, not as bothered by the intricacies under the hood. Of course, this is less likely to come up with construct callers that have eidolons that resemble solid-material constructs like most golems.
Researching the strange denizens of Leng is no easy task. One needs a companion that can handle the rigors of that maddening environment, and Kadia envisioned such an ally, a construct eidolon, into being. Even still, she reaches out to the part for help with a particularly nasty target, a leng hound.
Endlessly fascinated by crafting and invention, many catfolk around the Scarred Cape take up a craft to pass the time, and some even learn to summon their ideal creations into existence. Some resemble the ruined automatons seen throughout the region, while others resemble more rustic materials. Jokes about yarn, however, are not appreciated.
Rather than being scorned as “false craftsmen” the construct callers of Vendia are reknowned as innovators, constantly perfecting their eidolons with new designs which true crafters study in order to realize them as true constructs. However, plagerism with the help of evolution surge and devolution spells is common.
