Clockwork Serpent Spy
Level 1Attacks
Abilities
The clockwork spy records all sounds within 25-foot area onto a small gemstone worth 1 gp embedded in its body. The clockwork spy can record up to 1 hour of sound on a single gemstone. Once it begins recording, it can't cease recording early, nor can it record onto a gemstone that already contains a recording.
Some clockwork spies contain multiple gemstones to allow for a series of recordings. Since clockwork spies are not intelligent, they must be given simple commands regarding when to start
24 hours, , standby
For a clockwork to act, it must be wound with a unique key by another creature. This takes 1 minute. Once wound, it remains operational for the listed amount of time, usually 24 hours, after which time it becomes unaware of its surroundings and can't act until it's wound again. Some clockworks' abilities require them to spend some of their remaining operational time. They can't spend more than they have and shut down immediately once they h
A clockwork spy must use this reaction unless specifically programmed otherwise by its creator.
Trigger The clockwork spy is reduced to 0 Hit Points.
Effect The spy thrashes around and emits a tinny scream followed by a steady ticking sound. At the beginning of what would have been its next turn, the clockwork spy explodes, dealing 1d12 piercing damage in a 5-foot area (DC 17 reflex save). Its gemstone is destroyed, along with any information contained inside it.
An adjacent creature
On a critical hit with a sharpened gear Strike, the clockwork serpent spy also inflicts 1d4 persistent bleed damage (DC 17 fortitude save negates the additional bleed damage).
Engineers, technologists, and mechanically gifted wizards employ clockwork spies-tiny, spiderlike constructs capable of recording and playing back audio-to surreptitiously surveil their enemies or steal secrets from competitors. Their spindly bodies and delicate components make them unsuitable for combat; in fact, most builders construct clockwork spies with a self-destruct mechanism to ensure the spies' meddling can't be traced back to them.
Intricate, complex machines, clockworks are built with care by highly skilled engineers. Though their creation involves some amount of magic, they're primarily mechanical, packed with precision-tuned gears and springs working in concert.
The sturdy mainspring within a clockwork must be wound to provide the energy needed to power the device. Some larger clockworks contain a series of springs for different limbs that each need to be wound. A clockwork's crafter creates a unique metal key while building the clockwork; winding the clockwork usually involves inserting the key into the machine's back and turning clockwise. Larger clockworks require greater strength to turn the key, and typically have larger keys to allow for more torque-some even accommodating a team of winders rather than an individual. Programming a clockwork requires both the key and the knowledge to set the program correctly, information usually reserved for the clockwork's creator or owner.