Thread: New Monsters
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Old 10-17-2018, 04:40 PM   #84
Shostak
 
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Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: New England
Default Re: New Monsters

Permission is granted to Steve Jackson Games to use this in return for acknowledgement of my contribution.

Argent

Not everyone who wants to live forever is an evil necromancer prepared to become an undead lich; some, perhaps inspired by the artifacts left by the Mnoren, have discovered how to transfer the soul into a gleaming mechanical vessel made wholly—save for a powerstone—of an alloy of silver and adamant. Some call them monsters, others insist they simply represent progress. Although the desire to become an Argent is to prolong life as one’s self, the mechanical nature of the new body changes the mind. No longer constrained by the demands, limits, and pleasures of the flesh, Argents eventually become inscrutable, motivated by enigmatic desires and moving toward mysterious ends. An Argent can be a valuable friend or a powerful—and probably unpredictable—enemy.

An Argent’s IQ starts at that of the person transforming into one, and can continue to grow with experience, but its ST and DX are determined by the value of its components—the more complex the machinery, the stronger and more agile it can be. If an Argent’s body is damaged, it will not heal, obviously, but it can be repaired by a Master Mechanician, given time and materials, or with the Restore Device spell.

In order to continue to cast spells, an Argent must use powerstones; its ST is purely physical. One of these is usually placed out of sight where the heart or brain would normally sit, but some conceited wizards use powerstones in place of eyes.

The raw materials to construct an Argent are valuable enough that some murderous adventurers will occasionally attempt to kill one to sell the body to metalsmiths. Few, if any, Wizards' Guilds openly permit Argents as members, and no Wizard’s Guild admits to possessing the spells necessary to create an Argent. But the knowledge is out there … somewhere.
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