Late in July 2002, the Mind's Eye brought you the constructor prestige class. Over the past few years I have both played a constructor and run a campaign with a constructor player character. So now, with the release of the Expanded Psionics Handbook, I have a unique opportunity in that I can both update the prestige class and fix what I feel were some of its shortcomings. If you are a fan of the constructor, I hope this version appeals to you, and if you are a Dungeon Master that decided the previous version was not right for your campaign, I hope you will take another look.

It seems like someone is always itchin' for a fight. It is a well-known fact that most psions don't last too long in a knock-down drag-'em-out style melee. However a few gifted psionic characters have chosen to follow a different path. They use the brawn and bodies of others as their fists and shields. These psionic characters have focused their studies on astral constructs and have created constructs that are much more powerful than those of their so-called "normal" counterparts. Some of these specialists, sometimes known as "Erbauer" or constructors, have become quite famous by leading the charge into battle or laying waste to the walls of enemy strongholds. Regardless of the path they travel in life, many find comfort in knowing that extra help isn't far away whenever these constructors are around.

Hit Die: d4.

Requirements

To qualify to become a constructor, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

Skill: Craft (any) 9 ranks.

Feat: Boost Construct.

Psionics: Manifester level 5th and able to manifest astral construct, ecto protection, and psionic repair damage.

Class Skills

The constructor's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge (any) (Int), Psicraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All the following are class features of the constructor prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Constructors gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Powers Known: At every level from 2nd through 9th, a constructor gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of constructor to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.

If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became a constructor, she must decide to which class she adds the new level of constructor for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

Advanced Construction: At 1st level, a constructor gains the ability to select menu abilities from an expanded list.

Menu A

Brawn (Ex): The astral construct does an additional +1 point of damage on a successful melee attack.

Claws (Ex): The astral construct has razor sharp claws. Attacks are now considered claw attacks instead of slams. Damage from these claw attacks is 1d8 + Strength modifier. The claw attacks are considered slashing or piercing weapons. The type is chosen when the construct is manifested.

Dodge (Ex): The astral construct gains the Dodge feat even if it does not meet the prerequisites.

Armor Spikes: The construct's body is covered in spikes, which allows the construct to deal an extra 1d6 points of piercing damage with a successful trample, constrict, bull rush, or grapple attack. The construct also can make a regular melee attack with the spikes, and they deal 1d6 points of damage (x2 critical) in that case.

Menu B

Great Cleave (Ex): The astral construct gains the Great Cleave feat even if it does not meet the prerequisites.

Improved Brawn (Ex): The astral construct deals an additional +3 points of damage on a successful melee attack.

Reach (Ex): The astral construct's arms elongate, which increases its reach by 5 feet.

Stunning Fist (Ex): The astral construct gains the Stunning Fist feat even if it does not meet the prerequisites.

Menu C

Extra Brawn (Ex): The astral construct deals an additional +5 points of damage on a successful melee attack.

Tail Slap (Ex): The astral construct has a tail, and it can slap one opponent each round with its tail. A tail slap deals 2d8 points of damage plus 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus (round down) and is treated as a secondary attack.

Ecto Protection: At 2nd level, any constructs manifested by a constructor are made from reinforced ectoplasm. They receive a +1 bonus on any manifester level checks made to protect them against dispel psionics or a similar effect, and a +1 bonus on saving throws to resist dismiss ectoplasm. These bonuses increase by +1 every other level (4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th). These bonuses stack with those of the ecto protection power (see Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 97).

Combat Construction: At 3rd level, the constructor gets a +4 bonus on Concentration checks made to manifest astral construct while on the defensive (see Manifesting Powers on the Defensive on page 54 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook). The +4 bonus from this ability stacks with that of the Combat Manifestation feat (ExpandedPsionics Handbook, page 44), granting a possible total bonus of +8.

Boost Construct: At 4th level, when the constructor creates an astral construct, she can give it one additional special ability from any menu (Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 186) from which the construct currently has an ability. The constructor can use this ability in conjunction with the Boost Construct feat (Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 43). She gains this ability again at 8th level.

Extended Construction: At 5th level, astral constructs manifested by the constructor have a duration of 1 minute per manifester level instead of their normal duration. This ability is active only when the constructor has psionic focus.

Utility Construct: At 7th level, the constructor gains the ability to alter an astral construct as it is being manifested. The astral construct loses all attack capabilities and menu selections. The astral construct in return has its duration increased to 1 hour per manifester level. The constructor can shape the astral construct into either a standard featureless humanoid-shaped biped or a horselike-shaped quadruped.

A utility construct can run and fetch things, open unstuck doors, and hold chairs, as well as clean and mend. It can perform only one activity at a time, but it repeats the same activity over and over again if told to do so, thus allowing you to command it to clean the floor and then turn your attention elsewhere as long as you remain within range. As another example, a utility construct following a psion and carrying a barrel will stop at a closed door; it must be told to place the barrel on the ground and open the door. It can open only normal doors, drawers, lids, and the like. It can trigger traps and such, but it can exert only 100 pounds of force, which may not be enough to activate certain pressure plates and other devices. It can also perform simple functions such as opening only normal doors, drawers, lids and so on.

A utility construct cannot attack in any way; it is never allowed an attack roll. It can make saves as normal. You need to stay in close range (Close 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) of a utility construct to command it; however, it will continue to execute its last command to the best of its ability until its duration is reached or it is destroyed.

When shaped like a quadruped, the utility construct can more easily have bags or crates strapped to it or be used to pull a cart. A character can ride a quadruped utility construct if her weight is less than its carrying capacity.

Enhanced Construction: At 9th level, the constructor gains added flexibility and greater efficiency when manifesting astral construct. When manifesting astral construct, she can add the following augmentation to the power.

Augment: For every 2 power points you spend, an additional construct is created. The additional construct's level equals that of the first construct created. You can create up to three additional constructs per manifestation. Additional constructs have the same menu selections as the first construct.

For example, a constructor can spend 17 power points manifesting astral construct: 1 to manifest the power, 14 power points to augment the level of the first construct to 8th level, and 2 power points to create a second 8th-level construct.

Quickened Construction: At 10th level, the constructor gains the ability to manifest astral construct as though the Quicken Power feat were applied to it. Doing so does not cost any additional power points, though the constructor must still expend psionic focus to activate this ability. Using this ability does not provoke an attack of opportunity and it counts as the character's one quickened power per round.

About the Authors

Mark A. Jindra has been a fan of Dungeons & Dragons for the past 25 years and has organized RPGA Network events for many conventions and game days, including Origins and Winter Fantasy. In 1998 he landed his dream job as a web developer for Wizards of the Coast and is currently the developer of the D&D website. Mark has authored or coauthored various tournaments for the RPGA Network, and he also coauthors the monthly Mind's Eye feature on the Wizards of the Coast website.

Scott Brocius has been "kicking around" with the D&D game since being introduced to it 1980. He has been an RPGA member for several years and has helped organize and run RPGA events for several conventions, including Origins. The new edition of D&D has renewed his love for and interest in the game. Scott also coauthors the monthly Mind's Eye feature on the Wizards of the Coast website.