Pop Creature - Handyman

In-game poster of a Handyman from
Bioshock: Infinite.

As noted in the last update, I've recently jumped on the Bioshock: Infinite bandwagon, albeit belatedly. The game's ability to capture the imagination with both twisted storytelling and superbly rich visuals is likely to blame for the sudden influx of Bioshock-related updates here. In the next update we'll be stepping away from Bioshock to tap an altogether different well, but for now, enjoy the stemepunk-themed update.

Today's Pop-Creature article features one of the hulking automatons from Bioshock: Infinite, the handyman. Encountered early in the game, the handyman is both a terrible war machine and a terrible tragedy as an unwilling fusion of man and machine, tormented by its own existence.


HANDYMAN CR 12
Standing twelve feet tall with the posture of a gorilla, this abominable mix of man and machine is laden with riveted steel and articulated joints that hiss and whine with steam and hydraulic power. The construct's head remains visibly human, as does its still-beating heart suspended in a fluid-filled container embedded in its chest.
XP 19,200
N Large construct
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +2

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DEFENSE

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AC 22, touch 9, flat-footed 22; (+13 natural armor, -1 size)
hp 165 (16d10+30)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +6
DR 10/adamantine; Immune construct traits; Resist electricity 20
Weakness exposed heart, susceptible to mind-affecting effects

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OFFENSE

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Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +26 (2d6+10)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks death throes, fling, overload

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STATISTICS

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Str 30, Dex 10, Con —, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +16; CMB +30 (+34 sunder and bull rush); CMD 40 (42 versus sunder and bull rush)
Feats Awesome Blow, Bull Rush Strike^APG, Cleave, Great Cleave, Greater Sunder, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Power Attack
Skills Arcobatics +16 (+46 when jumping)
Languages Common
SQ berserk, mighty leaping

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SPECIAL ABILITIES

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Berserk (Ex) When a handyman enters combat, there is a cumulative 1% chance each round that it is incapable of handling the stress of battle and temporarily loses its mind, going berserk. The berserk handyman goes on a rampage, attacking the nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on to spread more destruction. During this time the handyman begs and pleads to be deactivated and pitifully wails about the agony of its existence. Any creature within 60 feet who is not obviously threatening to handyman nor has damaged him in combat can try calm the creature by speaking firmly and persuasively, which requires a DC 25 Diplomacy check. Without being calmed, the handyman naturally exits its berserk state after 5 minutes, so long as no creatures are within sight.

Death Throes (Su) When killed, a handyman explodes in a 20-foot-radius burst that deals 10d6 electricity damage (DC 18 Reflex half). The save DC is Constitution-based.

Exposed Heart (Ex) A handyman's living heart is contained within a magically hardened, fluid-filled glass container embedded in its chest. This container may be targeted separately by melee or ranged attacks and has an AC of 27 (+4 size, +13 natural armor) and attacks against it damage the handyman's hit points normally. However, critical hits delivered against the handyman's exposed heart cause it to be stunned for 1 round. When a handyman's heart takes damage, add 5% to the handyman's total percentage to go berserk and re-roll to see if the handyman enters the berserk state.

Fling (Ex) When a handyman successfully makes a grapple combat maneuver against a medium-sized or smaller creature within reach, he may immediately throw that creature as part of the combat maneuver. The handyman may throw the grappled creature up to 60 feet, inflicting 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet thrown. The thrown creature lands prone at the end of its movement. Alternately, the handyman may throw the grappled creature as a ranged attack, inflicting the same damage on both the grappled creature thrown and the chosen target if the attack roll is successful. The thrown creature lands in a randomly determined square adjacent to the target and if the fling attack roll successfully hits its target and is higher than the target's CMD, the target is also knocked prone in addition to taking damage.

Mighty Leaping (Ex) Thanks to the powerful hydraulics in their legs, a handyman is always considered running when making a jump and gains a +30 racial bonus on acrobatics checks when jumping. Additionally, the distance a handyman can jump in a round is not limited by their speed.

Overload (Su) As a standard action a handyman can overload an object with electricity. If used on a grappled creature, overload inflicts 10d6 points of electricity damage (Reflex DC 18 for half damage). Alternately, as a standard action, the handyman can electrify the area around itself in a 20-foot radius, inflicting 5d6 points of damage to all creatures in the area and stunning them for 1 round (a Reflex save DC 18 halves the damage and negates the stunning effect.) The save DC is Charisma-based.

Susceptible to Mind-Affecting Effects (Ex) A handyman is not immune to mind-affecting effects.

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Open Content: The game mechanics of this game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d).