Archeotech Guardian

Saves: Toughness +9, Willpower +8

Senses: Lost-science sensors: cannot be surprised by conventional stealth within its warded zone

Machine Mind, Refined. The guardian does not make Morale checks, and its combat logic is genuinely good, not servitor-simple. It focuses fire, denies flanks, and never wastes an action.

Adaptive Shielding. After the guardian takes damage of the same type twice in a scene, it reduces further damage of that type by 5. Varied attacks stay effective.

Custody Protocol. The guardian defends a place or object and never pursues beyond its ward's boundary. Learning the protocol's exact wording (inscriptions, dead masters' records) lets the party invoke credentials, phrases, or lawful claims that end the fight, at GM discretion.

Relic Beam. Ranged Attack: +9 to hit, range 120/360 ft., one target. Hit: 3d10 + 5 energy damage. The beam ignores the Defense bonus of any cover; being hit teaches the party what cover is worth here.

Graviton Clamp. One creature the guardian can see within 60 feet makes a Strength Save DC 16 or is pressed to the floor mid-stride: it is Pinned, loses its movement, and cannot take reactions until the start of the guardian's next turn.

Perimeter Judgment. The guardian sweeps its warded zone with area fire. Each creature in the ward makes an Agility Save DC 15, taking 2d10 energy damage and becoming Suppressed on a failure, or half damage on a success.

Point-Defense Interdict. When a thrown weapon, grenade, or launched projectile targets the guardian or its ward, it may shoot the object down mid-flight, negating the attack.

Morale: Does not make Morale checks. It fights until destroyed, until intruders leave its ward, or until its protocol is satisfied by credentials, phrase, or lawful claim.

Tactics: Let the party meet its rules before its guns: warning inscriptions, older corpses, the exact boundary line. In combat it is precise, adaptive, and patient — vary damage types, exploit the ward boundary, or find the protocol's loophole. The vault behind it should be worth exactly this much trouble.

Loot / Evidence / Hooks: The guardian itself is archeotech beyond price — and the vault it kept is why it was built.

An Archeotech Guardian is a relic war machine from an age of better answers, still executing a custody protocol over whatever it was built to keep. It outclasses modern doctrine and knows it.

Use this enemy as the final lock on a Dark Age vault: a boss fight the party should scout, prepare for, and consider not having.

Threat Profile: Boss-grade — very high durability, superior weapons and reaction speed, adaptive defenses, no morale, bound by ancient protocol that clever parties can invoke or exploit.

Machine Mind, Refined. No morale; its combat logic is genuinely good, not servitor-simple.

Adaptive Shielding. After taking a damage type twice in a scene, it becomes resistant to it; varied attacks stay effective.

Custody Protocol. It defends a place or object, never pursuing beyond its bounds; the protocol's exact wording is a weapon for whoever learns it.

Lost-Science Sensors. Cannot be surprised by conventional stealth within its ward.

Relic Beam. Devastating attack that ignores conventional cover quality; being hit teaches the party what cover is worth here.

Graviton Clamp. Pins one target to the floor mid-charge; failed Strength Save costs the target its movement and reaction.

Perimeter Judgment. Sweeps its warded zone with area fire; everything inside saves or is damaged and Suppressed.

Morale: None. It fights until destroyed, until intruders leave its ward, or until its protocol is satisfied by credentials, phrase, or lawful claim.

Tactics: Let the party meet its rules before its guns: warning inscriptions, older corpses, the exact boundary line. In combat it is precise, adaptive, and patient — vary damage types, exploit the ward boundary, or find the protocol's loophole. The vault behind it should be worth exactly this much trouble.

Full Stat Block Priority: Boss