Aballonian

Medium construct, neutral

Armor Class 19 (natural armor, deflector screen)
Hit Points 190 (20d8 + 100)
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+4)	14 (+2)	20 (+5)	17 (+3)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)

Saving Throws Str +9, Con +10, Int +8
Damage Resistances poison, psychic; ranged weapon attacks (see deflector screen); bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common; shortwave 100 ft.
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Deflector Screen. An aballonian is surrounded by an aura of deflective force that grants it a +2 bonus to Armor Class. This screen deflects incoming ranged attacks. In addition, the aballonian has resistance to damage from ranged weapon attacks. If the deflector is disabled in some way then the aballonian loses all the benefits granted by the deflector screen. The deflector screen is normally invisible but flashes briefly when impacted by an attack.
• Rebuild. Aballonian machines are capable of improving and adapting their designs. Each aballonian starts out with one of the abilities listed below. Aballonians may adapt of their own volition, but it takes one day to add each additional ability beyond the first, and they must also possess the rare materials necessary to make such improvements. An ability can only be gained once unless stated otherwise.
  • Gain the Plasma Cutter attack option: Plasma Cutter. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (6d8 + 4) slashing damage and 7 (2d6) fire and 7 (2d6) lightning damage.
  • Gain advanced treads that increase base speed to 60 feet.
  • Modify chassis to gain a burrow, climb, or swim speed of 60 feet. This ability may be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, it applies to a new movement type.
  • Add a radar dish that grants blindsight 120 feet.
  • Add an additional claw or slam attack to its Multiattack action.
  • Lengthen arms to extend reach by 5 feet for all melee attacks.
  • Gain the rend Reaction – if two claw attacks hit the same target as a reaction the aballonian rends the target doing an additional 13 (3d8) piercing damage.
  • Add armor plating to gain a +2 armor bonus to AC.
  • Harden systems to gain a resistance to a single energy type (acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder). This ability may be taken multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time it is taken, it applies to a new energy type.
• Shortwave. An aballonian can communicate with nearby aballonians via invisible waves. This functions as telepathy out to a 100 ft., but only with other aballonians. In combat, if any allied aballonian within range can act in a surprise round, all of them can.
• Solar Cell. An aballonian can store up to one hour of solar energy in its reserve cells, allowing it to ignore its sunlight dependency trait for that duration.
• Sunlight Dependency. Aballonian gain their energy from light. In areas of darkness, they have disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The aballonian makes three claw attacks.
• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) lightning damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the aballonian loses a claw attack.
• Rapid Rebuild (1/day). An aballonian can exchange one of its existing Rebuild traits for a different trait as an action. Alternatively, it may swap ability scores.
• Spark (Recharge 5-6). The aballonian unleashes an arc of lightning in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 50 (9d10) lightning damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat a DC 17 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the stun effect on itself on a success.

ABOUT

Aballonians are intelligent, self-modifying constructs. The stat block presented here represents only the most basic type, with much larger or smaller variants taking the form of gargantuan excavators, gliding solar-powered flyers, ribbon-like serpent creatures, disembodied processor intelligences, or stranger designs.