Automatic Acolyte

Medium construct, neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	19 (+4)	1 (-5)

Skills Arcana +6, Religion +6
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Celestial, Common, Infernal
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Constructed Nature. The acolyte doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
• Magical Assistance. The acolyte is designed to assist with magical research, including the activation of magical items. The acolyte can attune to up to three magic items. For attunement purposes, the acolyte is considered a cleric and a wizard.
• Spell Storing. A spellcaster can cause a willing acolyte to store up to two spells of 3rd level or lower. To store a spell, the spellcaster casts the spell on the acolyte, expending any required material components. When cast in this way, the spell has no effect. The acolyte can cast a stored spell, using the caster’s spell save DC and without requiring material components. The acolyte chooses any parameters required of the spell, such as targets. Once the acolyte casts a spell, it is expended, and the acolyte can store a new spell.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The acolyte makes two slam attacks.
• Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
• Divinity Beam (Recharge 5-6). The acolyte connects its arms at the wrist and emits a wave of radiant or necrotic energy (depending on the deity it serves). The acolyte creates its choice of a 15-foot cone or a 5-foot-wide, 30-foot-long line of energy. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 31 (7d8) damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

REACTIONS

• Project and Serve. If a willing spellcaster within 100 feet casts a spell that requires concentration, the acolyte concentrates on the spell on the spellcaster’s behalf. Glowing runes manifest across the acolyte’s body. The acolyte can maintain concentration on the spell until its concentration is broken, the spell ends, or the acolyte chooses to end its concentration.

These constructed companions are designed to play an active role in magical research and experimentation. Around the lab, an automatic acolyte is a priceless assistant capable of casting nearly any basic spell from a magic item such as a scroll or wand. Though it cannot cast spells by itself, an automatic acolyte can be a veteran evoker, an expert diviner, a powerful enchanter, or any other type of master spellcaster-its limitations are dictated only by its load-out of magical apparatuses.

Constructed companions are masters of conversation, organization, and entertainment, and they are often regarded as some of the most intellectual voices in the room. It is all the more impressive, then, to remember that these constructs were not created with the mind nor the soul of a sentient creature. Rather, their faculties are entirely the result of intricate programming and advanced algorithms instilled in them by their creators. Considering all this, one must ask: Does an automatic acolyte and its mechanical kin have a mind? If so, is it a living being? If not, then how does one explain its humanoid-like behavior? Consensus on these befuddling questions has eluded scholars, arcanists, and theologians for years.

If a mechanical maître d’s purpose is to provide entertainment and day-to-day assistance, then a bespoke bodyguard’s purpose is to provide muscle and storage.