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Oard

by Jamie Baty

CM6, AC9
Medium Humanoid (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armour Class: 21 (+2 Dex, +9 Deflection), touch 21, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+5
Attack: 3 Ray glove +8 ranged touch attack (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 3 Ray glove +8 ranged touch attack (1d6+1) or blaster tube (See Below) or fireball gem (See Below)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Cybernetics
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 11, Cha 7
Skills: Disguise +12, Gather Information +5, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (engineering) +15, Listen +7, Search +8, Sense Motive +2, Spot +7, Survival +5
Feats: Alertness, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Environment: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, Pair, Squad (5-20 + 1 3rd level director), Platoon (20-40 + 2 3rd level directors and 1 6th level commander), or Collective (60+ plus 1 3rd level director/ 20 oards, 1 6th level commander/40 oards and 1 12th level master)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +2

We are the Oard. Lower your weapons and surrender. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to serve us. Resistance is futile.

Oards are man-sized, time-travelling humanoid creatures from the future who derive their power from mundane technology and science. They are not born, but are grown in special breeding tanks. Furthermore, their bodies are only part flesh and blood, with the remainder being composed of machinery, electronic circuits and so on. As a result, most oards are very similar in appearance. Their similarity is enhanced by the one-piece overalls which they wear.
Outside their own era, oards will usually he disgusted as ordinary inhabitants by means of their image amulets (see below). They speak their own language, as well as common and any other local languages. Oards will quickly seek to control and dominate any surrounding cultures. These cultures either help serve the oards or are exterminated. In an alternate Prime, the Oards attempted several times to change history through time travel and the elimination of humans, elves and dwarves.

Combat
The Oard typically avoid unnecessary battles and will remain disguised to help achieve that end. The oard are tactically fierce opponents though, using their intelligence to shape the battlefield in order to give them advantages against their foes, and in many cases they will have devised intricate ambushes.
The oard use technological devices in combat. They are proficient with oard weaponry and equipment, but no other arms or armour. Typically, all oards carry a ray glove and wear a protection belt. Some oards also may have blaster tubes and fireball gems.

Cybernetics (Ex): All Oard have cybernetic implants that give them some resistance to mind-affecting spells and abilities. Oards are completely immune to all charms, compulsions and ESP. They receive a +4 racial bonus to all Will saving throws against all other mind-affecting spells and abilities.

Skills: The Oard have a +4 racial bonus to all Knowledge (engineering) and Disguise skill checks. They have a +8 racial bonus to all Intimidate skill checks when not disguised.

Oards as Characters
An oard's favoured class is Expert. A few oards may have levels in fighter, rogue or warrior. Oards will never use any weapons or armour other than Oard equipment, regardless of whether or not class levels permit it. Oards are incapable of using magic of any type, and may not take levels in any class possessing spellcasting.

Oard Equipment
The Oard have a variety of technological equipment at their disposal. Non-oard cannot use this equipment. A limited wish spell will grant someone the ability to use an item 1d4 times. A wish or miracle spell will allow an individual to use Oard equipment 1d6x6 times. Even if allowed to use the equipment by a spell, characters will still suffer non-proficiency penalties for weaponry. The following is a list of common Oard equipment:

Image Amulet: This item duplicates the effects of the Disguise Self spell with the following exceptions: - there is no duration- the disguise is maintained as long as the oard wishes, and a creature interacting with the disguised oard receives a -4 penalty to the Will save to recognise it as an illusion.

Ray Glove: This item is a laser blaster incorporated into a glove. Each round as a standard action, the oard may make three ranged touch attacks. Creatures hit suffer 1d6+1 of force damage per hit. A ray glove has a range increment of 50ft.

Blaster Tube: A large, two-handed metallic tube with several lights and buttons. This weapon causes 2d12 force damage in a 120ft cone. Any creature in the area of effect may make a Reflex save vs DC12 to take only half-damage. A blaster tube may be fired once as a standard action, twice as a full-round action.

Fireball Gem: This is a tiny, self-propelled bomb. You can throw this gem as a ranged attack with a range increment of 40 feet. When it strikes a hard surface (or is struck hard), it creates a fiery explosion. Each creature within a 20-ft.-radius spread must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or suffer 6d6 fire damage. A successful save negates half the damage.
Since you don't need to hit a specific target, you can simply aim at a particular 5-foot square. Treat the target square as AC 5.

Protection Belt: This belt surrounds the wearer with a force-field which protects against physical attacks. It has the following effects (spell-like abilities have a CL12):
• +9 deflection bonus to AC
• Protection from Arrows: As the spell except it is continuous and does discharge after absorbing damage.
• Cold Resistance 10
• Fire Resistance 10
• Levitate, as per the spell, useable 5/day

Speech Bracelet: This is a 2-way communication device (range 50 miles). The user may communicate with any creature possessing a speech bracelet within range.