Modrons

Of all the creatures in the multiverse, none are so strange and confusing as are the modrons, children of the plane of Mechanus and beings of the most ultimate order. Caring not for the vagaries of good and evil, modrons exist in a world where the law - and only the law - matters. All else is irrelevant, and they pursue their quest for perfect organization with a frighteningly fanatical zeal.

The modrons themselves are odd clockwork creatures, a curious blend of flesh and gears that work to maintain their home on Mechanus and to spread the tenets of order throughout the multiverse. All in all, there are fifteen different varieties of modron (not counting rogue modrons, of course), but very few modrons are actually aware of this.

This is because modrons exist in a bizarre society that only allows them to comprehend modrons of a caste immediately above or below their own. For example, a tridrone can communicate with a duodrone and a quadrone, but not a monodrone or pentadrone. An odd mental screen prevents a modron from seeing those beings more than one step further evolved than themselves.

This causes a modron to perceive its superiors as the supreme source of law and order in all creation. This isn't a deification by any means. However, since modrons value order above all else, they will obey their superiors immediately, without question. The highest sources of order cannot be mistaken, now, can it? As far as modrons are concerned, they cannot.

Modrons remain aware of those more than one step below themselves, of course, but there is no use attempting to communicate with their lessers in any way, as they won't be able to discern what the more advanced modron is or, at any rate, what it is even saying. This strange caste society is what has formed and reinforced the pervasive modron chains of command.

And of course, the biggest bureaucracy in the multiverse, bar none.

While the modrons themselves work to maintain the entire plane of Mechanus (save where a deity or two expels them from its realm), they themselves hail from a powerful realm on Mechanus known as Regulus, a vast region built from 64 distinct gears that interlock to form a sort of turning, ever-moving pyramid comprised of continent-sized gears.

At the center of Regulus lies the tower of Primus, the One and the Prime, home of the singular leader of the modrons - and arguably the most powerful proponent of order in the multiverse. This godlike being oversees a vast pool of energy from which all modrons are created, and where the energies of modrons return once they are destroyed.

All modrons are created from a communal pool of energy, you see. When a modron dies, its energies return to this pool, to a) allow for the promotion of a modron of lower status to replace it, and b) once this chain of promotion reaches back to the level of monodrone, to allow for the creation of an all new monodrone from seeming nothingness.

This is why some people surmise that when one looks at one modron, he or she is really looking at them all - modrons all share the same lawful energies. This belief is further strengthened by the modrons themselves, who never refer to themselves as 'I', only 'We'. They may be so orderly that they appear to share a group mind, an idea bolstered by the existence of the Infinity Web in Primus' tower.

This also fits the theory that modrons are descended from some form of insect intelligence, one that existed long, long ago, and was then shaped by the lawful nature of Mechanus into the modrons we know today. Regardless of their origins, however, modrons are definitely mysterious beings, and can be encountered almost anywhere - either in Mechanus or beyond.

Common Modron Characteristics

Base Modron Powers:

Agelessness: all modrons, regardless of rank or station, are ageless in nature. Instead of having the longevity power, which implies an eventual lifespan, modrons simply do not age whatsoever. In fact, if not slain by accident or design, a modron may effectively live on forever, adopting new and more versatile forms as it ascends the ladder of law.

Body Armor: both organic and inorganic in nature, all modrons have some manner of resistance to physical attacks. Essentially, base modrons should be treated as having rank value 6 protection from physical attacks, and rank value 2 protection from assaults of an energy-based nature. Hierarch modrons may have additional armor, and those that do are noted in their descriptions.

Damage Reduction / Cold, Corrosion, and Fire Attacks: the modron physique is highly resistant, albeit not totally immune to, the effects of extreme cold, heat, and corrosives - this despite their partially metallic nature. They possess 2 RS of damage reduction against such attack forms, allowing them to maneuver in most hostile environs with relative ease - which comes in handy during the Modron March.

Invulnerability to Emotion Control, Illusion, Mind Control, Paralysis / Sleep, and Vampirism: all modrons, even the lowly monodrone, are completely immune to these attack forms. As beings of ultimate order, they are able to shrug off such effects with ease - though they can readily perceive when such assaults are used (albeit unsuccessfully) against them.

Hierarch Modron Powers (in addition to the above):

Clairsentience: all the modron high-ups have unbelievably acute sensory apparatus, allowing them to sense just about anything within the plane of existence they currently occupy. Distance isn't a factor, really, but simply knowing where they need to look / listen / taste / touch / smell is. This power functions for all hierarch modrons at their Awareness rank value.

Dimensional Transit: an offshoot of the hierarch modron's ability to teleport, this supernatural power allows a modron to transport itself to another plane of existence altogether. However, this power only works at rank value 30, and has the risk of materializing the modron in solid matter unless it intimately knows the area it is traveling to. Thus, this power is normally used sparingly.

Force Field: hierarch modrons have the ability to form a specialized force field in their immediate vicinity, in either a hemispherical or spherical form. Either way, this powerful force field acts as a rank value 20 barrier against incoming damage - even magical attacks! However, a determined opponent can teleport through it with ease. This field offers hierarch modrons the following protection:

RV 10 / RV 20 / RV 20 / RV 0 / RV 0

Mesmerism: though limited in scope, hierarch modrons can use this mental power to great effect when confronted with non-modrons of any kind. Working at rank value 30, this power allows them to force others that fail a Willpower ACT roll versus this rank value to obey any one word, non-suicidal command, regardless of the victim's wishes. This is a great tool for basic law enforcement.

Resistance to Magic: modron hierarchs are resistant to magical powers, whether damaging or otherwise, though each brand of hierarch has a different level of immunity to such power. For instance, the decaton has rank value 2 resistance to sorcery, and each successive level of modron adds a further +1 RS to this resistance. This culminates with Primus itself, who possesses this power at rank value 100.

Telepathy: all modron hierarchs can telepathically contact modrons they can normally converse with at all times. However, the level of a modron's telepathic prowess is somewhat limited. Decatons begin wielding their telepathy power at rank value 2, and each successive level of modron adds an additional +1 RS to this rank value, again with a ceiling of 100 concerning Primus itself.

Teleportation: hierarch modrons have the innate ability to teleport at will, with significant range. Operating at rank value 100, this handy power allows them a vast range of movement, and while on Mechanus, a hierarch modron can teleport anywhere within the plane instantaneously. This allows them to monitor their charges, and any ongoing situations within their jurisdiction, with ease.

Equipment:

Modrons, if on a special mission of any sort, can be equipped with just about any type of device necessary to complete their mission. Modron hierarchs, however, are typically without armament whatsoever, in that they have more than enough 'built in' physical weaponry to deal with any opponent who would be stopped by a mere sword, spear, axe, or the like.

Base Modron Talents

Law: more than anything else, the modrons are ultimate masters of law, knowing their own clockwork plane in and out. They extend this basic knowledge of What Should Be to all aspects of existence, and may attempt Intellect ACTs based on orderly systems of any variety at a +1 RS, +2 RS if it involves their home plane, Mechanus, and +3 RS regarding Regulus itself.

Hierarch Modron Talents (in addition to the above)

Leadership: knowing how to spread resources around and delegate tasks like no other beings alive, hierarch modrons all have this skill as a general matter of course. Any group they are currently leading receives a 100 point boost to their Fortune pool - even if the hierarch is simply leading other hierarchs. Their leadership leads to success in a given situation almost without fail.

Quirks:

Fighting Logistics: modrons, regardless of their rank or station, wield naturally organized minds. They can apply their inherent analytical tendencies to combat applications, sizing up a foe rather quickly. This allows modrons to add a +1 RS to all Melee ACT rolls made against a foe after 1d10 rounds (not turns), a bonus that lasts until said opponent radically changes his or her fighting style.

Characteristics:

Perhaps the hardest planar race to comprehend save for the rilmani, the endless hordes of modrons act in confusing, often indecipherable ways. This is not actually the case, in that the bizarre caste system the modrons obey, as well as their unswerving love of order, causes them to behave as they do. They always act orderly, it's just that their specific order often seems unapparent to all but them.

Appearance:

Modrons are a strange curiosity in the multiverse, being a fantastic cyborg race. This is because their bodies are strange mixes of clockwork machinery and organic tissues. Most of their bodies are covered with gray metal, configured with geometric precision, but their faces are invariably fleshy. The non-humanoid varieties of modron all have a similarly vague, humanoid look to their faces.

Ecological Niche:

As the baatezu are to Baator, and the slaad are to Limbo, the clockwork race of modrons are the principal planar race of Mechanus. The embodiment of order unfettered by good or evil, the modrons work ceaselessly to keep their own plane functioning within the letter of the law and free of chaotic influences, whether they come from within or without.