Clockwork Corpse

24 hours, Disable a Device, standby

For a clockwork to act, it must be wound with a unique key by another creature. This takes 1 minute. Once wound, it remains operational for the listed amount of time, usually 24 hours, after which time it becomes unaware of its surroundings and can't act until it's wound again. Some clockworks' abilities require them to spend some of their remaining operational time. They can't spend more than they have and shut down immediately once they have 0 time remaining. If it's unclear when a clockwork was last wound, most clockwork keepers wind all their clockworks at a set time, typically 8 a.m.

A creature can attempt to Disable a Device to wind a clockwork down (with a DC listed in the wind-up entry). For each success, the clockwork loses 1 hour of operational time (or 2 hours on a critical success). This can be done even if the clockwork is in standby mode.

A clockwork that lists standby in its wind-up entry has the following action.

Enter Standby 3 The clockwork enters standby mode. Its operational time doesn't decrease in standby, but it can sense its surroundings (with a –2 circumstance penalty to Perception). It can't act, with one exception: when it perceives a creature, it can exit standby as a reaction (rolling initiative if appropriate).

With a whir of clockwork mechanisms, spinning gears, and grinding bones, the clockwork corpse opens its torso and disgorges a pressurized spray of festering internal fluids and caustic oil in a 30-foot line. Creatures in the area are dealt 3d6 bludgeoning damage and 3d6 poison damage (DC 22 basic Reflex save). On a critical failure, a creature is additionally knocked Prone by the force. The clockwork corpse can't use Pressurized Blast again for 1d4 rounds.