Most D&D worlds contain ancient, lost civilizations whose ruins dot the landscapes and whose artifacts and relics act as the inspirations of countless adventures. Many of these civilizations possessed advanced clockwork or techno-magical inventions whose true purposes have disappeared.
When new civilizations rise, antiquarians and adventurers exploring the ruins of the past recover these creations. Unsure of their true purposes, the newer civilizations revere such items as divine relics, ensconcing them in shrines and temples.
Sages and monks contemplate the divinity of these items. Monks of the monasteries housing these devices sometimes achieve oneness with the objects, incorporating into their disciplined bodies the precision of the techno-magical devices. These clockwork disciples, as they are called, bridge the gap between the lost civilizations and the modem societies currently in power.
Any world with ancient ruins or lost civilizations can hold techno-magical devices and the clockwork disciplines who use them. In the Forgotten Realms, these devices might have originated in Netheril or another ancient culture (see Lost Empires of Faerûn). The drow and giants of Xen’drik serve as the likeliest sources of forgotten techno-magic in Eberron.
The ability to install techno-magical implants is enabled by the Techno-Magical Implant feat.
| Implant | Power | Body Slot | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quickdisk | Minor | Neck | 1,000 gp |
| Farseer | Minor | Eyes | 1,350 gp |
| Fleshbound Steelscales | Major | Torso | 1,500 gp |
| Shockrod | Major | Arms | 1,500 gp |
| Cheetah’s Swiftness | Minor | Feet | 2,062 gp |
| Master’s Edge | Minor | Head | 3,000 gp |
| Tremorsense Disk | Major | Feet | 4,000 gp |
| Levitation Pads | Minor | Feet | 5,625 gp |
| Force-Blast Generator | Major | Head | 6,450 gp |
| Arcane Deflection | Major | Torso | 17,275 gp |
| Divine Body | Major | Arms or Feet | 20,625 gp |
| Divine Mind | Major | Head | 20,625 gp |
| Shocking Field, Lesser | Minor | Torso | 21,000 gp |
| Darkeye Lenses | Major | Eyes | 22,500 gp |
| Shocking Field, Greater | Major | Torso | 42,000 gp |
The most commonly discovered implants include the following.
Arcane Deflection: Up to three times per day spells and magical effects that target you have a 25% chance of rebounding back at their caster, as a ring of spell turning. Value: 17,275 gp.
Cheetah’s Swiftness: Your base land speed increases by +5 feet. Value: 2,062 gp.
Darkeye Lenses: You are immune to blindness effects and gain a +2 enhancement bonus on saving throws made to resist gaze attacks. Value: 22,500 gp.
Divine Body: When this techno-magical implant is discovered, roll 1d6. On a 1—2 it is attuned to Strength, 3—4 to Dexterity and 5—6 to Constitution. You gain a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score to which the techno-magical implant is attuned. Value: 20,625 gp.
Divine Mind: When this techno-magical implant is discovered, roll 1d6. On a 1—2 it is attuned to Intelligence, 3—4 to Wisdom and 5—6 to Charisma. You gain a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score to which the techno-magical implant is attuned. Value: 20,625 gp.
Farseer: You gain a +3 competence bonus on Spot and Search checks. Value: 1,350 gp.
Fleshbound Steelscales: You gain a +1 enhancement bonus to your natural armour. Value: 1,500 gp.
Force-Blast Generator: You can create an invisible explosion of force in a 10-foot-radius sphere, centred on you. This explosion of force makes a bull rush attempt against every creature within 10 feet of you, with a bonus equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. Value: 6,450 gp.
Levitation Pads: You may levitate, as the spell, at will. Value: 5,625 gp.
Master’s Edge: You gain a +2 bonus on a skill. When you find this kind of implant, the DM must determine which skill it offers its bonus on. Value: 3,000 gp.
Quickdisk: You gain a +2 bonus on all initiative checks. Value: 1,000 gp.
Shocking Field, Greater: Whenever a creature strikes you with a melee attack, it takes 1d4 points of electricity damage and must immediately make a Fortitude save (DC equals ½ your character level + your Con modifier) to avoid being stunned for 1 round. A creature that strikes with a reach weapon does not take this damage. You cannot have both a greater and lesser shocking field installed. Value: 42,000 gp.
Shocking Field, Lesser: Whenever a creature strikes you with a melee attack, it takes 1d4 points of electricity damage. A creature that strikes with a reach weapon does not take this damage. You cannot have both a greater and lesser shocking field installed. Value: 21,000 gp.
Shockrod: Whenever you make a melee touch attack or an unarmed strike, your attack deals an extra 1d6 points of electricity damage. You take half that amount in non-lethal damage. Value: 1,500 gp.
Tremorsense Disk: You gain tremorsense to a range of 20 feet. Value: 4,000 gp.
While characters cannot hope to create new techno-magical devices used as implants, your DM should feel free to create new ones. All techno-magical implants are priced as magic items with a 25% price reduction, because a character must take a feat to gain the use of one.
Your DM might require a ritual or procedure for your character to gain a new techno-magical implant. The details of such are left to the DM, but they should not cost gold.
The following class feature reflects a monk who understands — on some level — the powerful relics of the past.
Due to your knowledge of all things constructed from metal and coils, you are intimately aware of a construct’s flaws.
Level: 3rd.
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you never gain the slow fall ability, nor your 6th-level bonus feat.
Benefit: You can deal critical hit damage against constructs when you attack with unarmed strikes (not with monk special weapons). Constructs are no longer immune to your Stunning Fist or quivering palm attacks.
Source: Dragon Magazine #351 (Page 92)