npc

Chronos-Keeper Tick-Tock

CR 12

Medium humanoid (dwarf, construct), Lawful Neutral

Reveal Stat Block

Armor Class

19 (Natural Armor and Clockwork Enhancements)

Hit Points

165 (18d8 + 84)

Speed

25 ft.

str

dex

con

int

wis

cha

Saving Throws CON +9, INT +10, WIS +8

Skills History +10, Insight +8, Investigation +10, Perception +8

Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities poisoned, exhausted

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18

Languages Common, Dwarvish, Clockwork-Cant

Synchronized Existence.Tick-Tock is immune to any effect that would alter his speed or the flow of time for him (such as the slow or haste spells), unless he chooses to be affected.

Immutable Form.Tick-Tock is immune to any spell or effect that would alter his form.

Aetheric Overclock.When Tick-Tock starts his turn with less than half of his maximum hit points, his internal gears begin to spin at a dangerous rate. He gains an additional action on each of his turns, but takes 5 (1d10) force damage at the end of each turn.

Actions

Multiattack.Tick-Tock makes two melee attacks with his Chrono-Wrench or two ranged attacks with his Steam-Vent Bolt.

Chrono-Wrench.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) force damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be 'lagged' until the end of its next turn. A lagged creature's speed is halved and it cannot take reactions.

Steam-Vent Bolt.Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) fire damage. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn.

Rewind (Recharge 5-6).Tick-Tock targets one creature he can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma saving throw or be teleported to the space it occupied at the start of its previous turn. Any damage taken by the target since that time is not undone, but any beneficial conditions (like Haste or Invisibility) gained during that time are dispelled.

Chronos-Keeper Tick-Tock

Tick-Tock is less a dwarf and more a living extension of the Chronos-Clock. His original name was Thrain Iron-Watcher, but that was forgotten three centuries ago when he ascended to the rank of Chronos-Keeper. Today, his body is nearly 70% clockwork; his left arm is a multi-tooled hydraulic limb, and his chest cavity houses a miniature aether-regulator that pulses with a steady, blue light.

The Burden of Time

As the Chronos-Keeper, Tick-Tock is psychically linked to the Great Engine. He feels every shudder, every friction-point, and every drop in aetheric pressure as if it were happening to his own body. This has made him intensely focused and perpetually distracted by the "noises" only he can hear. He speaks with a metallic rasp, often finishing sentences with a soft clicking sound.

Philosophical Stance

Tick-Tock believes that the survival of the Chronos-Clock is the only thing that matters. He is not malicious, but he is ruthlessly pragmatic. If he believes that a city on the surface must be "temporarily" deprived of magic to prevent a global collapse, he will flip the switch without a moment's hesitation. He views life as a series of interlocking gears—some must inevitably be sacrificed to keep the larger machine turning.

Secret Motivation: Tick-Tock is secretly searching for a way to reverse his "Integration." He has realized that as he becomes more machine, he is losing the intuitive "dwarven gut" required to make the truly difficult repairs. He needs a group of outsiders—people with free will and "un-synchronized" minds—to perform a task he no longer has the imagination to conceive.

Adventure Hook: Tick-Tock appears in the party's dreams, his voice replaced by the ticking of a clock. He warns them that "The Second-Hand is slipping," and provides them with coordinates to a hidden shaft in the Mana Wastes that leads directly to the Clockwork Heart.