Helots are used aboard reigar esthetic ships as obedient entertainment, servants, manual labor, and guards for their masters when the need arises. In these tasks, they excel. Helots can duplicate beasts, humanoids, smaller giants, quadrupeds, and even some aberrations. They are typically more sturdy and stronger than their organic version and are trainable in a variety of menial duties.
CREATING A HELOT
“Helot” is a template that can be added to any non-elemental, non-fey, non-outsider, non-shapechanger, non-undead, Large-sized or smaller organic corporeal creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or more (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). The creature's type changes to “construct”. It uses all of the base creature's statistics and abilities except as noted here. Helots may not posses a player character class and never advance from their station.
Hit Dice: The helot possesses +2 hit dice than its normal organic variety, and all its hit dice are converted to d10. Also remember that as a construct it possesses no Constitution score.
Speed: Same as the base creature, except if the mode of locomotion would be spell-like or supernatural. In that case, the helot has 30-foot base ground movement.
AC: The creature's natural armor bonus improves to +8, or it improves by +1 if the base creature's natural AC bonus is +8 or greater.
Damage: Damage dice is as per base creature, unless the damage is supernatural or spell-like. All damage done is considered normal damage, not subdual, even if the base creature's natural attack form is only subdual.
Special Abilities and Qualities: Helots possess none of the base creature's spell-like and/or supernatural abilities. They do possess any extraordinary ability the base creature would normally possess. Helots can be repaired by successful use of the Healing and Craft (sculpture) skills at DC 15 and various exotic raw materials worth 50 gold pieces per hit point of damage to repair.
As a construct, the helot is immune to mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromantic effects.
Helots are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They are immune to anything that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects). Helots are not at risk of death from massive damage (see Injury and Death in Chapter 8: Combat in the PHB), but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, they are immediately destroyed. Since it was never truly alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected. Helots have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Saves: A helot always uses the worst save bonus when determining its base save when comparing its total hit dice to Table 3-1 on page 22 of the Player's Handbook.
Abilities: A helot gains +4 to its Strength score. Helots have only rudimentary intelligence compared to its base creature, but for some helots that might not be noticeable. In fact, most animal helots seem to display comparably greater intellect than its beastial counterpart. Helots lose –4 Intelligence, but can never fall below 6. If the base creature normally has less than a 6 Intelligence, raise the helot's Intelligence score to equal 6.
Skills: At creation, helots receive Perform and any single Profession skill both at 6 skill ranks. If the base creature naturally possesses racial bonuses to any skill, the helot shares a similar bonus but at only half efficiency (for instance, a tiger helot only has a +2 bonus when using the Hide and Move Silently skills).
Feats: Same as the base character.
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Troupe (1 reigar, 1 esthetic, 2-20 lakshu, and 1-3 helots per occupant of the ship)
Challenge Rating: As the base creature +1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: None
SAMPLE HELOT
This example uses a 1st level human expert as the base character.
Helot
Medium-Size Construct
Hit Dice: 3d10 (16 hit points)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 20 (+8 natural, +2 leather)
Attacks: Halfspear +3 (or strike +2)
Damage: d6+2 (or d3+2 strike)
Face/Reach: 5ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Abilities: None
Special Qualities: Construct
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 11, Con —, Int 8, Wis 10, Chr 10
Skills: Perform +6, Profession—Sailor +6, Climb + 8, Use Rope +6, Balance +4, Jump +6
Feats: Light Armor Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Skill Focus (Profession—Sailor), Weapon Focus (Halfspear)
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Troupe (1 reigar, 1 esthetic, 2-20 lakshu, and 1-3 helots per occupant of the ship)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: None
Construct: Helots are immune to mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromantic effects.
Helots are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They are immune to anything that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects). Helots are not at risk of death from massive damage (see Injury and Death in Chapter 8: Combat in the PHB), but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, they are immediately destroyed. Since it was never truly alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected. Helots have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.