ALT

A Monodrone and Tridrone I painted.

DND Monsters: Monodrone

Medium Construct, Lawful Neutral

AC 15 (natural armor)

HP 5 (1d8 + 1)

Speed 30 ft., Fly 30 ft.

Str 10 +0 Dex 13 +1 Con 12 +1 Int 4 -3 Wis 10 +0 Cha 5 -3

Senses Truesight 120 ft.

Languages Modron

CR 1/8

Traits

Axiomatic Mind: The monodrone can’t be compelled to act in a manner contrary to its nature or its instructions.

Disintegration: If the monodrone dies, its body disintegrates into dust, leaving behind its weapons and anything else it was carrying.

Actions

Dagger: Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Javelin: Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage.

Variant: Rogue Modrons

A modron unit sometimes becomes defective, either through natural decay or exposure to chaotic forces. Rogue modrons don’t act in accordance with Primus’s wishes and directives, breaking laws, disobeying orders, and even engaging in violence. Other modrons hunt down such rogues.

A rogue modron loses the Axiomatic Mind trait and can have any alignment other than lawful neutral. Otherwise, it has the same statistics as a regular modron of its rank.

sketched my take on modrons for a campaign I’m participating in as one

You know, Adobe is scummy as hell, but that content-aware fill feature in Photoshop was kinda great for making my silly wallpapers. Least Clip Studio Paint has my back.

Anyway, here’s Monodrone.

https://i-am-monodrone.bandcamp.com/

Chuul (pictured on left) is an 8 ft (2.4 m) lobster creature with about as much mental power as an ogre, but the tentacles paralyze if that’s what you’re after!

Monodrones (right) are about 4 feet tall, biomechanical, and can handle exactly one task at a time. This is the most basic expression of law incarnate: a flying ball with tiny sword and a magnifying glass. Since it can only handle one task at a time you know that it won’t get distracted!

Some beautiful, physical vaporwave cassettes from Celadon Plaza. Artists: Monodrone (right), Gore (left)

Surprise! Dragon week has been interrupted by the Modron March! Monodrones are about 4 feet tall, biomechanical, and can handle exactly one task at a time. This is the most basic expression of law incarnate: a flying minion ball with tiny sword and a magnifying glass.

🌌

Monodrone - Forbidden Fruit

Monodrone - 孤​独​な​人​々​の​た​め​の​内​省​的​な​音​楽

No Problema Tapes

2022

Monodrone - Forbidden Fruit

0:00 - Somewhere Dark
3:31 - Grime on the Wall
7:40 - Forbidden Fruit
13:48 - Street Art
19:58 - She Gets Me
23:11 - High Income Slums
29:54 - Submissive
35:22 - Lost and Faded
38:52 - Tastes Like Iron
40:55 - Losing It

Monodrone - Faded Memories

0:00 - Late Nights
3:18 - Losing hope
6:55 - Unholy
9:38 - Black Rings
13:24 - Want You
17:10 - Power Play
21:07 - Receding Innocence
23:16 - Embers
26:56 - Broken Bones
29:10 - Blue

Image © Wizards of the Coast, by Julie Dillon

[In 1e through 3e, there were alternate versions of some of the modron drones. Winged monodrones had no arms, and quadrones either had two wings and two arms, or four arms and no wings. These have been flattened out by 5e, using the art by Julie Dillon that first appeared in Dragon 354. I’m fine with that, so my monodrones will have both arms and wings.]

Modron, Monodrone
CR 1 LN Outsider (extraplanar)
This small metallic creature has a spherical body and spindly arms and legs. A pair of small wings grows from its upper surface. It has a single large eye overlooking a fleshy mouth.

Monodrones are the simplest, weakest and most numerous of the modrons. They exist in teeming millions, serving the will of Primus as laborers, servants and foot soldiers. A monodrone is single minded in its focus and monomaniacal in its efforts—a monodrone told to dig will do so until its shovel breaks or it destroys itself in the act if not ordered to stop. In a factory or other regulated environment, this allows a monodrone to function with incredible efficiency at one very particular subset of a task. Modron engineering is designed around mass production, and enormous quantities of monodrones help to manufacture and assemble weapons, armor and tools at a staggering rate. However, in chaotic environments such as on a battlefield, or when faced with creatures not as perfectly devoted to order, monodrones require intense supervision to make sure they don’t injure themselves or others.

Monodrones typically flee from aggression, even harsh words, in order to report the altercation to a superior capable of analyzing and making decisions. If ordered to fight, a monodrone brings its obsessive zeal to combat, to the point that they can only attack a single foe at a time. A monodrone cannot switch targets without being told so by a superior modron. They are implacable in their attempt to destroy their focused target, so much so that they can overclock themselves and attack or give chase past their bodies’ normal capacity. Monodrones can fly, but are clumsy in the air and rarely use this ability on the battlefield (unless, of course, they are ordered to). Monodrones, like most drone modrons, are willing to fight to the death once battle is joined.

Monodrones have no individual personalities, functioning more like cells in a body in their utter pursuit of their tasks. They do not even have specific numerical designations, but they may be referred to by their unit or superior (typically a tridrone or quadrone in rank). They almost never communicate directly with non-modrons.

Monodrone          CR 1
XP 400
LN Small outsider (extraplanar, lawful, modron)
Init 11 (fixed); Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +6
Defense
AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 15 (1d10 plus 10)
Fort +0, Ref +3, Will +2
Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10
Defensive Abilities constructed; Weakness single minded
Offense
Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (poor)
Melee slam +3 (1d3-1) or short sword +3 (1d4-1/19-20)
Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d6/19-20)
Special Attacks focused action
Statistics
Str 8, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 3
Base Atk +1; CMB -1; CMD 10
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Craft (any one) +5, Fly +3, Perception +6; Racial Modifiers +4 Craft (any one), +2 Perception
Languages Modron
SQ coordinated ally, fixed initiative, relay message
Ecology
Environment any land or underground (Regulus)
Organization solitary, pair, patrol (3-12) or army (13-144)
Treasure standard (Small short sword, Small light crossbow, 20 bolts, other treasure)
Special Abilities
Focused Action (Su) Once per day, a monodrone can take an extra move or standard action in its turn, as long as it is exactly the same action as it took immediately prior. For example, it could move and then make two short sword attacks, or move twice and take one short sword attack, but could not move, attack once and then move again.
Relay Message (Ex) A monodrone can retain and recite perfectly a verbal message or any other sound of 1 minute or shorter in duration. It does not need to understand the message in order to relay it. This cannot be used to cast a spell, even one with only a verbal component.
Single Minded (Ex) A monodrone can only focus on a single task at a time. When in combat, it only attacks a single foe unless ordered to stop or change targets. This means that it always fights until slain if not ordered to retreat, and can only make attacks of opportunity against the target it is focusing on.

Selected Barber Beats Volume 1.