The last story in Little Gift Shop of Horrors has the main cast encounter the creations of Harry Claymore, a reference to real life stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen. Claymore wasn’t as patient as Harryhausen though, and rather than actually do frame-by-frame animation, he just brought his clay figures to life with black magic and had them act before the camera. The rise of computer graphics put them out of work (I guess Laika wasn’t hiring), and now they’re holding their creator prisoner and capturing people who come to visit him to turn them into further clay figures.
Claymations are incredibly advanced constructions, capable of intelligence, independence, and even speech. They would be the perfect force for a budding warlord, if not for the fact that their creator has no innate control over them and thus must contend with whatever personality the claymation develops on its own. Claymations are also very malleable, and a quick and creative creature can reshape the claymation’s body. This can be used to repair damage and maintain its fighting capabilities, but a smart foe can use it to their advantage to weaken, redirect, or destroy the construct.
Any creature can become a claymation. It keeps its statistics, except as follows.
Type. The claymation’s type changes to construct.
Resistances. The claymation gains resistance to bludgeoning and piercing damage
Immunities. The claymation gains immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.
Vulnerabilities. The claymation gains vulnerability to slashing damage.
Languages. The claymation speaks the languages of its creator.
New Ability: Capture (Recharges on a Short or Long Rest). When the claymation hits a target one or more sizes smaller than it with a weapon attack, it can force that creature to make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is restrained in clay. As an action, a creature that can reach the clay can make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing the restrained creature on a success.
New Ability: Reshape. A creature adjacent to the claymation while it is willing, charmed, grappled, incapacitated, or restrained can use an action to attempt to mould the clay that makes up the claymation’s form. The creature must make a DC 14 Dexterity check. On a success, the claymation suffers one of the following effects of the creature’s choice:
• The claymation gains or loses hit points equal to one quarter of its maximum hit points.
• The claymation is blinded or loses the blinded condition.
• The claymation is charmed by the creature until the end of its next turn.
• The claymation’s speed is reduced to 0 and it cannot benefit from increases to its speed, or its speed is returned to its normal maximum.
Sample Claymation
Here the claymation template has been applied to a cyclops.
Claymation Cyclops
Huge construct, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60)
Speed 30 ft.
Str 22 Dex 11 Con 20 Int 8 Wis 6 Cha 10
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing
Damage Vulnerabilities slashing
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses passive Perception 8
Languages the languages of its creator
Challenge 6 (2300 XP)
Capture (Recharges On A Short Or Long Rest). When the cyclops hits a Large or smaller target with a weapon attack, it can force that creature to make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is restrained in clay. As an action, a creature that can reach the clay can make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing the restrained creature on a success.
Poor Depth Perception. The cyclops has disadvantage on any attack roll against a target more than 30 feet away.
Reshape. A creature adjacent to the cyclops while it is willing, charmed, grappled, incapacitated, or restrained can use an action to attempt to mould the clay that makes up the cyclops’ form. The creature must make a DC 14 Dexterity check. On a success, the cyclops suffers one of the following effects of the creature’s choice:
• The cyclops gains or loses 34 hit points.
• The cyclops is blinded or loses the blinded condition.
• The cyclops is charmed by the creature until the end of its next turn.
• The cyclops’ speed is reduced to 0 and it cannot benefit from increases to its speed, or its speed is returned to its normal maximum.
Actions
Multiattack. The cyclops makes two greatclub attacks.
Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
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