Cyb 20558 – Automaton NPC with a golden heart

A lovable automaton with a violent past, Cyb is a capable companion and a perfect ttrpg/dnd NPC for your table of mischiefs. You can get the full-color and print-friendly PDF, as well as the NPC card and token by subscribing to our newsletter.

Table Of Contents

1. Backstory
2. Roleplaying Cyb
   • Design Notes
3. Notable Combat Features
4. Encounters
5. Quest Hooks
6. Closing Words

Backstory

Cyb is a lovely automaton working as a concessions server at a local theater. With his two heads and four arms, he makes sure everyone is served fast and with a smile, but that wasn’t always the case.
Built by Brass Technology, a formidable gnomish guild specializing in weaponry production, he served as a frontline military unit for decades. From the depths of the Seven Hells and the Caves of Hunger to raiding against northern wildfolk, Cyb has seen his fair share of the world and violence.

With the arrival of the new 3.0 automaton series, Cyb was heading to retirement. Within months, his squad was dissolved, his memories deleted, and his crystal core depleted, leaving him with one year of life. And that year would be the end for Cyb: roaming the streets of Arcon, working at docks and warehouses in exchange for cheap oil until the final shutdown. Fortunately, a compassionate merchant named Edgar saw the potential and gentle nature of this used machine. He offered Cyb a job and repaired him, and after two months bought him a new core.

Today, Cyb’s biggest hardship is saying no to children who want too much candy. He tells jokes and hums melodies, and does mesmerizing ice cream cone tricks. His military killing mode activates only on two occasions: when someone hurts a child or when someone steals candy.

Roleplaying Cyb

Precise and focused.
Due to his background, Cyb gives meticulous attention to everything he does. Whether it is making perfect cotton candy or wiping showcase glass for an hour, Cyb will not stop until the task is done. And you better not interrupt him.

Memory Flashbacks.
Sometimes the past strikes at the most inconvenient times, and minor accidents happen. Cyb laughs it off while cleaning the broken glass or removing a crushed chair and tries to make the most of it, by telling the tales of his adventures before they fade away.

Loyal, kind-hearted, and conflicted.
Cyb is loyal to his employer and a couple of other people he cares about. He would never hurt the innocent and has a strong moral compass, which further intensified after his retirement. On one side, he is proud to have served and protected the nation, and on the other, he has a naive wish for no violence in the world.

Design Notes

Modify the spectrum of Cyb’s memories (or better the lack of them) to suit your needs. Have the important one come and go away just when the party started relying on it. What happens when in the middle of the combat, Cyb’s brain bugs out, and he forgets how to fight? How hilarious would it be for a monk to try and show Cyb the moves while they are fighting an army of the undead?

Notable Combat Features

• Hardened skin – Metal structure gives him an advantage on the battlefield, making him resistant to most mundane weapons and penetrating even the hardest armor.
• Rain of attacks – Cyb can attack multiple times quickly.
• Scanning – Two heads give Cyb better vision and alertness, and insight into the enemy’s weaknesses.
• Plasma Blast – Cyb’s most powerful weapon which resides in his chest. Once charged, it releases a long and wide line of plasma energy that immolates and electrifies enemies.
• Crystal Core – Cyb’s biggest weakness is hidden in his chest, behind several heavy steel plates. Removing it shuts him down, and shooting it results in a big explosion. For the 5e system, you can check out stormphax.

Encounters

1. You are visiting a theater, and you accidentally step on a little girl’s foot. Good luck.
2. You are attacked on the streets by Cyb, during one of his flashbacks.
3. A group of thugs is attacking Cyb during his dock shift.
4. You find Cyb in the wilderness, half-covered in dirt and snow. If you help him come to his senses, he attacks, thinking you are the enemy.
5. You encounter Cyb in another plane of existence, left there by his squad because he didn’t want to do an immoral thing.
6. You encounter Cyb in an underground fighting ring. He made a mistake that cost the theater a lot of money, and he is trying to earn some gold to repay it.
7. Cyb is a server at a noble’s party, and he got into an argument with a wealthy man. The man demands Cyb’s disassembly.
8. Cyb is a guard/butler of a famous politician the party came to negotiate with.

Quest Hooks

1. The theater owner asks you to find Cyb, who has been abducted by the local thieves. They reprogrammed him into their service.
2. After befriending Cyb, he asks you to break into a smuggler’s den and retrieve a crystal core so he can live.
3. Cyb asks you to take him to The Last Strand, a volcanic cliff in Seven Hells where his squad fell against the enemy. Cyb is the only survivor and he wants to pay respect to his friends.
4. Cyb asks you to break into the Brass Technology Memory Center, and recover his memories. Perhaps he possesses a memory that is of great importance.
5. Cyb wants to make enough money to open up his personal restaurant and he will help the party if they give him half the gold.
6. Cyb needs party’s help to find the deadliest artifact, take it, and destroy it once and for all. Even if that is to be his last stand against violence.

Closing Words

I hope Cyb, or Cybastian as Edgar called him (and only him), sparked a good few quests and stories in your mind. I hope he gets peace in your world and becomes an invaluable companion of your party, he truly deserves it. I opted for omitting any stat block and focused on the bigger picture, realizing that you guys can paint over him with stats you need specifically. Let me know how you find this in the comments below.

Also, Cyb is part of the upcoming adventure location, Tralin’s Theater, that is releasing by the end of the month. It is a special place I cannot wait for you to explore.

Take care,
buy children candy (moderately)
and smile.

Nikko | Keeper of Fireflies