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Modron, Tridrone
by Axionis Vell, Scholar of the Fraternity of Order
Preface
The First Glimmer of Thought
There comes a moment when mere obedience transforms into something more. The tridrone represents this moment. If the monodrone is the hand and the duodrone is the arm that moves the hand, then the tridrone is the instinctual impulse that knows how to move that arm effectively—and, with the tridrone for the first time, the glimmer of independent thought appears.
No, tridrones are not “thinkers” as mortals are. They do not dream, imagine, or doubt. But they do plan, and that makes them the first of Mechanus’s servants to see further than the task immediately before them. Their form reflects this shift—three faces, three perspectives, and the ability to see beyond the linear or two-dimensional simplicity of monodrones and duodrones. The tridrones represent a fundamental shift from linear task execution, to strategic delegation. It’s surely no coincidence that the word “trinity” is so often associated with balance, oversight, and decision.
Where monodrones labour and duodrones manage, tridrones coordinate.
Physical Form
The Inverted Pyramid of Perception
Form follows function—the maxim of the modrons in every sense. Tridrones, therefore, are the first modrons to display a form that is truly symbolic as well as practical. Their bodies take the shape of a tetrahedron inverted upon its apex, standing tall on three spindly but deceptively strong insect-like legs. If the insects were mechanical, that is. The triangular faces of their body each bear a single unblinking eye and a graven mouth. The arm-like appendages, which extending from each of the three vertices, can grasp weapons, tools, or implements as needed.
Their all-round vision allows them tridrones to shift their perspectives. Indeed, they tend to be in constant motion, always turning, pivoting, and reorienting their bodies to maintain maximum awareness. Perception is their hallmark. It is difficult for cutters using flanking manoeuvres can surprise them, and harder still for sneak attacks to catch them unawares. Their threefold gaze gives tridrones an excellent awareness of their surroundings, and it also neatly mirrors their role within the modron hierarchy: constant awareness of the labour below them, and constant vigilance for new orders from above.
Their limbs, spindly as they are, are not fragile. The strength of the tridrone is deceptive—they can climb, grapple, and leap as needed. Combat favours their agility, and their limbs have been seen to scrabble up walls and cling to ceilings like some manner of mechanical spider. Their metal-plated flesh has the appearance of hammered bronze and brushed steel, but beneath lies a core of something more organic—a combination of sinew, conduit, and some unnameable essence that marks them as scions of the Plane of Mechanus.
Role in Modron Society
The tridrone is the first modron “mind” in the chain of order. The monodrone obeys. The duodrone directs. But the tridrone? The tridrone plans. It is not a true strategist—that skill is only utilised by the quadrones and beyond—but it possesses an emergent form of tactical reasoning. It can take interpret a general command, divide it into smaller tasks, and delegate those tasks to duodrones, who in turn pass them down to monodrones.
This division of labour follows a strict chain of 1:12:144—a tridrone oversees twelve duodrones, each of whom oversees a 12 monodrone duodecad unit. Thus, a single tridrone indirectly commands a workforce of 144 monodrones, all of whom respond (albeit indirectly) to its missives. The tridrone is, in essence, the first true commander of Mechanus’s endless legions.
This capacity to divide large orders into smaller tasks is the hallmark of its position. Unlike duodrones, which are only capable of following binary orders, tridrones can manage multiple concurrent objectives, even if those objectives are composed of numerous subtasks. For example, if commanded to “assemble the component,” a tridrone will divide the process into stages (gather parts, prepare the space, begin assembly, test the assembly, tidy up) and then assign each stage to one of its duodrone subordinates.
In times of war, the tridrone’s capacity for multi-tasking becomes crucial. While monodrones attack blindly and duodrones have limited ability to interpret their immediate orders, the tridrone coordinates and adapts, issuing new instructions as the tides of battle shift. It is not clever, but it is flexible, and that is often enough to overwhelm mortals who expect clockwork soldiers to be as predictable as a pendulum.
Common Duties Performed by Tridrones
Task Delegation and Labour Coordination: The tridrone’s most essential duty is to take a single broad command from a quadrone and divide it into smaller, actionable tasks for its 12 duodrone subordinates. This might involve construction, the cleaning of a gear, or the preparation of a large-scale assembly line. Each stage of the process is broken into logical steps, with each duodrone assigned to oversee a particular task, while the monodrones under them perform the labour.
Combat Coordination and Tactical Command: On the battlefield, tridrones act as tactical field commanders, coordinating the movements of duodrones and monodrones in battle. While not capable of complex strategy, they can recognize advantageous positions, call for flanking maneuvers, and direct modrons to reinforce weak points. Their natural all-around vision makes them excellent at maintaining battlefield awareness, and they are known for their habit of throwing their javelins before leading a charge.
Inspection, Reporting, and Error Detection: Tridrones are often tasked with overseeing quality control and inspection routines. While monodrones and duodrones focus on doing their assigned jobs, tridrones ensure those jobs are done properly. If a mistake is found, the tridrone investigates, identifies the source of the error, and reports it up the chain of command to a higher-ranked modron. The tridrone’s sharp all-around vision and ability to review the work of multiple subordinates at once make it well-suited to this task.
Assessment of Strengths
All-Around Vision: The tridrone’s three-sided form grants it excellent vision. Each face of its triangular body has an unblinking eye, granting the tridrone an advantage when surveying, searching and detecting hidden enemies. Opponents cannot flank it easily, as the tridrone is capable of observing its surroundings at all times.
Task Division and Delegation: While duodrones can process two commands at once, the tridrone can do more: it divides orders into multiple sub-tasks. It can carry out these processes without explicit oversight from quadrones or higher modrons.
Javelin Combat: Tridrones carry three javelins, one in each hand, which they throw with precision. Their combat tactics are simple but effective: throw first, then charge. By hurling all three javelins at once, they soften their target before closing in for melee. Their spider-like limbs allow them to scale walls and cling to ceilings, giving them a height advantage that most combatants never expect. This height often allows them to leap down on foes, using the force of gravity to lend power to their strikes.
Independent Reasoning: For the first time in the hierarchy, we see adaptive reasoning. When faced with unexpected events (like the destruction of a duodecad unit or the loss of a defensive position), tridrones can improvise an appropriate response. They may retreat, regroup, or devise alternate routes to achieve their objective. While still a far cry from mortal problem-solving, this rudimentary autonomy sets the tridrone apart from its lesser kin.
Limitations
- Limited Creativity: While capable of “adaptive reasoning,” a tridrone does so only within rigid logical confines.
- Predictable Combat Tactics: Its pre-programmed “throw javelins, then charge” routine is easy to anticipate.
- Isolationism: Tridrones spend much of their time on the edges of Mechanus’s gears, making them prone to moments of solitary fixation.
The Philosophy of the Tridrone
If the tridrone had a philosophy (and it does not), it would be this:
“Even the most insurmountable of tasks is divisible.
Break the whole into parts, and the parts into smaller parts, and the result is inevitable.”
Where the duodrone embodies control through precision, the tridrone embodies control through division. By breaking down complex orders into simple tasks, it achieves something remarkable: it becomes the first modron to show initiative. Initiative is, after all, simply the ability to assess and initiate actions independently. This simple “wisdom of division” allows tridrones to operate with a form of modular logic.
No doubt, if mortals were more attuned to this principle, they would find less anxiety in their day-to-day lives. The tridrone faces none of the existential dread so typical in residents of the Cage, because it knows that any overwhelming task can always be divided into smaller pieces, and each of those pieces can be conquered one by one. The law of division is the law of order.
Concluding Remarks
The tridrone is the first modron to possess a “mind” in the conventional mortal sense. It may not think like a human, but it does think like an engine—all whirring logic and calculated outcomes. Where the monodrone labours and the duodrone directs, the tridrone organises, adapts, and overcomes.
If we mortal scholars could learn from this, we might live better lives. Break down your tasks. Divide your burdens. See everything from three sides.
A tridrone sees the world through three eyes.
How many eyes do you use, cutter?
—Axionis Vell, Fraternity of Order, Clerk of the Ninth Sector of the Third Quadrant
Tridrone Statistics
- AD&D 2e — Original stats here
- D&D 3e — Manual of the Planes modron pdf web enhancement, rescued from the now defunct http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/files/modrons.zip
- D&D 5e — you can find official 5e stats for the monodrone in the 5e Monster Manual, with the absolute barest of descriptions. There’s a more detailed homebrew version here
- Pathfinder 1e — Nice conversion here from the Creature Codex here
- Pathfinder 2e — A great conversion here; and the original article on Reddit.
Canonical Sources
- Planescape Campaign Setting: Monstrous Supplement [2e] p16-19,22; great description of the race
- Dragon Magazine #354 [3e] p37-45; the ecology of the modron
- Great Modron March [2e] p8,25,126; duodrones feature throughout the book
- Planes of Law: Mechanus [2e] 13, 22 (2-3,29); how the modrons fit into the grand scheme of Mechanus
Source: Jon Winter-Holt