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Modron, Duodrone
by Axionis Vell, Scholar of the Fraternity of Order
Preface
On the Nature of Supervision
To observe the duodrone in operation is to witness the first, faint glimmer of true agency within the modronic hierarchy. Unlike the monodrone, which exists as a simple instrument of action, the duodrone embodies the notion of oversight. It is the bridge between mindless function and measured control, and while it does not yet “think” in any mortal sense of the word, it begins to approximate judgment.
If the monodrone is a hammer striking a nail, the duodrone is the hand which guides the hammer. Its world is one of orders received, interpretation of orders into actions, and simple commands delegated. The duodrone does not deliberate, but it observes. It does not innovate, but it reacts. This shift, small as it may seem, is a profound one. It represents the first division of labour within order—and the notion that some higher intelligence is required to manage the mindless machines.
It is fitting, then, that duodrones are tasked with the supervision of monodrones, for they are perfectly equipped to do so. They are simple enough to be free of doubt, but just complex enough to grasp the abilities of the labour units beneath them, and to delegate tasks in the most efficient manner.
Physical Form
The Embodiment of Utility
A duodrone’s form reflects its purpose. If the monodrone is a sphere—simple, smooth, and uniform—then the duodrone is a block. Rectangular, utilitarian, and divided into two clear segments, the duodrone’s body is the product of its binary function.
It stands upright on two thin mechanical legs, allowing for bipedal locomotion. This configuration grants it better mobility on uneven terrain, permits climbing and thus greater access to higher vantage points, which is crucial for overseeing the labour of monodrones. Its arms, longer and stronger than those of a monodrone, can be used to wield tools, weapons, or implements of labour. Unlike the monodrone, its hands are specialised and more versatile, capable of grasping with articulated fingers.
The upper segment of its form is the “head” unit—though, in truth, it is simply a larger block containing its single, rectangular optic sensor (a “face” only in the loosest sense). It possesses an additional mouth-like aperture through which it can issue verbal reports to tridrones or relay orders to monodrones. The duodrone’s capacity to speak is, in many ways, its most remarkable feature, though its speech is clipped, direct, and often limited to the language of Mechanus.
The lower segment houses its energy source, locomotive gears, and simple logic engine — a mechanical “spine” of sorts. This bifurcated structure not only reflects its binary role as both labourer and overseer but also allows it to engage in two separate tasks simultaneously—an ability no monodrone can claim.
Role in Modron Society
Duodrones are the gaffers of Mechanus. They supervise labour, ensure that tasks are completed on schedule, and serve as an intermediary between the monodrones and higher castes. Each duodrone typically oversees a squad (called a duodecad) of monodrones.
Common Duties Performed by Duodrones
- Task Supervision: Directing monodrone squads to tighten bolts, transport materials, or clean gears.
- Labour Adjustment: Issuing corrections when monodrones fail to perform their tasks efficiently.
- Combat Coordination: Acting as squad leaders in battle, directing monodrones to surround and overwhelm enemies.
- Message Relays: Unlike monodrones, duodrones can formulate basic reports on the status of operations, which they can relay to their tridrone managers.
Unlike monodrones, who can only follow one command at a time, duodrones can process two commands simultaneously. For example, a duodrone might simultaneously direct a monodrone to adjust a gear while interpreting the results from a moigno calculation. This capacity allows duodrones to act as intermediaries, passing instructions from higher castes to monodrones while ensuring labour continues uninterrupted.
In combat, duodrones operate as lance corporals, leading small bands of monodrones, and often serving as shock troopers. When they enter battle, they do so without hesitation, prioritising tactical advantage. Unlike monodrones, they are not limited to attacking a single foe. They can coordinate multiple strikes, engage multiple opponents, and adapt their tactics—a modest but meaningful leap in capability.
Unique Abilities
While still limited in thought and creativity, the duodrone represents a significant step up in capability from its monodrone kin. It embodies the first step toward what mortals might call “thinking.”
- Surge of Strength: Once per day, a duodrone can summon a surge of strength, granting it a +4 bonus to Strength for one round. This is an evolutionary adaptation for combat and labour. When confronted with an obstacle (a jammed mechanism, a heavy load, or an enemy combatant), the duodrone can push itself beyond its normal limits.
- Dual Task Capability: The duodrone’s defining feature is its ability to process two orders simultaneously. This allows it to perform a manual task while also speaking, for example. This “multithreading” makes it significantly more versatile than its simpler kin.
- Supervision and Communication: Unlike monodrones, which can only repeat orders given to them, duodrones can formulate rudimentary reports, which means they can issue clear updates on the status of tasks to tridrones. They are the first layer of bureaucracy in Mechanus.
Limitations
- Rigid Thinking: While capable of dual processing, the duodrone still adheres rigidly to protocols.
- Limited Adaptability: If a task falls outside its “two-task” capacity, it cannot react appropriately.
- Predictability: In battle, they often surge their strength at the outset, making their strategy transparent.
The Philosophy of the Duodrone
The duodrone’s world is one of dualities—a balance between labour and leadership, control and compliance, initiative and obedience. It exists as both servant and master, filling the liminal space between doing and directing.
Where the monodrone represents pure labour, the duodrone introduces the concept of command. But this is not “leadership” in the mortal sense. It does not strategise, dream, or consider alternatives. Instead, it follows prescribed protocols to ensure the labour of others is efficient. In this, it exemplifies Mechanus’s ideal of perfect oversight.
Its philosophy, if such a term can be applied, is one of abnegation of self in service of the greater whole. It does not question, and it does not aspire to rise above its station. Unlike higher modrons, which might be aware of the scope of Mechanus’s grand design, the duodrone is blissfully unaware of any “greater” purpose. Its only world is the one it oversees, and its immediate tridrone superiors.
It is, in a sense, a paradox: a leader with no ambition, a manager with no desire for power, a commander who never seeks to command. This purity is often mistaken for simplicity, but I contend that the duodrone is the most content of all modrons. It knows its place and occupies it perfectly.
Concluding Remarks
While the monodrone is the muscle of Mechanus, the duodrone is the nerve—the first sign of coordinated control. While it is still bound by rigid rules and narrow awareness, its capacity for oversight reveals a truth about order that Cagers rarely grasp: control does not require vision, only clarity and obedience.
In this way, the duodrone mirrors every supervisor, foreman, or petty bureaucrat I have ever known. It lives to command but knows nothing of true power. Its orders are not its own. It serves a greater plan it cannot comprehend. Yet, in that humble ignorance, it achieves something greater than knowledge: certainty.
If only we mortals could say the same.
—Axionis Vell, Fraternity of Order, Clerk of the Ninth Sector of the Third Quadrant
Duodrone 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; from this 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
