Awakened Animated construct

[Xenith]

I have a multitude of questions with this premise:
An awakened animated chain barbarian
1
if i chose to be made out of adamantine, what would be the cost (per 10 ft)?
2
if i need to have the "costs" of construction and enchantments to exist come out of starting gold, i would need animate object, permanency and awaken construct (SpC), how would i take into effect the XP cost for the latter two?
3
what would be the ability modifiers, Natural Armor, DR (converting metal's hardness into a easier to handle DR) and Level adjustment/HD for this?
4
confirm that the chain a can't equip most normal items, but can have the enchantment spells cast on it directly
5
other points/tips that you can bring up would be helpful

[Coidzor]

From the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialMaterials.htm): "Weapon +3,000 gp"

So, either the cost of a 10' chain or a spiked chain made out of Adamantine seems roughly comparable. That's the best ballpark I can think of offhand though.

As far as your size goes, I'd say that the best guess is to compare yourself to whatever kind of spiked chain you're most similar to. Are you sized for a medium, small, or large creature? (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/animatedObject.htm) As it seems like you'll be whatever size of animated object as whatever size creature would wield your equivalent spiked chain. With all the RHD of that. As far as LA goes... I don't recall anything that would cover that, so it's probably entirely DM call there.


A weapon’s size category isn’t the same as its size as an object. Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder.

Edit: Considering your base stats as a medium sized Animated Object would be: Str 12, Dex 10, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 1, Cha 1, and Awaken basically makes you reroll Wisdom, Charisma, and Intelligence...

+2 Str, +0 Dex. So... I'd say it wouldn't be worth an LA, maybe a low +1 LA. Especially with how limited you'd be in terms of interacting with the world. and equipment slots.

[supermonkeyjoe]

...+2 Str, +0 Dex. So... I'd say it wouldn't be worth an LA, maybe a low +1 LA. Especially with how limited you'd be in terms of interacting with the world. and equipment slots.

Don't forget that animated objects keep the hardness of the objects they were made from so unless awaken construct gets rid of that the adamantine chain barbarian would have hardness 20. I think DR 20/- and reduced damage vs all energy types would be worth a lot more than LA+1

Also note you would need to be a humanoid chain for awaken construct to work.

[Milo v3]

Here is a Tip Stay Away from Kyton (Chain Devils). They will probably force you to become its slave and to kill you're companions.

Also I think it should be able to pick up somethings but then it should hamper using them well or do other things well.

Good idea by the way.

[Elrihm]

Bahaha...I built a cohort once, from an effigy of a minotaur. If you're going to awaken something, effigies (or elder edoloins if you want to pay the cost) are fantastic choices. Currently the effigy i awoke is taking class levels in both hulking hurler and war hulk. As far as cost, there is a cost per pound of adamantine given in the PHB.

[Coidzor]

Also note you would need to be a humanoid chain for awaken construct to work.

If I encountered a DM allowing this character idea at all, I'd never take that as a given.

Especially when combined with this part of the OP:

4
confirm that the chain a can't equip most normal items, but can have the enchantment spells cast on it directly

[Xenith]

there is an additional question of my HP.
the base HP for a chain is 5, adamantine adds 1/3 again HP (+2)
being a medium construct, i have + 20.
assuming that i have enchantments as a weapon and/or armor, would i take the sum, or the better of the two. eg, weapon enchantments sum up as +3, and armor as +5. do i gain 50 hp and 10 hardness, or do i gain 80 hp and 16 hardness?
and character-wise, how would i explain 'level ups' as an object?, would i gain BAB, 1d12 hp etc... immediately, or at a forge where a smith upgrades me? (and costs of this would be?)
what would be the best spell to have and permanent-ed for telepathy, or other communication?

also, i am playing in a game where optimization is minimally done. i am thinking that DR hardness/- is too much, as that would be 30/- (or 36/- if hardness is a sum of both) i was thinking of DR (hardness/3)/-

[Coidzor]

there is an additional question of my HP.
the base HP for a chain is 5, adamantine adds 1/3 again HP (+2)
being a medium construct, i have + 20.

Base HP for a medium-sized animated object is 2d10+20 (31 hp average). I don't recall the exact rules text as to whether the HP of the base object would be added to that or not, but I don't believe so.

So you have 2 construct HD plus whatever class level HD you have.


assuming that i have enchantments as a weapon and/or armor, would i take the sum, or the better of the two. eg, weapon enchantments sum up as +3, and armor as +5. do i gain 50 hp and 10 hardness, or do i gain 80 hp and 16 hardness?

No idea how magic item rules and constructs would work out, I don't think it's addressed by RAW so it's probably up between you and the DM. But I believe you'd only benefit from the greater of the two bonuses in terms of HP and hardness for a shield (which can be enchanted separately as a piece of armor and as a weapon), rather than combining them. So there's that bit of precedent to go on at least, if I'm remembering it correctly which I'm fairly confident I am.


and character-wise, how would i explain 'level ups' as an object?

Irrelevant because level-ups are the same for all characters, no need to have to explain it otherwise the game just wouldn't work.
would i gain BAB, 1d12 hp etc... immediately, or at a forge where a smith upgrades me? (and costs of this would be?)

If your DM forces you to go to a smith in order to level up and pay money for it that the rest of the party does not, he's specifically gimping you, as I see it. Leveling up is just something that should happen the same way for everyone, generally after an extended rest of sorts.

[Xenith]

would i be able to be enchanted with blueshine or comparable (Magic Item Compendium, p9) (flat 1500 GP) and be immune to rusting (if i were iron) and to acid damage? or would this fall under the category of unanticipated combo/errata-ed out?

what would be the exact effect of having glamered?
would i be able to change my metal's apparent looks?

[IthroZada]

would i be able to be enchanted with blueshine or comparable (Magic Item Compendium, p9) (flat 1500 GP) and be immune to rusting (if i were iron) and to acid damage? or would this fall under the category of unanticipated combo/errata-ed out?


Well, Warforged can have their bodies enchanted, so it's not unprecedented.

[Coidzor]

would i be able to be enchanted with blueshine or comparable (Magic Item Compendium, p9) (flat 1500 GP) and be immune to rusting (if i were iron) and to acid damage? or would this fall under the category of unanticipated combo/errata-ed out?

what would be the exact effect of having glamered?
would i be able to change my metal's apparent looks?

Um. No. Blueshine and the other one preventing a weapon or armor from being destroyed by rust monsters is pretty much the intended use.

And if you were glammered, for whatever reason, yes, you would be able to change the appearance of the metal.