Mehanics behind animated objects

[Balor01]

Can someone explain to me the cost and mechanics of creating animated objects?

Here is the deal: Rogue stole items from a wizard and wizard will get back at her by planting animated objects among her loot, even replacing items she already posesses.

What would be the cost of animated underpants that will, once worn, not go off no matter what?

[AlchemicalMyst]

Assuming 3.5 and via Animate Objects? Not worth it. It can't target something being worn or held, which means to take advantage of the situation it would need to be made permanent via the Permanency spell.

The wizard, who is at least level 11, is looking at a total cost of 3,000xp maybe a few copper at most to cover cost of basic cloth underwear.

Also, the animated pair of undies would be obviously animated since it can't Bluff in order to trick someone into thinking it's just a normal object. No intelligence to have it act in anyway other than stop, attack this, etc.

[karkus]

The most important part of the magic-making process is the fact that magic items are only as valuable as their worth. That's why you can't have a 2,000 gp amulet that constantly conveys True Strike onto you. Magic undies? Pfft. A novelty worth no more than a few hundred gold pieces. Keeps in mind that the spell for animating objects mostly implies animating several massive statues of warriors or whatever that gain several devestating attacks.

[Malimar]

Actually using animate object does sound kind of like overkill in this situation. What you describe sounds more like the domain of wondrous items.

Magic underpants that don't do anything except be unremovable sounds like a custom magic item that would require bestow curse and Create Wondrous Item (like most deliberately-created cursed items do).

I might also suggest you consider some sort of Ragamoffyn (Monster Manual II), evil clothing that tries to dominate and/or suffocate creatures that wear them. These constructs are explicitly described as not deliberately created; homebrewing a way to deliberately create them would probably involve the Craft Construct feat.

[JaronK]

Haunt Shift would work for this. Animate some undead, then Haunt Shift them into the item. Of course, as a Wizard it's tough to control anything with a mind in the long term, so this isn't perfect.

JaronK

[Balor01]

Thanks karkus. Best suggestion ever.