Intelligent Weapon - Worth it?

[Nightgaun7]

Pretty much what the title says, is making an intelligent weapon ever worth the cost? They can be quite expensive, and they get absurdly pricy if you make them for a special purpose.

[Glimbur]

The advantage to an intelligent item is that it can cast spells with its own actions. The action economy is the best economy to win, so that might have some value. You'd have to look at the effect of the spells versus the cost, but this is something a little unusual that could be powerful.

[Deaxsa]

The action economy is the best economy to win, so that might have some value.

don't you mean, 'will have a value'? also, i always saw intelligent weapons as ways for the DM to make snide remarks in character for the entire game (seeing as intelligent items always seem to have amazing abilities)

[Big Fau]

When the party's Ranger gets a pair of intelligent blades with the personality of Deadpool, yes. It is absolutely worth it.

[OverdrivePrime]

Intelligent weapons seem to have the capacity to be useful, but like Deaxsa, I've only ever seen them dish out snide remarks, and if you're lucky, occasionally do something useful when you're in a bind, followed by more snide remarks.
When I DM, I tend to only give out empathic intelligent weapons if they surface at all, so as to resist the temptation to irritate the crap out of my players with an otherwise-awesome item.

I'm totally jealous of Big Fau's experience with Deadpool weapons. Totes jelly, yo.

[ericgrau]

Nearly all the combat spell abilities are amazing. Compare them to what it would cost to quicken those same spells on an item.

Or for example consider dimension dooring to wherever you want to be every single round on top of your regular actions, or to bypass a dungeon. Only 50,000 gp. A ring of freedom of movement is 40,000 gp and this is 20 times better.

By RAW as long as you beat its ego you can establish control, and for the special purpose ability it could easily have one that it's line with your own goals. Like slaying others. But DMs do mess with players for the fun of it.

I don't think whether or not they're worth it is the right question, the question is whether or not they are brokenly overpowered. I think they should stay in the hands of the DM sort of like artifacts or NPCs. He plans around it like he would with the actions from an extra party member. Rather than pretending that the level of power is still normal or pretending that it's fair for only one PC to include one in his WBL by his own decision rather than having the DM hand them out.

[Humble Master]

Intelligent weapons are great in my opinion for both roleplaying and pure combat. For roleplaying they let they DM introduce a persona that the players get to interact with without actually having to add a character to the party. Additionally the personality will usually have a unique perspective on life. After all they are a living in an item. Also in combat the extra spells the item casts on your turn more than makes up for its cost.

[Nightgaun7]

Well, let's say I make my Guisarme intelligent

Greater Intelligent weapon with 4 lesser powers and 3 greater power: 15000
Detect Magic at will: 3600
Deathwatch continually active: 2700
10 ranks in Intimidate: 5000
10 ranks in Spot: 5000
Detect Evil at will: 7200
Haste 3/day: 16000
Item can cast 10d6 lightning bolt when defending servants or interests of Odin: 60000

Total: 114,500


Doesn't seem worth it to me. However the special purpose powers are the big killer in terms of costs, often doubling or more the cost of the item.

[Gavinfoxx]

I wouldn't make weapons intelligent. I'd focus on wondrous items, that can already make magical effects. Collar of Perpetual Attendance, I'm looking at you!

[Nightgaun7]

I wouldn't make weapons intelligent. I'd focus on wondrous items, that can already make magical effects. Collar of Perpetual Attendance, I'm looking at you!

I was going with a weapon for roleplay reasons, but for general use, yeah, I'd go with something like that.

[Gavinfoxx]

Well... if you want to go all out with a weapon, steal things from this:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080416115637/http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-456794

[Humble Master]

For roleplaying you might also try Legacy weapons.

[Gavinfoxx]

See my post... the existing legacy weapons suck, but if you found a custom legacy, and stack as much weird custom stuff on a weapon as possible... they start to get crazy!