Can Intelligent Items be characters? Be customized?

[unseenmage]

As the title says I'm curious if Intelligent items can be characters.
I'm also interested in the why and how of such.

In addition I'm curious how one goes about giving an Intelligent item abilities beyond those listed for them.

One passage says that they can activate their own abilities, is this limited to their special purpose powers? Their Intelligent item granted abilities? Any triggerable ability that happens to be built into them?
Can an Intelligent item without speech trigger it's power word activated abilities?

What about levels, when are Intelligent items appropriate using WBL? At what level can a character craft them?

Could an Intelligent item with a Telekinesis ability move itself about? What would be some other spells that could be imbued that would allow them to manipulate their surroundings and possibly adventure?

Sorry for the laundry list of questions but there just doesn't seem to be much info out there on this particular topic. (That and my Google-fu is weak.)

Thanks regardless playgrounders.

[Vaz]

There is a Prestige Class, 6 levels long in one of the Fiendish Codexes, I beleive. I think it's the second one. It's called the Fiend of Possession, where it can choose to inhabit an item, and invest a bit of themselves in that item, or act normally.

It requires an Evil outsider, which unless I'm mistaken, limits you to about 4 different options; my favourite is the Neraph, but that's Chaotic Evil required, as it's LA0, and there's no feat tax (unless you include Naturalized Denizen to bypass the "Dismissal" instant Win).

There's also the Dvati, but they're notoriously difficult to have their rules understandable, and LA+1. The upshot? Their low HP is offset by the fact that unless they're known about, they're immortal. Have them inhabit the party fighter's armour, and increase his stats. Psionic Characters work best with them, or Shapechangers (with Surrogate Spellcasting and Eschew Materials).

It's not a case of you're playing Intelligent Armour, but you're playing a being inhabiting that armour, but between casting things like Greater Magic Weapon and Vestment, etc and buffs, your party will love you.

[Urpriest]

There aren't any rules for playing an intelligent item. That said, if you don't want to go with the possession route above a good way to handle things is to make a normal character who owns an intelligent item, but act as if the item is the primary character and the character is just someone who carries them around.

Giving an intelligent item abilities beyond the listed ones is just as easy as giving other magic items abilities beyond the listed ones. It's still a magic item, it's just got an extra "component" added on.

Intelligent items can use any of their powers on their own, not just powers coming from being an intelligent item. One of the examples in the DMG is a Luck Blade that jealously guards its own Wishes.

Intelligent item prices depend on what abilities they have. The cheapest option in the DMG would be 2,000gp on top of the base item, while the most expensive options would give you 315,000gp on top of the base item (and has an Ego score of at least 23).

The rules and requirements for creating intelligent items are given here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm#intelligentItemCreation). Note that you need at least caster level 15.

An intelligent item with Telekinesis probably could move itself. It might be able to activate its own Dancing ability, if so it could use that to fight. And of course, any spells or special powers could be used to interact with its environment. Teleport Object might be useful.

[unseenmage]

There aren't any rules for playing an intelligent item. That said, if you don't want to go with the possession route above a good way to handle things is to make a normal character who owns an intelligent item, but act as if the item is the primary character and the character is just someone who carries them around.

Good idea, and depending on the Ego score the item could actually BE the one in charge.

I've read online that there is are several rules interpretations that allow for an Intelligent item to have character levels. Could one just apply the Savage Species level adjust rules to an item with sufficient powers?


Giving an intelligent item abilities beyond the listed ones is just as easy as giving other magic items abilities beyond the listed ones. It's still a magic item, it's just got an extra "component" added on.

Intelligent items can use any of their powers on their own, not just powers coming from being an intelligent item. One of the examples in the DMG is a Luck Blade that jealously guards its own Wishes.

Intelligent item prices depend on what abilities they have. The cheapest option in the DMG would be 2,000gp on top of the base item, while the most expensive options would give you 315,000gp on top of the base item (and has an Ego score of at least 23).

The rules and requirements for creating intelligent items are given here. Note that you need at least caster level 15.

Thank you. Nice to have some actual data on these matters. Are these facts and the minimum CL thing in the book or a product of errata and the SRD alone?


An intelligent item with Telekinesis probably could move itself. It might be able to activate its own Dancing ability, if so it could use that to fight. And of course, any spells or special powers could be used to interact with its environment. Teleport Object might be useful.

Thanks for the suggestion of Teleport Object.

[Urpriest]

I've read online that there is are several rules interpretations that allow for an Intelligent item to have character levels. Could one just apply the Savage Species level adjust rules to an item with sufficient powers?

Intelligent Items still don't have hit dice, so they really shouldn't be treated as full fledged creatures, let alone given level adjustments. Savage Species also suggests that lacking limbs or most magic item slots is generally sufficient to give a creature LA --, and later monster manuals back this up.




Thank you. Nice to have some actual data on these matters. Are these facts and the minimum CL thing in the book or a product of errata and the SRD alone?

It should all be in the book in the equivalent sections, yeah.

[Marnath]

Intelligent Items still don't have hit dice, so they really shouldn't be treated as full fledged creatures, let alone given level adjustments. Savage Species also suggests that lacking limbs or most magic item slots is generally sufficient to give a creature LA --, and later monster manuals back this up.


Weapons with the flying quality from Magic of Faerun have hitdice as animated objects of their item size. Do those count?

[Urpriest]

Weapons with the flying quality from Magic of Faerun have hitdice as animated objects of their item size. Do those count?

Slightly more reasonable. They still probably shouldn't get level adjustments, but treating them like other creatures at that point is more sensible. It's sort of like the situation with man-lands in Magic the Gathering.

[ericp65]

Dude, you can totally play an intelligent item, at least as far as personality. It would be great to see a contest of wills in-game involving an item with a high EGO score :)

The Complete Book of Eldritch Might gives interesting expanded rules for detailing intelligent items, including giving them ability scores and character levels (even classes, if you want), and the character who owns the item regulates the item's level advancement (all subject to DM's approval, of course). The book gives a selection of item abilities, and makes for interesting expansion of items.

[unseenmage]

Weapons with the flying quality from Magic of Faerun have hitdice as animated objects of their item size. Do those count?

Thanks for this, excellent find. Just what I was looking for.

On that note, how do weapon sizes correlate to creature sizes? Is a greatsword a large enough item to be considered a medium creature? Or would it have to be a fullblade?


Iron Golem Wizard npc bad guy vs Intelligent evil sword bad guy is the reason for all the questions. That and I have an artificer with a passing interest in the construction of cool stuff. The first as DM the second as player of course.


The Complete Book of Eldritch Might gives interesting expanded rules for detailing intelligent items, including giving them ability scores and character levels (even classes, if you want), and the character who owns the item regulates the item's level advancement (all subject to DM's approval, of course). The book gives a selection of item abilities, and makes for interesting expansion of items.

That... is REALLY cool. Thanks. I'll definitely be giving it a closer read. I might only be able to implement it as a DM but still cool nonetheless.


Slightly more reasonable. They still probably shouldn't get level adjustments, but treating them like other creatures at that point is more sensible. It's sort of like the situation with man-lands in Magic the Gathering.

You were already on my list of awesome contributors for that Monster Guide of yours but you get an Internet-High-Five for the MtG reference. Bravo.

[Marnath]

Thanks for this, excellent find. Just what I was looking for.

On that note, how do weapon sizes correlate to creature sizes? Is a greatsword a large enough item to be considered a medium creature? Or would it have to be a fullblade?


Yes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#weaponSize), a medium two-handed weapon is a medium object.

[Jack_Simth]

As the title says I'm curious if Intelligent items can be characters. Depends on the DM (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234640). And, of course, a Psion Egoist (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/metamorphosis.htm) can be an intelligent item pretty much full-time starting at 7th level.

[unseenmage]

Yes, a medium two-handed weapon is a medium object.

Thanks for that, am relearning the D&D 3rd and I'd forgotten that bit for the most part.

[unseenmage]

Okay other than a Wand Chamber, are there any other customizations that would let this sword wield magic items? That would effectively grant it slots?

I seem to remember there being a sword with rings on it somewhere...?