How long for an Artificer to learn every Construct?

[unseenmage]

Okay, say I have a Hoardificer (an Artificer specializing in building Constructs) who is only allowed to build Effigys (CAr) or Elder Eidolons (LoM) of creatures he's seen/been able to study.
Assume that he needs to make/craft a physical blueprint for each new creature detailing it's physical dimensions etc.
Say he's finally reaches a level/wealth level high enough to use the Gate spell to call various creatures for said study.


Is there an earlier spell or level that he could have been combing the mutiverse for Effigy forms from?

How fast can he actually catalogue new creature forms? Meaning hos fast can he cast Gate, study the new form, then cast Gate again for another thing to study? How many per day? Week? Year?

How long to study every creature in the core MM? Each one templated? With two templates? Etc?
How long to learn every possible creature printed? In first party books? Second party? Third?

I've seen a thread or two asking about how long for a Wizard to learn every spell. I'm asking the same question about an Artificer learning every Construct.

[Coidzor]

What is actually necessary for study for this Hordeificer? Why won't scrying on the creature be sufficient? Would summoning or repeated summonings work? Would a simulacrum with a sufficient disguise check suffice?

As far as how long it takes to study a creature, that's entirely up to the DM because they're pulling that out of their hat. We can't tell you unless your DM is on here, in which case you'd probably find out sooner by contacting them directly. :smalltongue:

Similarly I have no idea whether you're forced to gain familiarity with the template in general or if each template you'd apply requires you to find an example of a creature of that base creature type with that template already applied to it, so if you wanted an effigy with 10 templates you'd have to find or make a real version of that creature with those 10 templates.

Polymorph Any Object is probably your friend there, then.

[Captnq]

"I wish I knew everything I needed to know to make every possible combination and permutation of every possible creature I could ever create and that knowing such information was a quick and painless process without detriment or cost."

So.... 27,500 gp and one standard action.

[Gemini476]

"I wish I knew everything I needed to know to make every possible combination and permutation of every possible creature I could ever create and that knowing such information was a quick and painless process without detriment or cost."

So.... 27,500 gp and one standard action.

You gain knowledge of how to create chimera, artificial life, and all manners of beings.
However, most of those require epic spellcasting, the majority of the rest require feats or prestige classes you may not have yet, and unless you have eidetic memory you are going to forget most of that very soon.

Or the spell just fails and remains unused since using up the Wish would be a cost in and of itself.

EDIT: Or you gain knowledge of what it is you need to know, but need further study to actually learn such things. Buthey, at least you know what to look for.
You know that you don't know, in other words, rather than not knowing that you don't know. Or not knowing that you know, which may be worse.


More seriously, how high are your Knowledge checks? Because that's the RAW way to see if you are familiar with something. The DC is 10+HD, if you wonder.

[Jeff the Green]

More seriously, how high are your Knowledge checks? Because that's the RAW way to see if you are familiar with something. The DC is 10+HD, if you wonder.

You're obviously a high-level artificer. a resetting trap/use-activated custom item of guidance of the avatar plus a casting of lore of the gods will get you information about anything with 21 or fewer HD with only one rank and no other bonuses, assuming you worship a deity that grants the Knowledge domain.

[unseenmage]

You're obviously a high-level artificer. a resetting trap/use-activated custom item of guidance of the avatar plus a casting of lore of the gods will get you information about anything with 21 or fewer HD with only one rank and no other bonuses, assuming you worship a deity that grants the Knowledge domain.

Nailed it in one.

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The way we were playing was that the character had to have seen the creature and had a few rounds to sketch it. Great roleplay as he was constant ly asking the bad guys to pose for him after neutralizing the situation as bloodlessly as possible.

Dead enemies he would just drag home and examine at his leisure.


As for templates, yeah each template makes it a whole new creature so each one has to be "researched" separately.

Having the RAW helps though. Will bounce it off the DM as at our level/wealth a lot of things we were dong matter much less now.