Action economy abuse via Symbionts (and Intelligent Magic Items?)?

[Jowgen]

Intelligent weapons and Symbtionts get their own actions each turn on their owner/host's initiative count. Unless they're in control of their owner/host, all they can really do with those actions is use their inherent powers.

Now, I'm not all that well versed when it comes to the rules with these things (Q&A thread failed me); but I've been trying to figure out ways to get some extra utility beyond that out of them, and the following two ideas occurred to me. I'm here to get feedback and suggestions for further optimization on these

1. Slotless item use

It would take a real liberal DM to allow an Intelligent Weapon or Symbtiont to have magic item slots of their own, but I don't think there is anything preventing one from being the owner of and thus being able to activate a slotless magic item. I mean, why couldn't my intelligent sword haven an Ioun Stone or something? Held items and those who are manipulation-activated are obviously out, and I think command word items are as well (how many intelligent items/symbionts can actually speak? :smallconfused:); but surely there are at least some slotless mental activation items out there that an Intelligent Item or Symbtiont could use?

2. Extra (readied) action

This one's cheesy and I'm not sure it works. Intelligent Items and Symbtionts have Ego scores, which (at least in the Symbiont's case to my knowledge) allows them to take control of their owner/host under certain circumstances. To my knoweledge, that doesn't require an action, and the owner's faculiy's become the Symbtiont's faculties upon taking charge. Now, what if that intelligent item/symbiont readied an action to attempt to take control as to do something outside of their turn? Or even decided to wait until the owner's turn ends and then tries to take control for the purposes of using its actions with the owner's faculites at it's disposal?

Now, I don't think a reasonable DM would allow this to work in a way that grants the host/owner extra attacks or movement. After all, the host has already used his actions for the turn, and he doesn't become a separate being by being controlled. The Symbiont (and maybe intelligent item) however gains access to the host's faculties; and even if he can't make the host body move or act any more, it is now a mind with actions that has access to the capacities of the host's body. It should thus should be able to do things like activate mental activation items the host is wearing, or maybe even active the hosts inherent mental-activation only abilities. Hell, it might even be able to activate the hosts command word items (although probably only if it can speak itself). In essence, the owner could gain an extra set of mental actions each turn, which I think fits with the RAI of the host essentially having two minds. Granted, this involved handing over control of one's body, which is risky, but still.


So yeah, thoughts anyone? Do either or both of these work? How could one maximize the benefits here if they do?

[Tvtyrant]

Via the trait removal power and mind tape you could make all of your parasites idiot crusaders with the strike that gives someone else an action, then have them give you extra actions on their action.

[Necroticplague]

Here's a big one you missed for symbionts: The subtype gives them Share Spells (kinda like a familiar). So self-buffs that give you some form of offence (like anything that grants natural attacks, or Cloud of Knives) can thus be multiplied several times. Since they normally have not much they can do for actions, they're also relatively free to use Aid Other on you.