Intelligent magic items

[weckar]

Hi there, I had a few questions regarding intelligent magic items:


Would an intelligent magic item with moving parts be automatically animate on its own, or does this require additional enchantments? (For example, an intelligent magical gauntlet)
Is there any RAW way to take an intelligent magic item as a familiar/companion? What would the consequences be?
Does an intelligent magic item count as a construct for the purposes of combat?
Would it be possible (or reasonable) to take the Ancestral Relic feat for an intelligent magic item?


Thanks in advance for all insights.

[Red Fel]

Hi there, I had a few questions regarding intelligent magic items:


Would an intelligent magic item with moving parts be automatically animate on its own, or does this require additional enchantments? (For example, an intelligent magical gauntlet)
Is there any RAW way to take an intelligent magic item as a familiar/companion? What would the consequences be?
Does an intelligent magic item count as a construct for the purposes of combat?
Would it be possible (or reasonable) to take the Ancestral Relic feat for an intelligent magic item?


Thanks in advance for all insights.

Well, let's see.

1. No. An intelligent item is not animated. Nor can it become animated by spells like Animate Objects, which explicitly animate only nonmagical objects. Short of transforming it into something with physical ability scores, an intelligent item lacks physical scores and therefore a means of automation.

2. No. Generally, the animal companion / familiar lists are exclusive. Occasionally, a similar creature may be swapped in as appropriate. There are some ways to gain unusual familiars, and in theory some might even be constructs (see e.g. PF's http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/constructs/clockwork/clockwork-familiar on the Improved Familiar (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-familiar) list). However, one cannot turn a construct into an intelligent item. The ramifications, if this were allowed, would basically entail super-charging your animal companion / familiar, and creating an intelligent item that could not choose another master, given that it would be intrinsically tied to the PC.

3. Yes. Intelligent items (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm) have the following language: "Intelligent items can actually be considered creatures because they have Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Treat them as constructs."

4. I think so. The requirement for Ancestral Relic is that the item is masterwork; it doesn't say nonmagical. On the one hand, the item would be more powerful than a standard Ancestral Relic, possessing also its intelligent item powers. On the other hand, it would be capable of an ego challenge, so that power would come at a cost, and it would be thematically appropriate ("awakening" the object's spirit literally awakens the object).

[Segev]

While you cannot take them as cohorts, followers, thralls, believers, familiars, animal companions, or the like, you can simply spend gold pieces to get them. They're items, like any other. Technically, the "oppose your will" mechanics are wrapped up in the Ego score and related rolls.

[Draconium]

Well, if you take the Item Familiar feat, said item familiar will eventually become an intelligent item. However, Item Familiar is notoriously broken, so just keep that in mind. Also, I don't believe it will apply to items that are already intelligent.

[Necroticplague]

Hi there, I had a few questions regarding intelligent magic items:


Would an intelligent magic item with moving parts be automatically animate on its own, or does this require additional enchantments? (For example, an intelligent magical gauntlet)
Is there any RAW way to take an intelligent magic item as a familiar/companion? What would the consequences be?
Does an intelligent magic item count as a construct for the purposes of combat?
Would it be possible (or reasonable) to take the Ancestral Relic feat for an intelligent magic item?


1.Nope. You'd need something else to make it animated.
2. Yes, there is. Item Familiars (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) are intelligent if their possessor is at least level 7.
3.Yes, they do. The rules for intelligent magic items actually make this quite clear.

Intelligent items can actually be considered creatures because they have Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Treat them as constructs. Intelligent items often have the ability to illuminate their surroundings at will (as magic weapons do); many cannot see otherwise. By extension, their STR, DEX, and CON are nonabilities, and thus you should refer to those rules when they fight.
4. yes. Magic items are always masterwork,and any masterwork items can be used as the base for Ancestral Relics. Heck, you could use Ancestral Relic to make a nonintelligent item intelligent. Of course, the costs for it's intelligent item abilities would count against Ancestral Relic's cap of how expensive it can be.