Making an Animated Campsite

[Noxangelo]

The 4e Tomb of Horrors, has an encounter named "CampFright" where the players stumble on an abandoned campsite which has had EVERYTHING animated by Acererak.
Both tents, all the tools (all 6 of them) and the damn CAMPFIRE!!! as represented by 6 burning logs.

My question. How would you replicate this buy RAW and what rules would need to be "flexible" to accommodate it?
Bonus points if it is combined with a magic item like the survival pouch, or personal oasis for ease of transport, since being followed around by 6 animated torches sounds unnecessarily hazardous.

so what i'm after are two tents, a bunch of tools and campfire that:
follow me around
setup camp
break camp
maintain watch,
tools that function automatically, preferably with little to no supervision
a couple of burning logs that individually function as walking, or better flying, torches and flaming clubs and together as a campfire.
assist in combat in a meaningful way at all levels if possible

pathfinder animated object rules are acceptable.

[Quertus]

A perhaps more difficult question is, how will you keep the campfire burning - short of literally stealing Lloth's campfire, that is?

[Noxangelo]

yeah that, combining it into one item and keeping them relevant in combat were my big issues.

[Asmotherion]

Fire elemental, or a custom Golem.

[Zarrgon]

There is an ancient 2E D&D spell, Create Campsite:

With this spell, the caster generates a squadron of tiny invisible servants who create a campsite for the caster and his companions. The caster indicates the desired area for the campsite (an area of 50-foot radius or less) and the number of persons the campsite is to accommodate (a number of persons equal to three times the level of the caster).

The servants clear the area of debris, set up tents and bedrolls, start a campfire, fetch water, and prepare a bland meal. The campsite is so skillfully prepared that it blends with the surrounding terrain, reducing the chance that the camp could be noticed by 50%.

Campfires, loud noises, and other activities can negate this.

The entire process takes 4-16 (4d4) rounds to complete.

The servants make camp with the gear and equipment provided for them; otherwise, the servants will improvise with materials available in the immediate area (50 yards of the designated campsite). For instance, if the party has no tents or beds, the servants will construct crude but comfortable beds of weeds and grass and temporary shelters of leaves and branches. If no materials are available, such as in the desert or similarly barren terrain, the servants will do their best to make the party as comfortable as possible within the environmental limitations.

The servants cannot fight for the party, deliver messages, or take any other actions other than creating the campsite.

The material components are a piece of string, a bit of wood, and a drop of water.



The material components are the same as those for create campsite.


The personal oasis is: Faint conjuration and evocation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, create food and water, Leomund's tiny hut, produce flame; 18,600 gp. So just replace the tiny hut with create campsite(it's a 3rd level spell too). For the alarm, just get a stone of alarm. Guards, get figurines of wondrous power.

The SRD has the Rod of Splendor.

And 2E had the Bag of Lodging.

[Segev]

Well-fed mimics who are trained to be fond pets/companions that won't eat you can be reasonable tents. A magmin or fire mephit or small fire elemental could be your camp fire. Either more mimics, or animated objects for your tools. Though how much you need those is questionable.

Let the mimics sleep in a wagon pulled by a horse, possibly with your loot, during the day, and they can keep watch at night and even try to eat anything that tries to sneak up on them to attack their occupants.

[Malphegor]

I'd just animate Daern's Instant Campsite, a magic item that opens up to form a campsite instantly.

Maybe it's animated in its inert 'triangle of canvas mode' and acts as a flying flappy flat bit of fabric, but is unanimated whilst it's a campsite?

though, it being animated as a campsite would be fun. Lots of items within that item, like bedrolls, campfire, etc etc, could be handy to have on the move.

the tents being able to move is especially fun since they're immune to cold so then you could fight from within one and fire spells out through the smoke hole, protected from any white dragons and scuh.

[Segev]

Wait, this is the 3.5 forum.

You want the spell haunt shift. Get a bunch of skeletons or zombies together that you control, and haunt shift them into the items you want animated.

[Noxangelo]

I really liked the haunt shift idea, untill i read that they'd need to have 10HD and 17cha to animate the objects :(

[Noxangelo]

so far it seems my options are animate object and/or custom magic item(s) :(

[Segev]

Specially designing the camp site elements with hinges and such can let them move it without that restriction. I had actually forgotten it because I usually conceive of it for wagons and the like, though, sorry.

With an 11th level cleric and a 9th level wizard, you could just make them permanent animated objects for 3000 xp each.

[tstewt1921]

I really liked the haunt shift idea, untill i read that they'd need to have 10HD and 17cha to animate the objects :(

If you are the DM it doesn't matter what the HD/Cha has to be, just do it.

[Blue Jay]

A perhaps more difficult question is, how will you keep the campfire burning...?

Well, you just have to... never lose your yearning (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gY_SbSIG0U).

-----

To the OP's question, the spell unseen servant can handle most of those tasks, and it gives you the optics of the objects doing it all on their own. A wand only costs 750 gp, or a use-activated item with unlimited uses only costs 2000 gp. You'd need something else to keep watch overnight, though.

[Noxangelo]

so how would you guys make a properly everburning (as in with real fire) torch. i was thinking custom magic item of continuous produce flame.

also for the tools, use haunt shift to give an impermanent home to 7 zombie dwarves?

[Blue Jay]

so how would you guys make a properly everburning (as in with real fire) torch. i was thinking custom magic item of continuous produce flame.

That's a pretty good option.


also for the tools, use haunt shift to give an impermanent home to 7 zombie dwarves?

That works.

Side note: there's a "swarm of tools" creature in Dungeon #147 (10HD, CR 5). It doesn't have any special abilities beyond a swarm attack and Distraction, but the text says it does whatever its creator commands, so maybe it can also set up camp for you.

Other side note: there's also a "golem swarm" in Dragon #309 (12HD, CR 9), but it actually dismantles objects, instead of setting them up.

[Noxangelo]

Those Mags are awesome. Thanks :)

especially the dungeon one. that adventure was right up my alley.

[Vizzerdrix]

The wizard spell Minor Servator would do this for you.

[Noxangelo]

Wow, thats cool. i love Savage Species, i don't know why i never noticed that before.

[rel]

Bind a Ravid. Give it a bag of holding full of camping supplies, a pack of tinder twigs, level appropriate stealth items (these are the loot for the encounter) and instructions to stalk the woods trolling adventurers.

[unseenmage]

Bind a Ravid. Give it a bag of holding full of camping supplies, a pack of tinder twigs, level appropriate stealth items (these are the loot for the encounter) and instructions to stalk the woods trolling adventurers.
Might be the best answer.