[3.5] Intelligent Spell Completion Item

[Thurbane]

Asked this in the RAW thread with no luck:


Q 740

Being a spell-completion item, could an intelligent Minor Schema activate the spell it contains?


Unlike most magic items, intelligent items can activate their own powers without waiting for a command word from their owner. Intelligent items act during their owner’s turn in the initiative order.

Thoughts?

- T

[Falontani]

Prerequisite: To use a minor schema, the spell or infusion contained within the item must be on your class spell list. Can make a use magic device check if you do not have the spell on your spell list (detailed below)

As the sentient magic item would not have the spell or infusion on their class list it would be required to make a use magic device check; however I believe that, yes, they could in fact attempt to use themselves.

[sreservoir]

Note that the item probably also doesn't have ranks in Use Magic Device, which is a trained only skill. It would have to either have ranks as one of its intelligent item powers (not one of the listed intelligent item powers, but we can infer a price of +5k gp to have 10 ranks based on other skills that are listed as lesser powers, cf. Spellcraft) or gain ranks/the ability to make UMD checks untrained from some other source.

[Thurbane]

Hmmm, sounds like I'm going to be better off with an intelligent Ring of Spell Storing or Vibrant Purple Ioun Stone.

[Falontani]

Remember that sentient items are construct creatures. There aren't any rules to how many HD they have, but they are 100% creatures. So they have the mental stats of the sentience granted, nonability scores in str, dex, and con, and have 2+int mod skills. They have class skills mentioned in their entry, meaning any skill that sentience is granting, any skill they give an enhancement/competence bonus to, and any skill that they grant a circumstance bonus to due to being a masterwork tool (if they are). We know they have at least 1 feat since they have intelligence. I could see them having HD equal to the CL that they were created at, or 1 HD, although neither of these are RAW since RAW is silent on the number of HD. If they have 1 HD, and do not have UMD as a class skill, they can still put 2 cross class ranks into UMD. They could take Skill Focus: UMD as a feat to give them a 5+ability score mod to their UMD. Not great, but usable.


But yes, a Sentient Ring of Spell Storing is absolutely ridiculously fun. I also like Sentient Crossbows with wand sheathes.

A fun crossbow created by an artificer.


ADVANCED ARBALESTER "Hand"
Tiny Construct
Hit Dice: 10d10 (64 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares) 40 ft. fly (Perfect) (8 squares)
AC: 23 (+2 size, +5 Dex, +6 Natural), touch 17, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/-2
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4–1) or "Hand" +17 ranged (1d8+2/19–20)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d4–1) or "Hand" +17/+12 ranged (1d8+2/19–20)
Space/Reach: 2–1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Receive enhancement
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Store Infusion, Flyer²
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 20, Con —, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: Spot +13, Use Magic Device +5, Balance +7, Spellcraft +7
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus: Light Crossbow, Plunging Shot
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary + Creator
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any (same as creator)
Advancement: (Advanced as Homunculus using Improved Homunculus feat)
Level Adjustment: —
What at first appeared to be a carving of arms and a face on the stock of a crossbow suddenly springs to life, the arms moving to reload the crossbow while the face looks for another target.

An arbalester is a homunculus created to assist with ranged attacks. Built around the stock of a light crossbow, the arbalester can fire and reload the crossbow using the normal rules for crossbow attacks. The arbalester includes a quiver capable of carrying 20 bolts. Bolts stored in the quiver do not count against the creature’s carrying capacity. Once built, the crossbow and arbalester cannot be separated without destroying the homunculus.

Combat
An arbalester is somewhat effective at providing ranged support, shooting targets designated by its master. An arbalester is automatically proficient with the crossbow that has been built into its body.

Receive Enhancement (Ex): The crossbow built into an arbalester can be magically enhanced as if it were a normal masterwork weapon. The costs for enhancing the weapon with enhancement bonuses and other special qualities are independent of those associated with constructing or advancing the homunculus.

Store Infusion: At the beginning of each day, the artificer can store one infusion of up to 3rd level in the homunculus. This infusion must be one that the artificer could normally imbue the homunculus with. This infusion does not take effect when it is first stored. Instead, the homunculus can use a standard action to imbue itself with the infusion. No homunculus can store more than one infusion at a time.
_______________

Crossbow: "Hand"
Sorcerer's Hand: The stock of this +2 light crossbow has been carved to resemble a humanoid forearm ending in a closed hand with two outstretched fingers.

Despite its unusual appearance, this crossbow is a potent tool for casting ray spells. If held and used as an additional arcane focus when casting a ray spell the spell's effective caster level is increased by 1. This increase affects all aspects of the spell, including damage, range, and duration. Furthermore, the sorcerer's hand grants a +2 enhancement bonus on attack rolls for rays.

Deathwand Crossbow: The two thin hollows in this +2 light crossbow's stock have a magical affinity with wands. The wielder of the deathwand crossbow is considered to be holding either of the wands when she wields the crossbow, and she can use either wand normally without letting go of the crossbow. Removing or stowing a wand in the crossbow takes a move-equivalent action. If the crossbow is destroyed, any wands it holds are also destroyed.

Quickloading: A quick loading crossbow accesses an extradimensional space that can hold up to 100 bolts, allowing you to reload the crossbow more rapidly than normal. Reloading a quick loading hand or light crossbow is a free action (allowing a character with multiple attacks to use his full attack rate), and reloading a quick loading heavy crossbow is a move action.
Different types of bolts can be held in the extradimensional space, and you can select freely from these when reloading the crossbow. Adding or removing a bolt by hand from an extradimensional space requires a move (manipulation) action.

Armbow (attached component): This +2 light crossbow is formed from livewood, and it has an unusually thick and rounded stock. It attaches to the arm of a warforged, completely covering the hand. This component only operates when attached and locked in place.
An armbow magically loads and fires with a thought, as a standard action. The weapon automatically creates bolts to keep it loaded whenever one bolt is fired, another one is magically created. It can create 20 bolts per day. Thereafter, the warforged can use his own life energy to create additional bolts, at a cost of 1 hit point per bolt. At any time, the warforged can expend 3 hit points to create a bolt that is aligned as if he had cast align weapon on it. Creating a bolt is a free action. Bolts vanish if they are removed from the armbow without being shot. Hit points used to create a bolt are treated just as if the character took damage; they can be healed or repaired normally.
An armbow cannot use normal bolts (either magical or mundane); it is designed to create and fire its own magical bolts.

Crafted from Livewood (it is stated that livewood is alive, and when turned sentient one could attempt to argue that the construct gains the living construct subtype, but who knows how this interaction would actually work, I just like livewood because it is alive)

A weapon’s size category isn’t the same as its size as an object. Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder.
Iquel
Size/Type: Small Construct
Hit Dice: 1d10+10 plus Durability (25) (45 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: -
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-
Attack: -
Full Attack: -
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities: 120 ft Darkvision, Low-Light Vision, 120 ft Blindsense, Hearing, Telepathy with Wielder, 10 Hardness , 22 Ego
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +9
Abilities: Str -, Dex -, Con -, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 18
Skills: Use Magic Device +17, Spellcraft +14, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) +6, Psicraft +6, Use Psionic Device +6
Feats: Skill Focus: Use Magic Device
Lesser Powers: Item has 10 ranks in Use Magic Device, Item can cast Detect Magic at Will, Item has 10 ranks in Spellcraft
Greater Powers: Item can create a Circle Against Evil at will, Item can cast Haste on its wielder 3/day.

Personality: A loyal and trusted companion to the warforged artificer Bolt, this crossbow took its name following Bolt's example. Hand serves Bolt and his allies to the best of his ability, and has a strong sense of justice. Despite its commitment to the forces of good in the world, Hand enjoys casual conversation, relaxation, and delicate care.

Light Crossbow: 25 GP
Livewood: 1.5x above
Masterwork: 300 GP
Wand Chamber: 100 GP
Gnome Crossbow Sight: 150 GP
Final Mundane Cost: 587 GP 5 SP

+3 enchantment: 18,000 GP
Sorcerer's Hand: 10,000 GP
Deathwand Crossbow: 10,000 GP
Armbow: 11,500 GP
Sentience: 57,600 GP
Final Magical Cost: 107,100 GP

"Hand" Crossbow Cost: 107,687 GP and 5 SP

CONSTRUCTION
An arbalester is carved from green wood, threads of silver and gold, a pint of the creator’s blood, and a masterwork light crossbow. The materials cost 25 gp (+crossbow price below). Creating the body requires a DC 14 Craft (sculpting) or a DC 14 Craft (carpentry) check.
An arbalester with more than 1 Hit Die can be created, but each additional Hit Die adds 2,000 gp to the cost to create.
Prerequisites: Craft Construct, arcane eye, mending.
Market Price: — (never sold); Cost 19,250 gp + 770 XP.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Leomund’s secret chest, shrink item.
Market Price: (+3 total) CL: 9; 18,000 GP; Cost to Create: 9,000 gp + 720 XP

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, any ray spell.
Market Price: CL: 11; 10,000 gp; Cost to Create: 5,000 gp + 400 XP.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Leomund's secret chest.
Market Price: CL: 11; 10,000 gp; Cost to Create: 5,000 gp + 400 XP.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Align Weapon, Minor Creation.
Market Price: CL: 9; 11,500 gp; Cost to Create: 5,750 gp + 460 XP.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor.
Market Price: CL: 15; 57,600 gp; Cost to Create: 28,800 gp + 2,304 XP.

Mundane Crafted Cost (before feat reductions): 195 GP 8 SP 3 CP
Magic Crafted Cost (before feat reductions): 72,800 GP + 5,054 XP
Crafted Cost (before feat reductions): 72,995 GP 8 SP 3 CP + 5,054 XP

"Hand"
Its a light crossbow that essentially replaces your hand. It can hold 3 separate wands which all count as wielded. You can cast a Ray spell through the crossbow to get a +2 bonus to hit with the ray. The crossbow holds up to 120 bolts which it might not actually be able to fire (Armbow may prohibit the use of bolts not created through the use of the Armbow enchantment). It can separate from you and fly with a 40' perfect fly speed, although while attached it can't be damaged without dropping you to 0 HP first. The crossbow itself is actually 2 creatures in one, each able to take their own actions. One is adept at firing the crossbow (not a master certainly) able to fire 2 shots per round. The other one is capable of using a wand nearly without fail each round while also being able to haste you, ward you with a magic circle against evil, and identify spells as they are being cast.
You could attach and enchant a Sword Crossbow Bayonet to the crossbow to give yourself a reach weapon that you are wielding whenever it is affixed to you.

But it honestly looks hilarious. It looks like your arm down to your elbow, then looks like a humanoid forearm + hand that ends in two pointed fingers. From about your elbow protrudes two smaller hands that can load and fire the crossbow. From beneath the human forearm protrudes a spear which can be set against a charge (hilariously!). Finally there is a gnomish scope that you can sight down. Imagine a warforged looking down the sight of this crossbow.