[3.5] Intelligent FoWP

[Thurbane]

So, pretty sure I've asked this before (I'm old, forgive me), but I was chatting with my wife and we couldn't reach an agreement on this.

Say I take a Figurine of Wondrous Power (Onyx Dog) (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#onyxDog), and somehow make it an intelligent item (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).

The intelligent item has scores of Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10. When transformed the Figurine (as a dog) inherently has scores of Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 6.

Here's some questions about this:

1. Do the intelligent items scores (14/14/10) get overwritten/downgraded when in dog form (8/12/6)?
2. If yes to 1, does this mean the item has two different intellects/personalities?
3. If yes to 2, is the intelligent item intellect suppressed while in dog form, or can it still speak and act?
4. If no to 1, does the dog form have upgraded mental stats?
5. Does the dog form have access to/ability to activate any intelligent item powers?

Just looking for general feedback on how this would all work.

Of course, as DM, I'll make the final decisions, but was wondering what the forum feedback on the RAW/RAI of all this might be.

Cheers - T

[Quertus]

I mean, it’s great that the figurine is intelligent and all, but that doesn’t affect the dog it summons in any way.

“You don’t actually care about me. You’re just using me for my dog.”

[Anthrowhale]

1: Yes--living creatures are never intelligent items
2: Yes/No. There are two different intelligent entities, but only one of them exists at any moment.
3: Suppressed. There is no item left, so no intelligent item.
4: n/a
5: No. There is no item left, so no intelligent item with powers to activate.

[Gruftzwerg]

So, pretty sure I've asked this before (I'm old, forgive me), but I was chatting with my wife and we couldn't reach an agreement on this.

Say I take a Figurine of Wondrous Power (Onyx Dog) (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#onyxDog), and somehow make it an intelligent item (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).

The intelligent item has scores of Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10. When transformed the Figurine (as a dog) inherently has scores of Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 6.

Here's some questions about this:

1. Do the intelligent items scores (14/14/10) get overwritten/downgraded when in dog form (8/12/6)?
2. If yes to 1, does this mean the item has two different intellects/personalities?
3. If yes to 2, is the intelligent item intellect suppressed while in dog form, or can it still speak and act?
4. If no to 1, does the dog form have upgraded mental stats?
5. Does the dog form have access to/ability to activate any intelligent item powers?

Just looking for general feedback on how this would all work.

Of course, as DM, I'll make the final decisions, but was wondering what the forum feedback on the RAW/RAI of all this might be.

Cheers - T

1. Since the dog form is more "specific" it "trumps" the general stats as "intelligent item".
2. The item has a single personality. It sole affects the mental stats as you would assume normally. As reference, take the "polymorph subschool" related spells and abilities that also change your mental stats. E.g. the warlocks SPIDER-SHAPE invocation (or the Spiderform spell chain). If you wanna go the full hassle, it temporary affects skillpoints/lvl.
3. see 2. The int score is just changed, so act accordingly to your new score. The ability to speak should be lost, since the form change is imho more specific again. The dog form ain't able of speech. I just saw the dog can speak common..^^ So yeah..
4. ----
5. No. Unless you rewrite the "dog form" ability to preserve your (special) abilities into the dog form this doesn't work. The specific dog stats overwrite your entire intelligent item stat-block temporary.