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Calver
2008-09-19, 04:08 PM
I was going through the PHB looking for spells and finally got around to reading the Animate Objects spell. The spell restricts already magical materials, materials being "carried or worn," and the number of items you can affect. But nowhere does it say that the materials must be homogeneous or constructed a certain way.
So, here's the question:
With a caster level of 16, you can animate a Gargantuan item. The glossary in the Monster Manual, under "Size" (page 314), lists a Gargantuan creature as having a 20' X 20' base and being 32 to 64 ft tall. Does this mean that you could animate a guard tower, large hut, or similar structure within these parameters with this spell?

I ran a search of the FAQ's, but couldn't find anything concerning this spell. If I missed it, or if anyone has another official source that addresses this question, please let me know.

(Howl's Moving Castle doesn't actually arrive until 32nd caster level, when you can animate a Colossal object, which can be, theoretically, larger than 30' X 30' and taller than 64 ft, since there is no size category larger than Colossal)

Attilargh
2008-09-19, 04:29 PM
I would say yes, you can totally animate a house. After all, animating a decorative suit of armour, a wardrobe or any other cool thing would be pretty hard if the target of the spell had to be homogenous.

Flickerdart
2008-09-19, 04:33 PM
Actually, Colossal+ and Colossal++ exist for categorizing REALLY colossal objects. You just never see them because there's nothing that big published.

I wonder if anyone being in the house makes it count as worn?

Behold_the_Void
2008-09-19, 06:56 PM
Actually, Colossal+ and Colossal++ exist for categorizing REALLY colossal objects. You just never see them because there's nothing that big published.

I wonder if anyone being in the house makes it count as worn?

I think the Xixical is Colossal+ out of the ELH.

Doesn't the Stronghold Builder's Guide have rules specifically for this kind of thing?

Ascension
2008-09-19, 08:14 PM
I think the Xixical is Colossal+ out of the ELH.

Doesn't the Stronghold Builder's Guide have rules specifically for this kind of thing?

I thought Colossal+ only showed up in 3rd party material? The SRD lists the Xixecal as just plain Colossal, although its picture shows it being used as an aircraft carrier by about five or six white dragons.

There are a good many mega size categories in the d20 Star Wars, though, due to the necessity of having ship-scale things around.

EDIT: And those are Old white dragons, so they're Huge in their own right.

Callos_DeTerran
2008-09-19, 08:21 PM
Colossal+=Epic dragons (Prismatic, Force) and the epic dragons.

Ascension
2008-09-19, 08:43 PM
Ah! The man speaks truth! (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/dragonEpic.htm#prismaticDragon)

So it isn't just a 3rd party thing!

jcsw
2008-09-19, 09:39 PM
Sadly, using animate objects has this *little* problem of other mages using dispel on it...

Telonius
2008-09-19, 09:58 PM
A Google search showed an "Awaken Object" spell from a third-party publisher, in a book called the "Spellbinder's Sourcebook II." Never seen or heard of this one before, but it sounds similar to what you're looking for.

Collin152
2008-09-19, 10:45 PM
Though I think Howl's castle is pretty much what Ebberon does- elemental spirit bound to a vehicle.

Tequila Sunrise
2008-09-19, 11:54 PM
I'm a scary and powaful fiya demon! (Man, it's so much easier to do that jewish accent in person.)

...But seriously, yeah I'd allow Animate Objects to make Howl's castle. But as jcsw pointed out, you might run into some serious Dispel problems. To make a more permanent Howl's castle, you'd have to homebrew a new kind of construct. With or without an animating spirit, it should cost a good chunk of change.

TS

Calver
2008-09-20, 03:55 PM
Kks, thanks for everyone's input! :D
I'm not sure if I'll actually pursue the moving home idea, but I figure it might be worth it to have a guard tower "attack" (crash into) another guard tower to neutralize the two, or even- on a smaller scale- having someone's hut wander away as a joke :smallbiggrin:

The Glyphstone
2008-09-20, 06:41 PM
the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook is the book you need for this, not some puny Animate Objects spell.

Coolest. 3.0. Supplement. Ever. seriously.