Animate Weapon

[TempusCCK]

Alright, my version of animate weapon for my current D&D campaign.

Animate Weapon

Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Touch
Effect: One Animated Weapon + one per four caster levels
Duration: 10 rounds per level
Saving Throw: Will Save (object)
Spell Resistance: --

When cast on a weapon, this spell causes the weapon to become animate and is able to defend the caster. It floats around his body, providing a +1 deflection bonus to AC. Once per round, the animated weapon can make a normal attack roll against any opponent within range, or it can automatically defend the caster against anyone who attempts to make a melee attack roll against the caster by attacking or counter attacking. When attempting to attack a person with Animate Weapon cast on them, the weapon automatically attacks (using the casters caster level as it‘s bonus to hit). The weapon deals it’s normal damage, plus the casters key ability score modifier (INT for Wizards and CHA for Sorcerors.) If the animated weapon makes a defensive attack that round, it cannot make an additional attack against a specified target, the subject of the spell can choose to prevent the weapon from attacking defensively to instead use the weapons attack against a specified target. A weapon animated by this spell keeps all of it’s masterwork or magical enhancements, including reach and damage.

A weapon animated by this spell is immune to disarm attempts, but is still able to be sundered, but get’s a +4 bonus to resist such attempts.

Focus: The weapon to be animated.

[Smiley_]

Looks good.

Personally, for a first level spell, I would remove the sunder resistance and damage bonus from INT.

You could make an Improved Animate Weapon as a third level spell that get's a second attack at a -5 penalty, the damage increase, and the sunder resistance, but for a first level spell, it shouldn't be too sophisticated.

The ballancing feature here sems to be it's inability to stray from the caster, which I find appropriate. Most wizards and sorcerors are in trouble if a fighter or a barbarian get's that close to them anyway.

[FireSpark]

I have some issues things, but they're mostly just me being nitpicky. Mostly.

1) More than one animated weapon - You indicated in the Effect line (which really should be Target), that a caster can animate one weapon plus one weapon per four caster levels. The rest of the spell's text is however lacking on anything dealing with what happens when you have more than one weapon floating around you. Is there a limit to the number of weapons? Is there a limit to the number of attacks? This could be useful information, no?

2) The Deflection Bonus - This kind of relates to my first point. Is this bonus a constant +1 per casting of the spell, or does it increase with each additional weapon? If it does increase, and assuming a 20th level caster can have 6 weapons floating about, this level 1 spell would give him a +6 deflection bonus to AC. Admittedly it's only for twenty minutes, but being a 1st level spell, that makes it easy to put into a wand.

3) Weapon Types? Proficiencies? - What really worries me is the Sorcerer that decides to lug a bunch of Great Spears around. A 16th level Sor casts this spell, and suddenly he is surrounded by 5 weapons that deal 3d6 damage, and have reach. Gods forbid if he uses Large-sized or bigger ones. Shouldn't there be some sort of restriction on the class (not to mention size) of the weapons that can be animated?

3) And the really nitpicky stuff - Instead of 10 rounds per level, you could just simplify to 1 min/lvl. I already mentioned this one but, Effect should be Target(s). And what about a school? No School?! Most animate spells are of the Transmutation school. Might I suggest that one?

That's all I can see for now.

[TempusCCK]

Err, no, not really, a person is a target, it's a touch ranged buff, and you have the weapon as a Focus.

Meh, it definatley needs to be elaborated on, maybe I'll update it if I feel the need. If you want to use it, consider it Transmutation and you get an additional bonus to defelction for each weapon involved.

[FireSpark]

Err, no, not really, a person is a target, it's a touch ranged buff, and you have the weapon as a Focus.

I would agree that a person would be a target, when speaking of what the animated weapon will be attacking. But in terms of the spells description, the target of the actual spell is the weapon being animated.

Maybe if I get time today I'll try and word it up a bit myself, and see what you think.