|
Here's my interpretation - let me know if it makes sense.
Are these above and beyond the stats nominally granted to objects animated by (a) the spell or (b) Craft Construct, or do you lose out on something by giving animated objects such properties or abilities as are purchased with them?
...
If the CP are a trade-off of some kind, what exactly is it they trade for?
The number of CP indicated on the table on this page are included within the object's stats. You do not have to reduce any other stat to use the number of construction points granted based on the size of the object. It works a little like bonus feats, except that you can opt for several minor abilities or spend multiple CP to get a more powerful ability.
If you wish, and your GM allows, you can increase the number of CP your object has by selecting flaws (at the bottom of the same page). Animate Objects does not appear to have any other method of increasing CP beyond the basic allowance of the object. Using Craft Construct, it appears you can add additional CP by increasing the cost of your construct by 1,000 gp per CP market value (+500 to craft, see the right-hand side "Alternate Construction Rules").
If any given Animate Object spell grants you Construction Points to assign to your animated objects, does this mean a Small or Tiny animated object cannot be made of metal (2 CP for a 1 CP... budget, I suppose? If that's what's going on here) but can be made of stone; and that a wooden Tiny or Small object cannot both me made of stone and be faster? Or does it mean you can animate a Small or Tiny metal object, and the spell confers upon you an animated object that has a higher CR than the spell ordinarily gives them? The question goes double for animated mithral.
The choice between stone and "faster" is indeed a bit of a trade-off, just like the choice between Toughness and Dodge or Improved Initiative. You have 1 CP, you can't get 2 CP worth of goodies.
It would appear that based on the CP table that the only way to make a small or tiny metallic animated object using the spell Animate Objects is to use flaws. This appears to be somewhat in conflict with the spell's indication that it can animate objects of any material, but that may have been intended with the qualifier "assuming sufficient CP are available." In general spells that give you allies (such as summons) are supposed to have a well-defined strength of those allies, which makes me think that you are not intended to be able to make adamantine animated objects as easily as wooden ones (gaining a free CR +3). You could justify this as metals being resistant to animation (perhaps due to higher density), requiring more magical power simply to get one moving and leaving less for finer function.
It would be possible to make a tiny metal animated object using Craft Construct, though this would be expensive (+1000 gp market value, +500gp to craft, more if you're using mithral or adamantine).
The way i use it, is start with what ever matrial is at hand. If other than wood I'll have to spend/get Cp for that. Then I make what ever kind of construct i feel could be made from the matrial, that would include a construct made from stone that flies... Hey It's magic!
I try to make the flaws fit - flamable if made from cloth or wood (even if we are fighting something firebreathing - since some sense or logic should be considered.
And i say away from haunted - partly because my char worships pharasma and because the haunted flaw was added to let GM's make haunts...