I'm working on something, and have a first draft more than halfway complete. The idea is that - similar to the magus bladebound archetype - a character has a sentient weapon in place of a familiar. I might expand it to allow swapping out a companion or cohort but that can be down the road. I have been referencing material from the wizard familiar feature, the bladebound magus, and intelligent items. Generally, I write out what I think will be cool, and then the next day I tone it down.
Before I post what I have, what would you caution me to not do, and what possible pitfalls could be encountered? Additionally, I still haven't decided if this will a simple swap out or if it requires a feat. If a character has already spent feats or or done some non-optimal multiclassing, another feat could be a big price to pay.
One thing to consider is that this would give anyone with a familiar a pseudo magus ability because familiars can deliver touch spells for you. Granted, a wizzard with a sword familiar would have less action economy then the magus because he couldn't do a normal attack with the sword in the same round as he casts the touch spell.
Casters can already do something similar with touch spells and natural attacks (abyssal sourcerers) but a weapon gives the benefit of higher to-hit chance and crit range.
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Also check out a Raktavarna as an improved familiar. Sure it has a lawful evil requirement but gives some idea of a ballpark for abilities.
The Shadow 1.00 mark
Carishia,
Owning a sentient weapon is an ability of a 1st level magus with the bladebound archetype. The goal is to have something about as useful as a familiar. At level 1 it's just a masterwork weapon with a couple of lousy skills and weak ability scores. The weapon gains power along with the character (based on level), and unlike an actual familiar this sword has very few actions is can perform on its own. One of my goals is to not make it better than actual intelligent weapons. The basic concept is not that the weapon was crafted, but rather that a spirit is inhabiting the weapon.
Scud422,
I hadn't considered granting the sword the ability to deliver touch spells. In the version I am working on, instead of a set progression of features like a familiar, the player would have some choice is what abilities the weapon gains. I suppose I could include a touch spell feature, but that might be best left to the magus.
Apraham Lincoln,
The Raktavarna is a pretty neat familiar. More for RP than for being useful to a PC, but still. I'd say the dagger in that video is an artifact, judging by its great strength.
You could make it a Familiar Archetype that replaces Deliver Touch Spells at 3rd level with something else.
I didn't know about the Raktavarna... I'll have to make a note of that.
I'm thinking of something less like an archetype and more like an alternate class.
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Carishia,
Owning a sentient weapon is an ability of a 1st level magus with the bladebound archetype. The goal is to have something about as useful as a familiar. At level 1 it's just a masterwork weapon with a couple of lousy skills and weak ability scores. The weapon gains power along with the character (based on level), and unlike an actual familiar this sword has very few actions is can perform on its own. One of my goals is to not make it better than actual intelligent weapons. The basic concept is not that the weapon was crafted, but rather that a spirit is inhabiting the weapon.
then you are more balanced than me.
Why do you say that?
It might be worth mentioning that a character with the arcane bond feature can create an intelligent item (actually, any character with the right item creation feats can). Most abilities that normal familiars gain would be redundant for items. In the end, you only give out free money/time used to enchant the item.
I once toyed around with the idea of a wizard-archetype that had a sentient ioun stone as his bonded object, but I felt it wasn't distinct enough to warrant its own archetype. I think I only created a list of different personalities based on the different types of ioun stones (similar to psi-crystal personalities).
I scrapped most of the familiar abilities. This is more like an alternate class feature, not a sword that gains the abilities of a familiar.
I understand. I've written stuff I've never shared too. Fortunately, there are some folks who have given pretty good criticism when I do.
Could a creature that lacks hands, tentacles, etc hypothetically use a magic item if it had a telekinetic-like ability such as mage hand?
I was thinking wands and potions.
I've been working on this in my campaign setting for years.
Any advice? Words of caution?