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What is an intelligent item? It might seem obvious at first; it's just a permanent magic item with a few extra features and some personality. It's a trusty talking sword, or an evil ring with a will of its own, or a hungry Bag of Holding. But intelligent items are actually underwritten in a few important ways, a problem Pathfinder inherited from its predecessors years ago, and these gaps in the rules lead to serious questions about the complete function and nature of intelligent items.
Because they possess ability scores, intelligent items aren't just objects, they're creatures, and are treated as constructs... but for what purpose? Ordinary items already have Hit Points and Hardness. But if intelligent items are creatures, do they gain racial Hit Dice, a Base Attack Bonus, skill points? Do they gain any construct traits?
Intelligent items are also said to think and feel as characters do, and should be treated as NPCs. They aren't mindless creatures; unlike most constructs, they have an Intelligence score. Intelligent constructs, like any creature with a mind, can take feats and even class levels. But what about intelligent items? They are creatures with a mind, after all. Could an intelligent item also be a sorcerer?
Sorcery or not, intelligent items can have "powers": special spell-like abilities that only the item can use, as a standard action. A typical unintelligent permanent magic item may also have abilities that only its wielder can activate, usually as a standard action, and that do not provoke attacks of opportunity. But a creature using a spell-like ability does provoke attacks of opportunity. So, when an intelligent item uses a power, should that be treated as a creature using a spell-like ability, or as a magic item simply activating itself? When concentrating on a power, what conditions, if any, prompt a Concentration check? For example, does an intelligent sword have to make a Concentration check for "violent movement" every time its wielder swings and attacks with it?
Knowing in what regards an intelligent item is a creature, a construct, or just a magic item, is key to understanding how they are meant to operate. Intelligent items can serve as powerful companions or enemies in your game, and ambiguity can slow down your game, cause disagreements, and lead to further misunderstandings. Removing that ambiguity could save a lot of time and trouble.