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The rules are clear in that you can use the Craft Construct feat to create a permanent animated object. My question is, how much does such thing cost the creator?
Say, I had a large house, for example, that I wanted to animate so it would take me all over the world.
The rules are clear in that you can use the Craft Construct feat to create a permanent animated object. My question is, how much does such thing cost the creator?
Say, I had a large house, for example, that I wanted to animate so it would take me all over the world.
RAW, Animate Object gets up to Colossal which is a 20' by 20' 1 floor house.
Edit: creative use of spells like Magnificent Mansion just inside the doorway can lead to some amusing effects here however.
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An instant fortress is 55,000 (market value, 27,500 to make). I'd use that as a baseline and go from there.
Howl's Castle isn't really very useful in combat, but it can help a character cover lots of ground. If it weren't for the teleporting doorway, I'd say it ought to be a little cheaper than the fortress.
Allow me to be more specific, since my title seems to be misleading.
How much does it cost to create a permanent animated object (as per the spell) in the rules? ANY animated object.
Allow me to be more specific, since my title seems to be misleading.
How much does it cost to create a permanent animated object (as per the spell) in the rules? ANY animated object.
Cost would be way too subjective to give price points beyond in the book (Animated objects spell and permanency). I know there are some 3PP books out there but people will yay/nay it depending on personal views.
End result, whatever your DM says it costs as a you're getting into "custom magic items" with subtype construct territory which is a place I even tread carefully in.
Custom? It's not custom. The book specifically says you can do this. Heck, it's not even a magic item. Magic items (and animated objects made via Permanency) can be dispelled. This is a true construct, a non-dispellable creature.
Custom? It's not custom. The book specifically says you can do this. Heck, it's not even a magic item. Magic items (and animated objects made via Permanency) can be dispelled. This is a true construct, a non-dispellable creature.
It's custom as the rules don't explicitly give rules for what you want. There aren't even guidelines like for custom magic items. Taking craft construct allows you to make golems which are the only creatures I can think of off the top of my head that are fully detailed as they were balanced out for what they were/cost. What you are asking is definitely not spelled out and is in fact "custom."
Better yet, you the player are attempting to create a brand new creature in a game. This while maybe possible with the feat is still up to the DM as there are no rules for it. Taking craft construct is pretty limited as the only things that are spelled out are the golems. Anything more than that requires the DM's permission, is a custom creation and can be priced according to their whims and perceptions.
How is it a new creature? It's the ANIMATED OBJECT from the BESTIARY. It's just another construct creature like the golem, the homunculus, or the iron cobra.
It IS spelled out in full with the sole exception of its price tag, which is what I'm asking about.
How is it a new creature? It's the ANIMATED OBJECT from the BESTIARY. It's just another construct creature like the golem, the homunculus, or the iron cobra.
It IS spelled out in full with the sole exception of its price tag, which is what I'm asking about.
Which is the point, it is custom. By not giving a price point the designers are giving the DM full permission to say "No" to people if they don't want to deal with the situation. You can't point to the rules and say "Here, there is a chart with a price so I can make it!" The designers are saying "Here is a feat that you can do X with and if your DM allows Y with, consult your DM." If your DM wants to work with you they will come up with a price, if they really like the idea they can some up with a set of rules, tables and abilities. If they don't, you can't.
Is that horribly hard to understand or do you just not want to hear it?
The rules are clear in that you can use the Craft Construct feat to create a permanent animated object. My question is, how much does such thing cost the creator?
Say, I had a large house, for example, that I wanted to animate so it would take me all over the world.
PH Bestiary page 314 = Craft Construction (item creation).
Craft Construct (Item Creation)
You can create construct creatures like golems.
Prerequisites: Caster level 5th, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item.
Benefit: You can create any construct whose prerequisites you meet. The act of animating a construct takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its market price. To create a construct, you must use up raw materials costing half of its base price, plus the full cost of the basic body created for the construct. Each construct has a special section that summarizes its costs and other prerequisites. A newly created construct has average hit points for its Hit Dice.
and page 158 = Golem
Constructing a Golem
The cost to create a golem includes the cost of the physical body and all the materials and spell components used in its creation. Each golem entry gives specific details on the materials required and the total cost for its creation.
Note: The market price of a golem with more Hit Dice than the typical golem described in each entry is increased by 5,000 gp for each additional Hit Die it possesses beyond the standard for its kind, and increases by an additional 50,000 gp if the golem's size increases. Building a golem with the advanced simple template increases its cost by 15,000 gp.
After looking at page 158-164 (Golem)
I would guess you would need the spells:
*) Animate Objects = Since you want it to be able to move.
*) Geas/Quest = To be able to control the castle movement.
*) Limited Wish = Large or Huge size house in size
*) Wish = Gargantuan, Colossal, or bigger than Colossal in size.
Not counting any special spell magic that affect the entire house/castle or creates an outside effect outside the house/castle. Which you would also have to add.
(Other magic that affects only a single room (or less) inside the castle, should probably be treated as a separate magic item. In which case it is just something being carried around.)
Anyway that is what i would suggest.
Which is the point, it is custom. By not giving a price point the designers are giving the DM full permission to say "No" to people if they don't want to deal with the situation. You can't point to the rules and say "Here, there is a chart with a price so I can make it!" The designers are saying "Here is a feat that you can do X with and if your DM allows Y with, consult your DM." If your DM wants to work with you they will come up with a price, if they really like the idea they can some up with a set of rules, tables and abilities. If they don't, you can't.
Is that horribly hard to understand or do you just not want to hear it?
It's not hard to understand at all. I just don't think its true. The way things read out, it looks much more like an oversight to me than it does a deliberate design choice made to give GMs freedom of choice (which they would have anyway since Craft Construct is in the Bestiary).
How much does it cost to create a permanent animated object (as per the spell) in the rules? ANY animated object.
Animate Objects has no materials so just the cost of the spell to be cast. Free if a PC or 6*11*10=660gp.
Permancy for animate Objects is 15kgp plus casting the spell 660gp if you are not casting.15kgp if you or party members cast the spells, 16,320 if you have other people cast the spells.
How much does it cost to create a permanent animated object (as per the spell) in the rules? ANY animated object.Animate Objects has no materials so just the cost of the spell to be cast. Free if a PC or 6*11*10=660gp.
Permancy for animate Objects is 15kgp plus casting the spell 660gp if you are not casting.15kgp if you or party members cast the spells, 16,320 if you have other people cast the spells.
But how much do you think it would/should cost for it to be permanent AND non-dispellable, as is the case with one created through the Craft Construct feat?
I would start with a wood golem and modify from there.
Wood Golem
CL 12th; Price 19,300 gp
Construction
Requirements Craft Construct, alarm, animate objects, cat's grace, geas/quest, limited wish, creator must be caster level 12th; Skill Craft (carpentry) DC 17; Cost 8,800 gp
| 7 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
I think people are going in a circle because they don't understand the actual question.
the PRD has the "craft construct" feat. This feat tells you that you can create permanent animated objects, such as golems, and further states that /the cost to do so is listed/ in the appropriate entry.
The "Animate Object" entry in the Bestiary refers you to the "craft construct" feat to determine how to make one permanent, and also refers you to the permanency spell.
So basically the rules are themselves are circular on the subject. To find the cost of A go to B. And B refers to A for cost.
That is the actual problem. Both "places" refer you to the other place for the price without actually /giving/ you a price.
Flagged for FAQ, as the rules don't give an answer.
(in the meantime though- RD- the stronghold builder's guide (3.0/5 one or the other- does list the relevant information on how to build such a structure but doesn't treat it as an "animated object" at all but rather as a building with a movement type)
-S
If you want a house where the doors open and close when you want, the furniture rearranges itself, etc. the model spell should probably be Magnificent Mansion or the non-OGL Servant Horde for multiple unseen servants, since we're talking about a house with the intelligence to do butler-like tasks. The difference between an animated object and a semi-sentient telekinetic force which puppets objects to look like they're animated? Not that much. Or just use Telekinesis.
Flying is another matter. If you want a flying outhouse, it shouldn't cost any more than than a flying cauldron or flying carpet. If you combine it with the Magnificent Mansion, you can have it bigger on the inside than the outside. If you paint it blue, you start to get into copyright infringement territory, especially if it travels in time as well as space.
My players currently have a flying tower. I didn't specifically price it, as it came after a lab accident with a dragons brain in a tower formerly attached to a castle. But mechanics-wise, I said it's basically an Instant Fortress mounted on a flying carpet.
If I was the DM it would cost you at least 150,000gp. Now depending on all that you wish for the the building to do the cost can and will go up. I did not just pick a number I used the "Stronghold Builder's Guide Book" to give me a general ideal of what to charge. The cost for a basic large flying house is about 120,000gp and I then took guss on the the rest. The cost could get to over 500,000gp without a lot of work.