We'll jump right into it...
Wizard creates Construct (gnoll-form, wooden, CR 2).
Wizard creates Intelligent Magic Item, Bracers of Armor +2, Lawful Good (Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 12).
I'm thinking if the Construct wears the Item (bracers), the item can control the construct. So the wizard doesn't have to, on a round by round basis.
Wizard instructs construct to obey the item.
Some limits:
An item can control (so long as it can communicate with) a number of constructs equal to its Charisma Bonus (Max 5).
An item can control as many CR as it has Ego.
Current/Effective Ego = CR of Host Construct (the one wearing/bearing it) and remaining Ego. Essentially, it takes effort to maintain control of additional constructs.
Host Constuct and Item are in a sense "merged". This merged form can have physical Skills (using items Int Bonus for extra skills). This merged form can have Feats, so long at it meets pre-reqs using physical stats (from construct) and mental stats (from item).
Number of Skills and Feats based on Monster Creation Charts (proper HD/CR).
Of course to pull this off, you need Craft Wondrous, Craft Arms/Armor, Craft Construct... and money.
Except for the limitations and extension of Feats/Skills (kinda like Synthesist)... I think it's all within bounds.
And of course, bring it!
Considering Intelligent Items aren't beholden to their creator... why would you want to give one a Construct to play with?
An evil intelligent amulet that can fly and afix itself to any construct it can find, to attck the PCs = Epic !
They're pretty much beholden unless you imbue them with enough Ego to break free... or dominate you.
You offer it a way to express itself, locomotion... you can offer it better constructs later, better bodies... but only what it can handle.
I suppose you could make it more aware (increase Int, Wis, Cha), like improving a non-intelligent magic item.
The intelligent item does not "dominate" the construct, the construct is commanded by it's master to obey the item. Master could always shut the construct down.
But, yes... powerful enough and you're dealing with "skynet". But, that's no different that anything else...
My word, skynet the evil intelligent amulet just happened.
Wouldn't an amulet work better than bracers? I'm not sure all Constructs actually have arms...
Game-wise, it could make for some cool 'n' crazy situations, provided gold, materials and down-time are available. Just make sure the GM is okay with the additional character(s).
Rule-wise, the whole thing is actually needlessly complicated. Any Intelligent Item with the capacity to speak can be given control over a Construct, if someone made the both of them. And those "merge" properties look like they'd work better as additions to the rules for crafting the base Constructs, rather than a hybrid. Either way, you're making rules to "create" full-fledged designer people; I'm not sure the game is quite ready for that.
Awesome idea
I actually have a PC doing this in one of my games, although the intelligent magic item is actually a construct as well.
He built the flesh golem and the second construct as a pair, with the smaller construct being kind of a spinal cord-shaped burrowing snake that digs into the flesh golem and assumes control of it.
Basically has allowed the flesh golem to be a full party member, so the PC (a mad scientist-type witch) can stay locked up in his laboratory hundreds of miles from the PCs and watch everything through scry. :D
Considering Intelligent Items aren't beholden to their creator... why would you want to give one a Construct to play with?
They're pretty much beholden unless you imbue them with enough Ego to break free... or dominate you.
No, the intelligent item doesn't have to break free of or dominate the creator, it merely has to control/dominate the construct (which you are specifically designing it to do). "Magically imbued with sentience, these items think and feel the same way characters do and should be treated as NPCs." (Core Rulebook, pg. 532) "When a personality conflict occurs, the possessor must make a Will saving throw (DC = item's Ego)." (Core Rulebook, pg. 535; emphasis mine) If the intelligent item is attached to the construct, then it is in the construct's possession, not creator's. "Items with personalities are never totally controlled or silenced..." (Core Rulebook, pg. 536) This is especially true when the creator gives them the capability to move and act independently (i.e., using a construct "body"). Technically, there's nothing against making a construct an intelligent item in and of itself (as mentioned by MaxAstro above).
Now, the intelligent item can be created to have compatible goals with the creator, but there is still the potential for conflict, just as with cohorts/followers gained with the Leadership feat.
Yes, but with a little bit of intelligence (which you've hopefully imbued it with) it should quickly realize you can destroy it, remove it, etc...
It's power is relatively limited. It mostly cannot survive on it's own, better chance with a construct... but still not for long.
And, technically... it has no life experiences.
As always, seems to work... up to the DM as to how difficult they want to make it.
Construct would always obey the master/creator... so although it could obey the item as a default action. The master's direction would supercede. The item would be along for the ride. It could push the Ego thing it it wanted.
It's an arcane "game of chicken", how powerful/useful can you make the item and construct without risking mutiny.
Or, you could have a cool DM who says, "sure that works..." and you don't have to live with paranoia.