So, I was reading about intelligent items, and I saw that you can give them the ability to cast spells as part of creation. Now, how do they actually cast the spell? Since most spells have a verbal component or a somatic component and being able to move/speak is optional for an intelligent magic item..?
I've found this: "Activating a power or concentrating on an active one is a standard action the item takes." in the intelligent items section of the SRD, so that helps. But the actual process of casting a spell is what confuses me.
Mostly what I'm having a hard time with is touch spells. Other spells yeah the spell is cast and the affect happens.
But with touch spells, is the affect discharged into the wielder? Or if say it's a sword, can it cast frostbite, and when the wielder hits something with the sword does the frostbite then trigger? Like how a touch spell is held in a person's hand, a touch spell in an intelligent item is held in the best place for it to deliver it to another person, like the blade of a sword for instance, or the head on a mace.
Alright I'll come clean, the main reason I want to know is because one of my characters (a beast bonded witch with the archmage mythic path) just died, while her familiar was in the the form of a weapon and now she's an intelligent magic item.
Now that you know it's for a character that's now an item, how can I cast my spells? I know still spell, but is it even needed since there's a precedent for items being able to cast spells already? I'd think my with should have to take it to be able to cast spells without somatic components, but it's more just figuring out the rules of it all.
Sooooo..any thoughts?
I've spent some time figuring out what her new defenses would be in this new form (the scythe was adamantine, heh 20DR and it's my familiar's body so 20 SR too) but this is the only part I'm stuck at.
(Side note: In the campaign I'm now a Chaotic Neutral witch/sword, being wielded by a Lawful Good Paladin, and we just finished the 5th book in Reign of winter together and it was right epic. Being an item is actually pretty sweet...heh)
Also, if my character is an item now, do I act on my wielder's initiative now or my own? Hard to say..
Intelligent Items wrote: Unlike most magic items, intelligent items can activate their own powers without waiting for a command word from their owner. Intelligent items act during their owner's turn in the initiative order.
Being a PC should not change this. Your Dex score should be 0(or -).
Quote: A character with a Dexterity score of 0 is incapable of moving and is effectively immobile (but not unconscious). As for the rest, I'd have to familiarize myself a bit more with the various rules.
Beast bonded alone doesn't seem to allow you to cast spells in an animal body (with verbal/somatic components) without some additional ability (like Natural Spell).
I'm not sure how an intelligent item changes any of this. (when it says "their own powers" it means item properties not full spellcasting abilities of a PC)
Certainly, you should get your allotment of actions, but unless the form you are using defines how your powers transfer to the context of the item, you probably can't cast without both still and silent applied to (most) spells. (Intelligent items can "cast" because their powers are closer to SLAs)
In terms of touch spells, it should probably function similarly to spell storing. (although you can cast on your ally if you wish)
Maybe this FAQ is relevant?
As a note, have you calculated your ego score? You can harass your buddy with will saves. (or at least anyone who you don't want holding you)
I see your point about your actions being limited by what your current form can do.
Yeah, makes sense. I made the item initially with the ability to speak telepathically with the wielder well as verbally, so I guess all I need is still spell.
Hmm, using spell storing as base fro how touch spells should work makes sense, thanks.
Heh, I didn't even think about what my ego is. (tries to figure it out)
Hmm, I've got +11 from a 33 Inteligence, +6 from the item's cost being 100k, +2 for having a purpose, and I'm thinking since I'm a whole PC in a weapon, I was thinking + my character level for the "powers" section.
So in total that's...an ego of 34. Heh. Well, it is that paladin holding me, so probably no chance on beating his will save. In the end, it's probably for the best.
I'm pretty sure the spells of intelligent magic items are SLA. SLA have no verbal or somatic components.
Eltacolibre wrote: I'm pretty sure the spells of intelligent magic items are SLA. SLA have no verbal or somatic components. Well, not quite. Just about all item powers require a command word. Intelligent items can activate those powers even though they have no voice. (IOW they will the power to work as if the command word had been spoken)
The issue here is how many of his spells/spell slots have been converted to item properties for use in this manner? He needs to silent/still the spells that have not been made usable in this way, which is potentially all/most of them.
I'm not familiar with what allowed his familiar to be/become an intelligent item, and didn't find it with a quick search, so I can't verify what powers transfer and what powers don't.
See, I'm not at all convinced that items can activate the powers a wielder could activate, as opposed to the special powers associated with them being an intelligent item. Imagine a +3 intelligent sword which can cast cure light wounds. "Cure light wounds" is the item's power which it can activate. So I have always interpreted "the item's powers" in that context as meaning "the powers introduced by it being an intelligent item". So if you had, say, an intelligent ring of spell storing, with spells or other abilities added from the intelligent item table, I'd tend to assume it could use its special abilities, but not release its stored spells.
If they can activate their own powers, I guess the next question is: If you're an intelligent staff, are you a caster? Are the spells you contain on your class list?
seebs wrote: See, I'm not at all convinced that items can activate the powers a wielder could activate, as opposed to the special powers associated with them being an intelligent item. Imagine a +3 intelligent sword which can cast cure light wounds. "Cure light wounds" is the item's power which it can activate. So I have always interpreted "the item's powers" in that context as meaning "the powers introduced by it being an intelligent item". So if you had, say, an intelligent ring of spell storing, with spells or other abilities added from the intelligent item table, I'd tend to assume it could use its special abilities, but not release its stored spells.
If they can activate their own powers, I guess the next question is: If you're an intelligent staff, are you a caster? Are the spells you contain on your class list?
While I see the rules ambiguity involved the most straightforward way to handle it is to include exactly what the item can and can not do during item creation. Item creation rules require GM oversight and approval anyway so may as well get a ruling from the GM right off. The question (or more accurately perhaps, the answer) only really matters if it is a shared campaign i.e. something like PFS where everyone needs to be on the same page about how things work.
So does your Staff have class levels? If not does it have UMD? If the only fact you knew about the situation was that the user of the Ring of Spell Storing was an NPC Construct named "Precious" what would your answer be? And what other questions would you be asking for clarity before trying to answer if the NPC could use the Ring?
And yep that is totally bypassing the question you posited. But it is why we have a GM ... make the bugger work ;)
Okay, I think I get what you mean Kayerloth. For the situation we're in with our campaign it'd be best to just house-rule this business since the available rules don't explain everything adequately.
Thanks for the responses guys!
One last thing, now, normally if your soul moves to a new body do you get both the mental AND physical traits/immunities/abilities of your new body, or does your old mental traits/immunities/abilities carry over from your old body and you gain any physical traits/immunities/abilities of your new body?
My thought was keep all your mental ones and lose/gain all physical ones.
For instance, becoming a construct doesn't make you immune to all mind-affecting effects,
but you would be Immune to (bleed, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning) so all physical effects.
That is something of a sticky area.
In general, I would say you have it right, save any racial benefits to "mentality" that are reasonably adjudicated as physical (think Illithids).
Certain racial features may not be immediately accessible if they utilize a complex mechanism that must be learned by practice.
Overall, you should keep your mental scores (accounting for old/new racial adjustments), skill ranks, feats, etc; and swap physical scores for the ones of the new body, along with natural attacks and the like. (I'm not sure which way I'd go with Inherent bonuses to mental scores, but I lean toward applying them to the body that gained them.)
What it really comes down to though, is what your DM decides is right for his game. Although, you should roughly follow the description of whatever type/subtype you actually are. In terms of your example, I would agree, that constructs are immune to "mind affecting" based on being essentially mindless, so you wouldn't retain that trait after adding your mind.
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