I am sure others have asked these questions (possibly many years ago), but I didn't see them when searching the forums.
1- Can I use this to send my character's familiar's mind into the object instead of my character's?
2- How does this work with spells like "Shrink item"? If I shrink a huge boulder (to a tiny rock) and then possess it, does it have hit points and CP as per a huge object or as per a tiny object? What if "Shrink item" is dismissed after possessing the object?
3- Can I choose to possess volume of soil or stone, a pillar or part of a wall as an object?
4- Is it possible using this spell (or Animate Object) to gain more CP than would be allowed by it's size? For example, with animate objects, instead of animating a huge object (CR 7)to instead animate a large object (CR 5) and raise it's CR to 7 by adding 4CP to it?
5- Can you take any of the Special Abilities more than once (for instance taking "Faster" 4 times to gain +40 to speed?
6- How does one get his caster level to 32 so that he can animate a colossal object? I know of ways for a 20th level character to get as much as +5 CL, but not +12.
One other question
7- it says you cannot cast spells because you cannot talk, but can you cast spells with no verbal component (or using silent spell)? How about SU or SP abilities granted by a class feature?
I'm at least partially replying because the answers to most of these interest me. I can toss in an answer while dotting, though.
7 - It says "or" not "because" in the cannot cast spells clause.
You cannot speak or cast spells while possessing the object.
There's nothing causative in there.
That's my reading and by no means the Word of Dev.
Good point. They were in the same sentence, so I must have just read them as being related.
I am sure others have asked these questions (possibly many years ago), but I didn't see them when searching the forums.
1- Can I use this to send my character's familiar's mind into the object instead of my character's?
2- How does this work with spells like "Shrink item"? If I shrink a huge boulder (to a tiny rock) and then possess it, does it have hit points and CP as per a huge object or as per a tiny object? What if "Shrink item" is dismissed after possessing the object?
3- Can I choose to possess volume of soil or stone, a pillar or part of a wall as an object?
4- Is it possible using this spell (or Animate Object) to gain more CP than would be allowed by it's size? For example, with animate objects, instead of animating a huge object (CR 7)to instead animate a large object (CR 5) and raise it's CR to 7 by adding 4CP to it?
5- Can you take any of the Special Abilities more than once (for instance taking "Faster" 4 times to gain +40 to speed?
6- How does one get his caster level to 32 so that he can animate a colossal object? I know of ways for a 20th level character to get as much as +5 CL, but not +12.
7- it says you cannot cast spells because you cannot talk, but can you cast spells with no verbal component (or using silent spell)? How about SU or SP abilities granted by a class feature?
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
EFFECT
Target one object; see text
Duration 1 hour/level or until you return to your body
DESCRIPTION
This spell functions as magic jar, except you transfer your mind to a single object, animating it as if using animate objects, except your mind controls the object as if it were your own body. You cannot speak or cast spells while possessing the object. Because your original body is effectively dead while under the effect of this spell, this temporarily suspends disease, poisons, and other afflictions affecting you.
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a gem or crystal worth at least 100 gp)
EFFECT
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration 1 hour/level or until you return to your body
Saving Throw Will negates; see text; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
By casting magic jar, you place your soul in a gem or large crystal (known as the magic jar), leaving your body lifeless. Then you can attempt to take control of a nearby body, forcing its soul into the magic jar. You may move back to the jar (thereby returning the trapped soul to its body) and attempt to possess another body. The spell ends when you send your soul back to your own body, leaving the receptacle empty. To cast the spell, the magic jar must be within spell range and you must know where it is, though you do not need line of sight or line of effect to it. When you transfer your soul upon casting, your body is, as near as anyone can tell, dead.
While in the magic jar, you can sense and attack any life force within 10 feet per caster level (and on the same plane of existence). You do need line of effect from the jar to the creatures. You cannot determine the exact creature types or positions of these creatures. In a group of life forces, you can sense a difference of 4 or more HD between one creature and another and can determine whether a life force is powered by positive or negative energy. (Undead creatures are powered by negative energy. Only sentient undead creatures have, or are, souls.)
You could choose to take over either a stronger or a weaker creature, but which particular stronger or weaker creature you attempt to possess is determined randomly.
Attempting to possess a body is a full-round action. It is blocked by protection from evil or a similar ward. You possess the body and force the creature's soul into the magic jar unless the subject succeeds on a Will save. Failure to take over the host leaves your life force in the magic jar, and the target automatically succeeds on further saving throws if you attempt to possess its body again.
If you are successful, your life force occupies the host body, and the host's life force is imprisoned in the magic jar. You keep your Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, and mental abilities. The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. You can't choose to activate the body's extraordinary or supernatural abilities. The creature's spells and spell-like abilities do not stay with the body.
As a standard action, you can shift freely from a host to the magic jar if within range, sending the trapped soul back to its body. The spell ends when you shift from the jar to your own body.
If the host body is slain, you return to the magic jar, if within range, and the life force of the host departs (it is dead). If the host body is slain beyond the range of the spell, both you and the host die. Any life force with nowhere to go is treated as slain.
If the spell ends while you are in the magic jar, you return to your body (or die if your body is out of range or destroyed). If the spell ends while you are in a host, you return to your body (or die, if it is out of range of your current position), and the soul in the magic jar returns to its body (or dies if it is out of range). Destroying the receptacle ends the spell, and the spell can be dispelled at either the magic jar or the host's location.
School transmutation; Level bard 6, cleric/oracle 6, witch 6; Domain chaos 6
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
EFFECT
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets one Small object per caster level; see text
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
You imbue inanimate objects with mobility and a semblance of life. Each such animated object then immediately attacks whomever or whatever you initially designate.
An animated object can be of any non-magical material. You may animate one Small or smaller object or a corresponding number of larger objects as follows: A Medium object counts as two Small or smaller objects, a Large object as four, a Huge object as eight, a Gargantuan object as 16, and a Colossal object as 32. You can change the designated target or targets as a move action, as if directing an active spell.
This spell cannot affect objects carried or worn by a creature.
Animated objects can be made permanent with a permanency spell.
1- No. The target is one object. Per share spells, you could possess your familiar instead of an object, but it is your mind doing the possession either way.
2- Shrink item states "You are able to shrink one non-magical item (if it is within the size limit) to 1/16 of its normal size in each dimension (to about 1/4,000 the original volume and mass)." There is a question of being non-magical if it is possessed, but you can get around that by shrinking first. Since size and mass are reduced, I would say hp are also reduced. For CP, the spell does not give you any CP, so there is no way to assign them.
3- A pillar is an object so you could possess it. For the rest, by RAW, I would say no. As GM, I would probably let you do it anyway, as you are essentially locked in place.
4- No. Neither spell gives CP. Only the feat Craft Construct does, and only by spending gold.
5- Each special ability must be paid for in the constructing process. Unless it makes no sense (like being metal), or states you can only do it once, I think you can take it more than once. Again, only for the feat, not by the spells mentioned.
6- Some favored class options and class options have this. I think Oracle gets the best that I have heard. Search the threads for how.
7- SU and SP are not casting. However, will they originate from the possessed object? I don't know.
/cevah
Where did you read that the spell does not grant CP? I saw a number of posts that seem to indicate that the spell "Animate Objects" did grant CP. Here is one example.
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pbpr?Clarifying-Construction-Points-Animated-O bjects
Bump
Where did you read that the spell does not grant CP? I saw a number of posts that seem to indicate that the spell "Animate Objects" did grant CP. Here is one example.
Linkified.
The spell has NO text about CP, so why should you get anything special. It should give you exactly what is in the Bestiary. Anything else is GM territory. If you want to take away some attribute from the Bestiary version and replace with a different CP equivalent, I would have no problem with that. You don't get extra CP over what is listed.
/cevah
PS: Waiting less than an hour to bump? I usually wait a day.
I agree with you statement, but I am under the impression that the base attributes of animated objects include CP based on their size. Also, the vast majority of animated objects are brought into existence by the spell "Animate Object"(the spell is even referenced in the Bestiary entry). It seems odd that the game designers would put effort into making special rules for a creature that would seldom be able to use them.
PS: Yeah I had been drinking coffee all day and was a bit impatient yesterday (well.. more so than normal).
The CP point system is new to PF. The spell is ancient. They should have revised the spell to reflect the CP system, but did not. Instead, the system is another "optional" system, and bolted onto the game. Like all such, there can be inconsistencies.
As to seldom using them, I think they might be more for GMs than players, as most of the Bestiary is that way.
As to impatience, well Adventurers are not known for their patience. They tend to attack rather than wait to figure something out. In other words: Kill first, Speak with Dead later.
/cevah
Any other opinions?