This particular thread is being made more out of curiosity than anything. My wizard could eventually make an intelligent item, but from what I've read, it didn't seem to have enough going for it for the cost and potential risk of the possible ego take over. To me it seems as if intelligent items were more suited to be used by or become the BBEG of whatever game is being played.
So, I come to more experienced players and DMs to ask, what would the benefits be for a PC to make / use an intelligent item? Besides flavor of course.
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Sabotauge the enemy? Imagine crafting a weapon sympathetic to your goals, then dropping it into the hands of the baddy, now behold as the villain starts doing things to make your life easier.
Have a party member who's dumb as a brick? Hand them the fancypants talky sword, and behold as now there's a bit of forethought in their decision making.
Surveillance, translator, or as a skillmonkey. Your fighter is kind of useless outside of combat, but his sword is an engineering expert who's extra-talented at motive sensing and speaks 9 languages, as well as hit your foe with dimension door with it's actions, leaving you to full attack the wizard nerd to death?
Kinda handy situationally, eh?
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The immediate benefit is that the weapon activates it's powers itself meaning you don't have to waste a standard action on a command word.
And they would only take over if you are opposed in some way, if you were making the item yourself it's seems unlikely you would create one that had goals or ideals other then what you wanted. Mistakes and cursed items do happen however.
And the simplest of Intelligent Weapons have ego scores that are in the single digits which is a breeze to make as a Will save, even for a Wizard high enough level to make said item.
I like the sabotage idea quite a bit.
As Aaron was kind enough to point out, as long as you don't go overboard, it does seem like the ego of the item wouldn't be that much of an issue.
It would seem like a great idea to give the group rogue an intelligent dagger with vanish 3 times a day and maybe make up a purpose of not stealing from the group.
Thanks for the help everyone. With it I think I got past some small mental blocks and may pick up a 3rd party feat (that my dm already ok'd if I wanted it) that makes an intelligent spellbook.
Hm... I actually have to share, as I made this exact thing recently.
Pal-drons the spiked shoulder guards that like you, no matter who you are!
A re-post of the slightly edited version from The Complete PF Guide to 'chucks, Yo!, so you don't have to sort through monster-post there.
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PAL-DRONS
Specific Magic Shield
Price 903 g
Aura faint transmutation; CL 1st; Weight 1 1/4 lbs.
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STATISTICS
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Alignment N*; Ego -; Senses 30 ft.
* Unlike normal for an intelligent item, the Pal-drons do not impose a negative level or force a personality conflict due to being of a different alignment or goals.Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10
Communication empathy
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DESCRIPTION
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This pair of shoulder-guards has been imbued with some measure of intelligence. Unlike normal intelligent items, they like the bearer, regardless of who that bearer is. They can turn their light on or off (shedding light like a torch) at will, as magic weapons do. Otherwise, they may try to help warn you of anything they notice through their empathy, which is nice.They otherwise function as a darkwood buckler with shield spikes, save that they are made of mithril and they do not take up any part of your hand, and thus do not impose any penalty and you do not lose their shield bonus to AC when you use both hands in an attack.
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CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
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Craft Magic Arms and Armor, lightCost 451 gold
There is a hint of home-brew here (paldrons functioning as bucklers, ignoring different alignment or goals - though given that they lack an ego score, it's hard to argue that they'd have any), but it's pretty much one of the cheapest intelligent items you can make - and it's pretty great!
It can constantly make Perception checks - constantly - for anything within a 30 ft. radius. It has nothing else to do. In fact, it can constantly make any DC 10 check (and take 10) for any puzzle you've got. Flub an easy roll? Now you've got a way to know in-character that you're wrong!
Need light? It's free!
Now, these are far from the most useful or practical items in the world (in fact, that thread is effectively a large joke - just look at the title! ... also the Pal-A-Drons, which are probably really under-priced), but they're still quite useful, despite being so silly.
Just apply liberally to taste to get what you want.
I mean, those Pal-A-Drons have a +18 - +18! - diplomacy modifier. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice, that, and it's cheaper than a +10 circumstance bonus item (if I recall, anyway).
... and other people have other great points. :D
I'm thinking about an intelligent ioun torch. Doesn't cost an item slot, inexpensive item to start with and I could do as Tacticslion suggested and just go basic with it, using sense, darkvision at least, but blindsense would be fun against stealth creatures. This could be fun.
I like that quite a bit too. It doesn't say which 1st level spell after all now that I look back at it. Nice.
Action economy!
Give it the ability to cast ill omen as many times per day as you can.
Cures, as mentioned above, are good. Also magic missile every round is a nice little damage bonus - even if the item only has a caster level of 5 that's 3x d4+1 auto hit.
