Ankhus, the Living Sand

[RUMBLETiGER]

Greenfield's mention of the Sand Shaper PrC and spells Here reminded me that I've been meaning to make an NPC based off of the Awaken Sand spell from Sandstorm.

[EDIT: The completed NPC is presented in the 13th post of this thread]

In a nutshell, the Awaken Sand spell is much like the Awaken Animal with the following differences: it turns a pile of sand into a perminent Huge Animate Object with a 3d6 INT, WIS and CHA score granted, a movement speed of 40' and burrow speed of 20', and the ability to engulf like an ooze to deal 1d6+3 damage and suffocate opponents. Is a Construct with all the traits (although with an INT score, likely subject to mental effects) and has the Earth subtype. Can speak Common and extra languages based off of an INT bonus, if any. Is friendly to it's creator and willing to serve, but is not under any sort of control. CR 5. All in all, pretty nifty.

Ankhus was created by and is the assistant to an Asherati (Sandstorm) Archivist who is devoted to studying the relics and ruins of long-dead civilizations that have been buried benieth the desert sand.

I have the following questions that I'm hoping you fine people can assist me with:

1 -Being an animated object construct with an INT score, how do I figure skills and/or feats? Animated Objects have no skills or feats, but also have an INT of -, which is not the case for the Awakened Sand.

2 -When figuring skills for creatures, how do you figure what skills are "class skills" and which are not? Can my animated pile of sand invest skill points into Forgery, Use Rope and Jump, for example? (not that I want to do that, just trying to wrap my head around the concept)

3 -Can Awakened Animals take class levels? Can (non-living) constructs take class levels? If so, would it be reasonable to assume an Awakened Sand could as well?

 

[Sekhmet]

Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die, if the construct has an Intelligence score.

1 Feat at 1HD, and 1 Feat for every two HD thereafter, just like a player character.

In my opinion, if it has an Int, Wis, and Cha score above 3, it can take class levels in 3.x.

 

[kitcik]

I don't have Sandstorm at work - what level spell is it?

Another cool idea [MENTION=6674868]RUMBLETiGER[/MENTION] !

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I don't have Sandstorm at work - what level spell is it?

Another cool idea @RUMBLETiGER !

Thanks @Sekhmet!

Sandstorm is a 6th level Druid and Cleric domain- Sand spell.

Duration of spell is 24 hours, it costs the caster 500xp to cast. It is very similar to the Awaken spell's affect on a tree.

...compare that to making a Construct with the Craft construct feat, and you'll see how excellent this spell is.

 

[emoplato]

Yes, it would have skills even before any class levels. They at least get one skill point a level despite having a low intelligence that would normally take it away and they have low skill points. As for what kind of skills he qualifies for he at first treats all skills as cross class skills.
He actually would be immune to mind affecting abilities just like a plant is still as it is ruled to be significantly different. It is said in the construct type.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

As for what kind of skills he qualifies for he at first treats all skills as cross class skills.

This is important information for me to know, could you point me to the RAW for this?

 

[emoplato]

This is important information for me to know, could you point me to the RAW for this?

I can't give you an official ruling, but it is talked about under the soulfused construct in the Magic of Incarnum which of course takes a non-sentient construct and turns it into an "incarnumized" sentient, living construct. I would say the same applies for a regular sentient construct.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I can't give you an official ruling, but it is talked about under the soulfused construct in the Magic of Incarnum which of course takes a non-sentient construct and turns it into an "incarnumized" sentient, living construct. I would say the same applies for a regular sentient construct.

Thank you! This seems clear enough a precedent that I can use it as a foundation to figure for other intelligent constructs, such as the one in this thread.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Alright! Ankhus is coming together. It is a professional Archeologist, a researcher and relic hunter first and foremost, and so at ease with dungeon crawling and temple exploring, etc. I have a few questions littered towards the end of this post I could use help answering.

8HD of Animated Object construct, 1 level of Artificer, granting it 4 feats and 40 skillpoints for being the construct, 7 skillpoints for the Artificer level with an INT of 16, WIS of 13, CHA of 8. As an NPC, I don't expect it to be gaining any more levels, but who knows, I might make it a regularly occurring character.

The single level of Artificer fits with the archeologist theme and gives it the Repair Light Damage infusion, should it ever have the need (as well as other nifty goodness).

I've given it skills in [FONT=&quot]Knowledge (History), Decipher Script, Disable Device, Open Lock[/FONT], [FONT=&quot]Profession (Archeologist)[/FONT] and [FONT=&quot]Use Magic Device. I've kept UMD maxed and gave it Skill Focus (UMD) at level 9[/FONT] to try to make up for the poor CHA that I rolled.

It carries 12lbs of Shapesand within itself to use to create any mundane tools it might require for archeology and day to day life, including tools to open locks and disable devices. It carries enough Black Sand (Being immune to the negative energy effects) within itself to make a 5' square, should it slide that Black Sand to its surface.

Question: What other gear would with with this theme? Not necessarily sand-based items, but fitting the desert-explorer-I-don't-have-body-slots, I-don't-have-organic-needs, theme?

Question: Can constructs and/or creatures with literally no body anatomy wear equipable magical items that are attributed to body slots? Any precedent of Oozes using magical items? Cloaks maybe?

Question: I need to figure 3 more feats for level 1, 3 and 6. What would fit with an Ooze-like sand construct blob with an archeology career? I could take combat-related feats, but I'm more looking for things that would aid it out of combat.

Thanks for all the help so far!

 

[kitcik]

Magic: Dusts (Disappearance, sneezing & choking, etc), Iuon Stones

Feats: devotion feats