Can you target a magic missile at an object?

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I beg to differ

I also beg to differ.

Each such animated object then immediately attacks whomever or whatever you initially designate.

ANIMATED OBJECT
Animated Object, Tiny Animated Object, Small Animated Object, Medium
Tiny Construct Small Construct Medium Construct

 

[domino]

What are you differing about?

Yes. Animated objects are constructs. That I have no quarrel with.

Construct Type

A construct is an animated object or artificially constructed creature.

Or. Not "such as" or "like."

 

[Hypersmurf]

What are you differing about?

Yes. Animated objects are constructs. That I have no quarrel with.

Or. Not "such as" or "like."

Wisdom: Any creature that can perceive its environment in any fashion has at least 1 point of Wisdom. Anything with no Wisdom score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Wisdom score also has no Charisma score.

Charisma: Any creature capable of telling the difference between itself and things that are not itself has at least 1 point of Charisma. Anything with no Charisma score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Charisma score also has no Wisdom score.

creature
A living or otherwise active being, not an object. The terms "creature" and "character" are sometimes used interchangeably.

ANIMATED OBJECT
Animated Object, Tiny
Tiny Construct
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1

An animated object has Wisdom and Charisma scores. It is therefore a creature. It is therefore not an object. It is therefore not a valid target for the Animate Objects spell.

-Hyp.

 

[domino]

At this point, I'm going to be arguing semantics, but from what I can tell, most of these arguments wind up being like that anyways.

For the wisdom and charisma part. Any creature that can do this has the score. Anything with no score is an object. BUT. That does not mean that anything with a score is a creature. Just anything without a charisma score is an object does not mean that anything WITH a charisma score is. Just that anything that is a creature has it. All X has Y, but that does not mean that all that has Y is X.

Re the creature definition. A steam engine, or windmill is active, in that it is acting. But it is not a creature. And an animated object is not living, as it has no con score.

 

[Hypersmurf]

"Intelligent items can actually be considered creatures because they have Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores."

We know that creatures don't require Intelligence scores; we know that creatures do require Wisdom and Charisma scores.

Intelligent items have Intelligence scores... but if they had no Intelligence score, it would not preclude them being creatures. The above sentence would not be any less true if we removed 'Intelligence' from it:
"Intelligent items can actually be considered creatures because they have Wisdom and Charisma scores."

... just like Animated Objects.

A steam engine, or windmill is active, in that it is acting.

Sure. But it's not a being.

An animated object, with a Charisma score, is

-Hyp.

 

[domino]

If I wanted to be real pendantic about it, I'd argue that intelligent items can only be considered creatures if they had all three, to make up for their lack of a dex, con, or str score.

But I won't.

Damn.

 

[Hypersmurf]

... to make up for their lack of a dex, con, or str score.

Uh? Creatures don't need Dex scores (see Formian Queen). Creatures don't need Str scores (see Wraith). Creatures don't need Con scores (see Vampire). Creatures don't need Int scores (see Skeleton). Creatures do need Wis and Cha scores (see definitions of Wis and Cha).

If I cast Animate Dead to turn a dead Formian Queen into a zombie, she has no Str or Dex score (Formian Queen) and no Int or Con score (Zombie Template). But she has Wis and Cha of 10 and 1 respectively. Would you argue that my undead Queen is not a creature?

-Hyp.

 

[domino]

Apparently not.

 

[CyberSpyder]

Though wisdom without intelligence doesn't make a great deal of sense, as far as what it actually means goes.

 

[dcollins]

Thus, an animated object is an animated OBJECT and nowhere does it say that it's a creature.

Actually, my MM says this (3.0 MM p. 17):

Animated objects come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. They owe their existence as creatures to spells or supernatural abilities such as animate objects.