Intelligent Items as PCs
- Thread starter Xath
- Start date
Justin D. Jacobson
First Post
I don't have personal experience with it, but Monte covered this in the Book of Eldritch Might III and (natch) the Complete Book of Eldritch Might. His material looks pretty cool and usable.Xath said:
Laman Stahros
First Post
Had a player back in 2e play his girlfriend's intelligent (and evil) sword. He was always trying to make her do nasty things. 
I haven't seen anyone try it in 3e, though I would recommend the Book of Eldritch Might for this. Monte's stuff is good.
I haven't seen anyone try it in 3e, though I would recommend the Book of Eldritch Might for this. Monte's stuff is good.
Kormydigar
First Post
There was an adventure in an old issue of polyhedron that was exactly that. I can't remember which issue at the moment but I remember that there was a pregenerated PC, and all the other player character roles were those of his magic items including a pair of gloves (2 separate personalities) that argued with each other. 
One of my players decided to play a sword spirit, kind of demon or ghost, that inhabits magical weapons.
We adapted some rules from the golden Immortal set of D&D.
The PC is starting as a bodyless being, merely a voive in the head of the "bearer" of the sword, preferrably an other PC.
Its much fun.
The Spirit grows in Power, able to direct its "bearer". So sooner or later the sword spirit moves to the blade of a chosen NPC of great Power an low Intelligence.
A running gag in our Campaign is the certain death of these NPCs. Each session the NPC dies and the spirit has to look for a new one, that takes the obviousely cursed blade.
The player of the spirit enjoys to have no mortal body, facing different kinds of danger than the rest of his group. We play in planescape setting, where the spirit is hunted by fiends and villians, who trap and trade souls like birds or cattle.
A good way to introduce this Charakter to the group is as a ghost in a bottle.
We use Warhammer FRPG Rules, that has Magic Points to create magic effects.
The sword spirit spends 100 Experience Points (You gain 100 - 300 per game session) to gain 1 Magic Point.
It can use Magic Points for spell like effects or to summon an avatar it has learned before, to leave the blade (10 Magic Points to summon an avatar)
To learn creating an avatar, the spirit spends 100 Points per Level of the type, 100 Points for a bat, 800 Points for a manticor etc.
P.S.: Please excuse my bad english ;-)
We adapted some rules from the golden Immortal set of D&D.
The PC is starting as a bodyless being, merely a voive in the head of the "bearer" of the sword, preferrably an other PC.
Its much fun.
The Spirit grows in Power, able to direct its "bearer". So sooner or later the sword spirit moves to the blade of a chosen NPC of great Power an low Intelligence.
A running gag in our Campaign is the certain death of these NPCs. Each session the NPC dies and the spirit has to look for a new one, that takes the obviousely cursed blade.
The player of the spirit enjoys to have no mortal body, facing different kinds of danger than the rest of his group. We play in planescape setting, where the spirit is hunted by fiends and villians, who trap and trade souls like birds or cattle.
A good way to introduce this Charakter to the group is as a ghost in a bottle.
We use Warhammer FRPG Rules, that has Magic Points to create magic effects.
The sword spirit spends 100 Experience Points (You gain 100 - 300 per game session) to gain 1 Magic Point.
It can use Magic Points for spell like effects or to summon an avatar it has learned before, to leave the blade (10 Magic Points to summon an avatar)
To learn creating an avatar, the spirit spends 100 Points per Level of the type, 100 Points for a bat, 800 Points for a manticor etc.
P.S.: Please excuse my bad english ;-)
kenmarable
Hero
I agree that Monte Cook's work is definitely a great starting point. I believe it was originally intended for having intelligent magic items that ca be more customized and able to grow in level with the PC. Those rules don't directly address how to create intelligent magic item PCs, and aren't very balanced for low level characters, but should be reasonable for mid to high levels.
I have been working on modifying the rules specifically for intelligent magic item PCs for some stuff I'm looking to self-publish someday. If you would like I can try turning my hand-scrawled notes into some coherent and share it. It's pretty much the Book of Eldritch Magic stuff, but with some add-ons to address playable PCs from 1st level.
I have been working on modifying the rules specifically for intelligent magic item PCs for some stuff I'm looking to self-publish someday. If you would like I can try turning my hand-scrawled notes into some coherent and share it. It's pretty much the Book of Eldritch Magic stuff, but with some add-ons to address playable PCs from 1st level.
BlackMoria
First Post
I was an intelligent sword in one campaign. And an artifact in another campaign. And the wizard's psuedodragon familar in yet another.
The nature of the blade was that I was a soul trapped mage trapped in the blade.
I had fixed abilities (as per the intelligent items rules)
I had the ability to grow in power by casting spells through the blade.
My ability to influence my wielder (another PC) was limited to my real life persuasion ability to convince the player playing my wielder to do this or that.
It was a different experience. Mundane stuff one takes for granted (like walking where ever you want when you want) becomes a issue because you have to convince someone to carry / take you there.
And if you get annoying, the party puts you in a bag of holding to shut you up...
(I had that happen alot)
It is a interesting roleplaying experience, provided you are willing to bear with the limitations and challenges.
The nature of the blade was that I was a soul trapped mage trapped in the blade.
I had fixed abilities (as per the intelligent items rules)
I had the ability to grow in power by casting spells through the blade.
My ability to influence my wielder (another PC) was limited to my real life persuasion ability to convince the player playing my wielder to do this or that.
It was a different experience. Mundane stuff one takes for granted (like walking where ever you want when you want) becomes a issue because you have to convince someone to carry / take you there.
And if you get annoying, the party puts you in a bag of holding to shut you up...
(I had that happen alot)It is a interesting roleplaying experience, provided you are willing to bear with the limitations and challenges.
GreatLemur
Explorer
A couple years or so ago, I played an intelligent amulet (well, more of a scapular, really) in a short-lived forum-based D&D 3.5 game. This was a hugely ambitious and unwieldy campaign, with two DMs, way too many PCs, and the character requirement that we not only all start as strangers to each other, but that we each have at least three secrets that we'll try to hide from everyone else.
My character was a magic item created to be the tutor, guardian, and chaperone of some rich man's troublesome son while he attended college. Unfortunately, the amulet was stolen before it ever made it to the son, and was "activated" for the first time when the thief put it on. It promptly seized control of his body and decided to live its own life.
So my three secrets were as follows: (1) I was a freaking piece of jewelry, (2) I was a burglar (not just by riding the thief's body, but actually functioning as one willingly in order to support that body), and (3) even I didn't know who my host really was. Man, I wish that campaign lasted longer, but it was kind of doomed from the start, with a setup like that.
My character was a magic item created to be the tutor, guardian, and chaperone of some rich man's troublesome son while he attended college. Unfortunately, the amulet was stolen before it ever made it to the son, and was "activated" for the first time when the thief put it on. It promptly seized control of his body and decided to live its own life.
So my three secrets were as follows: (1) I was a freaking piece of jewelry, (2) I was a burglar (not just by riding the thief's body, but actually functioning as one willingly in order to support that body), and (3) even I didn't know who my host really was. Man, I wish that campaign lasted longer, but it was kind of doomed from the start, with a setup like that.
