construct or wonderous item? [Archive] - Wizards Community

construct or wonderous item? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ronys_rotswald
04-25-07, 09:39 PM i know i'll have to talk about this with my DM and i'm going to have to wait a few levels before i can make it happen but i thought i'd ask for advice here.
Basically i'm planning on having my character craft an extremely intelligent talkking 'box' as it were. I was just wondering whether it would be classed as a wondrous item or a construct?
It wont be particularly sentient (though will have some personality), definately wont have dex as it's immobile nor will it have con (not being alive and all), in short the only thing it will be able to do well is process information. I basically want to create a magic powered 'computer'.
I'm going to ask my dm about it when i get closer to being able to create it but i was just wondering what you guys thought.

sorry if this is in the wrong place
Oakes
04-25-07, 09:51 PM If it's sentient or self-aware of its own power, I'd call it a construct.

If it's not, and that talking comes from something that isn't the item itself, such as a special ability or spell, I'd call it a wondrous item.

You could probably get away with whichever. I'd construct it as the one you have the feat for. In my experience, however, imbuing things such as intelligence requires a limited wish, whereas useful abilities that don't denote sentience fall under any number of spells such as commune, speak with dead, etc.

Just to offer some advice in addition to (hopefully) answering your question, it would probably be much easier, less expensive, and just as useful to make it a wondrous item with one of those aforementioned spells being the source of its power. That way, you'd just be tapping into something that already exists, instead of creating. Making it a construct without physical abilities makes it more or less useless, since spellcasting would be the only route left for it if it was going to pay back that investment, and such a thing might be inconceivable without even more huge investments.
Vharuck
04-25-07, 10:00 PM If it'll have ability scores and hit dice (which give it BAB, saves, and skills), then I'm fairly sure it would be a construct.
ronys_rotswald
04-25-07, 10:21 PM i was thinkin it might be a construct, it's more of a roleplaying device than an piece of adventuring kit. I'm playing a 'theorist' wizard and i thought it would be fun to do because a) he'd like to see if he could and b) would help him in research.
Thanks for the help
mvincent
04-27-07, 12:30 PM i'm planning on having my character craft an extremely intelligent talkking 'box' as it were. You could maybe use this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cw/20061218a), or possibly one of the other clockwork wonders (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/archeb/cw), then turn it into an intelligent item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm).

I would likely give it Int/Wisdom 16 (6k gp, and includes speech and reading ability), plus Knowledge in History, Geography and The planes (5k gp each).

For a cheaper 'box', you could instead possibly use a folding boat (whose command word has been lost), or a Phylactery of Faithfulness.

I was just wondering whether it would be classed as a wondrous item or a construct?A wondrous item that has been made into an intelligent item is technically considered both.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ronys_rotswald 04-25-07, 09:39 PM	i know i'll have to talk about this with my DM and i'm going to have to wait a few levels before i can make it happen but i thought i'd ask for advice here. Basically i'm planning on having my character craft an extremely intelligent talkking 'box' as it were. I was just wondering whether it would be classed as a wondrous item or a construct? It wont be particularly sentient (though will have some personality), definately wont have dex as it's immobile nor will it have con (not being alive and all), in short the only thing it will be able to do well is process information. I basically want to create a magic powered 'computer'. I'm going to ask my dm about it when i get closer to being able to create it but i was just wondering what you guys thought. sorry if this is in the wrong place
Oakes 04-25-07, 09:51 PM	If it's sentient or self-aware of its own power, I'd call it a construct. If it's not, and that talking comes from something that isn't the item itself, such as a special ability or spell, I'd call it a wondrous item. You could probably get away with whichever. I'd construct it as the one you have the feat for. In my experience, however, imbuing things such as intelligence requires a limited wish, whereas useful abilities that don't denote sentience fall under any number of spells such as commune, speak with dead, etc. Just to offer some advice in addition to (hopefully) answering your question, it would probably be much easier, less expensive, and just as useful to make it a wondrous item with one of those aforementioned spells being the source of its power. That way, you'd just be tapping into something that already exists, instead of creating. Making it a construct without physical abilities makes it more or less useless, since spellcasting would be the only route left for it if it was going to pay back that investment, and such a thing might be inconceivable without even more huge investments.
Vharuck 04-25-07, 10:00 PM	If it'll have ability scores and hit dice (which give it BAB, saves, and skills), then I'm fairly sure it would be a construct.
ronys_rotswald 04-25-07, 10:21 PM	i was thinkin it might be a construct, it's more of a roleplaying device than an piece of adventuring kit. I'm playing a 'theorist' wizard and i thought it would be fun to do because a) he'd like to see if he could and b) would help him in research. Thanks for the help
mvincent 04-27-07, 12:30 PM	i'm planning on having my character craft an extremely intelligent talkking 'box' as it were. You could maybe use this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cw/20061218a), or possibly one of the other clockwork wonders (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/archeb/cw), then turn it into an intelligent item (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm). I would likely give it Int/Wisdom 16 (6k gp, and includes speech and reading ability), plus Knowledge in History, Geography and The planes (5k gp each). For a cheaper 'box', you could instead possibly use a folding boat (whose command word has been lost), or a Phylactery of Faithfulness. I was just wondering whether it would be classed as a wondrous item or a construct?A wondrous item that has been made into an intelligent item is technically considered both.