Animated Weapon (3.5e Template)

Author: Sulacu (talk) Date Created: January 23, 2012 Status: Work in progress Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Animated Weapon

This template turns an ordinary weapon into a menacing foe.

Animated weapons are mundane or magical weapons that have been animated through spells.

Creating an Animated Weapon

Animated Weapon is unique in that it is a template that must be applied to a melee weapon instead of a creature. The template is acquired through any of various magical effects.

Size and Type

Base weapon becomes a creature of the ConstructConstruct type. An animated weapon's size is always considered two categories smaller than the size of creature that it is made for, regardless of whether the weapon is light, one-handed or two-handed. One-handed and two-handed weapons made for Medium creatures are considered Tiny, and light weapons made for Medium creatures are considered Diminutive. If the base weapon is made for larger or smaller creatures, add or subtract the appropriate number of size categories, to a minimum of Fine to a maximum of Huge.

An animated weapon gains the base attack and base save progressions of a construct. An animated weapon gains a bonus to all saving throws equal to its magical enhancement bonus (if any). An animated weapon has no skills or feats unless it is an intelligent item.

Hit Dice

An animated weapon has a number of Hit Dice depending on its quality and the magical enhancement bonus it has (if any), as per Table: Animated Weapon Statistics.

Speed

An animated weapon has a fly speed (in feet) of 40 + ten times its magical enhancement bonus, with perfect maneuverability.

Armor Class

An animated weapon has a natural armor bonus to AC equal to its hardness - 5 (minimum +0), and a deflection bonus equal to its magical enhancement bonus (if any).

Attack

An animated weapon performs attacks like a weapon of its type does in the hands of a creature proficient in its use. The base damage of an attack by an animated weapon is equal to the base damage of the base weapon.

The attacks of an animated weapon are treated as attacks made with a manufactured weapon. Attacks by an animated weapon are considered magical (if the base weapon has an enhancement bonus of at least +1) or epic (if the base weapon has an enhancement bonus of +6). If the base weapon is made out of a material with special properties that bypass specific forms of damage reduction, such as adamantine, alchemical silver or cold iron, the animated weapon is also considered to have that quality.

Level Adjustment

+

Table: Animated Weapon Statistics

Quality	Hit Dice1 (hit points2)	Base Str/Dex
Mundane, normal	1d10 (5 hp)	10
Mundane, mwk	3d10 (16 hp)	12
Magical, +1	5d10+5 (32 hp)	14
Magical, +2	8d10+16 (60 hp)	16
Magical, +3	11d10+33 (93 hp)	18
Magical, +4	14d10+56 (133 hp)	20
Magical, +5	17d10+85 (178 hp)	22
Magical, +6	20d10+120 (230 hp)	24
Does not include bonus hit points due to size, if any. A magic weapon gains additional hit points per HD equal to its enhancement bonus.

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