Intelligent Magical Items

Some characters may want to create intelligent swords or other magical items. While this is possible, few players, once they know the costs, will want to actually follow through on the desire, for intelligence can only be imbued into an inanimate object at the cost of the character's own life. By obsessive desire or intense prayer, the caster's life-force is transferred into the item. All that remains of the spellcaster is a lifeless husk. Once locked within a magical item, the PC is trapped. The mortal body cannot be raised in any fashion, nor can the caster's spirit be reincarnated.

"Great," some players may think, "I'll play a magical sword!" If the DM believes the player can master the challenge, this can be allowed. There are, however, several limitations that the "sword-character" must abide by.

• The character loses all statistics but Intelligence and Wisdom and loses all class and race abilities. Obviously, the character cannot move of its own accord, pick items up, or interact with the physical world in any way. The intelligent item does retain its alignment (with all those effects on its owner).
• The PC can only communicate by speech and only in previously known languages.
• The PC loses all experience points earned. It now earns experience points only for activities it participates in. An intelligent sword only earns XPs for slaying monsters. No XPs are awarded for achieving story or adventure goals. Note that only player-types (as opposed to other intelligent items) track experience.
• For every 100,000 experience points earned, the intelligent item gains one power, starting as if it were an Intelligence 14 magical sword. It then progresses through Table 113: Weapon Intelligence and Capabilities in the DUNGEON MASTER Guide, gaining one power per 100,000 points.
• The item has an ego rating and can attempt to possess its owner, but only when the DM decides a personality conflict should occur (see the DUNGEON MASTER Guide).