# Forum > Gaming > Roleplaying Games > D&D 3e/3.5e/d20 >  Intelligent Item Constructs and Enhancements

## Promethean

Since intelligent items are constructs, and thus creatures, do the intelligent item's powers count as spell-like abilities?

Even if they don't should Intelligent items be getting their ability score bonuses to their ability DCs since they're still replicating as spell or spell-like effect?

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## Crake

No, the intelligent item is activating its own abilities as per whatever their activation actions are. Effectively, the item has itself equipped and can activate itself. Unless the item normally allows the users ability score to scale the DC (like staves), the DC remains set. The abilities are not spell like, they are spell completion, spell trigger, command word, or use activated, using the rules for provoking and interruption for each of them respectively.

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## Gruftzwerg

As crake said. An Intelligent Item's "item abilities" relies on the magic item & intelligent item rules and not on the "Special Ability" rules for characters. While you could get such abilities (Special Abilities) on a magic/intelligent item, it still doesn't change how the "item abilities" work.

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## Promethean

Huh, is there an Known RAW method to turn an item ability into a spell-like or supernatural ability?

Weapons grafts don't seem like they would work considering it specifies:




> While most grafts are living tissue attached to another living body, a weapon graft is exactly what the name suggests: a normal, masterwork, or magic melee weapon grafted onto the hand of a thrall so it is never unarmed. The weapon actually becomes a natural weapon, *though its other properties are unchanged.* The grafted creature receives a +1 bonus on all attack and damage rolls with the weapon, as long as it is proficient with the weapon. However, it cannot use the hand with the graft for anything but combat, and it takes a -2 penalty on all skill checks requiring the use of hands.
> Prerequisites: Graft Flesh, creator must be an illithid; Market Price: weapon price + 1,000 gp.

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## Gruftzwerg

> Huh, is there an Known RAW method to turn an item ability into a spell-like or supernatural ability?
> 
> Weapons grafts don't seem like they would work considering it specifies:


I was talking sole about options to get "character abilities" onto intelligent magic items.

E.g.
a) Urban Druid can urban shape into Animated Objects. This basically qualifies em to operate under the intelligent item rules.
b) By RAW Polymorph Any Object doesn't disallow you to turn creatures into "magic items". This doesn't give the "magic item" any magical items specials (e.g. you don't get a +5 sword, just a masterwork magical "sword" without any extras). But this is still enough to qualify for operation under the intelligent item rules. Item enchantments or specials could be later crafted onto it.


With stuff like this, your "intelligent item" has character options/features that scale with its own abilities.
As said, differentiate between magic (intelligent) item stuff and the stuff coming from possible class level, templates and such things.

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## Promethean

> With stuff like this, your "intelligent item" has character options/features that scale with its own abilities.
> As said, differentiate between magic (intelligent) item stuff and the stuff coming from possible class level, templates and such things.


Thanks, but I'm looking for things that turn Item abilities into spell-like/supernatural specifically.

Currently trying to make stats for an already existing artifact gaining intelligence and going rogue, but the Save DCs for the thing are only in the 15-20 range and it's abilities would quickly become irrelevant.

In absence of a way to turn item abilities into Sp/SU abilities directly, I'm thinking up a convoluted plan involving a staff with the "Flying" weapon enhancement, greater humanoid essence, the Fusion psionic power, and the savage species ritual of vitality to apply the Symbiotic template.

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## Noxangelo

Unless i'm mistaken, intelegent constructs can take class levels.

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## Promethean

> Unless i'm mistaken, intelegent constructs can take class levels.


They also need a minimum of 1 HD, so you'd need the flying enhancement from magic of faerun.

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## Promethean

Okay, Found what I'm looking for:

Weapons of Legacy(unfortunately...)

Apparently, legacy items turn their item abilities into Sp/SU abilities for their wielder, and since Intelligent items wield themselves, an intelligent Flying legacy weapon can use it's own ability scores to increase it's special ability DCs. This is actually somewhat supported by the book itself, as it introduces the concept of Legacy Creatures that wield themselves as a legacy weapon. 

The super-legacy construct could even come out ahead with the Legacy penalties by using an item made of special materials with the *Hardening* Spell cast on it, using the penalty table for -3 to one skill check and -20 HP, and having the item inflict the penalty on itself as it levels.

Could also have it be a legacy weapon item familiar that slowly devours it's foolish wielder to power it's own ascension.

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