Magic items sometimes have intelligence of their own. Magically imbued with sentience, these items think and feel the same way characters do and should be treated as an individual. Intelligent items have extra abilities and sometimes extraordinary powers and special purposes.
Only permanent magic items (as opposed to single-use items or those with charges) can be intelligent. (This means that potions, scrolls, and wands, among other items, are never intelligent.) In general, less than 1% of magic items have intelligence.
Intelligent items can be considered creatures because they have Smarts and Spirit attributes. Intelligent items often have the ability to illuminate their surroundings at will (as with minor light); many cannot see otherwise.
Unlike most magic items, intelligent items can activate their own powers without waiting for a command word from their owner. They act during their owner’s turn in the initiative order.
Creating an intelligent item follows these simple guidelines. Select an alignment, assign its attributes, choose spoken languages, and its senses and methods of communication, select one special ability, and calculate its ego. Intelligent items with high Ego scores are difficult to control and can sometimes take control of their owner, making them dangerous to possess.
An intelligent magic item has a base price increase of 500 gp. When determining the total value of an intelligent item, add this value to the sum of the prices of all of its additional abilities gained through being intelligent, before adding them to the magic item’s base price.
Any item with intelligence has an alignment (see Pathfinder for Savage Worlds). Any character whose alignment does not correspond to that of the item suffers Energy Drain (any) if he or she so much as picks up the item. Although this never results in death, it remains as long as the item is in hand and cannot be overcome in any way.
This Energy Drain is cumulative with any other penalties the item might place on inappropriate wielders. Ego scores (see page 129) of 20 to 29 cause Energy Drain twice. Ego scores of 30 or higher cause it three times.
d3 Alignment
1-2 Good
3-4 Neutral
5-6 Evil
Intelligent magic items possess both mental attributes: Smarts and Spirit. Each attribute begins at a d4, but can be increased to as high as d12. The table below shows the cost to increase one of the item’s attributes. This cost must be paid for each die type increase.
d# Price Ego Modifier
d4 — —
d6 +1,000 gp +2
d8 +2,000 gp +3
d10 +4,000 gp +4
d12 +8,000 gp +5
Like a character, an intelligent item understands Common plus one additional language based on its Smarts. Choose appropriate languages, taking into account the item’s origin and purposes. If the item does not possess speech, it can still read and understand the languages it knows.
Every intelligent magic item begins with the ability to see and hear within 5" (10 yards), as well as the ability to communicate empathically with its owner. Empathy only allows the item to encourage or discourage certain actions through urges and emotions. Additional forms of communication and better senses increase the item’s cost and Ego score, as noted on the Senses and Communication table.
Empathy: Empathy allows the item to encourage or discourage certain actions by communicating emotions and urges. It does not allow for verbal communication.
Speech: An intelligent item with the capability for speech can talk using any of the languages it knows.
Telepathy: Telepathy allows an intelligent item to communicate with its wielder via minor mind link. The wielder must be touching the item to communicate in this way.
Senses: Senses allow an intelligent magic item to see and hear out to the listed distance. Adding Darkvision or Blindsense allows the item to use those senses out to the same range as the item’s base senses.
Read Languages: The item can read script in any language, regardless of its known languages.
Ability Price Ego Modifier
Empathy — —
Speech +500 gp —
Telepathy +1,000 gp +1
Senses 5” — —
Senses 10” +500 gp —
Senses 20” +1,000 gp —
Darkvision +500 gp —
Blindsense +5,000 gp +1
Read Language +1,000 gp +1
Each intelligent item should possess at least one power, although more powerful items might possess a host of powers. To find the item’s specific powers, choose or roll on the Intelligent Item Powers table. Activating a power is an action the item takes.
d% Item Power Price Modifier Ego Modifier
1-10 Item can cast cantrips +1,000 gp +1
11-20 The item has Innate Power: minor Novice power (3/day) +1,000 gp +1
21-25 Item has Innate Power: minor conceal arcana (self) +2,000 gp +1
26-35 Item has Innate Power: minor Seasoned power (1/day) +2,400 gp +1
36-45 Item has a d6 in one Smarts- or Spirit-based skill +2,500 gp +1
46-50 Item can sprout limbs and move at Pace 2 +5,000 gp +1
51-55 Item has Innate Power: minor Veteran power (1/day) +6,000 gp +1
56-60 Item has Innate Power: minor Seasoned power (3/day) +7,200 gp +1
61-70 Item has a d10 in one Smarts- or Spirit-based skill +10,000 gp +2
71-75 Item can change shape into one other form of the same size +10,000 gp +2
76-80 Item has Flight: Pace 6 +10,000 gp +2
81-85 Item has Innate Power: minor Heroic power (1/day) +11,200 gp +2
86-90 Item has Innate Power: minor teleport (Greater Teleport, 1/day, self) +12,000 gp +2
91-95 Item has Innate Power: minor Veteran power (3/day) +18,000 gp +2
96-100 Item has Innate Power: minor Heroic power (3/day) +33,600 gp +2
Some intelligent items have special purposes that guide their actions. Intelligent magic items with a special purpose gain a +2 Ego bonus. An item’s purpose must suit the type and alignment of the item and should always be treated reasonably.
A purpose of “defeat/slay arcane spellcasters” doesn’t mean that the sword forces the wielder to kill every wizard she sees. Nor does it mean that the sword believes it is possible to kill every wizard, sorcerer, and bard in the world. It does mean that the item hates arcane spellcasters and wants to bring the local wizards’ cabal to ruin, as well as end the rule of a sorcerer-queen in a nearby land.
Likewise, a purpose of “defend elves” doesn’t mean that if the wielder is an elf, it only wants to help the wielder. It means that the item wants to be used in furthering the cause of elves, stamping out their enemies and aiding their leaders. A purpose of “defeat/slay all” isn’t just a matter of self-preservation. It means that the item won’t rest (or let its wielder rest) until it places itself above all others.
The Intelligent Item Purpose table has a number of sample purposes a magic item might possess. If the wielder specifically ignores or goes against an intelligent item’s special purpose, the item gains a +4 bonus to its Ego until the wielder cooperates. This is in addition to the +2 Ego bonus gained by items with a special purpose.
d% Rune Name Ego Modifier
1-20 Defeat/slay diametrically opposed alignment +2
21-30 Defeat/slay arcane spellcasters (including spellcasting monsters and those that use Innate Powers) +2
31-40 Defeat/slay divine spellcasters (including divine entities and servitors) +2
41-50 Defeat/slay non-spellcasters +2
51-55 Defeat/slay a particular creature type (see the Bane enchantment for choices) +2
56-60 Defeat/slay a particular ancestry or kind of creature +2
61-70 Defend a particular ancestry or kind of creature +2
71-80 Defeat/slay the servants of a specific deity +2
81-90 Defend the servants and interests of a specific deity +2
91-95 Defeat/slay all (other than the item and the wielder) +2
96-100 Choose one +2
Ego is a measure of the total power and force of personality an item possesses. An item’s Ego score is the sum of all of its Ego modifiers plus an additional bonus for the cost of the base magic item (excluding the cost of the intelligent item enhancements). An item’s Ego score helps determine whether the item or the character is dominant in their relationship, as detailed below.
Base Magic Item Value Ego Modifier
Up to 1,000 gp —
1,001 gp to 5,000 gp +1
5,001 gp to 10,000 gp +2
10,001 gp to 20,000 gp +3
20,001 gp to 50,000 gp +4
50,001 gp to 100,000 gp +6
100,001 gp to 200,000 gp +8
200,001 gp and higher +12
If the character who possesses the intelligent item does not work towards the item's wishes or goals, the item may attempt to take control of its user. Similarly, any item with an Ego score of 20 or higher always considers itself superior to any character, and a personality conflict results if the possessor does not always agree with the item.
When a personality conflict occurs, the possessor must make a Spirit check with a penalty associated with the Ego (see the Ego Modifier table). With success, she is dominant. With failure, the item is dominant. Dominance lasts for one day or until a critical situation occurs (such as a major battle, a serious threat to either the item or the character, and so on). Should an item gain dominance, it resists the character’s desires and demands concessions such as any of the following:
Removal of associates or items whose alignment or personality is distasteful to the item.
The character divesting herself of all other magic items or items of a certain type.
Obedience from the character so the item can direct where they go for its own purposes.
Immediate seeking out and slaying of creatures hateful to the item.
Magical protections and devices to safeguard the item from molestation when it is not in use.
That the character carry the item with her on all occasions.
That the character relinquish the item to a more suitable possessor due to alignment differences or conduct.
In extreme circumstances, the item can resort to even harsher measures, such as the following:
Force its possessor into combat.
Refuse to strike opponents.
Strike at its wielder or her associates.
Force its possessor to surrender to an opponent.
Cause itself to drop from the character’s grasp.
Naturally, such actions are unlikely when harmony reigns between the character’s and item’s alignments or when their purposes and personalities are well-matched. Even so, an item might wish to have a lesser character possess it in order to easily establish and maintain dominance over him, or a more powerful possessor so as to better accomplish its goals.
All magic items with personalities desire to play an important role in whatever activity is under way, particularly combat. Such items are natural rivals, even with others of the same alignment. No intelligent item wants to share its wielder with others. An intelligent item is aware of the presence of any other intelligent item within 10" (20 yards), and most intelligent items try their best to mislead or distract their host so that she ignores or destroys the rival. Of course, alignment might change this sort of behavior.
Items with personalities are never totally controlled or silenced by the characters that possess them, even though they may never successfully control their possessors. They may be powerless to force their demands, but most remain undaunted and continue to air their wishes and demands.
Ego Spirit Check Modifier
0-5 —
6-10 -1
11-15 -2
16-20 -3
21+ -4