Weapon Familiar

Ok so this is what I didn't go into on friday.

My additions in RED

Craft Weapon Familiar (Ex): Beginning at 5th level, a warforged artificer can craft an intelligent
melee weapon that functions much like a wizard or sorcerer’s familiar (see the Weapon Familiars sidebar
for details). The warforged artificer must create a magic weapon, paying all the normal costs in gp and
XP, after which he must spend an additional 1,000 gp and one more day to further imbue the item with
the sentience required to become a familiar. A warforged artificer can have only one weapon familiar
at a time. At any time, the warforged artificer can further enhance his weapon familiar (as with any other
magic weapon), or can sever his connection to the weapon familiar in order to create a new one. When a
warforged artificer dies or voluntarily severs the connection with his weapon familiar, the weapon loses
all weapon familiar abilities (including sentience) but retains any other magic enhancement. If a warforged
artificer is raised, resurrected, or wishes to voluntarily renew a severed connection, he must spend 1,000
gp and one day to imbue the weapon familiar with sentience again.

OK no problems with that.

WEAPON FAMILIARS Weapon familiars are intelligent magic melee weapons crafted by a warforged artificer with the craft weapon familiar class feature. Each weapon familiar is magically linked to its creator, much like a normal familiar is linked to its master. A weapon familiar grants special abilities to its creator while held (as shown on the table below).
Each weapon familiar grants one special ability based on the effort re-quired to use it (light, one-handed, or two-handed) and its damage type (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing). Easy so far.

If a weapon familiar has more than one property in the same category (such as a morningstar, which deals both blud-geoning and piercing damage), the creator chooses which special ability the weapon familiar will grant. familiar and its creator might find themselves in conflict if the creator’s alignment ever changes.
Ego: As an intelligent item, a weapon familiar has an ego score. Though it never engages in a personality conflict with its wielder, it automatically does so if another character attempts to wield it. For the purpose of determining ego score, a weapon familiar is considered to have six lesser powers, and to gain new lesser powers when its creator attains 11th level and 13th level.

OK so it's considered to have six lessers powers does that mean I can give it upto six lessers powers as long I price the gold price as per table in DMG, so to my thinking a wizards familiar can go off and serach/scout ahead ect. as at starts with spot and listen traits, so I think it makes sense to allow weapon familiars that same option ?

Intelligent Item Lesser Powers

d% Lesser Power Base Price Modifier
01–05 Item can bless its allies 3/day +1,000 gp
06–10 Item can use faerie fire 3/day +1,100 gp
11–13 Item can cast minor image 1/day +2,200 gp
14–20 Item has deathwatch continually active +2,700 gp
21–25 Item can use detect magic at will +3,600 gp
26–31 Item has 10 ranks in Intimidate +5,000 gp
32–33 Item has 10 ranks in Decipher Script +5,000 gp
34–36 Item has 10 ranks in Knowledge +5,000 gp
(choose category)
37–40 Item has 10 ranks in Search +5,000 gp
41–45 Item has 10 ranks in Spot +5,000 gp
46–50 Item has 10 ranks in Listen +5,000 gp
51–54 Item has 10 ranks in Spellcraft +5,000 gp
55–60 Item has 10 ranks in Sense Motive +5,000 gp
61–66 Item has 10 ranks in Bluff +5,000 gp
67–72 Item has 10 ranks in Diplomacy +5,000 gp
73–77 Item can cast major image 1/day +5,400 gp
78–80 Item can cast darkness 3/day +6,500 gp
81–83 Item can use hold person on an enemy 3/day +6,500 gp
84–86 Item can activate zone of truth 3/day +6,500 gp
87–89 Item can use daze monster 3/day +6,500 gp
90–95 Item can use locate object 3/day +6,500 gp
96–100 Item can use cure moderate wounds +6,500 gp
(2d8+3) on wielder 3/day + Repair moderate damage as we discussed before. +6,500 gp

All powers function at the direction of the item, although intelli-
gent items generally follow the wishes of their owner. Activating
a power or concentrating on an active one is a standard action
the item takes.
269

Given that my idea is to create the super spiked shield as the familiar I had the idea to call it Vigilance

and to give it these lesser powers

10 ranks in Spot
10 ranks in Listen
10 ranks in Sense Motive
Deathwatch
Cure Moderate damage
Repair Moderate damage

these costs 28,000 gp plus normal making costs
I like to be able to give it one or two powers at a time so it's easier to save up to do.

+ zone of truth at 11th and hold person at 13th level.

How does it sound so far. ?

Hmmm....
My initial thoughts are that one sentence is being misinterpreted.

"Ego: As an intelligent item, a weapon familiar has an ego score. Though it never engages in a personality conflict with its wielder, it automatically does so if another character attempts to wield it. For the purpose of determining ego score, a weapon familiar is considered to have six lesser powers, and to gain new lesser powers when its creator attains 11th level and 13th level."

I don't think that this means that the item actually gets the powers, it seems to be simply for determining an Ego score - ie. an Ego bonus of 6 at 5th to 10th level, 7 at 11th and 8 at 13th as new special abilities are gained.

It is considered to have six lesser powers, not it has six lesser powers.
Every other ability/property states that it either can do xxxxxxxxx or has the ability to do xxxxxxx.

I can't help but think that these powers that it is considered to have are virtual and are some way of quantifying the powers it actually has:
Alertness
Deliver touch infusions
Improved evasion
Share infusions
the skill bonus granted
Darkvision (and hearing)
Communication (inc. Telepathy)

My thoughts are that it does not get any extra powers as it would unbalance the game waaaaaay too much to have an intelligent magic item with shed loads of powers at 5th level.

Openstheway wrote:

a wizards familiar can go off and serach/scout ahead ect. as at starts with spot and listen traits, so I think it makes sense to allow weapon familiars that same option ?

The only problem with a weapon familiar is that it has no legs or indeed any propulsion method. However if you were to imbue it with the Dancing property i would rule that it can ideed move for the duration of the infusion, or if permanently enhanced it could move as directed ad infinitum. However it could still only fight for 4 rounds before having to return to your side.

Dancing: As a standard action, a dancing weapon can be loosed to attack on its own. It fights for 4 rounds using the base attack bonus of the one who loosed it and then drops. While dancing, it cannot make attacks of opportunity, and the person who activated it is not considered armed with the weapon. In all other respects, it is considered wielded or attended by the creature for all maneuvers and effects that target items. While dancing, it takes up the same space as the activating character and can attack adjacent foes (weapons with reach can attack opponents up to 10 feet away). The dancing weapon accompanies the person who activated it everywhere, whether she moves by physical or magical means. If the wielder who loosed it has an unoccupied hand, she can grasp it while it is attacking on its own as a free action; when so retrieved the weapon can’t dance (attack on its own) again for 4 rounds.
Strong transmutation; CL 15th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, animate objects; Price +4 bonus.

OK no I'm with you on that, I agree totally it does say considered to have, so can I

a/ give to powers given that they are expensive I don;t think that's any worst than buying another item that say did cure moderate 3 times a day ?

or b/ maybe allow the wepon familiar to have a few basic stats and skills like all other familiars

say Spot 10, Listen 10 and maybe a knowledge or other skill at 10.

wizards get access to a company with skills like this at 1st level

An Owls Skills: Listen +14, Move Silently +17, Spot +6*
A Cats Skills: Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +14*, Jump +10, Listen +3,
Move Silently +6, Spot +3

and then I can give it as stated in the weapon familiar powers just like any other magic weapon/armour.

I'm happier with option B as I think it's maybe more in keeping with the fell of other familiars

Well it is stated that the familiar has Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores (two at 14 and one at 10). So it follows that it could have skills.

Spot and Listen are both possible due to that fact it gets darkvision and can hear, so a 10 + Int modifier on each is reasonable.

Not too sure about Knowledge though as you would have to teach it, you could infuse it with a knowledge that you know but i don't see any use for that. Unless you can come up with a valid reason for the familiar to have a knowlegde skill i'd have to rule that one out.

I think it would be more appropriate to have something like Bluff, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Search or Sense Motive, and i think 15 points (before stat modifiers) to be divided amongst these is reasonable. Disable Device and Open Lock could be a possibility too, bearing in mind that even though it couldn't actually do anything, it could be there to Aid you.

Well it is stated that the familiar has Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores (two at 14 and one at 10). So it follows that it could have skills. OK Int 14 and Wis 10 and Charisma 14

Spot and Listen are both possible due to that fact it gets darkvision and can hear, so a 10 + Int modifier on each is reasonable. So Spot 12 and Listen 12

Not too sure about Knowledge though as you would have to teach it, you could infuse it with a knowledge that you know but i don't see any use for that. Unless you can come up with a valid reason for the familiar to have a knowlegde skill i'd have to rule that one out. OK

I think it would be more appropriate to have something like Bluff, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Search or Sense Motive, and i think 15 points (before stat modifiers) to be divided amongst these is reasonable. Disable Device and Open Lock could be a possibility too, bearing in mind that even though it couldn't actually do anything, it could be there to Aid you. I'l give it Diplomacy 3 (+2) =5, Intimidate 8 (+2) =10, Sense Motive 4 (+2) =6

Great I'm happy with that.