Quote from: tuypo1;820593now admittedly im no good at spell balance but i see no reason to give it any extra languages

I think the point was to allow it to communicate with the caster in all cases; I can see good potential for interesting game events if this were not the case, and probably most sentient items would already have a language in common with some party member if not the caster.

Actually, the point is that some sentient items have no spoken language and use telepathy instead. That clause is there to get around that problem.

So, revised version:

Spell: Mishusial's Manikin Mold
4th-level transmutation (Ritual)
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a small clay mold shaped like the outline of a humanoid)
Duration: Instantaneous

You grant a sentient item either a small or medium humanoid form. The item keeps its Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores, but loses all its special properties as long as it remains in humanoid form. It gains a Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution score of 10, and has 1d8 hit points. It speaks whatever languages it previously knew, plus one language the caster knows. It can revert to its item form as a free action at any time, but once it does so it cannot turn back into a humanoid until this spell is cast on it again.

While in humanoid form the item is considered a construct. It does not gain any of the traits of the humanoid it is masquerading as, but it does not need to eat, breathe or sleep. It is immune to poisons and diseases. If the item is reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise killed in its humanoid form, it reverts to its item form, is unconscious (even if it cannot normally be unconscious) for 1d4 hours and none of its abilities are useable during that time.

Objects worn, held, or consumed by the item in humanoid form are immediately dropped upon reverting back to its true form.

The appearance of the item's humanoid form is fixed and constructed from its subconscious ideals. It cannot look exactly like a specific person.

I like it! It's a really flavorful spell.

It's also pretty strong as you are turning an item into action economy and power projection. But you have enough restrictions on it to really tone down the power closer to a no-maintenance unskilled hireling. And most importantly, it writes its own adventures because the item retains its sentience & personality (a.k.a. GM control). You have to roleplay with the manikin to gain the most out of it.

It's a thinking PC's spell.

I'd still destroy the item if it's humanoid form hits 0 HP. Forces the character to think carefully whether to animate it (Or, you know, actually bond with their magic item) and take care of the animated form.

I'd probably also let it's humanoid form develop over time, so while it wouldn't change form during a session as a humanoid, it wouldn't necessarily have the same humanoid form every time it changed.

Quote from: Ladybird;820725I'd still destroy the item if it's humanoid form hits 0 HP. Forces the character to think carefully whether to animate it (Or, you know, actually bond with their magic item) and take care of the animated form.

Considering many sentient items are wondrous to relic and thus often extraordinarily hard to destroy — and a 1d8 commoner body is laughably easy to obliterate by the time 4th lvl spells are available — the spell would almost never be cast (except to annihilate morally opposing sentient items with ease, thus making them rarer). Too much risk for little reward. Even a flavorful home game table would be hard pressed for a reason to bother. The math on HP, or spell level, or both would have to be changed.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;820716Actually, the point is that some sentient items have no spoken language and use telepathy instead. That clause is there to get around that problem.

fair enough

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;820716Actually, the point is that some sentient items have no spoken language and use telepathy instead. That clause is there to get around that problem.

So why not limit it to the cases where the target item uses telepathy? It doesn't break anything to include it, but it leaves out some possibly interesting situations where the item has neither telepathy nor languages in common with the caster.

Quote from: rawma;820738So why not limit it to the cases where the target item uses telepathy? It doesn't break anything to include it, but it leaves out some possibly interesting situations where the item has neither telepathy nor languages in common with the caster.

Because that's how I like it for the very specific need it meets in my current campaign.

fair enough

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;820742Because that's how I like it for the very specific need it meets in my current campaign.

OK, OK. But I like keeping future possibilities open, myself, since I never know what I'll need then.

I like it!