Intelligent Items

Jimm Johnson, the fellow behind the OD&D supplement Planet Eris, once thought about including intelligent staves for wizards. I quite like that idea and want to consider using it. The biggest issue I see is that having both intelligent swords and staves takes away from the swords being special. It’s one of the few things that fighters get so how can I do this without fighters feeling outclassed? My initial thought is to give such staves no other abilities. A magic staff in the hands of a wizard is a massive bump in power so what if I only give it the special powers without the normal spellcasting ability? This would give two classes of staves – normal ones such as a Staff of Wizardry, Staff of Commanding, etc, and intelligent staves. Magical swords on the other hand, will always possess intelligence. This allows wizards to have a unique and personal magical staff without giving them too much more than the party would already have access to whereas fighters receive all the benefits of an intelligent blade along with the normal bonuses afforded by the weapon.

Staves

1 Roll for Alignment
2 Determine Intelligence, Primary Powers, Communication
3 Determine Primary Powers
4 Determine Ego

1 Roll for Alignment
01-65 Chaos
66-90 Neutrality
91-00 Law
These are the opposite numbers given for swords; swords are the righteous tools of noble knights while staves are for pointy-bearded warlocks warping the laws of the cosmos

2 Determine Intelligence, Primary Powers, Communication
Roll a d12; this determines the staff’s intelligence, number of powers, and methods of communication
1-6 No powers, no communication
7 One Primary Power, Empathic Communication
8 Two Primary Powers, Empathic Communication
9 Three Primary Powers, Empathic Communication
10-11 Three Primary Powers, Speaks Alignment Language + 1-4 other languages
12 As 10 + can read magic

3 Determine Primary Power(s)
Primary:
01-10 Detect Good/Evil
11-15 Detect Gems
16-27 Detect Magic
28-35 Detect Metal & What Kind
36-50 Detect Sloping Passages
51-60 Detect Traps
61-70 Locate Secret Doors
71-85 Note Shifting Walls & Rooms
86-95 See Invisible Objects
96-99 Roll twice
00 Roll for an Extraordinary Ability

Extraordinary:
01-10 Clairaudience
11-20 Clairvoyance
21-30 ESP
31-40 Telepathy
41-50 Telekinesis
51-59 Teleportation
60-68 X-Ray Vision
69-77 Illusion Generation
78-82 Levitation
83-87 Flying
88-92 Healing (1-6 hp per day)
93-97 Gaseous Form (1-10 turns, once per day)
98-00 Roll twice, ignoring rolls higher than 97

4 Determine Ego
Roll a d12 to determine Ego

Swords

1 Roll for Alignment
2 Roll for Special Purpose
3 Determine Intelligence, Primary Powers, Communication
4 Determine Primary Powers
5 Determine Ego

1 Roll for Alignment
01-65 Law
66-90 Neutrality
91-00 Chaos

2 Roll for Special Purpose
01-90 No Special Purpose
91-92 Defeat Magic-Users
93-94 Defeat Fighting-Men
95-96 Defeat Priests
97-98 Defeat Monsters
99-00 Defeat Opposite Alignment

3 Determine Intelligence, Primary Powers, Communication
Roll a d12; this determines the sword’s intelligence, number of powers, and methods of communication. If the sword has a special purpose, treat its Intelligence and Ego as 12.
1-6 No powers, no communication
7 One Primary Power, Empathic Communication
8 Two Primary Powers, Empathic Communication
9 Three Primary Powers, Empathic Communication
10-11 Three Primary Powers, Speaks Alignment Language + 1-4 other languages
12 As 11 + one Extraordinary Ability

4 Determine Primary Power(s)
Primary:
01-10 Detect Good/Evil
11-15 Detect Gems
16-27 Detect Magic
28-35 Detect Metal & What Kind
36-50 Detect Sloping Passages
51-60 Detect Traps
61-70 Locate Secret Doors
71-85 Note Shifting Walls & Rooms
86-95 See Invisible Objects
96-99 Roll twice
00 Roll for an Extraordinary Ability

Extraordinary:
01-10 Protection vs Evil 10′
11-20 Invisibility 10′
21-30 ESP
31-35 Hold Monster
36-40 Giant Strength (once per day)
41-45 Healing (1-6 hp per day)
46-55 Detect Lies
56-60 Levitation
61-70 Telekinesis
71-80 Telepathy
81-90 Teleportation
91-97 X-Ray Vision
98-99 Roll twice, ignoring rolls higher than 97
00 Roll thrice, ignoring rolls higher than 97

4 Determine Ego
Roll a d12 to determine Ego

Both items will use the same rules for determining control, as per the ruleset of your choice.