Homebrew Sentient Object Species Details

Next thing I knew I was alive! I could sense my surroundings and felt the presence of a magical man. Surely he's the one who gifted me with my new life? Oh, I must repay him for this great deed, for I am forever in his debt!

— R. D. Appelton, The Seeds of Life

Originating from everyday objects, sentient objects came to life through magical enchantment and serve either as servants to their creators or roam freely in search of a greater destiny.

Unending Diversity

A myriad of different items and doohickeys exist in the world, and with the right magic any of them could come alive. This means that these living objects range wildly in all factors, including size, functionality, and material.

Inorganic Devotion

These objects worship their creators almost religiously. Sentient objects are aware that they cannot age organically and are not biological creatures, so they will often take more bold and risky approaches to protect what they've grown attached to, whether it be their creators or friends they've made.

Motivated Magic

Most sentient objects are motivated to either serve and please their creators or at least carry on a part of their legacy. If they choose to venture into the world alone they still choose to work in fields similar to what their life-bringer does. Due to these objects being magical, many of them try to copy sorcerers, warlocks, clerics, and bards, as these classes are also magical.

SURVIVAL INSTINCTS

After becoming alive, sentient objects gain some natural instincts for staying alive since they have no natural way to escape predators. They often fear any creature or item that is used to destroy the same type of object and will try to avoid them. Even the bravest of living items still experience anxiety in just the presence of a sledgehammer.

Object Names

A sentient object starts life simply being referred to as the object from which it originates. Later on they may choose to give themselves a name, often a pun based off of the item or a corruption of the item's name.

Sentient Object Traits

Your sentient object character has traits inherit to what object it is, along with magical capabilities from its enchantment.

Truesight

Because you are just an object and do not have eyes, you see magically with Truesight. You have a circular range of 60ft around you. The distance can be increased by concentrating your Truesight in a given direction, but you lose the 360 view around yourself the further you go. However, you cannot see normally at all.

Literally An Item

You are literally an item, so you have advantage on stealth checks. Who would think a random object is a threat?

Psionic Communication

You do not have a mouth, so you speak directly into the minds of people and creatures. You also glow faintly as you speak for some reason.

Mage Hand

Magically sentient objects carry themselves around using Mage Hand as they usually have no legs. They have mastered the spell to the point of being able to put themselves down and use a simple weapon, but still cannot create more than one hand at a time.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence and Charisma scores increase by 3. Your Strength and Dexterity scores decrease by 3.

Age

Because sentient objects are inorganic, they do not age like living creatures. Their lives are brought to an end only when the object is greatly damaged or destroyed.

Alignment

Sentient objects tend to lean towards the alignment of their magical enchanters. Objects that venture out into the world on their own may have any alignment as they are shaped by the environment around them.

Size

Sentient objects do not change size during the enchanting process, and therefore are whatever size they were as an inanimate object.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Mage Hand also allows you to fly with a base speed of 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write (with Mage Hand) Common and one Exotic Language thanks to your magical abilities.