Objects come to life at your command. Choose up to ten nonmagical objects within range that are not being worn or carried. Medium targets count as two objects, Large targets count as four objects, Huge targets count as eight objects. You can't animate any object larger than Huge. Each target animates and becomes a creature under your control until the spell ends or until reduced to 0 hit points.
As a bonus action, you can mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 500 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.
Animated Object Statistics
Size | HP | AC | Str | Dex | Attack |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tiny | 20 | 18 | 4 | 18 | +8 to hit, 1d4 + 4 damage |
Small | 25 | 16 | 6 | 14 | +6 to hit, 1d8 + 2 damage |
Medium | 40 | 13 | 10 | 12 | +5 to hit, 2d6 + 1 damage |
Large | 50 | 10 | 14 | 10 | +6 to hit, 2d10 + 2 damage |
Huge | 80 | 10 | 18 | 6 | +8 to hit, 2d12 + 4 damage |
An animated object is a construct with AC, hit points, attacks, Strength, and Dexterity determined by its size. Its Constitution is 10 and its Intelligence and Wisdom are 3, and its Charisma is 1. Its speed is 30 feet; if the object lacks legs or other appendages it can use for locomotion, it instead has a flying speed of 30 feet and can hover. If the object is securely attached to a surface or a larger object, such as a chain bolted to a wall, its speed is 0. It has blindsight with a radius of 30 feet and is blind beyond that distance. When the animated object drops to 0 hit points, it reverts to its original object form, and any remaining damage carries over to its original object form.
If you command an object to attack, it can make a single melee attack against a creature within 5 feet of it. It makes a slam attack with an attack bonus and bludgeoning damage determined by its size. The GM might rule that a specific object inflicts slashing or piercing damage based on its form.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can animate two additional objects for each slot level above 5th.
could this animate a dead warforaged
It seems the consensus from WotC is that any dead body is also an object, so not only could you animate a dead warforged, you could animate any dead corpse! It's not a bad alternative to Animate Dead or even XGtE's Danse Macabre, if you need to raise some bodies for just a single fight and can spare the spell slot.
Controlling another's: If someone has cast Animate Objects on some objects, can I cast my own Animate Objects on them to take control of them?
You could certainly rule that it does. Undead are creatures made from dead bodies imbued with negative or "anti-life" energy (they are alive but the opposite of life, not just puppets) flesh golems are constructs that are imbued with an elemental spirit, and while they are described as using animate dead as part of the process, are clearly a different form of animating flesh. Now you could rule that flesh golems are created using that method because you can't animate a body like you can an object and it's a workaround, you could also rule that it's proof that a body can be controlled in a different way.
You could say that animate objects doesn't work on bodies, you could say that it does but only if you know a spell that creates undead, or you could say that it works on bodies just fine, but doesn't get in the way of a resurrection spell the same way turning them into an undead would, because you're not creating undead you're just puppeting a body with magic similar to telekinesis.
Rules as written, no. The spell turns the objects into construct creatures for the duration, which can't be targetted by this spell.
I imagine tossing a handfull of poison darts or needles into the air and then animating them. If you had enough, say, wyvern poison this would be completely game-breaking.
Yep, it can do anything a creature could do, but it depends on the object's anatomy. Usually, casters who use animate objects will have a bag of silver coins fly around the battlefield like living shuriken, unless there is something cool in your environment to animate. (Silver coins specifically to overcome non-silvered weapon damage resistance).
Using the silver coins- it would be difficult for them to grapple anything without hands, but you could use them to shove creatures to the ground by slamming into kneecaps, ankles, etc. They could take the help action by flying into your enemy's face.
Have your tiny animated objects attack a target, then use their movement to form a funnel of five either side in a line facing away from you with a clear path down the middle. Cast dissonant whispers while saying "time to run the gauntlet mf" and watch as the opportunity attacks pile on top. Potentially 20d4 + 80 + 3d6 (assuming first level for dissonant whispers) in one turn.
Rules as written, animate objects works on corpses as corpses are objects. When this spell is cast on an object it becomes a construct creature until the spell ends when it returns to being the original object This means that unlike animate dead which permanently turns a corpse into a zombie, you can use revivify to return them to human form. Revivify, raise dead, reincarnate and resurrection cannot do this with the targets of animate dead which become zombies on such targets resurrection and raise dead fail; and revivify brings them back as the undead they were turned into. Only true resurrection can bring those creatures back to humanoid form because in that case the you are not targeting an undead creature who has died but a soul. To clarify, you similarity cannot target a corpse under the effect of animate objects with raise dead or similar until animate objects ends because the corpse is technically not the same creature who has died until it does. It would be like casting revivify or resurrection on the target of a true polymorph these spells while their effects last change the corpse into something else.
This spell is much better than telekinesis for moving heavier than 1000 pounds. Sure it is 1 min vice 10 min but there is no limit for weight with this one when you use it on a huge object. Need a house moved to the other side of town. Animate* it and tell it to dash there.
Combat wise this spell also outperforms TK as well. While TK can push and restrain VS you Spellcasting, AO you can do the Shove or Grapple attack action vs max 10 objects at str 6. Sure strength 6 is nothing, but still having to roll so many times .. as a BONUS action.. will break at some point.
* yes it has to be a free-floating home not attached to the ground.
The house can also be no larger than around 15 feet in a given dimension. Since Huge creatures occupy 15 x 15 feet on a grid.
This is gate of babylon
Does the damage dealt by the objects count as magical for the purposes of bypassing resistances? Someone asked this earlier but I don't see an answer.
The bard in my party uses a handful of gold coins with this spell and turns them into a swarm of golden bees.
If you animated 10 tiny creatures and had them circle around the enemy and attack would they all get flanking advantage.
I agree that for combat it makes more sense to use small or tiny objects, but you could use larger objects to fly around party member, or if a giant boulder trap is rolling towards you then you can cast this to make it stop. It is a true utility spell that can cover a lot of situations.
They do, actually!
Good way to get around "Undead" limitations.
Not even!
Awaken doesn't work on Objects at all!
Check out Tiny Servant, still not perma and also tiny exclusive, but, 8 hours at very least!
Deep Negative. Or, in other words, the designers would rather players lose EXP for beating them than gain.
Can this spell target vehicles? Let alone moving vehicles (like smaller war machines) that have drivers and/or riders on them?