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.
"For the purpose of these rules, an object is a discrete, inanimate item like a window, door, sword, book, table, chair, or stone, not a building or a vehicle that is composed of many other objects." (DMG ch. 8, Objects).
Although there is some debate to what the words "these rules" signify in this context (hit points rules? Object stats rules? or the whole D&D ruleset ?), many DMs use this definition when it comes to determining whether or not a given thing is affected by a spell or effect that targets objects.
A DM could also set a limit that's not clearly spelled out in the description of this spell.
In other words, DM fiat.
I've been trying to do my own research onto something, and I can't seem to find an answer so to the comments I go. Could somebody tell me what a Corsair anchor size would be? And then what would it be if it also had its chain? I'm trying to think of some shenanigans.
If I cast Animate Object on 10 'tiny' Darts (Re-Flavored as Playing cards) DO I then have 10 Attacks at +8 to hit and 1D4 +4 damage?
Any way to increase the damage of those darts?
what if i animate a GIANT rubber duck lol
What if its a Wagon would its speed remain 30?
I've always thought this spell had such a cinematic feel, and would be a cool combo for role play and combat. A card playing gambler and a cheat... when your jig is up and you need to get away from those you and your party swindled, you throw out a handful of cards(Gambit style) and let them rain destruction as you get away... plus, a deck of cards is way lighter than a pouch of coins.
And depending on your DM, if you needed to pay someone some coin, cast the spell before you pay(out of visual and earshot), make haste and pay them, and if you can do it within a minute, rocket those bad boys back into your pocket... cause dayum, 120 ft range and being able to command the items from within 500 ft is pretty insane.
Either way, the spell just has fun written all over it.
Incredibly curious as to what they were smoking when they took a look at this spell and decided "Yeah, it's okay for a caster to do 10d4+40 potential damage with a bonus action on each turn after they cast this."
Like 10d4+40 damage is on top of whatever damage or support you do with your spell. Fireball adds 8d6 in an AoE on top of this, Blight adds 8d8 to a single creature on top of this and anything that is unfortunate enough to get caught without either like a 26 AC, resistance to bludgeoning damage or some form of AoE that can average at least 20 damage to each thing caught in its area just instantly gets deleted by whatever PC made it to Level 9 and happened to see this spell at the top of their spell list.
The spell even discourages its usage in ways that aren't just 10 tiny (maybe small, but still not really) objects because every single object that isn't tiny is just an objectively worse version. You can create less of them, they have less of a bonus to hit unless you have the audacity to animate a huge object, they have less guaranteed damage, worse AC and at most half as many instances as a tiny object. This spell was horrifically balanced and should not have made it past the cutting room floor.
To any DMs out there with a metagamer at the table who has this spell for the sole purposes of making a big number every turn, I'd highly recommend you either disallow tiny items and make small items only have a maximum of 8 created if all items are small or you remove the +4 bonus damage tiny items get and make their bonus to hit +4 instead of +8.
Yes
Do you need to be able to see the object to animate, or just knowing they are close by is enough?
I realize this is definitely a "Ask your DM" question, but as a hypothetical: If I was a College of Spirits Bard, and I cast this spell animating 10 cards from a Tarokka deck, would the card be able to do extra damage due to the Spiritual Focus feature?
Yes, but it would be a construct not undead and it would function as described by the stats and rules above.
Sound insight and suggestions. I don't have an issue with min-maxers at the table, but I'm still thinking of nerfing the spell along these lines simply for action economy, round duration and pure damage output reasons.
Can you use the objects to shield your comrades in a battle?
How long does it stay alive for? Just one minute or do you just control the things for a minute? I'm very confused to the wording. Do the objects basically follow your order for the minute and then just drop or do they stay alive forever and I can just control like a total of ten?
"Each target animates and becomes a creature under your control until the spell ends or until reduced to 0 hit points."
It is a creature for a minute
"until the spell ends or reduced to 0" is modifying "a creature"
"under your control" is also modifying "a creature"
Rather than "a creature under you control" all being one subject.
Hope this helps, I am an English language nerd
literally so overpowered. just make ten tiny ones and you are ready to destroy monsters. Also, poor DMs. They have to add ten things to combat mid round if you cast this spell on tiny things
definetly. the tiny ones are definitley more than half as good as the tiny ones. they have same average damage but the tiny one has slightly less health but a higher armor class
Probably not, because then the spell would be way to overpowered since there are no creatures resistant to magic weapon damage. I think that just because your weapon is magic does not mean it does magic weapon damage. This is just an opinion though so it is up to your DM.
If I animate something like a carpet a set of armor a sword or something would I just use the animated sword or carpet or tree stat block?