School of Animation

“I swear the place is haunted!” The far too sober dwarf began to drink.

”That nice mansion near the central market?” Met with a nod he continued, “What makes you say that?”

”You should’ve seen it!” the dwarf put down his mug. “The doors opened on their own, the tea poured itself, the feather dusters cleaned without anyone using them. It was like the house was alive. But that wasn’t even the terrifying part...” he took another drink. The curious human leaned in with anticipation. “There was a guard. He watched my every move while I was there, unflinching. And when I went to leave I realized...”

”What?”

”That was no guard; it was a hollow suit of armor.”

“By the gods...”

They both ordered a stronger drink.

-Overheard by an amused friend of Galzeos the Animator

The School of Animation is considered a college with more flexible applications. Wizards of this college often have creative minds, using the simplest object in a very unorthodox but effective way. With most potential in an indoor fight, animators use all sorts of objects for various purposes. They might have a carpet wrinkle or a drawer open to trip someone, toss a barrel on someone’s head to help a party member grapple them, or just do several minor tasks at once. Being an effective animator requires good outside the box thinking, and the occasional pocketing of seemingly useless objects.

Basics of Animation

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, you learn the mending and minute animation (homebrew) cantrips. They don’t count against your number of known cantrips. 

Animation Savant

Beginning at 2nd level, you can make ordinary objects move on their own. As a bonus action, you can choose 1 object within 30 feet of you to animate. Objects will remain animated for 10 minutes and loose animation if you are knocked unconscious. You can move 1 object in this manor. At 5th level you can move 2, at 9th you can move 3, at 13th level you can move 4, and at 17th level, you can move 5. You can move objects that fit the following limitations (for each object, not combined):

• The only weapons you can manipulate are daggers, darts, boomerangs, light hammers, arrows, and bolts.
• The objects cannot weigh more than your wizard level x10 lbs
• You can make objects fly through the air if they weigh your wizard level x3 lbs or less. Flying objects have a flying speed of 20 feet.
• The objects cannot be creatures or held by a creature
• The objects cannot be magical

You can use your action to attack with weapons you have animated. They all do 1d4 damage, with damage types appropriate to the kind of weapon. When attacking with weapons in this way, you use your spell attack bonus for each attack roll, and your intelligence modifier for each damage bonus. You can use as many objects you have animated in this action as you like, so long as they all have the movement speed to reach the target. You can target as many creatures as you like so long as you have enough animated objects to attack with. You can make an opportunity attack with one animated weapon if it is within 5 feet of you.

Curved Shot

Starting at 6th level, you can manipulate a fired or thrown weapon to possibly hit a target it would otherwise miss, or vice versa. As a reaction, you can add or subtract your spell attack bonus to a ranged weapon attack not made by your animated objects. You can choose to do this after the roll but before knowing whether or not it hits. You can use this feature 2 times per long rest, and regain 1 use after a short rest.

Advanced Animate Objects

Starting at 10th level, you learn animate objects. It doesn’t count against the number of spells you learn reaching level 10. You can animate an additional 2 objects with the spell, and objects you animate gain 25% more hit points.

Create Guardian

Starting at 14th level, you can create a servant made out of animated armor. To make one, you need a full suit of armor, a shield, and a weapon. It’s AC depends on the armor used to make it. Its size is medium and it listens to your every command. Its statistics and capabilities (besides AC and weapon damage) are the same as the Shield Guardian. Once created, it remains until dispelled, slain, or another is created; even if you’re incapacitated or killed. It is indefinitely loyal to you unless someone takes the amulet that allows you to telepathically communicate with and control it. The construct will do everything in its power to fulfill your orders and protect you.