Animate Objects

5th-level transmutation

Casting Time:1 action
Range:120 feet
Components:V, S
Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute

Objects come to life at your command. Choose up to ten non-magical 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.

Table: Animated Object Statistics
Size HP AC Attack Str Dex
Tiny 20 18 +8 to hit, 1d4 + 4 damage 4 18
Small 25 16 +6 to hit, 1d8 + 2 damage 6 14
Medium 40 13 +5 to hit, 2d6 + 1 damage 10 12
Large 50 10 +6 to hit, 2d10 + 2 damage 14 10
Huge 80 10 +8 to hit, 2d12 + 4 damage 18 6

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.

Animated Object Themes

Source: TOH2020

After you choose the animated object’s size, next choose a theme. Each theme adds a variety of features to the base animated object, such as the ensnaring theme that gives the animated object the Hard to Grasp trait, or adjusts features of the object, such as the animalistic theme that modifies the creature’s method of locomotion.

Each animated object must have at least one theme, but it can have more. Increase the animated object’s Challenge rating by 1 for each theme you add to it beyond the first theme, rounding down for Tiny animated objects. For example, a Small animalistic ensnaring animated object would have a Challenge rating of 2 while a Tiny animalistic ensnaring animated object would have a Challenge rating of 1. If you use two themes that replace or modify the same feature (such as animalistic and paraphernalia, which both modify the Slam attack), pick one theme’s modification and ignore the other theme’s modification; do not apply both modifications to the same creature.

An animated object uses its Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for its traits and actions (DC equal to 8 + the object’s proficiency bonus + its Constitution modifier).

Animalistic

This theme applies to animated objects that look like animals, such as figurines of griffons or children’s toy animals. An animalistic animated object retains its statistics except as noted below.

  • Speed. The animated object’s method of locomotion changes. Choose one of the following:
    • Increased Movement. The animated object’s walking speed increases by 20 feet.
    • Unique Movement. The animated object has a climbing, flying, or swimming speed of 30 feet.
New Actions
  • Multiattack. The animated object’s Multiattack action changes to: The animated object makes one Bite attack and two Claw attacks.
  • Bite. The animated object’s Slam attack is replaced with a Bite attack. This attack deals the same damage as the Slam, except it deals piercing damage instead of bludgeoning damage.
  • Claw. The animated object has a Claw attack. This attack deals slashing damage, and its damage dice are half of the animated object’s Slam damage dice (rounded down to the nearest damage die). Otherwise, this attack works like the animated object’s Slam attack. For example, a Tiny object’s claw attack would use a d2 (half of a d4) as its base damage die while Medium and Large objects would use a d4 (half of a d8 and d10).

Ensnaring

This theme applies to animated objects that are used to tie or wrap objects, such as chains, rope, drapes, and blankets. An ensnaring animated object retains its statistics except as noted below.

  • Hard to Grasp. The animated object has advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to escape a grapple.
  • Skill Proficiency: Athletics. The animated object is proficient in Strength (Athletics) checks.
New Actions
  • Smother. The animated object has the Smother action, which allows it to wrap itself around its target’s throat, chest, or face. This action works like the animated object’s Slam attack, except it deals double the Slam attack’s damage dice to the target and the target is grappled (escape DC equal to 8 + the animated object’s Athletics). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, blinded, and at risk of suffocating, and the animated object can’t smother another target. The animated object can still use its Slam action while grappling a target. For example, a Tiny object’s smother attack would have a base damage of 4d4 + 2 while a Large object would do 4d10 + 4.

Fortified

This theme applies to animated objects made of a sturdy material, such as stone statues or metal cauldrons. A fortified animated object retains its statistics except as noted below.

  • Armor Class. The animated object has Armor Class equal to 12 + its Dexterity modifier.
  • Damage Resistances. The animated object has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
New Actions
  • Blunting Form. Any nonmagical piercing or slashing weapon made of metal that hits the animated object begins to dull. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is too dull to deal damage and can’t be used to deal damage again until a creature spends 10 minutes sharpening the weapon.

Humanoid

This theme applies to animated objects that are humanoid in shape, such as toy soldiers or dress mannequins. A humanoid animated object retains its statistics except as noted below.

  • Ability Score Increase. The animated object’s Intelligence increases to 6.
  • Skill Proficiency: Perception. The animated object’s proficiency bonus is doubled for its Wisdom (Perception) checks.
  • Languages. The animated object understands Common but speaks only through the use of its Mimicry trait.
New Actions
  • Mimicry. The animated object can mimic humanoid voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check.
  • Multiattack. The animated object’s Multiattack action changes to: The animated object makes two Slam attacks or two attacks with its chosen weapon. Alternatively, the animated object can make one Slam attack and one attack with its chosen weapon.
  • Weapon Attack. The animated object has one weapon suitable for a creature of its size and shape. It is proficient with that weapon.

Monstrous

This theme applies to animated objects that are often monstrous in appearance, and they contain some substance that they unleash on their enemies, including objects such as a horrifying amalgam of cobbled-together parts that emits bursts of springs and gears, a barrel that spews ale on those nearby, or a wardrobe infested with thousands of spiders. A monstrous animated object retains its statistics except as noted below.

  • Contents. The animated object is filled with a substance that it can eject on its enemies. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, piercing, poison, slashing, or thunder. The animated object deals this type of damage when a creature comes into contact with its contents.
  • Pervasive Contents. A creature that touches the animated object or hits it with a melee attack while within five feet of it takes half the animated object’s Slam damage dice (rounded down to the nearest damage die) of the type related to its contents. If the animated object uses its Spew Contents, this trait doesn’t function until the end of the animated object’s next turn.
New Actions
  • Spew Contents (recharge 6). The animated object spews its contents in a cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking quadruple the animated object’s Slam damage dice of the type related to its contents on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The cone is 15 feet for Tiny, Small, and Medium animated objects, and it is 30 feet for Large and Huge animated objects.

Paraphernalia

This theme applies to animated objects that are objects in the most mundane sense, such as standard traveling equipment, kitchen cookware, or bedroom furniture. These objects often defy specificity, and this theme serves as a catch-all theme for animated objects that don’t fit into any of the other themes. Animated objects with this theme usually don’t have other themes. A paraphernalia animated object retains its statistics except as noted below.

  • Speed. The animated object has a flying speed, and it can hover. Its flying speed is 20 feet at Tiny and increases by 10 feet for each size above Tiny.
  • Ability Score Increase. The animated object’s Dexterity increases by 4.
  • Saving Throw. The animated object has proficiency in Dexterity saving throws.
  • Weaponized Form. The animated object’s Slam attack deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, your choice, each time it attacks as the object uses all aspects of its form to damage its enemies.

Possessed

This theme applies to an animated object that has been possessed by some otherworldly force, such as an angel, demon, or devil. A possessed animated object can’t be possessed by more than one entity, and the entity possessing it must be good or evil. A possessed animated object retains its statistics except as noted below.

  • Alignment. The animated object’s alignment is the same as the entity possessing it.
  • Type. The animated object is a construct but it counts as a celestial (if good) or a fiend (if evil) for spells and features, such as protection from evil and good and a paladin’s Divine Sense.
  • Damage Immunities. The animated object is immune to necrotic damage (if evil) or radiant damage (if good).
  • Senses. The animated object has truesight with a radius of 30 feet.
  • Languages. The animated object knows the Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal languages, and it has telepathy with a radius of 60 feet.
  • Magic Resistance. The animated object has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
New Reaction
  • Otherworldly Presence. When a creature the animated object can see targets it with an attack, the animated object shows a glimpse of the entity possessing it. The attacker must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or the attack misses, and the attacker is frightened until the end of its next turn.