Living Figurehead

Each of the several kinds of living figureheads is carved from fine wood and resembles an ordinary figurehead. When a command word is spoken, the figurehead animates and is able to use special powers as described below. The living figurehead obeys and serves the ship’s master (usually the captain). Unless stated otherwise, it can speak Common and communicate telepathically with its master, provided it is within 100 feet.

If a living figurehead is broken or destroyed in its carving form, it is forever ruined. If destroyed while animated, it simply reverts to a wooden carving that can be used again at a later time.

An animated living figurehead is a construct of the same size as the object (see Animated Object), but it has the Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores given in its entry. Special abilities whose save DCs depend on Constitution use the animated figurehead’s Charisma score instead.

Dragon Head

This Large dragon’s head and neck is carved from cedar or spruce and painted as a chromatic or metallic dragon, with gaping mouth and fierce eyes. When animated, this living figurehead gains a breath weapon appropriate to the kind of dragon. It also confers on its ship immunity to a type of energy damage according to the kind of dragon.

The animated dragon head has the mental statistics of a young adult dragon of its kind as shown under the Attributes columns of the table above. The item can be used once per week for up to 10 minutes at a time.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects, protection from energy, and one spell from the Additional Spell column of the table above appropriate to the dragon variety.

Cost to Create: See table.

Ebony Porpoise

This living figurehead is carved from ebony, waxed and polished to a high gloss. When animated, this living figurehead grants its ship swift movement through the water, doubling its ordinary speed. Alternatively, the ebony porpoise can move a becalmed sailing ship as though it were propelled by a strong wind.

The ebony porpoise also allows its ship to clear aquatic hazards, such as reefs, shipwreck debris, and the like, by making long leaps. The ship is briefly airborne, its keel clearing the water by up to 10 feet, for up to 15 rounds per day. The duration of these leaps need not be consecutive rounds.

The animated figurehead is treated as a Large animated object. Its increased speed ability can be used three times per week for up to 6 hours at a time.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, levitate, quickswim.

Cost to Create: 50,000 gp, 4,000 XP, 100 days.

Golden Shedu

This living figurehead is carved into a likeness of the forequarters of a shedu, a creature with the head of a bearded man and the body of a winged bull. It is crafted of mahogany and overlaid with gold leaf.

When animated, this living figurehead grants its ship a fly speed of 60 feet with poor maneuverability. In addition, the golden shedu allows its ship and crew to shift briefly from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane as the etherealness spell.

The animated figurehead has a Charisma score of 16 but is otherwise treated as a Large animated object. Its flight ability can be used twice per week for up to 1 hour at a time. It can transport the ship to the Ethereal Plane for up to 10 minutes each week; the duration of the etherealness effect need not be consecutive periods.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, etherealness, fly.

Cost to Create: 50,000 gp, 4,000 XP, 100 days.

Purpleheart Kraken

This living figurehead is a (much) smaller-than-life rendition of a kraken. It carved from the wood of the amaranth tree, which has a rich purple-brown color, and has tourmaline gems inlaid for its eyes.

When animated, the tentacles of the purpleheart kraken reach out to grab opponents or to hold fast an enemy ship. In addition, the figurehead can produce a control winds effect as a 15th-level caster. The item can be used once per week for up to 10 minutes at a time.

The animated figurehead is treated as a Large animated object, except that instead of a single slam attack, it has 8 slams that each deal 1d8+3 points of damage. It also has the improved grab ability, allowing it to attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. It can constrict, dealing automatic slam damage against a held creature or object. The tentacles can grab creatures of up to Large size and can hold multiple Small or smaller creatures. The tentacles have a reach of 30 feet. While animated, the master’s ship gains a +8 bonus on any Profession (sailor) checks made to start a ship-to-ship grapple.

Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, animate objects, control winds, entangle.

Cost to Create: 22,500 gp, 1,800 XP, 45 days.

Source: Stormwrack, page 132. The red and silver dragon head living figureheads were missing a market price, and a thorough web search for the errata revealed nothing but speculation, so the 53,000 gp price given here is likewise.