Arcanist Bloodline Development Question


Rules Questions


So, let's say I have an Arcanist, and he takes the Bloodline Development Exploit, chooses the Arcane Bloodline, and gains a bonded item.

Now:

1. Would he ever be able to enchant the bonded item? The Bloodline power is supposed to work as though he's 1st level, and enchanting a bonded weapon requires you to be high enough level to take the requisite feat, but that's not exactly a level-dependent ability of the bloodline power.

2. Would the bonded item only allow him to cast one 1st level spell that he hadn't prepared? Or would it work on any spell that he knew, but hadn't prepared? Again, that ability isn't specifically level-dependent.

I realize that this is kind of a weird issue, since we're dealing with a class taking another class' ability that allows them to take yet another class' ability, but I'm hoping for some clarity on this.

Lantern Lodge

#1 - Strangely enough, I was going to say no, but after researching it, I think I'll go with yes, you can enchant your bonded item. Reasoning? You gain bonded item as though you were a 1st level sorceror. BUT, the bonded item ability says "A wizard can add additional magic abilities to his bonded object as if he has the required Item Creation Feats and [b]if he meets the level prerequisites of the feat.[/]" Looking at the Item Creation Feats, the level prerequisites are all "Caster Level", not class level. So, an 11th level arcanist meets the level prerequisites (Caster Level 11) of Craft Staff, so should be able to enchant their bonded item Staff.

#2 - This is explicitly covered in the Bloodline Development Exploit rules: "If this ability is used to gain an arcane bond and a bonded item is selected, the arcanist can only use that item to cast spells of a level equal to the level of spell that could be cast by her equivalent sorcerer level (limiting her to 1st level spells unless she spends a point from her arcane reservoir)." So, you can only cast level 1 spells, unless you spend the point from your arcane reservoir to treat yourself as a higher level (then you can cast a spell of a higher level while that boost is in effect).

POSSIBLE TIP? If you're willing to take a 1 level dip as a sorceror, you can get full bloodline ability: "If the arcanist already has a bloodline (or gains one later), taking this exploit instead allows her arcanist levels to stack with the levels of the class that granted her access to the bloodline when determining the powers and abilities of her bloodline." So, you take one level as a Sorceror with the Arcane Bloodline (or other favorite bloodline), then go Arcanist and take the Bloodline Development Exploit for the same bloodline. Sorceror1/Arcanist9 is treated as being Level 10 for the purposes of the bloodline!


You'd only really want to do this if you don't mind being one full spell level behind the Wizard and you think your Bloodline Powers are worth all that.


I've got a related question about the "School Understanding" exploit. It says:

Quote:
The arcanist can select one arcane school from any of the schools available to a character with the arcane school wizard class feature, but does not have to select any opposition schools. The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability. The ability must be one gained at 1st level and is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier.

However, what if you choose a school with a power that isn't limited in uses per day, like the Life focused school?

Quote:

Life School

Associated School: Necromancy.

Replacement Powers: The following school powers replace the power over undead and grave touch powers of the necromancy school.

Healing Grace (Su): Whenever you cast a spell that has targets, affects creatures in an area, or requires an attack roll, you may heal creatures affected by the spell a total of 1 point of damage per level of the spell. This healing may be spread out between the targets of the spell in any way you choose. If you assign any of the healing to an undead creature, it instead takes 1 point of damage for each point assigned. At 11th level, the amount of damage cured increases to 2 points of damage per level of the spell. This healing occurs when the spell is cast and has no effect on creatures that enter its area after the spell is in place. At 20th level, the amount of damage cured increases to 3 points of damage per level of the spell.

If I chose Healing Grace, would I only be able to use it 3+CHA times per day? Would it add bonus healing based on the spell level, or would it only work on spells that I could cast at 1st level?


I think it alters it so that it is limited to 3+Cha/day.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Arcanist Bloodline Development Question All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.