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"A wizard can enchant his bonded object as if he had the required feats. Any powers added to his bonded object are done so at half the normal cost. If the bonded object is a wand, it loses its enchantment when its last charge is consumed, but it is not destroyed and it retains all of its
bonded object properties."
Does this mean that the level requirements for said feats still need to be met?
It would be helpful to have a chart showing the types of bonded objects, and the level a Wizard needs to be to enchant said objects...as well as some sample enchantments. I am having a lot of difficulty visualizing this. We found a 3.5 Player's Handbook, but the DMG and MM were either sold before the move or are in a great big storage shed somewhere on an Air Force base in Arkansas, along with the Ark of the Covenant. I'm assuming that the missing books might provide some clarification.
Thanks,
Scott
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"A wizard can enchant his bonded object as if he had the required feats. Any powers added to his bonded object are done so at half the normal cost. If the bonded object is a wand, it loses its enchantment when its last charge is consumed, but it is not destroyed and it retains all of its
bonded object properties."Does this mean that the level requirements for said feats still need to be met?
It would be helpful to have a chart showing the types of bonded objects, and the level a Wizard needs to be to enchant said objects...as well as some sample enchantments. I am having a lot of difficulty visualizing this. We found a 3.5 Player's Handbook, but the DMG and MM were either sold before the move or are in a great big storage shed somewhere on an Air Force base in Arkansas, along with the Ark of the Covenant. I'm assuming that the missing books might provide some clarification.
Thanks,
Scott
You would still need to be able to do the enchant or have someone enchant it for you so the level limit would still apply. All it is granting is a reduction in the cost to get it done. The same applies if it is a craft wand, craft ring, craft wondrous items, etc...
"A wizard can enchant his bonded object as if he had the required feats. Any powers added to his bonded object are done so at half the normal cost. If the bonded object is a wand, it loses its enchantment when its last charge is consumed, but it is not destroyed and it retains all of its
bonded object properties."Does this mean that the level requirements for said feats still need to be met?
It would be helpful to have a chart showing the types of bonded objects, and the level a Wizard needs to be to enchant said objects...as well as some sample enchantments. I am having a lot of difficulty visualizing this. We found a 3.5 Player's Handbook, but the DMG and MM were either sold before the move or are in a great big storage shed somewhere on an Air Force base in Arkansas, along with the Ark of the Covenant. I'm assuming that the missing books might provide some clarification.
Thanks,
Scott
I've asked a number of questions about this as well... and so far the only response from an official source has been that you pay 1/4 the cost to purchase. So, you take the cost to make, divide by 2, and that's the price to make a bonded item. I don't know if this applies to the exp cost or if there is an exp cost.
You might find this website helpful in looking at magic items/weapons/craft rules and costs:
http://www.d20srd.org/
Other questions that may come up:
1) To have a bonded weapon be enhanced, it needs to be masterwork... buying a masterwork weapon at lvl 1 is completely out of the question (for character creation anyway)... so is this something that a wizard can also buy at 1/4 the cost?
2) What about Craft Skill checks to craft items?
3) Do you need to be the required level to take the feat to enhance the weapon? (the poster above me guessed yes, but I don't know, as there's nothing in the Alpha rules on this yet).
4) When you do the replacement ritual, do you replace the exact item lost, or do you simply form a new bond with an otherwise unenhanced object?
5) Do you need to be able to cast the spells used in creating the enhancement? Can they be off a scroll or cast by another wizard?
I'm sure there are other questions... but, alas, at this point, there are no answers.
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I do have to say ... the actual idea of a bonded item is REALLY cool. Being able to have a familiar or an item is such a great idea! A low level wizard can actual have a magic staff now. It has a very LOTR feel to it which is great.
In fact, I could see even more built into the things having a bonded item grants the wizard. That great article in Dragon on having a staff as a familiar might be worth looking at.
Jason, here is a question for you. Can a multi class Wizard/Sorcerer have a familiar and a bonded item? I don't think it would be unbalancing and could be very interesting. Perhaps there could be a Feat that grants that ability. In fact, maybe the Feat could allow this or allow an animal companion to be a familiar as well ...
Anyway, the bonded item instead of familiar idea is just fantastic!
A low level wizard can actual have a magic staff now. It has a very LOTR feel to it which is great.
Ditto this. (or, as the kids say, QFT)
While I love the idea of the bonded items, it makes no sense to me to give them charges. There needs to be a recharge mechanic in place or a charges/day mechanic. Also, I think that approximate wealth levels need to be considered--what's stopping the wizard from grabbing a wand of fireballs or polymorph or stoneskin at first level? Personally, I'd insist that the item is not magical to begin with but the wizard may give it magical properties later.
If the bonded item costs 1/4 the cost to buy (excluding any potential exp component), what're the odds that the wizard will be able to afford to start with anything fancier than a masterwork weapon?
Starting wizard gold: 75 g (if I remember right).
Masterwork: 100 g to craf; 50 g = 1/2 and thus the bonded cost. (this is guesswork on my part, as the rules thus far are very unclear on this). So bonding to a masterwork staff is in the price range. Bonding to a dagger is 54 g, and doable. Rings, not sure if there's a masterwork requirement, so perhaps you can find a cheap ring to bond to... but it'll still cost 500g to enhance it.
The cheapest magic wand is 375 g (per srd). 1/4 of that is 93.75 g... which is more than a starting character can afford.
A wand of fireballs costs 2,812.5 g as a bonded item. So, unless you routinely give starting characters that much gold to start, you should be safe.
Of course, if there is also an exp requirement that should limit your first level character's options some as well. Also, if there is a craft skill requirement, or the requirement that they be able to cast the spells required by the enhancement.
In short, there are a lot of unanswered questions here that will impact just how effective/balanced/workable this option is.
There is also a question about EXP loss, although this plays more toward the Familiar entry in the as yet published Sorcerer. Loosing a Familiar and the resulting EXP loss make them very unattractive options. Familiars are soft targets, compared to the Psion's psicrystal which foes are more likely to mistake as plunder treasure. Also there are no other classes in the PHB that suffer EXP loss for their arguably more valuable companions.
As for a recharge mechanic two options come to my mind. First is actually paying Gold & EXP to recharge the item. This can be done fairly simply by taking a fractional cost of the item. I think this is already done when 'selling/buying' charged items with few charges.
Another idea is to establish a line of feats that allow you to expend spell slots to recharge a bonded item. For example a Bonded Wand Recharge feat could allow a Wizard/Sorcerer to convert daily spell slots into an equivalent number of charges. During a bit of down time a Wizard could expend say a 5th level spell slot and get 5 charges back on the wand. Requirements should be Craft Wand (character actually needs the feat) and a Bonded Magical Wand.