[Arcane Bond] Changes for the Sorceror and Wizard that make Sense

[quest-master]

I think that players would be best served by changing Arcane Bond into a feat. Plus, re-word it so that it is arcane caster level specific, not wizard-level specific.

Follow this up with wizards gaining a wizard bonus feat instead of arcane bond at 1st level and the wizard becomes more customizable to players' tastes.

Follow this up with arcane bloodline sorcerors gaining a bonus metamagic feat at 1st level instead of Arcane Bond, to make their Metamagic Adept feature gained at 3rd level automatically make sense.

This gives players better variety and playability without unbalancing the classes.

In addition, special feats can be created for the sorceror that augment the familiar based on their bloodlines. For example, a cat may acquire scales or a 1/day breath weapon.

[Quandary]

quest-master wrote:

Plus, re-word it so that it is arcane caster level specific, not wizard-level specific.

I DON'T believe it is Wizard-specific, currently, though based off of Prepared INT Caster progression.

This means that with only 1 Wizard level, you can take some other Arcane Prepared Caster Class and continue to gain a bonus spell of the highest level you can cast. Melee types don't get to continue increasing their Sneak Attack from 1 level of Rogue.

[Velderan]

I would support this. Just make it a bonus feat for level 1 wizards.

[Daniel Moyer]

Quandary wrote:

quest-master wrote:

Plus, re-word it so that it is arcane caster level specific, not wizard-level specific.

This means that with only 1 Wizard level, you can take some other Arcane Prepared Caster Class and continue to gain a bonus spell of the highest level you can cast. Melee types don't get to continue increasing their Sneak Attack from 1 level of Rogue.

A valid point, but I think with the changes Quest-Master was suggesting; making it a feat unto itself that it would be viable.

If I understand the suggestion... it would just increase with whatever caster class you took the Feat for(Chosen at Feat selection - Sorcerer, Warlock, Duskblade, etc.), not with every caster class you possessed such as a Mystic Theurge or Arcane Heirophant might have stacked up.

Perhaps looking for 'Arcane Bond' to be a Feat similar to the Non-OGL "OBTAIN FAMILIAR", that just anyone who met certain requirements could take and enjoy the companionship of a lovely 1HD target... err familiar or bonded item. It would theme well with the Pathfinder Arcane Strike. Perhaps a house-rule or something for the Feats section. *shrug*

[Quandary]

A Feat like that might be possible....

Or there's one for Animal Companions, where the Feat adds +2 to the effective Druid Level to determine Companion Stats,
UP TO Total Character Level... So it means yo can take up to 2 multiclass levels and not weaken your Companion at all,
or helps increase the power of a Ranger Companion, which is normally at 1/2 Ranger Level (or at Ranger Level -3 now in PF)

I think that type of Feat is well balanced...
There could always be a "Greater" version that allowed more levels to stack, at the cost of another Feat...???

[Twowlves]

I'm still a fan of letting a familiar (not a bonded object) give +1 caster level when within 1 mile. Make this change and watch familiars make it back into the spotlight again.

[Kirth Gersen]

I'd be on board with either Quest-Master's suggestion (which I already use as a houserule) or Twowolves', both of which address the fact that, currently, the familiar does absolutely nothing to enhance your spellcasting -- so, really, why is it a class-specific feature for spellcasters?

[Dennis da Ogre]

Twowlves wrote:

I'm still a fan of letting a familiar (not a bonded object) give +1 caster level when within 1 mile. Make this change and watch familiars make it back into the spotlight again.

Familiars should be relevant for their abilities, not because of bonus feats/ abilities they grant to the character.

[Set]

Dennis da Ogre wrote:

Familiars should be relevant for their abilities, not because of bonus feats/ abilities they grant to the character.

That's one option.

The other option is the traditional 'witches familiar' that whispers secrets of arcane knowledge to its master, and improves their spellcasting in some way, and isn't just an animal that is dumber than the average half-orc and sometimes tries to spy on people for the caster, even though it's reports will be nonsense.

"Big things!"

"People shaped?"

"Yes!"

"How big?"

"Bigger than me!"

"Goblin, bigger-than-you, or Hill Giant bigger-than-you?"

"Bigger than me!"

[sigh] "How many?"

[holds up a paw, counting off on it's four fingers using both paws and then a foot, to get a number somewhere between 9 and 12, confused by the fact that it counted several of it's fingers multiple times and may or may not have counted thumbs...] "Two!"

"Right. Somewhere between two and twelve maybe-Goblins, maybe-Hill Giants. Anything else?"

"They all dead. Smell bad."

[wizard flips out] "ARGH! Thorzadin the Magnificent smash stoopid familiar!"

[Twowlves]

Dennis da Ogre wrote:

Twowlves wrote:

I'm still a fan of letting a familiar (not a bonded object) give +1 caster level when within 1 mile. Make this change and watch familiars make it back into the spotlight again.

Familiars should be relevant for their abilities, not because of bonus feats/ abilities they grant to the character.

And which abilities would those be? Alertness (a feat) or a constant Aid Another bonus (kinda like all those +2/+2 feats)?