Ok so here is a scenario:
My half-orc wizard/barbarian/eldritch knight chose arcane bond instead of the familiar. Seeing as he's combat oriented caster (conjuring and buffs) he chose weaponfor his bonded item.
So first question is: Can he be bonded to an already magical weapon, +1 longsword for example. Text says item must be masterwork, which technically ALL magic weapons are masterwork.
But If I am able to enchant my bonded item, must it be a mundane weapon to start with?
Also, how does this ability scale?
If I chose to be a wizard that took a familiar, as I leveled as an eldritch knight, I would be missing out on familiar advancement.
But with bonded item, what am I missing out on?
It states I can cast one spell, once per cay with the item. But no more, ever?
It states I can enchant my weapon asIfI had the feats to do so. Straight away? at first level? Never needing any more advancement as aw wizard?
If I do chose the bonded item, however it seems I have handicaped my self (in comparison to the familiar) in the fact that I am now dependant on that item (as I have a DC + spell level to see If I can cast spells at all with out it) for spell casting. So Is that handicap I accept by using the bonded item the trade off for the fact that my bonded item is essentially, by lack of definition, scale-less? Meaning I can do anything with it at any level I want, If I have enough gold to afford the enchantment?
Or, as a 8th level wizard/2nd level barbarian/10th level eldritch knight, I am effectively a 17th level caster.
Does the bonded item act off your caster level? (ie I can enchant it as if I were a 17th level wizard) or does it scale off your wizard level (there for I can only enchant it as if I were the 8th level wizard that I am)
Technically speaking, item enchantment feats work off your caster level. But since arcane bonded items are wizard class features, and normally If one chooses a PrC, his core class features stop leveling and since I do not have the enchant item feats, I rely on the class feaure in order to enchant my bonded item, so basically,
How does it scale? Caster level (in which case this would be the only spell caster calss fearure that continues to level after you take a PrC) or Wizard level (as is the case with a familiar) and if so, what am I actually capable of doing with the class feature and when?
As an eldritch knight, it states I have diverse training that lets me add my levels of knight to levels of wizard for the purposes of qualifying for feats,this seems redundant seeing as all the item creation feats go off caster level anyway, but does this have any effect on bonded item with respect to enchanting it?
If so, it seems as if it does in fact scale along with my advancement as an eldritch knight.
My half-orc wizard/barbarian/eldritch knight chose arcane bond instead of the familiar. Seeing as he's combat oriented caster (conjuring and buffs) he chose weapon for his bonded item.
So first question is: Can he be bonded to an already magical weapon, +1 longsword for example. Text says item must be masterwork, which technically ALL magic weapons are masterwork.
But If I am able to enchant my bonded item, must it be a mundane weapon to start with?
That doesn't appear to be particularly well defined. Any replacement of your bonded item requires expenditure of 200gp/level though.
Also, how does this ability scale?, what am I missing out on?
It kinda looks like you don't miss out on anything.
It states I can cast one spell, once per cay with the item. But no more, ever?
Nope.
It states I can enchant my weapon asIfI had the feats to do so. Straight away? at first level? Never needing any more advancement as aw wizard? Meaning I can do anything with it at any level I want, If I have enough gold to afford the enchantment?
Yep! - but you do need to make the spellcraft checks, and have other prerequisites necessary (or make higher spellcraft checks).
Does the bonded item act off your caster level? (ie I can enchant it as if I were a 17th level wizard) or does it scale off your wizard level (there for I can only enchant it as if I were the 8th level wizard that I am)
I don't think the phrase "enchant it as a 17th level wizard" has any meaning anymore. I believe all caster level prerequisites are now just increases to the spellcraft DC.
It's a potent ability, but doesn't get intrinsically more powerful (more spells per day, etc. - just stronger spells per day). Just like familiars don't grow extra heads to bite with... though that would be cool!
I personally would rule that just as familiar does not scale for prestige classes, arcane bond would not scale.
So if you were a level 1 barb, level 9 wizard level 10 eldritch knight your enchanting of your arcane focus would be restricted to anything a level 9 wizard could enchant (unless you also took the specific enchant feat in which case you could enchant up to 18th level).
I do not see this as restriction on the arcane bond as if he had taken a familiar it would only be at the 9th level ability.
yes well I would assume what you assume, that there would be a limit to the enchantment (scaling) I can do with the bonded item.
Conversely if it were wand and not an item, would I only be able to put spells into it a 9th level wizard could?What about the "One spell per day" can I only cast that one spell from my list as a 9th level wizard, because the arcane bond is a class feature, or since I can cast as an 18th level caster can I put any spell I want in there?
The scaleing of the bonded item needs more "verbage" I think.
|
The utility of being able to cast ANY spell from your book 1/day should not be underestimated. This does have a subtle form of scaling too. At level 1 it can only be a level 1 spell, at level 9 it can be a level 5 or lower spell...level 17 it can be an extra 9th level spell per day. Of your choice from your book.
Personally, I think it's the familiar that needs the boost. Even without the free crafting on your bonded item, it still seems better.
Odd, I swear I posted a reply to this yesterday.
I personally would rule that just as familiar does not scale for prestige classes, arcane bond would not scale.
So if you were a level 1 barb, level 9 wizard level 10 eldritch knight your enchanting of your arcane focus would be restricted to anything a level 9 wizard could enchant (unless you also took the specific enchant feat in which case you could enchant up to 18th level).
So here's the issue - there's not really any restriction on what a level 9 wizard can enchant (except for feats, which are bypassed by the arcane bond ability). Caster level "restrictions" are simply a modifier to the Spellcraft DC. In fact, a Wizard 1/ Fighter 19 with maxed out Spellcraft should have no more trouble crafting on his Arcane Bond than a Wizard 20, except for the increase to DC for missing spell prerequisites.
Trying to limit the 1/day spell would get rather over complicated I think.
I definitely agree Familiars could use a little boost. They do give you Alertness and a skill focus feat (usually), so they're not without their advantages.
Yea, I was thinking about familiars yesterday:
But the real question is, since I am an eldrtich knight, And I have an 18 caster level, can I cast a 9th level spell from my bonded item, or can I onlt cast a spell that a 9th level wiz could because the ED levels dont scale? does it go off caster level or actual wiz level, because its a wiz class feature.
As far as familiar goes. There is improved familiar feat. However Although the IMP is a very cool familiar, mephits kinda bite, psuedo dragons are ok.
There just needs to be more choices like imp and pseudo dragon.
I also think there should be some familiars by school (from the get go)
Like elemental constructs (like hommonoculous but not as lame) for conjurers and an undead skeleton buddy for necormancers, etc.
|
|
But the real question is, since I am an eldrtich knight, And I have an 18 caster level, can I cast a 9th level spell from my bonded item, or can I onlt cast a spell that a 9th level wiz could because the ED levels dont scale? does it go off caster level or actual wiz level, because its a wiz class feature.
I would assume that it's limited based off of what your 9th level wizard could cast, so 5th level spells or lower.