1) I'd say not as it says you can wield items, but omits any mention of weapons.
2) Sure.
3) I'd say not as it says that it constricts your knuckles, implying impeded movement of the hand. Especially when it says –2 penalty on all precision-based tasks involving that hand.
You should be able to hold the longbow in the cestus hand tho.
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1) It depends a bit on DM interpretation. Is the cestus similar to a spiked armored gauntlet? It is a more complex and tight wrapping, that somehow encloses the hand?
In the first case, you can wield a longbow and use it as a weapon; obviously while using a longbow you lose the cestus ability to threaten the nearby area (different stance, differente focus, etc.). In the second case you can hold the longbow - just as you would hold a torch or the end of a rope - but you can't use it as a weapon.
2) Yes, you do. I would rule that you can't threat anything with the cestus while holding an item.
3) No, it blocks the precise hand movement and gestures required by spellcasting. If you want to allow casting while wearing a cestus, assign an arcane spell failure chance to it (20%-25% sounds good).
4) See above.
It says you can wield or carry items. Do weapons not count as items? Like, I'm asking, is that a game-mechanics separate category or something, I'm not asking in the Platonic sense or being sarcastic.
No RAW, more of an inference. There's a difference generally between weapons, armour, shields, and items. If you look at the description of a light shield it says: A light shield’s weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.
Well, the question becomes can I *use* the longbow in the cestus hand- (which goes back to the first question)- and if the answer is yes (or even if the answer is no, technically), then, does it threaten if I'm holding a longbow in that hand.
If the cestus can be used while holding a longbow in that hand, that's kind of messed up.
If you're holding a weapon in a hand, you can't use that hand for unarmed strikes or natural attacks. So by extension you can't use a weapon on that hand. Of course you could drop the longbow, but as that's a free action, you can't do that on an AoO.
Personally I would infer that 'items' in this case include weapons because that is when the distinction between wielding and holding becomes important.
My monk totally will be wielding other weapons while wearing his special material cestus.
Actually if you take a look at a historical cestus you might realize holding anything in hand is being generous, much less wielding a weapon with any degree of proficiency.
I guess the designers were in a generous mood, they could have worded it like the brass knuckles, and that would have been fine, but they didn't.
A cestus like those used in 1500 BC (from a quick google search) don't look like they leave the hand free to wield an object, so the pathfinder model must resemble gauntlets or gloves a little more then those ancient examples.
This could be a case by case basis. Consider this scenario:
An archery style ranger wears special glove gauntlets as part of his studded leather armor that count as cestus for fighting in close and he wears them as part of his armor and a ready backup in case his enemies get too close for him to use his bow before he takes Point Blank Mastery. His primary weapon is a composite long bow for his strength. Now he finds himself in a situation where casting Gravity Bow would be to he benefit. Would he be able to cast that spell? As a GM I would allow it.
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Having tried on a replica cestus, I can tell you its a bit like wearing a small armadillo on your hand, so you would not be wielding anything in that hand, nor were you supposed to historically. However, that doesn't mean it would not be possible to engineer something that was halfway in between and would allow you to do so...
Keep in mind that casting doesn't require both hands to be free, just one. So, even when wearing a cestus, you should be fine to use your other hand to cast with. Since you can at least hold the longbow in your cestus hand, your other hand would be free and you may cast your spell without penalty.
As I read it, you can use a cestus and wield a weapon, brass knuckles SPECIFICALLY note that you may hold but not wield a weapon. Brass knuckles also indicate that you must make a concentration check to cast a spell with Somatic components.
As I read it, you can use a cestus and wield a weapon, brass knuckles SPECIFICALLY note that you may hold but not wield a weapon. Brass knuckles also indicate that you must make a concentration check to cast a spell with Somatic components.
I have seen many archer characters using Spiked Gauntlets.
Sometimes they have two spiked gauntlets with differentspecial materials and/or enchantments as may be needed.
Standard Gauntlet is also an option but does less damage.
Usually the GM allows the archer to fire his bow and/or
cast without removing the gauntlet or spiked gauntlet.
This seems predicated by the gauntlet being described
as coming with medium and heavy armor. As there are
no penalties to use a bow with medium or heavy armor,
the gauntlets must not be interfering with bow usage.
You can also use a Buckler, but you lose the shield bonus
whenever using a bow or making an attack with that hand.
I would say a Cestus should use the same rules as above,
given that you can "wield or carry items in that hand".
Basically it means you have your hand available for use.