APG Arcane Duelist and his Bonded Object at lv5

[Selgard]

I’ve tried to find the APG errata, and have failed. If it addresses these points, please let me know.

Otherwise:

My rogue died and his replacement will be taking advantage of some of the character options in the APG- specifically the Bard Arcane Duelist.

This set of abilities allows, among other things, for the bard to receive his weapon as an Arcane Bond starting at 5th level. This creates two problems that the rules don’t specifically address.

1) A wizard usually makes this decision at 1st level. Doing so, his weapon is automatically masterwork. That is to say, he gets a masterwork item for free at first level and that item is his bonded object.
As a bard, getting it at 5th level, my question is:
Can I treat his current weapon as his Bonded Object? (that is- 1 weapon of his choice upon gaining 5th level) or does he just magically spawn a master work weapon out of the Ether? I ask because the bard in question is starting play with a +1 longsword.
The rules state that to “replace” his existing bond either because the old one was destroyed or because he wants to re-attach it to an existing item it costs him 200gp/level.
That would mean costing $1000gp to start.

So- can he pick 1 weapon on his person at level 5 and claim that his bonded object, or does he get a masterwork weapon essentially for free? Or does he have to pick a masterwork object for the bond? Or does he have to pay 200g/level to use an existing item?

2) The arcane object also allows a wizard to select one spell from his book per day and cast it “on the fly”.
A bard has no spell book. Would you rule this ability to be moot then, or for him to be able to cast 1 of his spells known once per day? (essentially giving him 1 extra spell available to cast per day).

Your thoughts are appreciated.

-S

[Orannis]

Selgard wrote:

1) A wizard usually makes this decision at 1st level. Doing so, his weapon is automatically masterwork. That is to say, he gets a masterwork item for free at first level and that item is his bonded object.
As a bard, getting it at 5th level, my question is:
Can I treat his current weapon as his Bonded Object? (that is- 1 weapon of his choice upon gaining 5th level) or does he just magically spawn a master work weapon out of the Ether? I ask because the bard in question is starting play with a +1 longsword.
The rules state that to “replace” his existing bond either because the old one was destroyed or because he wants to re-attach it to an existing item it costs him 200gp/level.
That would mean costing $1000gp to start.

So- can he pick 1 weapon on his person at level 5 and claim that his bonded object, or does he get a masterwork weapon essentially for free? Or does he have to pick a masterwork object for the bond? Or does he have to pay 200g/level to use an existing item?

You can bond any masterwork or already magical weapon which you already posess.

As for your second question, I'm not 100% sure. They may have addressed it elsewhere, but not to my knowledge. I would *assume* that, as you say, it still just gives you one free "cast" a day. That's how I'd rule it in my games.

[Selgard]

I prefer that ruling :) but was it codified anywhere? or is that just the general consensus?

-S

[Wolfthulhu]

General consensus. I don't think Paizo has ruled on it anywhere. Makes sense though.

Don't forget, you also get to enchant it as if you had Craft Magic Arms/Armor.

[Selgard]

bumps :)

[Jason Nelson]

Orannis wrote:

Selgard wrote:

1) A wizard usually makes this decision at 1st level. Doing so, his weapon is automatically masterwork. That is to say, he gets a masterwork item for free at first level and that item is his bonded object.
As a bard, getting it at 5th level, my question is:
Can I treat his current weapon as his Bonded Object? (that is- 1 weapon of his choice upon gaining 5th level) or does he just magically spawn a master work weapon out of the Ether? I ask because the bard in question is starting play with a +1 longsword.
The rules state that to “replace” his existing bond either because the old one was destroyed or because he wants to re-attach it to an existing item it costs him 200gp/level.
That would mean costing $1000gp to start.

So- can he pick 1 weapon on his person at level 5 and claim that his bonded object, or does he get a masterwork weapon essentially for free? Or does he have to pick a masterwork object for the bond? Or does he have to pay 200g/level to use an existing item?

You can bond any masterwork or already magical weapon which you already possess.

Correct.

Orannis wrote:

As for your second question, I'm not 100% sure. They may have addressed it elsewhere, but not to my knowledge. I would *assume* that, as you say, it still just gives you one free "cast" a day. That's how I'd rule it in my games.

That was the way I intended it to work when I wrote it - 1 extra "free cast" per day of any one of your spells. I realize that, technically, it's a free cast from any spell you know "in your spellbook," but I think that, interpretation-wise, that is something of a technicality.

That is, the bonded object lets you cast one extra spell per day of any spell you know; it just so happens that, for a wizard, that set of spells is defined by what is in your spellbook. For a spontaneous caster, it's still any spell you know... it's just you don't need a spellbook to know them.

So: Yes, RAI is one extra free cast of a bard spell you know.