This is what I would propose Improved Arcance Bond (I believe it was in Wayfinder #3) should read, taking into acount the Arcane Bloodline (even the Bonded Item text in the core rule book fails to account for this), the Eldritch Heritige feat, Divine casters, and multiple classes:
Level 5
The character may add his relevant spellcasting ability score modifier as a bonus to his CMD vs attempts to disarm or sunder his bonded object (if the character has more than one class that grants Arcane spells, choose one class to affect Improved Arcane Bond; if the character has no class that grants spells, it is based on Intelligence). Improved Arcane Bond grants a +2 bonus on concentration checks made to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability when casting on the defensive or while grappled. This bonus stacks with the Combat Casting feat.
Level 7
Improved Arcane Bond grants a +2 bonus on caster level checks made to overcome a creature’s spell resistance. This bonus stacks with the Spell Penetration feat. Improved Arcane Bond grants magic protection to the character in the form of a +1 resistance bonus on all saving throws. This bonus increases by +1 for every 3 additional arcane caster levels, to a maximum of +5 at 19th level.
Level 9
The character can cast one additional Arcane spell per day. This additional spell otherwise follows all the rules of the standard Arcane Bond ability.
Level 11
Improved Arcane Bond grants spell resistance, as the spell of the same name, to the character equal to 12 + arcane caster level (if the character has more than one class that grants Arcane spells, use the caster level of the class chosen previously to affect Improved Arcane Bond).
Thoughts? Is the author around?
Oops. Should have been in Pathfinder RPG General Discussion, not setting.
Is the author around?He is indeed ...
Okay... I guess I need to spell it out. :)
If Eldritch Heritage existed when you wrote the feat, would it have looked more like this?
Also, if you were to specifically to take into account the Arcane Bloodline and multiple classes that grant arcane spells, would the feat look more like this?
Or was the intent to exclude Sorcerers with the Arcane Bloodline from using this feat (I assume it was worded as it was because Bonded Items in the book are worded not taking Sorcerers with the Arcane Bloodline into account)?
Is that somewhat how you would word it to handle a Wizard/Bard with this feat?
Thanks!
Hope you drop back in! I think stuff written by you is the only non-Paizo stuff that's being used in our campaign.
About the Spell-less ranger... isn't he a bit front heavy? He seems to only have benefits over the regular ranger in the first few levels. Any sugguestions on how to rearrange the abilites to be less front-loaded? Or am I missing something that makes him less front-loaded in comparison?
Also, I believe I read an errata of yours that the Ranger Levels should count as Druid Levels, 1 to 1, for Animal Companion purposes. Should this only kick in when the Ranger gets Hunter's Bond? For example, a Druid 1/Spell-less Ranger 1.
Thanks!
Ok, so if Marc doesn't come back, what do others think? Is that how you would treat Improved Arcane Bond (Magic of the Inner Sea: Arcanamirium Bond Masters, Wayfinder #3) with all the non-straight-wizard options?
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Hi there!
So many questions :)
First, glad you like Improved Arcane Bond!
As for your changes ...
I don't think I'm familiar with Eldritch Heritage - what is that from?
As for the sorcerer, I certainly see Improved Arcane Bond being primarily taken by wizards (after all, Arcane Bond is primarily a wizard class feature). The core rules do allow a sorcer with the arcane bloodline to have an Arcane Bond as well of course, so such a sorcerer could certainly take Improved Arcane Bond. However, just as a sorcerer taking Arcane Bond (object) instead of a familiar is probably a sub optimal choice, so might a sorcerer taking Improved Arcane Bond be considered sub optimal, although less so since Improved Arcane Bond gives the character many more abilities!
I'm not quite sure what you mean by Divine casters since the feat requires an arcane caster with the arcane bond class feature ...
I personally would probably not make the feat as open as you did, but that hardly means what you did is wrong! If the feat works better for you in your game that way, please have at it!
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Hope you drop back in! I think stuff written by you is the only non-Paizo stuff that's being used in our campaign.
About the Spell-less ranger... isn't he a bit front heavy? He seems to only have benefits over the regular ranger in the first few levels. Any sugguestions on how to rearrange the abilites to be less front-loaded? Or am I missing something that makes him less front-loaded in comparison?
Also, I believe I read an errata of yours that the Ranger Levels should count as Druid Levels, 1 to 1, for Animal Companion purposes. Should this only kick in when the Ranger gets Hunter's Bond? For example, a Druid 1/Spell-less Ranger 1.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for the nice words about things I've written, by the way !!!
I don't see the spell-less ranger as being front heavy at all. Things like stealth attack etc scale slowly over the course of all 20 levels for instance. I personally would not rearrange things at all :) However, like I said in my last post - if changing things works better for you in your game, have at it!
Regarding the spell-less ranger's animal companion, you are correct, that has been 'errated'. When he gets Hunter's Bond at 4th level, the animal companion's abilities are calculated using the rangers full level (ie 4th level)
Speaking of the spell-less ranger, the good folks at Kobold Quarterly have a number of new ranger talents I created but I'm not sure if they have decided where or when they will be released ...
If you'd like to see them, by all means ask about it over on the koboldquartely.com forums! :)
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I don't know about posting the exact feat and if it is a no-no to quote it from the book but what the hell, lets just throw it in a spoiler just for precaution.
You are descended from a long line of sorcerers, and some
portion of their power f lows in your veins.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Skill Focus with the class skill
of bloodline selected for this feat (see below), character
level 3rd.
Benefit: Select one sorcerer bloodline. You must have
Skill focus in the class skill that bloodline grants to a
sorcerer at 1st level (for example, Heal for the celestial
bloodline). This bloodline cannot be a bloodline you
already have. You gain the f irst-level bloodline power for
the selected bloodline. For purposes of using that power,
treat your sorcerer level as equal to your character level –
2, even if you have levels in sorcerer. You do not gain any
of the other bloodline abilities.
The power of your discovered bloodline continues to grow.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, Eldritch Heritage, character
level 11th.
Benefit: You gain either the 3rd-level or the 9th-level
power (your choice) of the bloodline you selected with the
Eldritch Heritage feat. For purposes of using that power,
treat your sorcerer level as equal to your character level –
2, even if you have levels in sorcerer. You do not gain any
of the other bloodline abilities.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you select the feat, it
applies to a different bloodline power for that bloodline
available at sorcerer level 3 or 9.
Hope this helps the discussion some.
Also if anyone cares to link to the actual product on the site that also might not be a bad idea. :)
Thanks for answering Marc!
Eldritch Heritage is a Feat from Ultimate Magic that lets any character get a Level 1 Bloodline power. So any character can now have access to a Bonded item. A Bard. A Cleric. A Rogue.
To summarize your response (if I understand correctly)... for Improved Arcane Bond, you can replace any class for wizard in the description if you meet the prereqs, but the feat is still based on Int and arcane caster levels.
If you have more than one arcane class, choose one? For example, if you had an 2 arcane classes, neither of which is granting the Arcane Bond (using Eldritch Heritige), you'd choose one for "arcane caster level" and for the purposes of "+1 for every 3 additional arcane caster levels", or would you add them all?
About the Spell-less Ranger: it's an awesome class... the first "Archetype" I saw. I do think it's balanced over 20 levels. However, consider these 2 characters: a Fighter 7/Ranger 3 and a Fighter 7/Spell-less Ranger 3.
Doesn't the second character benefit from his Spell-less Ranger levels more than the first does from his Ranger levels?
By the way, I highly recommend to anyone to buy the magazine that Marc's article "The Spell-less Ranger - A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Base Class" appears in (and for the other articles):
Paizo Store: Kobold Quarterly 11 (Print or PDF)
Also, the awesome FREE Wayfinder #3, which has Marc's article "Magic of the Inner Sea: Arcanamirium Bond Masters" (and again, also lots of other great stuff):
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If you have more than one arcane class, choose one? For example, if you had an 2 arcane classes, neither of which is granting the Arcane Bond (using Eldritch Heritige), you'd choose one for "arcane caster level" and for the purposes of "+1 for every 3 additional arcane caster levels", or would you add them all?
I may not be the author but I would certainly say so, it seems appropriate for the standard reading of the rule. Yes, you would add them all. I will be ruling that way in either case anyway for my own games.