Hi, friends!
The question is about locked gauntlet. I am playing an Arcane Duelist with buckler and rapier. When he got an "Arcane Bond" ability with his weapon he began to keep shield bonus with him. But...
Actually it's like a curse, because when you are not wielding your weapon - you cn not cast. But when you are wielding it - it can be easily disarmed and... You almost can not cast spells again.
So I decided to buy a locked gautlet.
But can a character cast a spell with right hand in gauntlet holding his bonded weapon, when ability says that "you can cast a spell with your hand holding your weapon"?
The locked gauntlet would prevent you from using somatic components, so you'll have to use metamagic to avoid those, or deal with a severely restricted spell list.
You shure? Bonded weapon allows to use the hand for somatic components of spells.
Without it it's a real curse - think about it :( Or I will stay without shield bonus.
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The Arcane duelist has the same weakness of any other caster that depend on a bonded item. the item cam be disarmed if a weapon or a wand, and any bonded item can be sundered.
So I don't see why it is more of a curse for a arcane duelist than for a wizard or one of the spellcasters archetypes that use bonded items.
They can cast spells with the hand holding a weapon, for sure, but that doesn't mean they can do it while using a locked gauntlet without repercussions. It's akin to saying that a wizard can cast spells, so he can cast spells in full plate.
The Arcane duelist has the same weakness of any other caster that depend on a bonded item. the item cam be disarmed if a weapon or a wand, and any bonded item can be sundered.
So I don't see why it is more of a curse for a arcane duelist than for a wizard or one of the spellcasters archetypes that use bonded items.
A barbarian's weapon could also be removed, and suddenly they aren't running around with that +5 furious greatsword, cutting things down in seconds. Then he has to go with that masterwork club that he only kept around back during that one dungeon where skeletons and DR were actually a problem for his mighty pecks and steel.
So I guess it depends on what you think of your arcane duelist as: a spellcaster with armor and a weapon, or a melee character with some nice buffs and spells. Due to all the bonus feats and the fact that they are giving you a way to easily upgrade your weapon for half its real value, I think the archetype is meant to lean towards the latter.
And it is not like they are wizards running around with 5 strength. They have a decent BAB and they are going to have a somewhat decent strength score. They have....not terrible CMD at least. Enough so that your GM has to really be a jerk and put an effort into messing with you like that.
The more immediately pressing problem I find with the arcane bond is that I am fairly sure that you need to actually brandish your weapon to cast spells (despite the fact that you have done so for 4 levels without any problems), and as such things might get awkward when you pull out your sword and yell at the king "Someone Wants you dead!" when what you really meant to do was to detect poison on his wineglass.
The more immediately pressing problem I find with the arcane bond is that I am fairly sure that you need to actually brandish your weapon to cast spells (despite the fact that you have done so for 4 levels without any problems), and as such things might get awkward when you pull out your sword and yell at the king "Someone Wants you dead!" when what you really meant to do was to detect poison on his wineglass.
And it's a problem! 4 levels before I used charm person easily, but now i need to wield my rapier (???) to make him friendly to me.
About lcked gauntlet - i get it, it's OK.
The more immediately pressing problem I find with the arcane bond is that I am fairly sure that you need to actually brandish your weapon to cast spells (despite the fact that you have done so for 4 levels without any problems), and as such things might get awkward when you pull out your sword and yell at the king "Someone Wants you dead!" when what you really meant to do was to detect poison on his wineglass.
And it's a problem! 4 levels before I used charm person easily, but now i need to wield my rapier (???) to make him friendly to me.
About lcked gauntlet - i get it, it's OK.
If it was possible just to have the weapon at hand, then you could just hold it while it was sheathed, which might make people a bit tense, but it wouldn't be too unusual. But no, if I am remembering it right, I have to make their warning bells fire into overdrive instead.
I think I'll make something with "SPELLSONG" feat, but it's actually needs to be homeruled, i think.
The archetype is not so powerfull to curse social spellcaster like this :)
Actually... You are absolutely right!
But it des not sound as good roleplaying... Hm. In this case homerule about weapon is even more hard than taking a gauntlet as a bonded weapon :)
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If it was possible just to have the weapon at hand, then you could just hold it while it was sheathed, which might make people a bit tense, but it wouldn't be too unusual. But no, if I am remembering it right, I have to make their warning bells fire into overdrive instead.The more immediately pressing problem I find with the arcane bond is that I am fairly sure that you need to actually brandish your weapon to cast spells (despite the fact that you have done so for 4 levels without any problems), and as such things might get awkward when you pull out your sword and yell at the king "Someone Wants you dead!" when what you really meant to do was to detect poison on his wineglass.
And it's a problem! 4 levels before I used charm person easily, but now i need to wield my rapier (???) to make him friendly to me.
About lcked gauntlet - i get it, it's OK.
The text of the bonded items has been changed (with the 5th printing, I think), so the caster don't need to wield the item anymore, instead it say:
If the object is an amulet or ring, it must be worn to have effect, while staves, wands, and weapons must be held in one hand.
To me "held in one hand" mean that the weapon should be draw, not in its sheath, but it is possible to interpret that differently.
The Locked Gauntlet could be your Arcane Bonded weapon.
My experience with the Arcane duelist is that he will be a half elf with Ancestral Arms and a Elven curve blade :-)
Before the correction I cited above the Arcane duelist was one of the very few classes and archetypes capable to cast a spell while wielding a 2 handed weapon.