I'm retraining my Shadowcaster, and...

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

I have a Level 4 Wayang Illusionist of the Shadowcaster Archetype, and I've at last come to the conclusion that it takes at least as much from the character as it gives (especially given all the feats and Arcane Discoveries a shadow wizard wants), so I intend to retrain him to drop the Archetype. This will raise a few questions:

0) If the Archetype has a saving grace, it's Shadow Spells - I don't have to worry about any of the normal issues with an Arcane Bond, and I enjoy significantly greater flexibility in the extra magic I get from it. What do other people think of how it fares against an item bond? Do you think I should give the Shadowcaster Archetype another chance?

1) Dovetailed into Shadow Spells is a bonus language - if I give up the Shadow Spells feature, do I lose the language as well?

2) Can staves of the kind one forms an Arcane Bond with be used as weapons in any capacity?

3) I am presently armed with a +1 Club - what exactly would happen if I made it my Arcane Bond? Could I even do that at this point, or would it have to be a new masterwork weapon?

4) If I elect for a wand, could I apply things like metamagic, Spell Focus and/or Arcane Discoveries to it? For example: I have the Wayang Spellhunter (color spray) trait and Persistent Spell metamagic feat. Could I make a 2nd-level wand that cast Persistent color spray - and would my Greater Spell Focus (Illusion) go into the DC too? What about the Resilient Illusions Discovery? What about the Wayang racial bonus to [Shadow] spell DCs? Would I get that if I made a wand of shadow conjuration?

5) What kinds of things can I do with bound rings and amulets (and staves, for that matter)? What properties can I imbue my ring or amulet with? Can I give it the properties of multiple different such items (such as a bonded amulet that functions as both an amulet of spell mastery, an amulet of natural armor +1, and a mummer's ruff)? Can I make a staff capable of a custom repertoire of spells?

[James Risner]

1) lose the class feature giving you a language turn you lose the language
2) staff is a quarter staff

I'll reply 3-5 when I have more time.

[James Risner]

3) New masterwork required
4) Can put metamagic feats in but you pay for it as if you didn't have reducers. The stated goal is "the worse for you" so ignore wayang spellhunter, spell focus, etc.
5) Entirely dependent on your GM creating a custom item you can build. This isn't a rules question, and remember the chart is last resort. Your GM is required to look at similar items and similar power to determine first before jumping to chart.

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

James Risner wrote:

2) staff is a quarter staff

How does that work regarding wielding it as a weapon? It says Bonded Staves must be held in one hand - do I still need to apply two hands to use it as a melee weapon?

James Risner wrote:

4) Can put metamagic feats in but you pay for it as if you didn't have reducers. The stated goal is "the worse for you" so ignore wayang spellhunter, spell focus, etc.

Could I apply the Resilient Illusions Discovery to illusions from a wand, as mentioned above?

James Risner wrote:

5) Entirely dependent on your GM creating a custom item you can build. This isn't a rules question, and remember the chart is last resort. Your GM is required to look at similar items and similar power to determine first before jumping to chart.

This is Organized Play we're talking about here - what's the story there?

[James Risner]

I'm Hiding In Your Closet wrote:

do I still need to apply two hands to use it as a melee weapon?

Could I apply the Resilient Illusions Discovery to illusions from a wand, as mentioned above?

This is Organized Play we're talking about here - what's the story there?

Yes

No, you didn't cast it the wand did and you can't put that in crafted wands.

PFS doesn't allow custom items.

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

Let me ask another question. This one's further out on a limb (but as Roy Rogers said, that's where the fruit is): If a bound staff can be used as a quarterstaff, might a bound wand be usable as a club (it worked well enough for Diablo II Necromancers)?

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

*BUMP*

[W. John Hare]

As it is for PFS, then your wand would not be able to be used as a club. You could use it as an improvised weapon though.

[I'm Hiding In Your Closet]

Huh. How much damage would it do, and could I give it weapon enchantments? It would be inherently masterwork....

[Conman the Bardbarian]

Improvised weapons are compared to a similar type weapon, you'd be lucky to argue it was a small club for 1d4. I don't know if the masterwork quality would count and I don't think it can be enchanted.

[W. John Hare]

From the PRD:

Improvised Weapons: Sometimes objects not crafted to be weapons nonetheless see use in combat. Because such objects are not designed for this use, any creature that uses an improvised weapon in combat is considered to be nonproficient with it and takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with that object. To determine the size category and appropriate damage for an improvised weapon, compare its relative size and damage potential to the weapon list to find a reasonable match. An improvised weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. An improvised thrown weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.

Since it isn't crafted to be a weapon, I don't think it can be enchanted... because technically it isn't a weapon.

[W. John Hare]

As a wand weighs only an ounce ~ I would probably have it as only 1d2. And that might still be too generous.