Since you say "Wizard bonded weapon" in your title, I'm going to assume a level of wizard, rather than Magus.
You're talking about the Arcane Bond class feature, correct ? That says "weapons must be held in one hand."
I think you're really asking if the hand that holds your arcane bonded weapon can ALSO supply the somatic components of your spellcasting.
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I believe SlimGauge's greater point is, no. You must have a free hand to cast the spell. If both hands are occupied by sword and shield you do not have a free hand.
In general, this is why weapons are rarely bonded because always needing to have the weapon in hand causes a lot of problem. Similarly, this is why rings or amulets are popular for arcane bonds, and why wands and staves are much less so.
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It's kinda really stupid that the option to bond a two handed weapon even exists if it turns out you can't cast with it in your hands at all (unless you put still on all of your spells I guess).
You can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand without wielding it. This is all that is needed for casting.
It's kinda really stupid that the option to bond a two handed weapon even exists if it turns out you can't cast with it in your hands at all (unless you put still on all of your spells I guess).
...You can let go with one hand and use somatic components, no?
You could use a buckler, but I assume you're probably not interested in that option.
Correct. At least they have this exploit
Eldritch Blade: A blade adept with this exploit uses her caster level instead of her class level for the purpose of advancing her bonded sword's powers.
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Well, James Jacobs disagreesIt's kinda really stupid that the option to bond a two handed weapon even exists if it turns out you can't cast with it in your hands at all (unless you put still on all of your spells I guess).You can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand without wielding it. This is all that is needed for casting.
James Jacobs is not a rules guy.
James Jacobs is not a rules guy.Well, James Jacobs disagreesIt's kinda really stupid that the option to bond a two handed weapon even exists if it turns out you can't cast with it in your hands at all (unless you put still on all of your spells I guess).You can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand without wielding it. This is all that is needed for casting.
That 'ruling' that wasn't a ruling is also incredibly flawed - the idea that a bonded 'weapon' must be 'wielded' was based on the idea that there was no different between 'wielded' and 'held', from a mystical time before the game was ruined by would-be lawyers. The idea that a bonded weapon must be wielded (and not just held) means a wizard can't cast any somatic spells if he bonds with a staff (which is a 2-handed weapon) - which goes against so many tropes it's comical.
In my mind, and bonded item should be treated just as a holy symbol.
I have a question with my Ek build, I plan on using a sword and shield. If I bond my weapon can I cast with it in my hand?
You definitely want to cast with your bonded weapon in hand, since otherwise you take some severe casting penalties. But if the spell has material or somatic components, then you do need the other hand to be free. That is going to limit your shield usage. (The ability to make somatic gestures using the hand with the bonded weapon is one of the big selling points of the Arcane Duelist Bard.)
The best way around this is to cast verbal-only spells while in combat. There are a pretty good selection of verbal-only combat-useful spells, already, and Still Spell will expand that list immensely. Don't fall in to the trap of thinking that all of your spells have to be stilled. Just keep a limited but versatile selection of spells stilled for combat, because it will be simple to free up a hand when casting the other spells out of combat. If you find that you are doing more casting in combat than swinging your sword, then you probably should just cast from the sidelines.
Verbal-only combat spells will also remove any problems with in-combat arcane spell failure due to your armor. When you get the EK capstone, this approach will pay off even more, since it is impossible to use Spell Critical and Arcane Armor Training in the same round.
To avoid ASF when out of combat I recommend a mithril chain shirt combined with Arcane Armor Training for a Dex build, or Folding Plate for a Str build.