Wizard bonded objects and composite longbows

[EvilKingCaliban]

So. I have a serious question and a silly question.

One of the other players in our soon-to-start Legacy of Fire campaign decided he wanted to make an archer character, going wizard/fighter into Arcane Archer. He decided for his wizard's bonded object he wanted to take a masterwork composite longbow with a strength rating of +4. Which is valued at 800g. Several -times- more than a first-level character's expected wealth. Our DM vetoed it, just on principle, but I'm still curious. Is there anything anywhere in the RAW that would disallow him from taking that bow as his free bonded item at first level?

And then for sheer silliness, assuming that -is- viable, is there anything specific anywhere in the rules that would disallow ramping that up? I couldn't find anything anywhere describing a maximum allowed strength rating for a composite bow. Could someone theoretically, without breaking the letter of the law, decide to take, for instance, say, a composite longbow with a +5000 strength rating, turn around and sell it, and start the campaign as a first level character with better than 250k gold to spend on things? XD

I strongly suspect there -is- something somewhere that makes this not work, and I just couldn't find it. And obviously this is so ridiculously cheesy that no DM would ever allow it, but I'm just curious to the specific what and where of the rule that disallows this silliness.

Edit: I'd intended for this to be in the Rules Questions subforum, but somehow it ended up in the Advice. Huh. Oh well.

[Inlaa]

Clearly, what you should do is have Bonded Item (Cannon) and start with a Masterwork Cannon that you and another party member can fire at people.

...If only.

[EvilKingCaliban]

Of course, then you're kind of screwed if you want to cast, because you have to be holding your bonded weapon in one hand. I'm imagining you'd have to be a pretty buff wizard to be able to heft around a freaking cannon in general, let alone one-handed. =P

[Inlaa]

EvilKingCaliban wrote:

Of course, then you're kind of screwed if you want to cast, because you have to be holding your bonded weapon in one hand. I'm imagining you'd have to be a pretty buff wizard to be able to heft around a freaking cannon in general, let alone one-handed. =P

Who says you're going to level Wizard past 1?

...Although you could, perhaps, start with 20 STR, have Enlarge Person on, use Muleback Cords...

Huh. I can't actually find the weight for Siege Engines anyway, only for their ammunition.

[Fomsie]

I believe it is a case of one thing is granted by the ability, one thing is an "add-on".

The Arcane Bond Item let's you start with a Masterwork Weapon, and it states that Weapons are not of any special materials.

PRD on weapons wrote:

The default composite longbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite longbow can be made with a high strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 100 gp to its cost.

Pretty sure you just get the default and not an additionally modified bow to start with, since being Masterwork doesn't grant it a strength bonus.

[EvilKingCaliban]

Ooooh. You're right. I hadn't noticed that. That makes sense.