Have the powers that be come down on what happens when a prepared caster that doesn't have a spellbook attains a bonded item?
I've searched the forums a couple of times now and just see "expect table variation" as the only consensus. Hoping for something a little more concrete.
It might be a case by case basis vs a "one rule for everyone situation".
Do you have specific examples?
I thought you just get an extra spell slot of your highest level.
Wraithstrike: I have a lore spirit half-elf shaman who is considering eldritch heritage to get an arcane bond. The problem is I have no idea how this is supposed to play out per the rules. IMO, it makes sense to me that I can cast any spell on my list of a level I can cast once per day. As far as I know, there are no rules fully supporting this interpretation.
PP: you get an extra spell of any level you can cast that is in your spellbook or spells known. My problem is that shaman (clerics, druids, etc too) don't explicitly have "spells known" or a spellbook. They just have access to their whole list to prepare from each day.
I would start an FAQ asking a specific question. I don't think there is one.
Do you have any suggestions on how to go about that?
My ruling, in the absence of anything more concrete, would be to take the eccleseitheurge cleric's arcane bonded holy symbol as a model. But this is a GM extrapolation, not RAW.
"Do Divine Casters gain anything from Arcane Bond?"
An arcane bond could be a familiar, which would be pretty clear-cut on how it works.
An arcane bonded item can be enchanted by the owner "as if the he had the required item creation feats", and if he meets the level requirements. The selected item could be a weapon, ring, staff, wand, or amulet (unlike the limitation on the Ecclesitheurge's holy symbol).
So, obviously there are some gains from the Arcane Bond.
The question in this case is limited to "how does the arcane bond item's ability to cast 1 spell per day from your spellbook or known spells work when the character is a divine caster with no spellbook or spells known but access to all spells from the class spell list?"
An interesting house rule that would actually expand Wizard-style Bonded Item(*) uses for spontaneous casters would be that Bonded Item spell casting requires a spell book, but you don't have to be of a class that normally has a spell book to use one in this way, if you somehow manage to get your hands on one, or make one yourself (the latter requiring Scribe Scroll if you don't have an explicit class feature that enables you to create a spell book). So an Arcane Sorcerer with a Bonded Item who managed to get hold of a spell book could use the Bonded Item to cast any spell in the spell book, as long as the spell is one that the Sorcerer could have chosen as a spell known.
(*)Note that other types of Bonded Item also exist, such as the Familiar replacements of some Witch archetypes -- these would not be covered, because they have their own rules of operation.
Do you have any suggestions on how to go about that?
I would start a new post and ask
"How do bonded items work with classes such as shamans, clerics, and druids who do not have spell books"?
I have started a separate thread for FAQ:
Here is the link to get there
Have the powers that be come down on what happens when a prepared caster that doesn't have a spellbook attains a bonded item?
I've searched the forums a couple of times now and just see "expect table variation" as the only consensus. Hoping for something a little more concrete.
If you don't have a spellbook as a prepared caster than the only powers it has would be what you have enchanted it with. The arcane bond power assumes regular access to a spellbook.
If you're only carrying a travelling spellbook with just a portion of your spell knowledge, than that's what you have access to.
A more generous GM might allow you to duplicate any spell that you have prepared, but any material components would be needed as usual.
Have the powers that be come down on what happens when a prepared caster that doesn't have a spellbook attains a bonded item?
I've searched the forums a couple of times now and just see "expect table variation" as the only consensus. Hoping for something a little more concrete.
They say that because the rules for Arcane Bond have never applied to spontaneous spellcasters.
It wouldn't be unreasonable to grant them a 1/day "any spell on their class list that they can cast" option, as that's effectively what prepared spellcasters get (except it's with any spell on their spell book), but it's difficult to say that's the intent when there is zero precedent on the matter.
I wouldn't be surprised if the devs eventually chimed in and said "Nope, this works for prepared spellcasters with a spellbook, not spontaneous casters, or spellcasters who don't have a spellbook." Because realistically, that's perhaps the best thing we're going to get besides no answer at all.
Have the powers that be come down on what happens when a prepared caster that doesn't have a spellbook attains a bonded item?
I've searched the forums a couple of times now and just see "expect table variation" as the only consensus. Hoping for something a little more concrete.
They say that because the rules for Arcane Bond have never applied to spontaneous spellcasters.
.
Because sorcerers and the like are essentially living spellbooks, having their entire spell knowledge within. But they aren't part of the asked question anyway, which is entirely on book casters. Besides, the vast majority of spontaneous casters, including most sorcerers do not have the arcane bond class feature anyway.
Have the powers that be come down on what happens when a prepared caster that doesn't have a spellbook attains a bonded item?
I've searched the forums a couple of times now and just see "expect table variation" as the only consensus. Hoping for something a little more concrete.
They say that because the rules for Arcane Bond have never applied to spontaneous spellcasters.
It wouldn't be unreasonable to grant them a 1/day "any spell on their class list that they can cast" option, as that's effectively what prepared spellcasters get (except it's with any spell on their spell book), but it's difficult to say that's the intent when there is zero precedent on the matter.
I wouldn't be surprised if the devs eventually chimed in and said "Nope, this works for prepared spellcasters with a spellbook, not spontaneous casters, or spellcasters who don't have a spellbook." Because realistically, that's perhaps the best thing we're going to get besides no answer at all.
Once per day, your bond item allows you to cast any one of our spells known (unlike a wizard's bonded item, which allows him to cast any one spell in his spellbook).
It is not a general rule, but it is something a GM could use for other spontaneous casters.
PS: I just noticed that the prd has "bonded" spelled as "bond" for the sorcerer entry.