Ok everyone i am the gm for skulls and shackles. And one of my players is wanting to play a wizard. The archetype that he picked is interesting but i have questions.
So this normal:
Wizards who select a bonded object begin play with one at no cost. Objects that are the subject of an arcane bond must fall into one of the following categories: amulet, ring, staff, wand, or weapon. These objects are always masterwork quality. Weapons acquired at 1st level are not made of any special material. If the object is an amulet or ring, it must be worn to have effect, while staves, wands, and weapons must be wielded. If a wizard attempts to cast a spell without his bonded object worn or in hand, he must make a concentration check or lose the spell. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the spell's level. If the object is a ring or amulet, it occupies the ring or neck slot accordingly.
But this is the archetype:
Bonded Book (Sp): A Poleiheira adherent forms a bond with a spellbook. This bonded book becomes intrinsically tied to a Poleiheira adherent’s conscious and subconscious mind. The book always opens to the right page, and she can record any number of spells and other information in her bonded book—when she turns pages, more blank pages appear. Other wizards find it difficult to read the book, which displays information in a seemingly random order: the DC of all Spellcraft checks to copy or prepare spells from the book increases by 10.
Each time a Poleiheira adherent attains a new wizard level, she gains four spells (rather than two) to add to the bonded book. The cost and time requirement for writing a new spell into the book are halved. The time to prepare spells is reduced to one third (20 minutes to prepare all spells, and 5 minutes to prepare up to one quarter of her spells). Once per day while holding the book in one hand, she can use it to cast any one spell she has written in the bonded book, even if the spell is not prepared.
A Poleiheira adherent can replace a lost or destroyed bonded book in the same manner as a bonded item. The new bonded book retains a number of spells per spell level equal to the Poleiheira adherent’s Intelligence modifier from the previous bonded book, as well as all the mundane information that was recorded in the previous bonded book. If a Poleiheira adherent replaces her bonded book or dies, the previous book reverts to an ordinary blank spellbook.
This replaces arcane bond.
Now here is my question. Do you guys think it would still function like a bonded object? Or does this mean that the wizard can cast spells without the book on his person?
Well, it states that it replaces arcane bond. So, by the RAW they don't have to have the book on their person to cast spells. If they wish to use the spell recall ability they do have to have it in one hand as specified.
it would be actually worse than the normal bonded item rules if they had to have it in hand in order to cast spells. Since, there isn't anything you can do intrinsically with a spellbook. Whereas, an amulet, ring, staff, wand, or weapon could all have functions and/or abilities independent of the bonded item class ability. In fact there are some magic items that grant extra abilities if they are a bonded item.
So, overall it's probably fine.
Do you guys think it would still function like a bonded object? Or does this mean that the wizard can cast spells without the book on his person?
"This replaces arcane bond." That line is important - not just for archetype stacking, but it also dictates how the ability functions. Unlike "alters", "replaces" does just that, it replaces the normal ability with a completely new one. There is no connection between the two ability, except for that which is explicitly stated. Basically, you can completely ignore the old ability, unless referred to.
In this case, Bonded Book does not refer to the Arcane Bond ability (or parts thereof). Thus, the "If a wizard attempts to cast a spell without his bonded object worn or in hand, he must make a concentration check or lose the spell." downside is not valid for this archetype, the Bonded Book ability does not have it. It only has the once per day cast ability because it explicitly says so ("Once per day while holding the book in one hand, she can use it to cast any one spell she has written in the bonded book, even if the spell is not prepared."), it wouldn't have that, otherwise.
For the record, if anything asks for a bonded item, or the Arcane Bond class feature, a Poleiheira Adherent doesn't qualify, because it has neither.
However I think the intention was definitely for it to work like an arcane bond.
I disagree. I see no indication of such intend, quite the contrary (with the ability repeating the 1/day cast ability). The archetype is already hampered by not having school spell slots, why should the arcane bond be nerfed, too?
A Poleiheira adherent can replace a lost or destroyed bonded book in the same manner as a bonded item.
I don't know what the original intent may have been, but in the version we got it doesn't seem to be a bonded item, and only works as one for that one case.
The archetype could have used a little more editing though, because that ability is also altering the spellbook class feature, but doesn't mention that it alters Spellbooks, when it says it replaces the Arcane Bond.
A Poleiheira adherent can replace a lost or destroyed bonded book in the same manner as a bonded item.I don't know what the original intent may have been, but in the version we got it doesn't seem to be a bonded item, and only works as one for that one case.
The archetype could have used a little more editing though, because that ability is also altering the spellbook class feature, but doesn't mention that it alters Spellbooks, when it says it replaces the Arcane Bond.
Yeah, that omission makes it look like it should work with the HHH Pact Wizard, despite them both modifying spell preparation. Poleiheira adherent is from a recent enough book that it should be expected to use the altered/replaced terms correctly though.