Advice on Bonded object for Pathfinder Wizard - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

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#1 anansi May 10, 2008 18:04:55	Greetings, all. In a couple of weeks I'm going to be joining a game which uses the Pathfinder rule set. The group needed an arcane spellcaster and I've decided to play a wizard, since I must admit I was a tad disappointed with how Paizo re-did the sorcerer. My new DM has house-ruled that all wizards must be specialists (but still lose access to spells from prohibited schools, unlike the Pathfinder wizard) so I've decided to be either a specialist transmuter or conjurer. Anyway, the point of my post is advice on this particular aspect of the character: Arcane Bond Class Feature Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, wizards forge a powerful bond with an object or creature. This bond can take one of two forms: The first is a familiar, following the standard rules for such creatures (see Familiars) and the second is a bond with an object, using it to cast spells and enchanting it with even greater powers. Objects that are the subject of an arcane bond must fall into one of the following categories: amulet, ring, staff, wand, or weapon. 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 Spellcraft check or lose the spell. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the spell’s level. A bonded object can be used once per day to cast any one spell that the wizard knows, just as if the wizard had cast it. This spell cannot be modified by metamagic feats or other abilities. The bonded object cannot be used to cast spells from the wizard’s prohibited schools. A wizard can enchant his bonded object as if he had the required feats. Any powers added to his bonded object are done so at half the normal cost. If the bonded object is a wand, it loses its enchantment when its last charge is consumed, but it is not destroyed and it retains all of its bonded object properties. If a bonded object is damaged, it is restored to full hit points the next time the wizard prepares his spells. If the subject of an arcane bond is lost or destroyed, it can be replaced after 1 week’s time in a special ritual that costs 200 gp per wizard level. This ritual takes 8 hours to complete.
#2 phoenix00 May 10, 2008 21:55:01	So let me get this straight with the Artisan feats instead of getting a 50% reduction (which is awesome), you are getting a 75% reduction in gold and xp cost. THAT IS ******* HUGE ---- Note you only need a caster level of 12th to qualify for the craft staff feat (you only need a caster level of 12 in one spell, school, or spell like ability) Here are ways to increase caster level http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=615672 The easy ones is this one Spellgifted (trait) +1 - UA one school; -1 others Also split the cost of an ioun stone and a ring of arcane might. Have another party member buy these for permanent use. "rent them" for a week or two when you craft the items, and then return them after paying a modest fee for borrowing them. Staffs also do decent damage with just the use of a single spell. Greater Mighty Wallop. For the cost of 1 3rd level slot, you make your 1d6 damage weapon do the same damage as a 2d6 greatsword at level 8
#3 anansi May 11, 2008 0:01:21	That's an intriguing perspective. It also made me check out the Magical Artisan feat from Player's Guide to Faerun which reduces the cost by 25% as well. I don't have access to the Eberron Campaign Setting book right now but I'll check out the other Artisan feats when I get a hold of it later. I don't know if my DM is allowing traits but I'll definitely consider Spellgifted. That being the case, this character is starting off at first level so -1 caster level in spells not of my specialty school could definitely hurt for a while, or at the very least, would restricted me to conjuration spells only for the first few levels which doesn't really feel that attractive to me. That being said, I'm not sure I want to take all the artisan feats. That's a pretty big investment for the sole purpose of enchanting one item. Do you think it's worth it? EDIT: On second thought, it just might be. Pathfinder nixes XP costs for spells and item creation. Spells that cost XP now have a material component of equal GP value and XP costs for item crafting have been removed entirely, but GP costs remain the same... I wonder what I could do with this... but I don't feel like being Artificer lite (artificers aren't allowed in the campaign, btw).
#4 phoenix00 May 11, 2008 0:37:08	Even better with those pathfinder item creation rules. Thus you only need 1 feat, the one to reduce gp cost, since you really don't need to reduce crafting time. Based off the rules you posted if you are starting at level 1, you may want to start with another item, followed by a wand, followed by a staff. You can always destroy the magic item yourself and recraft a new one at a price. And look up intelligent item feat from UA. That will be nice. And having an awesome staff doesn't make you an artificer lite. ---- What happens when you have a staff embedded with lots of pearls of power?
#5 anansi May 11, 2008 1:55:30	What happens when you have a staff embedded with lots of pearls of power? The DM curls up into a foetal position and gibbers like a monkey? Seriously, though, thanks for the input. You've given me a lot of good ideas. Finally, one more dilemma faces me: I've decided to be a focused specialist conjurer dropping necromancy, evocation and enchantment. What do you think would be good choices for my two first level feats? I've got it down to Collegiate Wizard and Improved Initiative OR Sculpt Spell and Metamagic School Focus (Conjuration). Extraordinary Artisan will likely be my sixth level feat since I can start enchanting my staff at 5th level and don't want to waste my third level feat on something I won't be able to use for another two levels (I must admit I am still tempted slightly by the amulet). Though starting with an amulet then swapping it out for a wand, then staff at higher levels is the right decision from an optimisation standpoint, I'm not sure I feel entirely comfortable doing that since RP-wise, by bonded item would be my most prized possession. I plan to have my character specialise in battlefield control and buffs. FYI the rest of the group consists of: - Fighter - Ranger - Warlock - Cleric who sounds like he's going to go the 'zilla route - Last character is either going to be a dwarven fighter or some manner of rogue. As you can see, the party is a regular goon squad (I don't know their exact builds, though) so I think that buffs and battlefield control is definitely the way to go. Thanks again for all your help.
#6 phoenix00 May 11, 2008 7:49:04	I ain't the best spell selecter on the boards by a far margin. As for the amuelet vs wand vs staff. Flavorwise you purposefully destroy the item, and use its remains to unlock a stronger power. You may still have the gemstones, the brooch, and everything that was once part of the amuelet, not it is part of the wand brooch/handle, and eventually it becomes the top of your staff. It represents an evolution of your power, just like you have changed from a person who casted glitterdust to a person who cast flesh to ice.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

anansi

May 10, 2008 18:04:55

Greetings, all.

In a couple of weeks I'm going to be joining a game which uses the Pathfinder rule set. The group needed an arcane spellcaster and I've decided to play a wizard, since I must admit I was a tad disappointed with how Paizo re-did the sorcerer.

My new DM has house-ruled that all wizards must be specialists (but still lose access to spells from prohibited schools, unlike the Pathfinder wizard) so I've decided to be either a specialist transmuter or conjurer. Anyway, the point of my post is advice on this particular aspect of the character:

Arcane Bond Class Feature

Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, wizards forge a powerful bond with an object or creature. This bond can take one of two forms: The first is a familiar, following the standard rules for such creatures (see Familiars) and the second is a bond with an object, using it to cast spells and enchanting it with even greater powers.
Objects that are the subject of an arcane bond must fall into one of the following categories: amulet, ring, staff, wand, or weapon. 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 Spellcraft check or lose the spell. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the spell’s level.
A bonded object can be used once per day to cast any one spell that the wizard knows, just as if the wizard had cast it. This spell cannot be modified by metamagic feats or other abilities. The bonded object cannot be used to cast spells from the wizard’s prohibited schools.
A wizard can enchant his bonded object as if he had the required feats. Any powers added to his bonded object are done so at half the normal cost. If the bonded object is a wand, it loses its enchantment when its last charge is consumed, but it is not destroyed and it retains all of its bonded object properties.
If a bonded object is damaged, it is restored to full hit points the next time the wizard prepares his spells. If the subject of an arcane bond is lost or destroyed, it can be replaced after 1 week’s time in a special ritual that
costs 200 gp per wizard level. This ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

phoenix00

May 10, 2008 21:55:01

So let me get this straight

with the Artisan feats instead of getting a 50% reduction (which is awesome), you are getting a 75% reduction in gold and xp cost.

THAT IS ******* HUGE

----

Note you only need a caster level of 12th to qualify for the craft staff feat (you only need a caster level of 12 in one spell, school, or spell like ability)

Here are ways to increase caster level
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=615672

The easy ones is this one
Spellgifted (trait) +1 - UA one school; -1 others

Also split the cost of an ioun stone and a ring of arcane might. Have another party member buy these for permanent use. "rent them" for a week or two when you craft the items, and then return them after paying a modest fee for borrowing them.

Staffs also do decent damage with just the use of a single spell. Greater Mighty Wallop. For the cost of 1 3rd level slot, you make your 1d6 damage weapon do the same damage as a 2d6 greatsword at level 8

anansi

May 11, 2008 0:01:21

That's an intriguing perspective. It also made me check out the Magical Artisan feat from Player's Guide to Faerun which reduces the cost by 25% as well. I don't have access to the Eberron Campaign Setting book right now but I'll check out the other Artisan feats when I get a hold of it later.

I don't know if my DM is allowing traits but I'll definitely consider Spellgifted. That being the case, this character is starting off at first level so -1 caster level in spells not of my specialty school could definitely hurt for a while, or at the very least, would restricted me to conjuration spells only for the first few levels which doesn't really feel that attractive to me.

That being said, I'm not sure I want to take all the artisan feats. That's a pretty big investment for the sole purpose of enchanting one item. Do you think it's worth it?

EDIT: On second thought, it just might be. Pathfinder nixes XP costs for spells and item creation. Spells that cost XP now have a material component of equal GP value and XP costs for item crafting have been removed entirely, but GP costs remain the same... I wonder what I could do with this... but I don't feel like being Artificer lite (artificers aren't allowed in the campaign, btw).

phoenix00

May 11, 2008 0:37:08

Even better with those pathfinder item creation rules. Thus you only need 1 feat, the one to reduce gp cost, since you really don't need to reduce crafting time.

Based off the rules you posted if you are starting at level 1, you may want to start with another item, followed by a wand, followed by a staff. You can always destroy the magic item yourself and recraft a new one at a price.

And look up intelligent item feat from UA. That will be nice.

And having an awesome staff doesn't make you an artificer lite.

----

What happens when you have a staff embedded with lots of pearls of power?

anansi

May 11, 2008 1:55:30

What happens when you have a staff embedded with lots of pearls of power?

The DM curls up into a foetal position and gibbers like a monkey?

Seriously, though, thanks for the input. You've given me a lot of good ideas. Finally, one more dilemma faces me: I've decided to be a focused specialist conjurer dropping necromancy, evocation and enchantment. What do you think would be good choices for my two first level feats?

I've got it down to Collegiate Wizard and Improved Initiative OR Sculpt Spell and Metamagic School Focus (Conjuration). Extraordinary Artisan will likely be my sixth level feat since I can start enchanting my staff at 5th level and don't want to waste my third level feat on something I won't be able to use for another two levels (I must admit I am still tempted slightly by the amulet). Though starting with an amulet then swapping it out for a wand, then staff at higher levels is the right decision from an optimisation standpoint, I'm not sure I feel entirely comfortable doing that since RP-wise, by bonded item would be my most prized possession.

I plan to have my character specialise in battlefield control and buffs. FYI the rest of the group consists of:

- Fighter
- Ranger
- Warlock
- Cleric who sounds like he's going to go the 'zilla route
- Last character is either going to be a dwarven fighter or some manner of rogue.

As you can see, the party is a regular goon squad (I don't know their exact builds, though) so I think that buffs and battlefield control is definitely the way to go.

Thanks again for all your help.

phoenix00

May 11, 2008 7:49:04

I ain't the best spell selecter on the boards by a far margin.

As for the amuelet vs wand vs staff. Flavorwise you purposefully destroy the item, and use its remains to unlock a stronger power. You may still have the gemstones, the brooch, and everything that was once part of the amuelet, not it is part of the wand brooch/handle, and eventually it becomes the top of your staff. It represents an evolution of your power, just like you have changed from a person who casted glitterdust to a person who cast flesh to ice.