What game mechanic breaks if my wizard chooses a Bonded Object at level one, then has that object broken and destroyed at level 6, then at level 7 chooses to take the Improved Familiar feat and create & gain a Homunculus?
I understand the rules say one or the other for Arcane Bond: Familiar or Bonded Object.
At 1st level, wizards form a powerful bond with an object or a
creature. This bond can take one of two forms: a familiar or a bonded
object. A familiar is a magical pet that enhances the wizard’s skills
and senses and can aid him in magic, while a bonded object is an item
a wizard can use to cast additional spells or to serve as a magical
item. Once a wizard makes this choice, it is permanent and cannot be
changed.
What I don't understand is why that choice must be permanent. What huge advantage does a wizard get with the flexibility to shift once over his adventuring career? That wizard is giving up one class feature for a different class feature.
It seems to me like the Fighter has some flexibility….
Upon reaching 4th level, and every four levels thereafter (8th, 12th, and so on), a fighter can choose to learn a new bonus feat in place of a bonus feat he has already learned. In effect, the fighter loses the bonus feat in exchange for the new one.
… as does the Sorcerer
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered sorcerer level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the sorcerer loses the old spell in exchange for the new one.
Is the wizard's Arcane Bond different from these examples in some way?
Best Answer
I can see two reasons why the wizard would not be allowed to change her arcane bond.
Mechanical aspect
The main difference I can see between the fighter / sorcerer example and the wizard is that a familiar provides a constant, specific bonus.
One of the risks would then be that the wizard changes familiar depending on the current focus of the campaign. For example, he would start with an armadillo to protect against attacks, then face more spellcasters and replace it with a dodo for the initiative bonus, later change to a pig because the campaign has more social encounters, and so on.
I always assume that the reason fighters and sorcerers can change their class features is because some feats and spells don't scale well. Wizard bonuses don't scale at all, so this concern doesn't exist.
Flavor aspect
Another difference is in terms of flavor: the wizard is bonded to that item or familiar. Another class that has a bonded companion is the paladin, and while a paladin can change her bonded mount, it takes 30 days during which she has maluses to all her attacks.
On the other hand, there is no connection between a fighter and its feats or a sorcerer and its spells.
Would the game break if the wizard was allowed to change its arcane bond, then?
Probably not. That's, after all, the reason it is included in the retraining rules.
However, other players could get jealous that the wizard gets a flexible bonus that can be changed over time. A ranger might wonder why he can't change his favored enemy, a cavalier might want to change his order, and so on. Those are also bonuses whose utility can change over the course of a campaign.
As for the flavor aspect, it depends on the GM and player. Is a familiar a companion of research and travel, who spends a lot of time with and trusts the wizard, or is it a class feature that provides useful constant bonuses? In the former case, you shouldn't allow the players to throw it away, otherwise they might be torn between the mechanical and the flavor choice.
"I'm sorry, Arthur. We spent a lot of time together and I loved you, but now I really need this +3 bonus to swim more than anything. So, goodbye, old friend."