PF staff - arcane spell focus OR item creation

 Best info says Familiar is better… for xyz, but Focus Object better for raw power (spells and gold)… but if i can have a familiar improved with wand casting… i would pixk that https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder_RPG/comments/owcce4/familiar_vs_bonded_item/

• I'm gonna promote the less popular opinion and say that primarily, because I play Evoker blasters a lot when I play mages, I choose the Bonded Item.
• Familiar’s SLAs (aspell like abilities) suck after level 5

Blaster mage Bonded object guy says - tl;dr if you dig the versatility of the Bonded Item, I think it's a good choice. If you value having a Wand/Scroll monkey after Level 7 or so, the Familiar's going to be a good choice with plenty of other benefits on top.

• And hey, if you're That Kind of Player, Bleed and Die For Your Master are now on the table: https://aonprd.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Die%20for%20Your%20Master

  https://preview.redd.it/h5dyolxs2hc71.png?auto=webp&s=353fc38da0934517de2d939fd98dad21773be0d3

  
  

  Others

•  Extra actions (probably need improved familiar for wands)
• Aid other every round 
• Target for neat polymorph spells via share spell. 

Familiars are better unless you are weird like my groups where crafting is banned, Except for on bonded objects.

• Crafting is silly, but being able to craft 1 single object the way you want it really elevates the class feature.

  
  

  
  

  It would depend on the type of wizard you are looking for. Deliver touch spells can be very effective with the right build. Some familiar archetypes radically change how you handle your familiar. Om the other hand, the bonded item is mostly just raw power (spells=power, money=power)

  
  

  
  

If you get an improved familiar, can have them use wands or scrolls for even better action economy

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder_RPG/comments/17c4pxq/magic_item_crafting_optimization/?solution=fcbd8f6bd2a8d518fcbd8f6bd2a8d518&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da58613c735024909be1c882e9668de837664c&jsc_orig_r=

Dude above curs in half cost of a golem staff. Like 300k gold to 155k gp. 

This steam discussion has points about real PF also … like ppl love familiars https://steamcommunity.com/app/640820/discussions/0/3335371283881286814/

This talks about Optional Retraining for arcane bond err familiar. Saying the PF makers realized maybe was too stringent https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/121795/why-must-the-choice-of-an-arcane-bond-be-permanent

Talks about familiar being better because super csting penalty if lose bonded object https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ubh1

• Bonded Object …
• Pro is - Something to keep in mind is that a bonded object can be a free magic item at low levels. You also always count as having the relevant Item Creation Feat for enhancing your bonded object.

Familiar is stronger. Bonded item is much easier to use. 

•  

  Familiar
  -2 feat equivalent abilities
  -extra set of actions per round
  -roll 2x on many skill checks

  Item bond
  -1 spell per day
  -money from saved enchanting costs
  -dont have to keep leveling a critter

  I would also note that losing a bonded object isn't that big of an issue for several reasons
  1. Concentration checks are fairly easy to make at mid-high level
  2. Rings, the best option, are really really hard to break or lose
  

  3. You are already having to defend a book. That is a bigger, more vulnerable, and more valuable target. Who cares to hit my ring which may or may not affect me when you have a spell book to burn/steal. 

The extra spell from your bonded object can be anything in your spell book - that flexibility is very powerful. But familiars, and especially wand-wielding Improved Familiars with powerful abilities, add a great deal. I've played with both, and I would be happy to do so with either option again - it really depends more on my concept of who the caster is.

SIDENOTE retrain feats etc https://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/more-character-options/retraining

SIDENOTE from https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2t1ow

All closed content is legal and RAW for game usage, but cannot be published legally by Paizo (or anybody else). That's how the OGL works.
Just use the spells as they are unless you need to make a conversion to Pathfinder specifically.

Debby

All closed content is legal and RAW for game usage, but cannot be published legally by Paizo (or anybody else). That's how the OGL works.
Just use the spells as they are unless you need to make a conversion to Pathfinder specifically.

Debby