ACG: Arcanist School Understanding, continuous school abilities

[rknop]

The "School Understanding" ability says:

Quote:

The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability. The ability must be one gained at 1st level and is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist’s Charisma modifier.

Here's my question. Consider the Transmutation school and the Physical Enhancement ability. This is one gained at first level, but unlike many of the school abilities, it's not one that you use a certain number of times per day.

As written, it's not clear how this would fit with the Arcanist School Understanding ability. One reading is that you get it, as normal, and because there's not an Int-limited number of uses per day, the last clause ("The ability... is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier") simply does not apply. The other reading is that even though wizards would have it continuously, the arcanist only gets to use the Physical enhancement 3+CHAMOD times per day... but for how long?

My guess is that the text is intended to mean:

Quote:

The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability, including for the number of times per day the ability may be used, if applicable. The ability must be one gained at 1st level.

It would be nice to have a FAQ if this is the case.

[Dust Raven]

I agree this is a little confusing. I'm finding the same issue with the divination school and the Forewarned ability. Forewarned doesn't require any sort of action to even use and is always on for a wizard. How does it work for an arcanist?

[Lukelliot]

rknop wrote:

The "School Understanding" ability says:

Quote:

The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability. The ability must be one gained at 1st level and is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist’s Charisma modifier.

Here's my question. Consider the Transmutation school and the Physical Enhancement ability. This is one gained at first level, but unlike many of the school abilities, it's not one that you use a certain number of times per day.

As written, it's not clear how this would fit with the Arcanist School Understanding ability. One reading is that you get it, as normal, and because there's not an Int-limited number of uses per day, the last clause ("The ability... is limited in its use per day to 3 + the arcanist's Charisma modifier") simply does not apply. The other reading is that even though wizards would have it continuously, the arcanist only gets to use the Physical enhancement 3+CHAMOD times per day... but for how long?

My guess is that the text is intended to mean:

Quote:

The arcanist gains one ability of that arcane school as though she were a 1st-level wizard, using her Charisma modifier in place of her Intelligence modifier for this ability, including for the number of times per day the ability may be used, if applicable. The ability must be one gained at 1st level.

It would be nice to have a FAQ if this is the case.

I'm pretty sure that you have to select an ability that can only be used 3 + Int times per day, so in the case of Transmutation you could only select the Telekinetic Fist for your School Understanding power, unless you spend a point to treat your Arcanist level as your Wizard level. In which case you'd get the secondary ability, as well. Though this doesn't seem to work with the Forewarned ability at all, since you need to have it on before combat. I'm sure that was intended since that is quite a powerful first level ability.