Rules Question: Arcanist Elemental School Savant

[Jeff W]

If an Arcanist chooses School Savant archetype and specializes in a Elemental School, does he have to choose two opposition schools? I ask because this is the rule in Herolab, but it contradicts my reading of the RAI.

[Sin of Asmodeus]

Yes, you still have to pick two opposition schools. It states this clearly in School Savant.
Finally the Arcanist MUST select two additional schools of magic as her opposition schools.
No beating around that bush.

[Jeff W]

Sin of Asmodeus wrote:

Yes, you still have to pick two opposition schools. It states this clearly in School Savant.

Finally the Arcanist MUST select two additional schools of magic as her opposition schools.
No beating around that bush.

It says the same thing for wizards on page 79 of the core rules:

Quote:

A wizard that chooses to specialize in one school of

magic must select two other schools as his opposition
schools, representing knowledge sacrificed in one area
of arcane lore to gain mastery in another.

[SCPRedMage]

I don't think it's so cut-and-dry, SoA...

Advanced Player's Guide wrote:

Elemental Arcane Schools

Instead of specializing in one of the standard eight schools of magic, a wizard can choose to specialize in one of the four elemental schools of magic. Like a normal arcane school, an elemental school grants a number of school powers and one bonus spell slot of each level the wizard can cast, from 1st on up. This bonus spell slot must be used to prepare a spell from the elemental school’s spell list (see Chapter 5). Unlike a normal arcane school, each elemental school requires the wizard to select his opposed element as his opposition school (air opposes earth, fire opposes water). He does not need to select a second opposition school. He must expend two spell slots to prepare a spell from his opposed elemental school as normal.

Bolded relevant part for emphasis.

Now, it does say "wizard" in this text, but not only was this written years before any other class could access school specialization, the School Savant archetype does say you use your arcanist levels as wizard levels for your schools.

Based upon the Elemental Arcane School rules overriding the general rule of two opposition schools (without naming a specific class feature to modify), and the fact that the School Savant archetype calling out that you use arcanist levels as wizard levels, I'm inclined to say that a School Savant arcanist only has their opposing element as an opposition school.

That said, this belongs in the Rules Forums, as this is not a PFS-specific question.