The +1 level of existing class applies to spellcasting. Not powers, familiars, or spell-like abilities granted by the class. All of your sorcerer bloodline abilities advance ONLY when you gain levels in sorcerer and do NOT advance when gaining levels of Arcane Archer.
Note: There is a prestige class that advances the sorcerer (draconic) bloodline powers (not feats) and that is Dragon Disciple. It has special wording to this effect.
So lets assume you are a 5th level fighter, 2nd level Sorcerer when you take arcane archer levels. All of your sorcerer powers are frozen at level 2 except for spells. Thus, for thunderstaff you are stuck at 1 round of shock property until you take more levels in sorcerer.
- Gauss
Edit: Just a reminder, your base attack bonus must be +6 in order to take levels of arcane archer.
The sidebar about wizards is specifically to say that the two free spells they get on leveling up are part of being a wizard (like bloodline is for sorcerers) and not part of spell progression.
So both the sorcerer and wizard will get more spell slots and more caster level by taking AA levels, but while the sorcerer will continue getting new spells per their chart, the wizard won't get any new spells unless they find them in-game.
mage4fun: spellcaster level is not the same thing as sorcerer level.
A sorcerer X grants you a spellcaster level X. Then the wording in the prestige classes states that you gain spells per day, spells known, and an increased caster level.
Your level dependant abilities do not increase if they are not spells per day, spells known, or increased caster level.
Since you are not advancing in anything besides spellcasting ability you do not ever gain Stormchild. You do not advance in Thunderstaff. These are not spells. They are not spellcasting ability. They are special abilities that the Sorcerer grants but other classes do not grant.
Instead, Arcane Archer gives you other special abilities.
Back in 3.0/3.5 Sorcerer's had absolutely zero reason to stay a sorcerer as soon as they could switch to a prestige class. Now they do have a reason. Choose the concept (and special abilities) you want and go with it. You wont be able to get everything you want.
- Gauss
But your sorcerer level doesn't go up unless you take a level of sorcerer. So there would be no point in specifying "blood line level". There's not a single feat, trait, magic item, prestige class, or other ability which increases your sorcerer level, except for taking a level of sorcerer. There's plenty of things which stack with your sorcerer level to determine what you get - spell casting in prestige classes. Bloodline in the dragon disciple. I think there's some magic items too... But nothing ever increases your overall sorcerer level beyond the number of times you've leveled as a sorcerer.
Arcane archer says:
At the indicated levels, an arcane archer gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting.
You don't gain a sorcerer level. You increase your spellcasting as if you had gone up another level in sorcerer. In other words, arcane archer levels stack with sorcerer levels to determine what you're capable of casting. But they're still not more sorcerer levels.
Bobson, I couldn't have said it better.
- Gauss
An effective level of casting is not the same thing as a level of Sorcerer.
Gotta love the overuse of "level" in D&D and Pathfinder.
So, let's try to demystify this by introducing the term (temporarily, for the purposes of this discussion only) of "Spellcasting Rank", which determines your caster level, spells known and spells per day for a particular spellcasting class.
A Level 1 Sorcerer/4 Arcane Acher (don't care about their other classes to meet the AA prerequisites).
Has a Sorcerer Level of 1.
Has an Arcane Archer Level of 4.
Has a Spellcasting Rank for Sorcerer spells of 4.
Anything that requires Sorcerer levels uses the Sorcerer level of 1.
The only things affected by Spellcasting Rank are spells known, spells per day and caster level.
This is how the rules have always been, in 3.x and onwards.
As the last line states and an increased effective level of spell casting.
Yes, that's an increased level of spellcasting, not an increased level of the sorcerer class.
It's already been said, but let's say it again:
The only thing that increases your sorcerer level is taking another level in the sorcerer class.
I saw that when you become an arcane archer (AA) that at certain levels you get a +1 level of existing class. I also saw the box on the side that mentioned that you do not get any benefits if you where a wizard. My question is, if the elf was one lvl of sorcerer, does she get the bloodline powers as she advances in the AA class? if not, after the 10 levels of AA and you have 7 levels of sorcerer does that mean that if she goes back to be a 2nd lvl sorcerer to gain her blood line powers, but casts as a 9th level sorcerer?
Also, if a bloodline power at level 1 grants 1 use per 1/2 sorcerer level, does that mean that a level 4 AA (+3 total add to existing spell casting level) the PC using that blood line power would use it twice (1/2 4 levels of sorcerer)
Just trying to figure out what or how to work with the PC once they attain 10th level or if they decide to go back to sorcerer with several levels already invested from AA, how to handle the blood line powers.
Like 8 differnt folk are telling you are wrong. Copy from PDR
Spells per Day: At the indicated levels, an arcane archer gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an arcane archer, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Mean they get new spell caster level, spells knowen, spell per day. That it any othe class base abilty do not advance.
That is price you pay for multiclassing. Pathfind rule set are not fiendly to multi caster most class abilty do not advanced if swich out to anything else. Some do most do not.
If it home game try useing this
Imporved Class abilty feat
Benafit: chose one class abilty and advance it as if you are 4 level higher in the class as long as the new level dose not raise it higher than PC total level.
Special: Can be taken more than once but must be applied to new class abilty.
A feat like that has talked about on the board but has never made it to print yet.
Also the is items due what you are looking for such as
Robes of Arcane Heritage
Aura moderate necromancy; CL 9th
Slot body; Price 16,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
These elegant, dark purple and royal blue robes are usually decorated with gold stitching depicting a sorcerer bloodline, though some indicate a family tree. The stitching changes to match the sorcerer bloodline of the wearer. The wearer treats her sorcerer level as 4 higher than normal for the purpose of determining what bloodline powers she can use and their effects.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, speak with dead, creator must be a sorcerer; Cost 8,000 gp
APG PDR
Mage4fun. I think I understand your problem. You believe the thunderstaff ability to be a spell. It is not. SP does NOT = spell. It is spell-like ability (see CRB p554). Thus, as a spell-like ability it is not covered by the Arcane Archer's increase to your spell abilities.
- Gauss
P.S. Tom: PDR? heheheh
Mage4fun. I think I understand your problem. You believe the thunderstaff ability to be a spell. It is not. SP does NOT = spell. It is spell-like ability (see CRB p554). Thus, as a spell-like ability it is not covered by the Arcane Archer's increase to your spell abilities.
- Gauss
P.S. Tom: PDR? heheheh
typo
Tom S 820: I know, I was messing with you (since you made the typo twice). :D
- Gauss