Arcanist School Understanding & Divination Forewarned Ability

[Third Mind]

Hello all, apologies if this was answered somewhere else already, but I had a quick question. The arcanist have an exploit called School Understanding. It allows the arcanist to pick up a wizard school ability that would be available at level 1.

School Understanding::

The arcanist can select one arcane school from any of the schools available to a character with the arcane school wizard class feature, but does not have to select any opposition schools. 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. As a swift action, the arcanist can expend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to bolster her understanding, allowing her to treat her arcanist level as her wizard level for the purpose of using this ability for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). During this time, she also gains use of the other ability gained at 1st level for her selected school. She does not gain any other abilities when using this exploit in this way, such as those gained at 8th level. If the arcanist already has an arcane school (or gains one later), taking this exploit instead allows her arcanist levels to stack with the levels of the class that granted the arcane school when determining the powers and abilities of her arcane school.

So. Say one chooses the Divination school and selects the Forewarned ability.

Forewarned::

You can always act in the surprise round even if you fail to make a Perception roll to notice a foe, but you are still considered flat-footed until you take an action. In addition, you receive a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum +1). At 20th level, anytime you roll initiative, assume the roll resulted in a natural 20.

With what's bolded above (under the school understanding ability I listed), does that mean you have to actually activate the ability and can only do so 3 + Arcanist modifier per day? Or would it work constantly as normal?

[Forgarn]

Sorry for the necro, but I do see that no one answered this one.

You cannot take Forwarned. What you have bolded is the last part of the rule stating that you can only take abilities that are usable 3+Cha mod (for wizard 3+Int mod) times per day. Since Forwarned is an "always on" ability, you cannot take that.

[Quintain]

I disagree.

In the implementation of the School Understanding ability of the arcanist in terms of the abilities chosen, you gain the ability of Diviner's Fortune and are able to use it 3 + CHA Mod times per day as if you were a 1st level wizard. Which means only +1 to the insight bonus.

By expending 1 point of the arcane resevoir as a swift action, you increase your "virtual" wizard level to be equal to your arcanist level insofar as Diviner's Fortune is concerned. At the same time, for a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier, you gain the forewarned ability aka "the other ability gained at 1st level for the chosen school".

[Forgarn]

Quintain wrote:

I disagree.

In the implementation of the School Understanding ability of the arcanist in terms of the abilities chosen, you gain the ability of Diviner's Fortune and are able to use it 3 + CHA Mod times per day as if you were a 1st level wizard. Which means only +1 to the insight bonus.

By expending 1 point of the arcane resevoir as a swift action, you increase your "virtual" wizard level to be equal to your arcanist level insofar as Diviner's Fortune is concerned. At the same time, for a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier, you gain the forewarned ability aka "the other ability gained at 1st level for the chosen school".

That is correct. The OP was talking about taking the Forwarned as the implementation of the School Understanding and that is what I was referring to. You cannot take that feature because it is not a 3 + Int Mod type feature therefore it does not fall under the ability. However, as you stated, once you spend the arcane point, it is active for a number of rounds equal to your CHA mod.

[Quintain]

The best way to accomplish what they are looking for is take the School Savant archetype.