Arcanist favored class bonus for humans

[Vaienna]

Greetings.

I'm sitting here with my advanced class guide. And I'm a bit confused about a specific aspect of the arcanist favored class optional bonus for humans.

On page 71 it states that "Add one spell from the arcanist spell list to the arcanist's spellbook. The spell must be at least 1 spell level below the highest level the arcanist can cast."

Sounds simple enough right? Well if we then look at the arcanist's spell class description in the spells section it states:

On page 9 it says "Feats and other effects that modify the number of spells known by a spellcaster instead affect the number of spells an arcanist can prepare."

So my question is: Does taking this favored class option add one spell to the spellbook, or does it add it to the amount of spells the arcanist can prepare?

Additionally. Could you provide an example of feats/abilities that is affected by this rule?

Thank you for your time.

[BartonOliver]

I'd say it adds one to your spellbook and not to be prepared (since it is specifically created for the arcanist). As for feats I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I would say it refers to things like feats that increase the number of spells known by a spont caster.

[Vaienna]

I tend to agree with that understanding of the rules. I simply find the rules a bit vague as to the exact understanding. I agree it would seem weird if the arcanist specific bonuses were not to be understood exactly as they are written. But since it's almost a complete copy of the wizard bonus I wouldn't put it above Paizo to simply have reused it for consistency.

[Koshimo]

Vaienna wrote:

I tend to agree with that understanding of the rules. I simply find the rules a bit vague as to the exact understanding. I agree it would seem weird if the arcanist specific bonuses were not to be understood exactly as they are written. But since it's almost a complete copy of the wizard bonus I wouldn't put it above Paizo to simply have reused it for consistency.

based on the part saying adding to spells known instead effects spells prepared it sounds like they just got lazy and copied the wizard ability.

it makes no sense to make a class specific ability only to have it over written by an ability only the class gets unless an archetype can overight this part of the spell casting ability for the class

this also makes arcanist way better, and the fc bonus way more viable because you can be more versatile with more spells prepared

[Cyrus Lanthier]

As great (amazing) as it would be for Arcanists if the favored class bonus did this, "Spells Known" =/= "Spells in Spellbook." Spells Known is already a technical term in Pathfinder, and it refers to part of how spontaneous casting works for classes like Sorcerer, Bard and Oracle.

I think that Page 9 is supposed to imply that the Arcanist, still being a sort of spontaneous caster, is able to take a feat like Extra Spells Known and in that case it adds to the number of spells he can prepare. If they wanted it to add to your prepared spells, why copy/paste the favored class bonus for Wizards instead of the one for Sorcerers/Bards, which does add to "Spells Known?"