Sash of the War Champion Question

[K-kun the Insane]

Many people ask if this works if you have no levels in Fighter or have taken an Archetype that removes the Armor Training and/or Bravery class features, but no one seems to address the middle ground. What if you have ONLY 1 level of Fighter, and thus don't have those class features yet? Are you treated as a 5th level Fighter and gain Armor Training 1 and Bravery 1? Or do you need the requisite number of levels to obtain those class features in order to benefit from this item?

[Kalindlara]

Generally, you need a class feature to improve it. I'm 98% sure this is one of those times.

In this case, I don't think you even need the class. If you have the Ironbound Master feat or are variant multiclassed as fighter, the sash of the war champion should work for you. ^_^

[Grey_Mage]

You have to have the ability or its direct achtype change modifying the ability in order to benefit from an item upgrading the ability.

There is an faq related to this. The archetype replacement has to be similar in function and purpose, such as weapon training 1 being replaced by weapon training that affects only polearms, but otherwise is the same.

[K-kun the Insane]

So it wouldn't work on a Sorcerer 4 / Fighter 1 / Dragon Disciple 2?

[Grey_Mage]

Per the CRB FAQ:

When do I count as having a class feature?
You have a class feature when your class description tells you you gain that class feature, generally based on your level in that class (and perhaps altered by factors, see below).

So no. A one level dip in fighter wouldn't benefit from this item as you don't have those abilities yet, nor would you if you traded them away in an Archetype.

[Calth]

The best way to think about these types of questions is to pretend the only thing you know about Pathfinder class features is on your character sheet. If you wouldn't even guess an item would benefit you from that knowledge, then it won't. In other words, if its not on your sheet, it doesn't exist as far as your character is concerned, it doesn't matter if you would get it at a later level, you traded it away via archetype, or other archetypes gain it.