Arcanists, Bloodlines, VMC, Familiars, Tattoos and more! A couple of questions. Ok. A lot.

[Arcane Addict]

Hi all. As the title says, I have a couple of questions concerned with the above. Lets just say I have an odd concept in mind...

Q1: Does the Wizard VMC's chosen school stack with the Arcanist's School Understanding Exploit? If so, at what level do the various powers kick in? How are 'powers' such as Divination's Forwarned calculated? If they don't stack can you select, say, Divination with one and Conjuration with the other?

Q2: Hybrid class rules specify that choices made once must match such choices if they are to be taken again, the example given is bloodlines. The Arcanist's Bloodline Development states the choice cannot be altered by an archetype. It also states that if you already have a bloodline it instead stacks. What happens if I start my career as a Crossblooded or Wildblooded Sorceror prior to taking a level of Arcanist and this exploit? Which of all these rules takes precedence?

Q2: A Sorceror can take Eldritch Heritage, even if it is already Crossblooded or Wildblooded. If an Arcanist who already has Bloodline Development selects this feat what happens? Is she forced to make the same choice (rendering the featselection a terribad choice) or not? How about the reverse (feat first, exploit later)? Does Bloodline Development stack with Eldritch Heritage for a full bloodline or would the rest of the featchain be required.

Q3: Both Crossblooded and Wildblooded are considered archetypes (so they don't stack, sadly). What about the Arcane Subschools, such as Scryer?

Q4: An Arcanist with the Unlettered Arcanist Archetype uses the Witch Spelllist. Can she use the Arcane Bloodline's New Arcana to add Sorceror/Wizard spells to her list, provided she gained it through the Bloodline Development class feature?

Q5: The Wizard VMC grants a Familiar at third level, if I'm an Arcanist with the Bloodline Exploit (or a Sorceror) can I make it into a Bloodline Familiar, despite never getting bloodline spells (right?!) or already possessing the 1st level power?
In a similar vein, can I make it into a School Familiar with the School Understanding exploit? Does my class level equal my wizard level for the purposes of selecting the (Greater) School Familiar feat too?

Q6: A Bloodline Familiar technically isn't an archtype, so can it stack with School Familiar?

Q7: Can I have a Tattoo Familiar, from the Tattooed Sorceror Archetype, be a Bloodline Familiar too?

Q8: Do any of the abilities of the Bloodline/School/Tattoo familiar transfer to an Improved Familiar?

Q9: If I have 1 level as an Unlettered Arcanist and 1 level as a Tattooed Sorceror can I still prepare spells when it is in tattoo form?

Q10: What slot does the Tattoo Familiar occupy for the purpose of the Inscribe Magical Tattoo feat?

Q11: If I Inscribe a Magic Tattoo on someone else can I still use it for myself? Basically, can I use my allies as a walking scroll rack? Can I inscribe such tattoos on flayed skin? Can I flay the skin after such a Tattoo has been made and still use it?

Q12: Can the Tattoo Familiar be moved to someone else, perhaps in conjunction with the Inscribe Magical Tattoo feat, while still being 'mine'?

Q13: Does Inscribe Magical Tattoo allow another caster to supply the spell for its creation? If so, am I still bound by the spellcompletion or trigger rules for using it as a Scroll/Wand/Staff? Can I change this by making it use-activated or having a commandword? Basically, is this within Inscribe Magical Tattoos capability?

Q14: Can an Arcanist with the Consume Magic Items Exploit consume tattoos made with Inscribe Magical Tattoo, provided they function like scrolls, potions, wands or staves? If so, can I consume those I've put on others?

Q15: Can I make tattoos of Explosive Runes? If so, can I make a Goblin suicideterrorist squad?

[Doomed Hero]

You would probably be a lot better off making an individual thread for each question. A few could probably be lumped together under a common theme (Magic Tattoo stuff, for example), but as it stands the discussion of your questions in going to become a jumbled mess.

[kestral287]

1. You would need to pick separate schools, and they would kick in at the abilities that they're selected at. That said, I would strongly recommend talking to your GM before you double-dip Wizard, due to the whole 'must match original choice' rule.

2A. A Wildblooded Sorcerer retains the base bloodline that's mutated, so a Sage Sorcerer 1/Arcanist X who takes Bloodline Development must select Arcane. For Crossblooded, you would be required to take one of the two.

2B. Heritage requires selecting a bloodline that the character doesn't already possess. An Arcanist with Bloodline Development would have powers from two separate bloodlines. The same would be true in reverse; picking the same bloodline as Heritage would mean that you no longer have the prerequisites for Heritage legally met so it goes defunct.

3. The subschools are not archetypes, to the best of my knowledge, but you should talk to your GM before trying to double-dip.

4. I'm hesitant on this one but I think so?

5A. The Bloodline Familiar option grants you an actual familiar in exchange for the lost familiar. If you have a bloodline, including through the exploit, you can use it to gain a Bloodline Familiar, but since you can't have two familiars at once the Wizard does nothing for you at 3rd level.

5B. I don't believe you have a Wizard level from anywhere so no Greater School Familiar.

6: Yes, you could have a Bloodline School Familiar if you can make all the requirements line up.

7: No; the Tattoo Familiar and Bloodline Familiar are fundamentally different sources of familiar

8: Bloodline and Tattoo should. School's an archetype; check and see which abilities it replaces and if Improved Familiars still have those.

9: ... Maybe? Talk to your GM, I'm not sure how clear the rules are on this one.

10: None of them.

11: If you structure the tattoo that way then yes, but it's a custom item so talk to your GM. I would question allowing you to use it with flayed skin, but ultimately that's just a more expensive Scribe Scroll so... maybe

12: No

13: Yes, all Item Creation feats allow for another caster to supply the requirements.

You could make a command word or even continuous tattoo with Incribe Magic Tattoo (I have a character leaning on this heavily), but it's going to be vastly more expensive than scrolls or wands. All such custom items should be cleared with a GM.

14: If it's designated consumable, yes to both.

15: Hope your goblins are illiterate!

You can, but it's not necessarily a good idea. There are much more efficient ways to Rune-bomb somebody.

[Arcane Addict]

Even though the questions are interrelated, in the end, I guess you're right! So, thanks for that!

I'm just sad thinking about bombing the rules questions area with a lot of seperate threads ;)

Edit:... And... It turns out, its not the case (yet?)! Still, thanks Doomed Hero!

As for your answers Kestral, thank you! It clears up a lot!

1. I wasn't intending on doubling up on the Wizard powers, it was just a thought that crossed my mind as I considered the possible answers to the question. What I really hoped was to fasttrack the powers according to 'regular' wizard development instead of the teribly slow VMC option.

2. Very clear! Thanks!

3. Will do!

4. Yeah, this one's a headscratcher... Things were so much easier before the revision!

5. D'oh, of course!

5.b. So, the Wizard VMC doesn't grant virtual levels either?! Thats a bummer, but its not a big deal. I can live with that.

6. Yeah, I probably can't :p

7. Thought so...

8. I think they do! They lose Share Spells and Deliver Touch Spells. Sadly, the answers to the previous questions have probably rendered it moot for my own purposes..

9. I'll ask that too then!

10. Neat! Does that mean I can hide a spelltattoo under my familiar or vice versa? I'm guessing its another 'ask your DM' thing though ^^

11. Good! I'm alowed custom items :) I'm not sure whether I'll be allowed the flayed skin scrolls, but he's a big fan of rule of cool. I think it might just fly!

12. Thats what I figured. I had some cool ideas in mind if it turned out I could. I was just hoping beyond reason, really...

13. Good.

14. Even better.

15. Aren't Golarion Goblins terrified of writing and illiterate as a result? In general, of course, that is.
And I'm not exactly going for efficient here. I'm going for awesome.

Thanks, Kestral!