School Understang and 1 level dip in Wizard

[Epsilon]

I'm planning on dipping 1 level into wizard for the air school as an arcanist.
Please read both especially the part I bolded under the school understanging exploit as I will be doing a 1 level dip and the part that is bolded is what is used and the rest is ignored.

My question is for the spells at will are my arcanist level stacking for those specific spells caster levels? I know my arcanist levels dont sack for normal wizard spells I prepare. But since I'm getting those three spells from the school I chose is my caster level different than just a 1st level wizard.

School Understanding Exploit:

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.

Air Supremacy (Su):

You gain a +2 enhancement bonus on Fly skill checks. This bonus increases by +1 for every five wizard levels you possess. In addition, you can cast feather fall on yourself at will. At 5th level, you can cast levitate on yourself at will. At 10th level, you can cast fly on yourself at will. At 20th level, whenever you make a Fly skill check, assume the roll resulted in a natural 20.

Example: cause this is my current plan for my character at level 11.
(Aquatic/Orc) Sorcerer 1
Air Wizard 1
(White Mage) Arcanist 9
--(School Understanding)
--(Bloodline Development)

Does Fly get cast at caster level 10 or caster level 1?

I believe it's caster level 10 because it is coming as a school power and so my arcanist level are stacking to determine the power of the ability.

However I can see it the other way too. Granted it's tnot to big of an issue if its caster level 1 since it can be cast at will. So it will mainly be an issue in situations where I can't cast for awhile. i.e. combat, etc...

[DM_Blake]

Yes, you can stack your arcanist levels with your wizard levels when determining the powers and abilities of your arcane school.

It all looks legit to me.

[Val'bryn2]

Are you ignoring the part in School Understanding where the 1st level ability you get has to have a number of uses per day equal to 3 + your Cha (Int) modifier? Because as I'm reading it, you can't take Air Supremacy through School Understanding

[Chess Pwn]

If you have a the school understanding and have a class that grants a school power the arcanist levels stack with the wizard levels.

[Cuuniyevo]

Val'bryn2 wrote:

Are you ignoring the part in School Understanding where the 1st level ability you get has to have a number of uses per day equal to 3 + your Cha (Int) modifier? Because as I'm reading it, you can't take Air Supremacy through School Understanding

It says it must be gained at 1st level but it does not say that it has to be one with a 3 + Mod uses per day. One way to say it would be that the limit is one added by this exploit, not a prerequisite for the choice of ability.

Furthermore, the part bolded specifically says:

Quote:

If the arcanist already has an arcane school (or gains one later), taking this exploit instead allows…

So the part about uses per day and getting an extra ability are bypassed entirely.

[Epsilon]

Chess Pwn wrote:

If you have a the school understanding and have a class that grants a school power the arcanist levels stack with the wizard levels.

I feel like here is always one person who ignores what I bold.

Read the part I bolded and you will understand that as Cuuniyevo said the first part is bypassed by the last sentence.

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.

I dip 1 wizard with air school, therfore I have an arcane school no. I no longer get uses per day and instead use the air school as is with my arcanist level stacking with my wizard level for determing the power of my abilities granted by my school, in this case the air school.

[DrCoras]

Epsilon, I appreciate your explanation, but I have difficulty with specific rule terms, I just want to ask 2 quick questions as a follow up to your post.

If I take 1 Wizard(Illusion)/7 Arcanist, then I would have the swift action invisibility available normally at wizard level 8?

Also, does this negate the School Savant archetype(since you'd need to pick the same school?) or make it stronger by allowing you to pick a different school from the original? (wizard illusion 1 and arcanist 8 school savant shadow) getting both level 8 powers?

Of course all above questions assume you take school understanding.

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

[Chess Pwn]

DrCoras wrote:

Epsilon, I appreciate your explanation, but I have difficulty with specific rule terms, I just want to ask 2 quick questions as a follow up to your post.

If I take 1 Wizard(Illusion)/7 Arcanist, then I would have the swift action invisibility available normally at wizard level 8?

Yes your arcanist levels stack with your wizard levels making you a wizard 8 for the school

DrCoras wrote:

Also, does this negate the School Savant archetype(since you'd need to pick the same school?) or make it stronger by allowing you to pick a different school from the original? (wizard illusion 1 and arcanist 8 school savant shadow) getting both level 8 powers?

Of course all above questions assume you take school understanding.

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

School savant can't take the school understanding exploit. Also this is an instance where you'd have 2 separate abilities.

[DrCoras]

Awesome! Thanks for the quick response. I told you I am terrible with specifics, I completely missed that part! Thanks for the heads up!