By stacking those archetypes would:
Arcane Bond: Let me get a 2nd familiar, or would I just need to choose the item instead? (Assuming non-pfs)
New Arcana: Let me add a sorcerer/wizard spell to my witch list?
I believe you mean expanded arcana? It specifies a new spell from your spell list (which is currently witch) not from the wizard/sorcerer list, and even mentions bard list as an example which to me proves the intent here.
Arcane bond, how are you gaining that? You don't get it from arcanist that I see, and can't take levels in wizard since it's the parent class of arcanist. I'm only glancing through, my apologies.
No i meant what I typed - new arcana, which is a different ability to expanded arcana. It's part of the same bloodline mentioned in the title (Arcane Bloodline), from the archetype also mentioned in the title (Blood Arcanist).
Here i'll quote them:
Bloodline: A blood arcanist selects one bloodline from those available through the sorcerer bloodline class feature. The blood arcanist gains the bloodline arcana and bloodline powers of that bloodline, treating her arcanist level as her sorcerer level. The blood arcanist does not gain the class skill, bonus feats, or bonus spells from her bloodline.
Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, you gain an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to your sorcerer level. Your sorcerer levels stack with any wizard levels you possess when determining the powers of your familiar or bonded object. This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item.
New Arcana (Ex): At 9th level, you can add any one spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list to your list of spells known. This spell must be of a level that you are capable of casting. You can also add one additional spell at 13th level and 17th level.
I'd overlooked the "This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item." bit, thanks.
Just to confirm though, was the rule regarding not having more than one familiar a general rule or a pfs specific rule?
I'd overlooked the "This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item." bit, thanks.
Just to confirm though, was the rule regarding not having more than one familiar a general rule or a pfs specific rule?
It doesn't specifically say you can't have more than one familiar anywhere, but that seems to be the general intent. Since you see the following included with most abilities that grant a familiar.
Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master’s level.
Even the Arcanist Familiar exploit states.
If the arcanist receives a familiar from another class, her levels of arcanist stack with the levels from that class when determining the familiar’s statistics and abilities (this ability does not stack with a familiar gained through the bloodline development exploit; she must choose one or the other).
The last bit, seems to imply that the abilities from the archetypes listed above should overlap, not stack and so you would only get 1 familiar and the other familiar ability just wouldn't do anything. While this may be RAI, it isn't RAW. So, ultimately it would be a DM call.
Agreed, RAI is pretty clearly only getting one familiar (and not also a bonded object). Unfortunately this is such an odd case it has a strangeness even in how it phrases the intent. Levels in this class stack with levels in this class to determine your familiar?
The third awkward interpretation of this is that you gain a double-progressing familiar, and go take expanded familiar right away to really ham it. That I definitely wouldn't allow, so two familiars to me seems a more reasonable way to approach it without deliberately hamstringing you or asking you to change your bloodline.
That being said, after allowing only one of them to be improved familiar, I'd also make share spells and such only apply to one at a time. You'd need to cast enlarge person twice to make the whole set large, otherwise it's you and one familiar benefitting. Same with using familiars to cast touch spells, you can do so from either of them but not the same spell from both of them with one slot/charge.
Basically if you keep the common sense of not being allowed to benefit from anything twice this should be perfectly manageable in a home game.
There is certainly precedent for what you're talking about. If you look at the ranger archetype Beastmaster, it talks about how share-spells and empathic link work across multiple animal companions (a feature of the beastmaster archetype).
The share spells animal companion ability does not give the ranger the ability to cast a single spell so that it affects all of his animal companions.
and also.
The beast master gains an empathic link with all of his animal companions. This functions like an empathic link with a familiar, except the ranger can also see through a companion’s eyes as a swift action, maintaining this connection as long as he likes (as long as the companion is within 1 mile) and ending it as a free action. The ranger can only see through the eyes of one companion at a time, and is blinded while maintaining this connection.
So, if it's ruled that this would allow you to have 2 familiars it makes sense to apply similar restrictions.