Arcanist School Understanding and VMC Wizard Interaction

[UnorthodoxRedeemer]

So, question. I was reading on the Arcanist "School Understanding" and it reads as follows:

"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."

Now, it's the last sentence that interests me here. Since a VMC wizard treats their class level (in this case arcanist) as their wizard level, does that mean that, say, a 7th level arcanist would therefore act as a 7th level wizard for the purpose of their arcane school powers, with the effect reflecting that (the evocation school's Intense Spells adding +3 to damage for example as a result?)?

[JiaYou]

So I'm confused, because the way I read it, School Understanding doesn't give you anything VMC Wizard doesn't already give you, unless you're saying they'll stack to eventually level 40 if you pay the arcane reservoir cost...

[avr]

I agree with JiaYou, school understanding seems redundant if you have VMC wizard. And I don't think they'd stack.

VMC wizard:

School: At 1st level, he chooses a school of magic in which to specialize. For all powers of that school, he treats his character level as his effective wizard level.

...

School Power: At 7th level, he gains the 1st-level powers of his chosen school. If any of those powers grant an extra effect at 20th level, the character does not gain that extra effect.

[Melkiador]

Quote:

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 guess that’s the important part. But I’m not sure how it would work.

[Chell Raighn]

avr wrote:

I agree with JiaYou, school understanding seems redundant if you have VMC wizard. And I don't think they'd stack.

** spoiler omitted **

I’m not sure they would actually stack either… but if they do, it wouldn’t quite be entirely redundant… school understanding + VMC wizard would effectively give the Arcanist normal arcane school progression as well as the 20th level advancement on 1st level powers instead of the painfully delayed progression that VMC Wizard grants…

Now, given that the Arcanist would be sacrificing half of their feats and dedicating an exploit to getting this benefit… I’d hardly call it broken and personally I’d allow it if I were a GM…