the arcanist exploit school understanding. what do you get from it without using the point for full access?
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 1stlevel
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.
On ability of that arcane school as though you were a 1st level wizard. So if you took Admixture as your school, you could choose either the bonus damage or the elemental retyping. You get both if you spend a point from your reservoir.
So you'd get to pick one, that's awesome. But if I picked the damage one how does that work? Would I only be able to use it 3+cha? or would it be always on? And would it only ever give the damage of a lv1 wizard without using a point?
3 + Cha if it's an ability with uses. It just exchanges the default wizard's 3 + Int. And yes, correct. For all intents and purposes you are a level 1 wizard with one level 1 school ability until you spend a point. For instance, if you have the Teleportation subschool's Shift ability and are a level 8 Arcanist you can only use its ability to move 5 feet. If you spend a point, you can now move 20 feet. You don't get any other abilities except for now you can use Summoner's Charm to add 4 rounds to anything you summon.
Another bonus is that choosing the scryer ability "send senses" would get you early entry into Eldritch Knight.
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How would this work with Forewarned? Never be surprised 3 + the arcanist’s Charisma modifier times per day but have to spend a point to add half my level to Initiative? And since adding half my level to my Init is done as a Swift action when would I do it? After the roll but before combat starts?
I have a problem with this ability since it does not state how long it takes to "use" the ability (if the wizard ability being used is an always active ability) nor for how long the ability remains active.
For example, Abjuration schools Resistance ability. Does the resistance take a free, swift or standard action to activate? Or is it not an action but rather a reactive thing such as activating when being hit by a fire attack? Then how long does it last? For the 1 attack against you? for 1 round? for the rest of the day?
This requires a bit of clarification. A FAQ maybe?
3 + Cha if it's an ability with uses.
The ability does not actually state that is the case but if this is true, it makes the ability much easier to understand.
Applying this to the Forewarned example means that the arcanist will always act in the surprise round with a +1 init bonus. Only when the arcanist initiates the surprise round, would I allow the swift action before combat to boot initiative.
So I have a follow up question. What if you take the school understanding in a school that you already know? (say you have a level in Wizard and take air). As I interpret the rules it sounds like you would get the subsequent abilities commesurate with your wizard + arcanist level (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.)
Is that the correct interpretation?