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View Full Version : Pathfinder Arcanist Exploit (School understanding) + transmutation school



arkangel111
2014-09-30, 05:35 PM
Relevant texts:

Arcanist exploit[/]

School Understanding: 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.


[b]Transmutation school

Physical Enhancement (Su)
You gain a +1 enhancement bonus to one physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution). This bonus increases by +1 for every five wizard levels you possess to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. You can change this bonus to a new ability score when you prepare spells. At 20th level, this bonus applies to two physical ability scores of your choice.


So the way I understand it is that by grabbing transmutation school I get +1 to a physical attribute always since its static. But by spending 1 point from my reservoir what happens? do I gain a +4 more to that attribute and then +5 to another? More importantly it has no listed duration at all, the exploit has a duration to treat your level different but the ability gained has no such clause. Is this a permanent +5 to all physical attributes? its enhancement so it doesn't stack, and therefore limits its abuse quite a bit.

Dyllan
2014-09-30, 06:54 PM
Yes, you get +1 to a physical ability all the time.

You spend a point and gain +4 more to that ability and +5 to another, because you're now a level 20 wizard as far as the ability is concerned.

Once the duration runs out, you're back to being a level 1 wizard as far as the ability is concerned, so the +4 and +5 go away.

arkangel111
2014-09-30, 10:12 PM
While I see your point and honestly that's how I'd rule it. Since there is no duration listed on the ability wouldn't there be an argument that it would stay? If you get the ability to cast continual flame by summoning a monster it stays even after the summon has expired.
Is there official word on its interaction? Even with it not being permanent the ability to buff 2 scores simultaneously, switching one on a whim, or buffing all 3 for 2 actions has to be a pretty decent option in the later levels. Granted with 9th spells this becomes moot quickly but still a nice option for polymorph focused builds.

grarrrg
2014-09-30, 11:03 PM
While I see your point and honestly that's how I'd rule it. Since there is no duration listed on the ability wouldn't there be an argument that it would stay?

There is no duration because it doesn't have one.
It is "always on".

Think of it like a Feat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats):
"A character can't use a feat if he loses a prerequisite, but he does not lose the feat itself. If, at a later time, he regains the lost prerequisite, he immediately regains full use of the feat that prerequisite enables."
Consider a character with DEX 13 and TWF-feat, if they take DEX damage, they lose the use of TWF. When the DEX damage is healed, they regain the use of TWF.

An Arcanist with that exploit always has "counts as Wizard 1". If they spend a point they temporarily gain "counts as Wizard X", which may result in a larger bonus. After CHA-Rounds they drop back to "counts as Wizard 1" and lose any extra bonus.