(PF)Arcane Savant-Useful?

[malcolmsprye]

Hi there,
Neither a board search nor a Google turned up anything, so I thought I'd ask.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/a-b/pathfinder-savant

It seems like something should be able to be done with it.  Yes, it does sacrifice a caster level... but there must be some way to abuse getting 6 spells from any spell list as your own?  Or buying minimum rank scrolls and getting your full caster level for them? 
I only played in one (partial) PF campaign, but I was aiming to use this class.  So toss me some ideas for if I ever go back!

edit: given how vague this was, I hesitated to post it to this board, as opposed to a more general... but since the topic was:"How broken can this ability be?" I thought maybe it fit.

Specifically, I suppose I'm for people to toss out potentially ridiculous interactions between spells that normally wouldn't get to be cast by the same character.  To keep in mind:  Even though the class name is "Arcane Savant", you don't need to be an Arcane caster to go into it.  Any 2nd level caster will do.

[Thereddic]

Well if I'm reading it right, it's another way to get access to all the spell lists with Paragon Surge. And who doesn't like having all the spells? That's the only good thing about the class though, get all the lists you want, maybe the scroll master thing, and then get out. The other abilities are really situational, and you probably have some method of Dispel magic available to you without needing the capstone.

[malcolmsprye]

Yes, I was pointing those two abilities out as the potentially useful ones...

(click to show/hide)

Esoteric Magic (Ex)

At each class level beyond 1st, the Arcane savant chooses a spell from any class’s spell list and thereafter treats it as if it were on the spell list of his base spellcasting classes; if his base class could not normally cast that spell, it is treated as 1 level higher. The spell’s type (arcane or divine) and save DCs function as normal for his base spellcasting class. All other restrictions of his normal spellcasting class apply. This ability does not allow other spellcasters to prepare, cast, or use spell trigger or spell completion items of esoteric spells (such as a sorcerer using a cure light wounds scroll).

Scroll Master (Su)

A 3rd-level Arcane savant uses his own caster level instead of the item’s caster level when using a scroll or other spell completion item.

BUT:
1)You only get one spell per level, so if you get out asap... you only get two spells.

2)You've already sacrificed the spell level at that point, so why NOT stay in?

What I'm really asking is Which spells?  Which base class?  What spells have people looked at and said "This spell would be super strong, if only X class had it"  Think of holes in the spellcasting of classes, or specialized spells that only some specific prestige class gets.

Which... Spells?

[StreamOfTheSky]

I haven't really thought about ideal entry or spell choices, but it is a quite solid PrC and actually worth the CL loss, though you'd want to take all 7 levels since the price you pay is all up-front anyway.  Not only is gaining forbidden knowledge (spells) great, the other features are some real gems too, as you noticed.

I will say, the advent of Samsaran race's Mystic Past Life has diminished the PrC's appeal a bit.

[Thereddic]

Well, from what I'm seeing, it's less a matter of which spell you take, and more a matter of what list you take from. If I'm reading that right, then a Sorcerer/Oracle in the class can use Esoteric Magic to take a spell from a list you like, effectively saying you can cast a spell from that list you have taken from. Then you cast Paragon Surge. Paragon surge (among other things) lets you take a feat for its duration, choose Expanded Arcana for your free feat and you can choose a new spell from the list you chose from with Esoteric Magic. Normally this is done through the Eldritch Heritage feat line in order to get access to just the Wizard/Sorcerer list as an Oracle, but apparently you can now do the same as a Sorcerer. Of course, the ability says treat the spell as one from your regular list, so I'm pretty sure I'm actually wrong here. Still learning how to min/max myself, unfortunately, so I'm not much help.