Was running through some notes I'd made on a Ninja based class regarding that striking from Ethereal - although it only allows one attack, I used it's ability to strike from Ethereal Plane. I then optimized it a bit - combining with Pharaoh's fist - normally a bad move, because it hits adjacent squares - but the thing is, you're on another plane, so you can't be affected by it. It was described as Dynasty Warriors-like, which pretty much sums it up. It's not exactly relevant, but Ethereal Reaver continually came up as I searched for similar affects.
Obtain Familiar has the following verbiage -
You can obtain a familiar in the same manner as a sorcerer or wizard. As with a sorcerer or wizard, obtaining a familiar cakes 24 hours and uses up magic materials worth 100 gp.
For the purpose of determining familiar abilities that depend on your arcane caster class level, your levels in all classes that allow you to cast arcane spells stack.
Note "allow you to cast arcane spells". What does this mean? Of course, the usual "Rule 0" comment and "wilful misreading" - but "allow you to cast arcane spells" - well, there's only one class which actually prevents you from casting spells, and that's the Forsaker. So assuming you meet the prerequisites - which are Arcane Caster Level 3rd and Knowledge (Arcana) 4 ranks, then you're good to go. Arcane Caster level 3rd can be gained via anything which provides an SLA that does not define a Caster Level lower than 2nd (it defaults to your HD if it's not mentioned), and does not define that the SLA is Divine (for example, a Shyft has Plane Shift as a 9th level cleric, rather than a 13th level Wizard - any SLA which does not mention what kind of SLA it is default to Sor/Wiz, and hence Arcane).
Then, something else hit me.
A Psionic Character with access to the Magic Mantle's power has the ability to treat his Psi-like Ability as a Spell-like Ability. Which provides him with an Arcane Caster level equal to his HD. So not only does he qualify for Obtain Familiar (and then have ability = HD, provided you don't take Forsaker - but then again, even Forsaker's don't take Forsaker it's that bad), but he can qualify for a class that requires a specific Arcane Caster level (rather than a specifically non-defined Caster level). Of course, his manifesting wouldn't improve, as he doesn't actually have an Arcane Manifesting class (unless of course, said class advanced a non-defined casting class).
No such class springs to mind, and Dndtools is down, and its search function sucks donkey balls anyway, but it's there to have fun with. I love the smell of limburger in the morning.
@Keldar - it might get Int, but it doesn't get those skill points back, nor does it get to choose feats. It requires a Psi-Ref as well. Pre-errata (unlikely to fly, as it was 3.0ism Swarms), you could pick up Plague Ant Swarms (causes 1 HP Bleeding damage per wound), while Bloodfiend Locust Swarms get Energy Drain (1 level per HIT), which reanimates as Vampire Spawn. Rapture Swarms get Hypnotic Pattern (DC15, CL6) and effectively Dazes opponents (DC18). Scarab Swarms DC21 for 1d6 Con damage - and Wasp Swarms have 1d6 dex poison (DC18).
