Questions about Wizards/Sorcerers & Advancing in Prestige Classes

[AFGNCAAP]

Figured this would be the best place to ask.

I have a few questions about wizard & sorcerer class abilities, esp. when it comes to levelling up in a prestige class. Not sure how certain class abilities would be affected by advancing in a prestige class (instead of advancing as a wizard/sorcerer).

First, spells: Do wizards who advance in a PrC still automatically gain 2 spells in their spellbook when they advance a level as a spellcaster (i.e., get a +1 to spellcaster level from a PrC)?

Also, do sorcerers still get to swap out a spell if they are at the needed character level to do so, though they may be have levels in sorcerer & a PrC (sorcerer X/blood magus Y, for example).

Second, familiars: Does a wizard's/sorcerer's familiar advance in power if the wizard/sorcerer takes levels in a PrC? Does the familiar advance each time the character gets +1 spellcaster level from the PrC? So far, I don't think they do, which seems to provide a good reason not to get a familiar if you decide to take a PrC (or, for that matter, take a PrC as a druid, ranger, or paladin, if the PrC doesn't advance the animal's special abilities along with the character).

Haven't found an answer on this yet, though I figured y'all would most likely know it.

I'd appreciate any info you could provide.

 

[Patlin]

"+1 spellcasting level" PRCs increase spells known, so the wizard does get his two free spells, and the sorceror can swap out spells as if he had gained sorceror levels.

The familiar doesn't gain new abilities from the familiar table (so basically no increase in power) though note some abilities such as hp and skill ranks are not class dependent.

Familiars can still be usefull for multiclass characters, IMO -- a lot of their usefullness has little to do with the table.