Bloatmage Initiate


Rules Questions


4 people marked this as FAQ candidate. 1 person marked this as a favorite.
Bloatmage Initiate feat wrote:
Benefit: You learn the basics of the ancient art of hemotheurgy. Pick one school of magic in which you possess the Spell Focus feat—you cast spells from this school of magic at +1 caster level. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Spell Focus. Unfortunately, the side effects cause you to be constantly under the effects of a medium load—your maximum bonus to AC from Dexterity is +3, you gain an armor check penalty of –3, and your speed decreases as appropriate (generally from 30 feet to 20 feet for a Medium creature).

Why would they need to stack? They confer different benefits. We could let aside the Spell Focus stacking bit, and assume it only increases CL. But then the Ruby Phoenix Tournament stats in one NPC that the "Bloatmage Initiate feat allows him to cast spells of the xxx school at +1 caster level (his save DCs already incorporate this bonus, but duration and other level-dependent effects do not)". Another wrong information, as CL does not increases save DCs.

The feat needs an errata. Considering the drawback, allowing it to increase both CL and save DC isn't out of order.

Silver Crusade

Has this been addressed? Or is this all there is concerning the subject. I feel this is meant to only be a CL bonus feat but as OP pointed out its still confusing as to whats it meant by"This bonus stacks with the bonus from Spell Focus."


Caster level does not increase DC of spell, so Spell Focus (wich increase spell DC) have no way to stack with Bloatmage Initiate.
I think whoever wrote this was under immediate impression that CL somehow may affect DC, or just put that because Greater Weapon Focus have one.

No to mention they both untyped so should stack anywayif they were to same characteristic.

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