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If I have a gnome Pyromaniac (Alternate Racial Trait) which give +1 CL for fire spells, and Magic Knack which gives +2 CL for 1 class, up to your total level, and he has 3 levels of bard, an 2 levels of alchemist, does he get to apply the magic knack first, for a total bonus of 5 CL for bard spells (Bard 3 + 2 MK) , 6 CL for bard spells with the fire descriptor (Bard 3 + 2 MK + 1 P)? Or is it Pyromanic first, in which case the Magic knack can only give a further +1 on Fire spells, meaning 5 CL for all spells, fire or not?
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Pyromaniac and Magical Knack should stack. They provide a different type of bonus.
Pyromaniac: Gnomes with this racial trait are treated as one level higher when casting spells with the fire descriptor, using granted powers of the Fire domain, using the bloodline powers of the fire elemental bloodline or the revelations of the oracle's flame mystery, and determining the damage of alchemist bombs that deal fire damage (this ability does not give gnomes early access to level-based powers; it only affects the powers they could use without this ability). Gnomes with Charisma scores of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, flare, prestidigitation, produce flame. The caster level for these effects is equal to the gnome's level; the DCs are Charisma-based. This racial trait replaces gnome magic and illusion resistance.This is an untyped bonus and
Magical Knack: You were raised, either wholly or in part, by a magical creature, either after it found you abandoned in the woods or because your parents often left you in the care of a magical minion. This constant exposure to magic has made its mysteries easy for you to understand, even when you turn your mind to other devotions and tasks. Pick a class when you gain this trait—your caster level in that class gains a +2 trait bonus as long as this bonus doesn't raise your caster level above your current Hit Dice.
This is a trait bonus. This answer your question?
No matter what order you apply the bonuses in, you can't ignore the restriction in Magical Knack that says it can't raise the CL higher than your hit dice.
Once you add the +1 CL from Pyromaniac, your CL is higher than your hit dice, so you no longer qualify for the full bonus from Magical Knack.
I always thought that you used the catch up things like magical knack or practiced spellcaster before you used +1CL bonuses. Otherwise the feats don't serve a purpose in that situation and are wasted, and it makes multi-classing even more punishing. (Its already bad enough for a multiclassed character!)
No matter what order you apply the bonuses in, you can't ignore the restriction in Magical Knack that says it can't raise the CL higher than your hit dice.
Once you add the +1 CL from Pyromaniac, your CL is higher than your hit dice, so you no longer qualify for the full bonus from Magical Knack.
Actually it does. Reread the Magical Knack description. If Magical Knack is added first, then it doesn't care what happens after, so long as the Magical Knack bonus doesn't boost it above your hit dice.
There are two answers to this:
1) Discuss it with your GM for their ruling.
2) Apply the feats in any legal order that gives you a favorable outcome since there is no rules for what order these sorts of things have to be applied in and then discuss it with your GM for their ruling.
If you can apply both feats in some sort of order and not break the rules for those feats ever then you probably have a correct final level. One feat has a maximum benefit cap, indicating it's limit. The other does not have this wording making it able to exceed caps by it's nature. I don't think adding the unlimited one last is a problem.