Bloodlines and prerequisites

[Prime32]

Bloodline levels increase your effective class level for some purposes. But do they count for prerequisites? For example, would a character with 1 fighter level and 3 bloodline levels qualify for Weapon Specialisation?

[altpersona]

i think, no.

if you class name was a class feature, then i would say yes.

[Kethrian]

They are essentially level adjustments that you take as you level up.  You don't gain hit dice or any of the nice stuff that comes with gaining an actual level, but you now count as one level higher for XP calculations.  Sounds like a +1 LA, doesn't it?  And yet, they don't call it that, so by RAW, you can't even buy it off...

[JohnnyMayHymn]

They are essentially level adjustments that you take as you level up.  You don't gain hit dice or any of the nice stuff that comes with gaining an actual level, but you now count as one level higher for XP calculations.  Sounds like a +1 LA, doesn't it?  And yet, they don't call it that, so by RAW, you can't even buy it off...

From SRD: "Class levels of "bloodline" do not increase a character's character level the way a normal class level does, but they do provide certain benefits (see below)."

It is my interpretation that the character is not counted as one level higher when calculating xp.

[Kethrian]

After a more thorough reading, it's a bit better than a LA, if only because it also improves abilities calculated off class level, such as caster level and save DCs, and maximum ranks allowed in skills (even though it gives no skill points).  And it even says that this applies to ALL classes, so the more multiclassing you do, the better the bloodline bonus gets.  Weird.

Oh, and it still counts as a character level, so it does increase your level for XP calculations.

[Shiki]

I'll just leave this here.

[sirpercival]

No, it doesn't.  At least, not by RAW.  It probably should, but Johnny's quote is relevant.  They do not increase your character level.

[Kethrian]

I'll just leave this here.

I like the rules interpretation there.  It makes sense, minimizes abuse, and the no character level increase makes it worth seriously considering.

[Kethrian]

Okay, here's a bloodline question: One of the examples for things which the bloodline levels advance is the save DC for Stunning Fist, which isn't a class-based DC, but rather a character level-based one.  Would you take this to mean that they would also advance racial abilities based on level, such as a githzerai's SR?

Edit: I would hazard a guess at yes, just because it's something they probably never took into consideration when designing bloodlines.