Extra Rulings for Epic Gestalt

Class Ability and Caster Level advancement

You may take aesthetic feats, which are feats that allow advancement of certain class features, while leveling in a different class. However, when you take a feat like this, the bonus it grants to class features by itself will not exceed your character level. Similarly, BASE caster level, manifestor level, and initiator level, will not exceed your total character level, through advancement in prestige classes, such as dual caster level advancement prestige classes. However in the case of specialization in base and prestige classes, or with feats and item enhancement bonuses that increase CL of certain spells by school, caster level advancement beyond character level is allowed, as per what is granted by these specific instances. The same restrictions applied to caster level are applied to manifestor level and initiator level when applicable.

As a modification of the printed rules on initiator level from Tome of Battle, half of non-initiator levels will only contribute to the total initiator level, on one side of the gestalt level advancement (in most cases, those non-initiator levels on the same side of the gestalt advancement as the initiator class) Initiator levels from separate initiator classes still stack for determining base initiator level in both classes. In order to off-set the lack of half non-initiator level contribution on the other gestalt advancement side, a new feat will be created, and will read as follows:

Practiced Initiator

Through study and practice of martial lore, you have gained insightful knowledge of its secrets, which exceeds that of your peers.
Prerequisite: 4 ranks in Martial Lore
Benefit: Your effective initiator level receives a +4 bonus, for the purposes of determining initiator level based affects, eligibility for feats and prestige classes, and for the purpose of determining which maneuvers and stances you are eligible to learn and retrain, as you advance in initiator classes.
Special: This bonus to initiator level can increase your effective initiator level up to, but not beyond your total character level or hit die.