What level are the spells the Penumbra (and other) Bloodline feats add to your spells known?

Question

The Penumbra Bloodline feat (Dragon #325) adds a spell to your spells known for each spell level. For some of the spells, the spells are added at the spell level they are listed as in the PHB. However, a few are added at other spell levels. These spells are:
- Shadow Walk (Sor/Wiz 7, gained at 6);
- Greater Shadow Evocation (Sor/Wiz 6, gained at 8);
- Etherealness (Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 8, gained at 9)

Other Bloodline feats have similar discrepancies between the spell levels in the PHB and the listed levels.

As what spell level should I treat these spells for spending spell slots, DCs etc.? Should they be treated as the spell levels listed in the PHB, or does the Bloodline feat overrule these levels?

Answer 1

Spells don’t have intrinsic levels—they only have the level they appear at on a particular list. Different lists can have the same spell at different levels—consider identify, a 1st-level spell for sorcerers and wizards, as well as cloistered clerics, but for those who access it through the Magic domain—a non-cloistered cleric, perhaps—it is a 2nd-level spell. Dispel magic is another example—3rd-level for clerics, sorcerers, and wizards, by 4th-level for druids.

Likewise, for a sorcerer or wizard, shadow walk is a 7th-level spell. For someone casting it through the Penumbra Bloodline feat, it’s a 6th-level spell. That means it requires a 6th-level slot, its DC is 16 + any relevant bonuses, it consumes 6 levels’ worth of spell turning’s protection, and so on.