Is there a difference between Hathran Circle Magic and Red Wizard Circle Magic?

[Lawful Good Garagos]

On Page 59 of Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings the book seems to lump both types of Circle Magic together.

The only explicit difference is that a Red Wizard must be level 5 to lead a Circle, while a Hathran can do so at level 4.

Here's a quick recap of how Circle of Magic works:
-A leader stands in the middle.
-Anywhere from 2 to 9 helpers stand around him.
-Each helper can sacrifice any one spell, and the total levels of all spells sacrificed are pooled together.
-The leader can use the pooled spells levels to increase his caster level (level 40 max), add Empower Spell or other feats to his own spells, even when he doesn't have those feats himself.

Question 1
Since it is not specified, can helpers in the Red Wizard Circle sacrifice divine spells?

Question 2
If the Circle leader himself is a Wizard/Red Wizard/Cleric mix, can the Circle leader use the pooled spell levels to add the Empower feat to his divine spells?

Question 3
Can he use pooled spell levels to boost his Wizard caster level to 40, then use additional pooled spell levels to boost his Cleric caster level to 40?

I think it's safe to say that all of the above can be accomplished in a Hathran Circle of Magic, since to become a Hathran in the first place, a character must be able to cast both 2nd level arcane and divine spells.

So how would you interpret this by RAW, and would you view things differently if flavor is considered as well?

 

[Sekhmet]

Red Wizards can have up to 9 participants.
Red Wizards can lead a circle at level 5.

A Hathran can have up to 5 participants.
A Hathran can lead a circle at level 4.

RAW does not state if Clerical spells are not allowed, and I would encourage you to allow them in your Circle, but be reminded that the Circle Leader is casting from his own spells available. If the Circle Leader does not have a particular spell memorized or prepared, he cannot cast it with the use of Circle Magic.

 

[nijineko]

if there are not any particular restrictions on the requirements for the feats to gain access to circle magic, then i would say any spell type allowed. however, if the feat itself has a cmagic type specified, then i would limit the circle based on the magics the feat calls out.

 

[Lawful Good Garagos]

Red Wizards can have up to 9 participants.
Red Wizards can lead a circle at level 5.

A Hathran can have up to 5 participants.
A Hathran can lead a circle at level 4.

RAW does not state if Clerical spells are not allowed, and I would encourage you to allow them in your Circle, but be reminded that the Circle Leader is casting from his own spells available. If the Circle Leader does not have a particular spell memorized or prepared, he cannot cast it with the use of Circle Magic.

Not sure why there's a strange smilie in my thumbs up comment... I only tried to give reputation for an informative post.

if there are not any particular restrictions on the requirements for the feats to gain access to circle magic, then i would say any spell type allowed. however, if the feat itself has a cmagic type specified, then i would limit the circle based on the magics the feat calls out.

Yes, I agree with that.

 

[Empirate]

The smilie signifies that you can't give real XP yet, since you haven't posted here enough. It's a safety measure vs. XP spammers who make many accounts just to give XP.