A couple of noob questions

[SillyRobot]

I picked up the game this weekend and so far am having fun. I reminds me of a suped-up Master of Magic from eons past. A few questions tht I couldn't dig out of the extensive manual follow:


1) Is there a mechanism similar to Empowerment(or any other way really) to increase a Commander's Divine Magic skill other than declaring a prophet?

2) Are generalist mages with lots of low paths as bad as they seem at first glance?

3) Does the Blood Magic school have any value without the Blood Magic path? I expect not, but it never hurts to ask.

4) Is Blood Magic a worthwhile path to follow? It seems to have a very high opportunity cost in terms of investment and upkeep.