Spell caster level?

[Zephalon]

Hi all,

what is exactly the spell caster level of multiclass casters, such as a Bard 7 / Illusionist 2 for purposes of meeting item creation feat prerequisites?

Is it the highset arcane spell caster class level (in this case 7) or is it the added class levels for all arcane classes (9)?

What's with mixed arcane/divine casters?

For caster level checks it's the class level of the class which grants the spell (here 7 for a bard spell, 2 for an illusionist spell), but item creation feats are not tied to one of these classes like spells are.

 

[Murrdox]

I would think that you'd take your greatest caster level.

For example, a Sorc8 / Bard4 is trying to forge a magical weapon. To enchant a magic weapons (I believe...) you need to have 3x the caster level of the enhancement bonus for the weapon, so to make a +1 weapon, you have to be level 3, etc.

In this case, the maximum enhancement the sorc8/bard4 could put on a weapon would be +2. I don't think his bard levels would stack.

The main reason I say this is that there is no situation where this character could cast ANY of his bard or sorcerer spells as a 12th level caster. Thus, I don't see how he could enchant weapons or items as such a caster either.

 

[Zephalon]

Sounds reasonable. So you choose with what class you want to enchant the items (or with which class to take the respective feat, which really doesn't matter because there seems to be no distinction between divine magical items and arcane ones).

 

[Pax]

IT all depends, really.

Are you making a scroll, potion, wand, or staff? Well, if the scroll is of a Bard spell, you use your bard level. If it's an Illusionist(Wizard) spell, you use your Illusionist level. You can't make such items which can cast the spell any better than YOU can, after all.

On the other hand, if it's a weapon or such with an enhancement bonus based on raw caster level "oomf", use the better of the two. IMO, ditto with Wondrous items, and so on.

 

[Pax]

Sounds reasonable. So you choose with what class you want to enchant the items (or with which class to take the respective feat, which really doesn't matter because there seems to be no distinction between divine magical items and arcane ones).

Item creation feats don't care which class you "take them as".

A Cleric/Wizard can happily write scrolls of his cleric spells, even though Scribe Scroll was gained as a Wizard class benefit.

Ditto for metamagics, by the way. Take empower ONCE, and your Wizard(5)/Cleric(5)/Bard(5) can empower ANY of his 1st level spells (using a 3d level slot from the appropriate class).

The same character can scribe a scroll containing an assortment of Wizard, Cleric, and Bard spells, too. All with that same Scribe Scroll he got for free as a Wizard(1).

 

[Zephalon]

Ok, but here is the trick question:

Can a Bard 7 / Illusionist 5 take the feat "forge ring", which has a spellcaster level prerequisite of 12?

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Can a Bard 7 / Illusionist 5 take the feat "forge ring", which has a spellcaster level prerequisite of 12?

No. One of his caster levels must be 12.

 

[Storm Raven]

Ok, but here is the trick question:

Can a Bard 7 / Illusionist 5 take the feat "forge ring", which has a spellcaster level prerequisite of 12?

No. His highest spellcaster level is 7, so he doesn't meet the prerequisite.

Two different spellcasting classes don't stack for these purposes, unles (like the various "+1 to spellcasting level" PrCs) the levels explicitly state that they stack.

 

[Zephalon]

Ok, I'll go with this ruling

 

[WattsHumphrey]

Sounds reasonable. So you choose with what class you want to enchant the items (or with which class to take the respective feat, which really doesn't matter because there seems to be no distinction between divine magical items and arcane ones).

Woah, woah woah woah.

Riddle me this:
What does a Gem of Seeing do? According to the DMG, it allows the user to use True Seeing when looked through... this has clearly different effects if created by a cleric or a wizard. My group figures this means they have to specify the kind they buy, though I admit that there's no reason to purchase the inferior Wizard ones.

But this has made me curious: what does it do if there's no distinction between divine and arcane magic items?