Staff of Fire

[Vraister]

Hello,
how did they come up with the prices for the Staff of Fire in 3.0 and 3.5? I can't figure it out.

Do you have to take the same caster level for all spells in 3.0?

Thanks
Vraister

 

[Staffan]

Let's see what I can come up with for 3.5.

Caster level: 8
Spells included:
Wall of Fire, level 4, 2 charges per use: 4*8*750/2 = 12,000
Fireball, level 3, secondary ability: 3*8*750*0.75 = 13,500
Burning hands, level 1, tertiary ability: 1*8*750*0.50 = 2,250

Sum: 27,750
Book price: 17,750

Seems like a typo to me, someone hit 1 instead of 2.

 

[Vraister]

The tertiary ability costs: 1x8x750x0.5 = 3000

That makes the price 28.500. Doesn't look like a typo anymore, at least not a simple one

Maybe I can answer my other question: In the 3.0 DMG the Staff of Fire does 8d6 damage for the Fireball. It seems the minimum caster level is 8 as well but I can't find it in the rules.
Any help?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Minor point of clarification (I know, I'm a wise-ass): It's staff. If you have several of them you can say staves (though staffs is also correct, and in fact d20 uses staffs)

 

[dcollins]

how did they come up with the prices for the Staff of Fire in 3.0 and 3.5? I can't figure it out.

Do you have to take the same caster level for all spells in 3.0?

Remember that magic item prices (for non-potions/acrolls/wands) are all judgement calls. The price of the staff of fire is what the designers thought it was worth. It's quite subjective, and they probably used no formula for it.

All of the staffs in 3.0 do have single caster levels (in fact all magic items in the book are that way).

 

[Vraister]

Thanks for the reply. I will then probably just try to get a staff with just Wall of Fire in it.

 

[dcollins]

Maybe I can answer my other question: In the 3.0 DMG the Staff of Fire does 8d6 damage for the Fireball. It seems the minimum caster level is 8 as well but I can't find it in the rules.
Any help?

Regarding this, it makes the most sense if you follow the by-the-book rule that for any non-potion/wand/scroll, "the caster level is determined by the item itself" (that is, fixed and simply not adjustable: see "Magic Item Descriptions: Caster Level"). If you use 3.5 errata that that was unintentional, then you're on your own as far as what the limits are.

http://superdan.net.home.comcast.net/dndfaq2.html

 

[domino]

Maybe I can answer my other question: In the 3.0 DMG the Staff of Fire does 8d6 damage for the Fireball. It seems the minimum caster level is 8 as well but I can't find it in the rules.

Well, fireball is a level 3 spell. Wizards can cast level 3 spells at level 5.

 

[Chorn]

It seems the minimum caster level is 8 as well but I can't find it in the rules.
Any help?

In the System Reference Document, you can find it under "Staff Descriptions" in the Magic Items section. It's the same section that details how staffs use the wielder's stats to set things like save DCs and caster level. So a fireball cast from a staff will be an 8d6 one at the very least.

 

[Vraister]

I found it in the 3.5 DMG but we are playing 3.0 with a bit of 3.5 here and there. The pricing is mostly 3.0 but we are using the 3.5 staff rules for DC and so.
We probably just take the 3.5 pricing system.