Caps on Creating Magic Arms and Armor

[Elephant]

Creating magic armor has a special prerequisite: The creator’s caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus of the armor. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met.

Magic weapons have a similar limitation.

Animated
...
Strong transmutation; CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, animate objects; Price +2 bonus.

So...I make a +1 Animated shield. Does my caster level have to be:
6 (price +2 bonus),
9 (+1 +2 = +3 price bonus), or
12 (CL 12th)?

 

[Hypersmurf]

As the DMG was published, it's easy - 12th.

Post-errata, however, it's 11th, assuming a cleric is crafting the item... or, more precisely, 'high enough level to supply the Animate Objects prerequisite'.

While it says "The caster level of a special ability is given in the description" immediately before "The higher of the two requirements must be met", post-errata, the caster level given in the description is no longer a requirement, and thus is not one of the 'two requirements' mentioned.

-Hyp.

 

[Camarath]

Cl 12 as that is what is required for Animated and is the highest CL requirement given for any part of the shield.

Edit: Hypersmurf is correct.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Cl 12 as that is what is required for Animated...

Not post-errata, it isn't.

The CL noted in an item's stat block no longer bears any relationship whatsoever to the caster level required to make it.

-Hyp.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, in order to make a +1 shield, you need a CL of 3.

In order to make an animated shield, you need to be able to cast animate objects. You can cast animate objects as early as level 11 (it's a level 6 clerical spell).

Thus, in order to make an +1 animated shield, you must be at least CL 11.

The "average" animated shield is made at (at least) CL 12. A +5 animated shield would be CL 15.

 

[Hypersmurf]

In order to make an animated shield, you need to be able to cast animate objects. You can cast animate objects as early as level 11 (it's a level 6 clerical spell).

Now, if I'm a level 6 cleric with CMA&A, providing Animate Objects from a sheaf of CL 11 scrolls, can I create the shield? If so, what is its caster level?

-Hyp.

 

[dcollins]

As usual, Hypersmurf is correct and succinct.

...post-errata, the caster level given in the description is no longer a requirement, and thus is not one of the 'two requirements' mentioned.

Which is to say, the "two requirements" mentioned at this point don't exist. Just another way in which the caster level errata makes things in the DMG nonsensical.

 

[Anubis]

They finally made that crap clear in the errata? I was always annoyed by the CL/prerequisite thing, especially given some stupid CLs for weapon enchantments that, under the RAW, couldn't be created until a higher level. I remember all the confusion about that in 3.0 as well.

I'm glad they finally fixed that.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Now, if I'm a level 6 cleric with CMA&A, providing Animate Objects from a sheaf of CL 11 scrolls, can I create the shield? If so, what is its caster level?

Well, you can't set the caster level of the item higher than your own.

The minimum level to "meet the prereqs" is the minimum needed to cast AO - 11.

Your level isn't high enough to cast AO, so you can't create it.

Now, on the other hand, if you were a level 11 bard with some UMD and a stack of scrolls ...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Which is to say, the "two requirements" mentioned at this point don't exist. Just another way in which the caster level errata makes things in the DMG nonsensical.

Well, the two requirements exist - one of them's just not the same requirement as it was pre-errata.

The caster level requirement for enhancement bonuses hasn't changed.

The caster level requirement for special abilities has changed from being the one in the stat block, to being the derived requirement for supplying prerequisites.

-Hyp.