Caster level as requisite for crafting magic items

[Antoine]

Quote from "magic item descriptions" 3.5 DMG
• Caster Level: […] For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the item itself. In this case, the creator’s caster level must be as high as the item’s caster level (and prerequisites may effectively put a higher minimum on the creator’s level).
• Prerequisites: Certain requirements must be met in order for a character to create a magic item. These include feats, spells, and miscellaneous requirements such as level, alignment, and race or kind. The prerequisites for creation of an item are given
immediately following the item’s caster level.

I strongly doubt that caster level is a requisite : would you need to be 17th level to craft a 1st level pearl of power. And again, why would golems have a specific entry of a minimal caster level included in the pre requisites if item caster level were redundant.

Are these rules reminiscences of the 3.0 DMG ?
Or has this already been errated/discussed elsewhere ?

Thanks for any clue.

Antoine

 

[Surfal]

Both Sean Reynolds and Monte Cook have stated that they never intended the caster level to be a pre-requisite. It was intended as a standard "you find the item, this is the level its likely to be" cheat for the DM. Unfortunately, the way 3.0 came through editing makes it look like a pre-req. Worse, 3.5 seems to make it clear that caster level *is* a pre-req.

Rule 0 time.

 

[Quixon]

Surfal is right and you can add Andy Collins,the head of the 3.5 revision team at WotC to the list who has said on the WotC boards that caster levels ARE NOT pre-req's(go to the 3.5 Q&A thread he was answering right before 3.5 came out-his post is still there). Thats why they are not listed with them. The page in the DMG(pg 215 i believe) was copied from 3.0 to 3.5 in error.