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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hypersmurf" data-source="post: 3036638" data-attributes="member: 1656">But remember - you can't cast a spell at a caster level below the minimum required.  For example, a wizard cannot cast a fireball at caster level 4, because the minimum caster level for a wizard to cast a 3rd level spell is 5.So if the Pal4 has one negative level, then if we calculate his caster level as (Pal level - 1) / 2, which is 1, it's below the minimum caster level for a Paladin to cast 1st level spells.Now, I'm not convinced that "... caster level, which for most spellcasting characters is equal to your class level in the class you’re using to cast the spell" is not an extremely simple calculation.  However, I am fairly certain that as soon as you add a "+1 level in spellcasting class" PrC, or Practised Spellcaster, you are using that spellcasting character's class level in a calculation to derive caster level.So while a Wiz9 with one negative level may have a caster level of 9, a Wiz8/Loremaster1 with one negative level has a caster level of 8 (wizard level -1, +1 level in spellcasting class) and thus cannot cast 5th level spells, which for a wizard have a minimum caster level of 9.... assuming we consider class level to be a fit for 'the creature's level', rather than just character level.Apart from all that, we have the text of enervation (wherein 'level', since it's a spell description, refers to caster level unless otherwise noted):... and effective level (for determining the power, duration, DC, and other details of spells or special abilities).Now, if our Wiz5 has one negative level from Enervation, can he cast a Fly?  What does 'power' refer to in the 'effective level' expanded description above?We know:A spell’s power often depends on its caster level, which for most spellcasting characters is equal to your class level in the class you’re using to cast the spell.You can cast a spell at a lower caster level than normal, but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question, and all level-dependent features must be based on the same caster level.And we know that the duration, for example, of the Fly spell would be based on caster level 4 (since he takes a -1 penalty to effective level to determine duration), and we also know that all level-dependent features of the spell must be based on the same caster level - hence 4.  So given that power depends on caster level, and the power is that of caster level 4, can we assume that the spell is being cast at caster level 4 (and hence illegal for a wizard)?Or is it being cast at caster level 5, and simply behaving in all ways as if it had somehow been cast at the illegal caster level 4?-Hyp.</blockquote>

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