Please help w/staff making rules

[Vahktang]

Making a staff is fun and helpful to a character.
But...
According to the formula in the DMG:

Caster level x spell level x 375 = cost of first spell

Caster level x spell level x 281.25 = cost of second spell

Caster level x spell level x 187.5 = cost of third & subsequent spells

Minimum casting level of 8.

So, the Charming Staff should be:

8 x 4 x 375 = 12000 (1/2 for double charge cost = 6000)
8 x 1 x 281.25 = 2250

Total cost = 8250.

So why does it cost 16500?
Did I miss something?

The Staff of Fire

8 x 1 x 187.5 = 1500
8 x 3 x 281.25 = 6750
8 x 4x 375 = 12000 (1/2 for double charge cost = 6000)

Total cost = 14250
And the DMG lists 17750.

Can anyone explain this?
Is my math bad?
Is the DMG's?

Thanks.

More later,

Vahktang

 

[Mouseferatu]

You're confusing "price" with "cost."

The formula you quoted--Caster level x spell level x 375, etc.--produces the cost for creating the staff.

Market price is (usually, not counting magic items that require special expensive ingredients) twice the cost to create.

That solves the problem on your first example. Not sure about your second; I'll need to look that up and get back to you.

 

[Vahktang]

You're confusing "price" with "cost."

The formula you quoted--Caster level x spell level x 375, etc.--produces the cost for creating the staff.

Market price is (usually, not counting magic items that require special expensive ingredients) twice the cost to create.

That solves the problem on your first example. Not sure about your second; I'll need to look that up and get back to you.

Thanks.
Duh.

Still doesn't explain the others though.

 

[Bad Paper]

staff of fire

I played around with the values for a while and determined:
1) The DMG is in error.
2) WotC calculated their Staff of Fire as using three charges for a Wall of Fire, two charges for a Fireball, and one charge for Burning Hands. There may be some other way of arriving at their price, but that is how I did it.