The Infamous Magic Item Caster Level!!!
- Thread starter kreynolds
- Start date
James McMurray
First Post
I expect they'll incorporate the Tomb and Blood creation guidelines into the DMG, which will give you the guidelines you're looking for. With items that don't cast spells or emulate them, changes to caster level is a much harder thing to quantify.
After all, does it really if your Full Plate +1 has a caster level of 9th or 99th? Only if someone get really freaky and decides to target it with a dispelling to rob you of one point of AC.
After all, does it really if your Full Plate +1 has a caster level of 9th or 99th? Only if someone get really freaky and decides to target it with a dispelling to rob you of one point of AC.
dcollins
Explorer
I'll refer you to my website for the more problematic examples, and the contradictory answers on the topic that I've gotten from a certain D&D designer: www.superdan.net/dndfaq2.html (under "Recommendations").
In short, it seems unacceptable for the official rule to be magic item caster level: entirely variable, market price: unknown.
In short, it seems unacceptable for the official rule to be magic item caster level: entirely variable, market price: unknown.
Last edited:
Will
First Post
Perhaps he was thinking of items like potions and wands, where CL is quite variable and adequately covered by rules?
While the crafter must be able to cast the spell of a wand or potion, there doesn't seem to be any language restricting setting 'Caster Level' to something below the normal CL needed to cast the spell.
Maybe I missed something...
While the crafter must be able to cast the spell of a wand or potion, there doesn't seem to be any language restricting setting 'Caster Level' to something below the normal CL needed to cast the spell.
Maybe I missed something...
Storm Raven
First Post
3d6 said:
The text you quoted does not give an indication either way. The listed caster level in the DMG is the caster level of a random item that is found. It is not a prerequisite for making the item. The only limitation on making the item is that you have to be able to cast all of the prerequisite spells and have the appropriate feats and/or skill ranks.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
How do you explain DMG p178, then?
"For potions, scrolls, and wands, the creator can set the caster level of the item at any number high enough to cast the stored spell and not higher than her own 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)."
-Hyp.
The thing is that there are three things to consider, really:
1. Any specific item's caster level. This is set by the caster during item creation, and can't exceed his own.
2. Prerequisite caster level. These are specifically called out in the "prerequisites" section of the item description (e.g. Cloak of Resistance or Ioun Stones).
3. Generic caster levels. This is the assumed CL of an item found as treasure, and that's what the "caster level" section of the item description refer to.
1. Any specific item's caster level. This is set by the caster during item creation, and can't exceed his own.
2. Prerequisite caster level. These are specifically called out in the "prerequisites" section of the item description (e.g. Cloak of Resistance or Ioun Stones).
3. Generic caster levels. This is the assumed CL of an item found as treasure, and that's what the "caster level" section of the item description refer to.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
That's the opposite of what p178 says.
It says the caster level is set by the item, and that the crafter's caster level must be at least equal to it.
Not that it is set by the caster, and cannot exceed the caster's level.
-Hyp.
