Why should Clerics be better than Wizards in Item creation?

[Li Shenron]

In my vision, Wizards are basically the scientists of Magic, and Sorcerers the artists of Magic, while Clerics are basically a mean for Gods to channel their powers, and are able to cast spells without understanding much of how Magic works. Of course this has nothing to do with rules and with other DMs view. Anyway for my own taste I don't see very much a Cleric being able to create magic items as well as a Mage.

Instead, while I was compiling a table about which different magic items are available for a PC to make (mainly according to spells required), I noticed that for a Wizard it is generally easier, and can create an item earlier, at lower level; but if you take into account that a missing spell can be replaced by a Limited Wish, Wish or Miracle, Clerics become able to easily create almost any item, though only at 17th level.

With one of those 3 spells, a Wizard can replicate a Cleric spell and viceversa:

at 13th level a Wiz (14th a Sor) can replicate non-Wiz spells up to 5th level, with Limited Wish

at 17th level a Wiz (18th a Sor) can replicate non-Wiz spells up to 6th level, with Wish

at 17th level a Cle can replicate non-Cle spells up to 7th level, with Miracle

Limited Wish lower the necessary level, if the spell to be replicated is low enough, but Wish cannot replicate spells over 6th lev. while Miracle can until 7th lev.

Moreover, a Wish always cost at least 5000xp, while a Miracle use in this way cost 0xp.

And last, a Cleric knows any spell from his list, while a Wizard does not (and much worse for a Sorcerer).

It seems to me that a Cleric, although often needs to become 17th level, at that point is able to create almost any item in the DMG, while for a Wizard it is much more expensive. It does not fit at all with my ideas about Divine Magic opposed to Arcane Magic.

Any suggestion or consideration to help me heighten the importance of Wizards in item creations?

 

[Bastoche]

There is one very simple reason why clerics (in general, not just in item creation) are better than wizard: nobody wants to play a cleric.

Do you have too much clerics in your campaign ? If yes, then there is a reason to "tone it down". If not...

 

[Greatwyrm]

I'd also say that a wizard or sorceror has to invest a good deal of their own personal power. This is much more taxing than praying for a long time and your god smiling on you long enough to finish that +2 mace.

Just my 2cp.

 

[Caliban]

Clerics don't have as many feats as wizards do. Those extra feats the wizards get are usually used for item creation or metamagic. It definitely gives them an edge, in that they can do both item creation and get the feats to help them in other areas.

Clerics are usually limited to one or two item creation feats, and the rest are used for melee combat or spell combat.

 

[Artoomis]

I'd also say that a wizard or sorceror has to invest a good deal of their own personal power. This is much more taxing than praying for a long time and your god smiling on you long enough to finish that +2 mace.

Just my 2cp.

?? Cleric still invest personal power - it costs them just as many exp. pts. as a wizard.

 

[HeavyG]

I don't think a cleric can use Miracle to create, for example, a wand of fireball.

To create the item, you have to have prepared the spell in question in one of your slots. Miracle enables you to cast the spell, not prepare it.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I didn't make myself really clear with my earlier post. I didn't use a really good example either. What I meant was that Wish should be more taxing than Miracle under these circumstances. I don't know what the heck I was thinking when I wrote that.

As far as using Miracle to duplicate spells for item creation, I could have sworn I read somewhere that you could use scrolls and wands and such to provide the spells needed for items. If that is correct, why not Miracle? (No, I'm afraid I can't cite a reference for that right now.)

 

[Reaver]

Those wizard bonus feats help greatly. Also at lower levels, where limited wish and such are not avalible, research can be performed to create the spell you need. This require sucessfull spellcraft checks, and wizards a a lot better at them than clerics IMO.

Reaver

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

The Wizards has the extra feats. If they need a spell, they can just get a Cleric to aid them.

You are right that a lone Cleric on a desert island might be a better item crafter, but as a practical matter it just is not the case.

 

[Psifon]

I would agree that clerics are better item crafters, but not for the reasons listed.

The real reason I see is that it is so expensive being a wizard he doesn't have the cast to make items. Now given that NPC wizards don't live under the monitary progression that PC's are usually working under, but still. The money I have goes toward my spellbook, not magic items.