Help Needed

[soulsharvester]

Hi friends, I am new at ogl/pathfinder rpg so I was reading the core rulebook and there is one thing I dont understand. Page 459 I can read about saving throws against magic item powers... staves are an exception to the rule. treat the saving throw as if the wielder cast the spell, INCLUDING CASTER LEVEL and all modifiers to save DCs.
The problem is that in page 216 I read that the saving throw difficulty against spells that I cast is 10+spell level+ability bonus. So what about the caster level? when o how should I apply it? what I am understanding wrong?

Excuse me for my bad english friends. greetings from spain and thank you very much for your help

[Eric The Pipe]

moreno bernardez wrote:

Hi friends, I am new at ogl/pathfinder rpg so I was reading the core rulebook and there is one thing I dont understand. Page 459 I can read about saving throws against magic item powers... staves are an exception to the rule. treat the saving throw as if the wielder cast the spell, INCLUDING CASTER LEVEL and all modifiers to save DCs.

The problem is that in page 216 I read that the saving throw difficulty against spells that I cast is 10+spell level+ability bonus. So what about the caster level? when o how should I apply it? what I am understanding wrong?

Excuse me for my bad english friends. greetings from spain and thank you very much for your help

Increased caster level increases the effect of the spell, duration, damage, ect. the dc is not necessarily increased.

[Lyrax]

If someone casts a spell out of a staff, treat that spell as though it were cast from the holder of the staff. This includes:
1) Caster level
AND
2) All modifiers to save DC's.

[soulsharvester]

Increased caster level increases the effect of the spell, duration, damage, ect. the dc is not necessarily increased.

ok now I understand it. Caster level is important for the effects, not for the save DC.

thank you very much

[Elven_Blades]

For a Staff, caster level is important for save DCs
For example, we will use level 20 wizard with a staff, and Intelligence score of 30(+10)

The staff has 7th level spell that we are casting.

The damage will be as high as 20d6, unless the spell has a maximum such as 15d6
The save DC will be 10 + spell level + modifier. (10+7+10 again for intelligence)= 27
duration of 20 units of time (rounds, minutes, whatever the spell says) unless the duration is instantaneous.

Let's say the same spell is cast from a wand, by the same wizard

7th level spell for a wand is usually 13th level caster. We will say that this is a wizard spell and is indeed 13th level. All minimums will apply

Damage will be 13d6, the wizards level is not important
The save DC will be 10 + 7( spell level ) + 3 (modifier) = 20 ... +3 is the modifier for intelligence 17, the minimum intelligence to cast the spell in question. Again, the wizard's actual score is not important.
Duration, will be 13 units of time, unless the duration is instantaneous

I think i covered all the important stuff here, hope this helps

As you said Moreno, the DC is not necessarily increased, though it is very likely that it will be higher than the wand. The caster level will not matter for the DC, but the caster's modifier will matter.

[Lyrax]

Elven_Blades wrote:

For a Staff, caster level is important for save DCs.

I agree with everything you wrote except this part. Level plays no part in save DC calculation. The level is important in effect only, and casting stat is important for save DC's.

[Mr Dice Guy]

Elven Blades wrote:

7th level spell for a wand is usually 13th level caster...

Aren't wands limited to 4th level spells?

(p. 491 core rules... in the staff section...wierd right?)

[Elven_Blades]

Mr Dice Guy wrote:

Elven Blades wrote:

7th level spell for a wand is usually 13th level caster...

Aren't wands limited to 4th level spells?

(p. 491 core rules... in the staff section...wierd right?)

They are limited to 4th level, but i started my example with a 7th level spell and i stuck to it, rather than going back and recalculating everything. Plz forgive my laziness.

[Mr Dice Guy]

No worries. :-)
Thought that might be the case, but I just wanted to make sure and clarify before confusion ran rampant.
-Cheers

[Elven_Blades]

Lyrax wrote:

Elven_Blades wrote:

For a Staff, caster level is important for save DCs.

I agree with everything you wrote except this part. Level plays no part in save DC calculation. The level is important in effect only, and casting stat is important for save DC's.

You are right, I was going for spell level here.

Plus i self corrected in my last sentence anyway.

Quote:

The caster level will not matter for the DC, but the caster's modifier will matter.

[soulsharvester]

Thank you very much elven blades. That was a perfect explication.