No. You can make a wand at a lower caster level then yourself. When you find a wand it usually listed the caster level and number of charges in the module.
If a wand does not have a caster level specified it is usually at the lowest possible caster level for the most common caster. Or in other words whatever the DM decides to set it at.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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no, a caster can choose to use a lower caster level when creating a magic item - in the case of spell trigger items like wands, they still have to use the minimum caster level to cast the spell. So, you can have CL 1 wands of 1st level spells, CL3 wands of 2nd level spells, CL 5 of 3rd level spells, and 7 of 4th level spells.
Are all wands at a CL of 5 at least since Craft Wand requires level 5?
That's how I play it, but it's not an actual requirement. Nobody can craft them until level 5, so all wands are made by people with CL 5 or higher. I use crafter's actual caster level if I know it (like when the BBEG makes his own wands). Or I use the minimum level to cast the spell if the wand is higher than 3rd level (which means 4th level since that is the highest level for wands).
Of course, a 9th level wizard could create a CL 9 wand of Magic Missile that fires 5 missiles with each charge, so 4th level spells is a limit, but there is no upper limit on CL. Also, that same wizard could make a CL 1 wand of magic missiles that only fires one missile. Just because he's at least 5th level (or in this case, 9th level), doesn't mean he can't reduce the CL so he can make a weaker version of the wand that is both faster and cheaper to make.
And finally, don't forget that the item must have at least a high enough CL to match the minimum CL to actually cast the spell, so a CL 1 wand of Magic Missile is OK, but a CL 1 Wand of Fireball is not, since no first level spellcaster could possibly cast Fireball at that level.
Are all wands at a CL of 5 at least since Craft Wand requires level 5?
It based on price.
Remember making magic items costs money.
1st lv wand cost 750 gp:
1st level spell x 1 caster x 750 gp =750 gp.
If you increase caster, you raise the price.
Same for spell level (Heighten Metamagic or higher level spell both do this)
You must have minimum to cast spell (so 2nd level spells need 3rd level caster or higher).
I am still trying to figure all this out. I understand the
SL. X. CL. 750gp formula
For a wand of Mage Armor with a CL of 1 this costs just 750 gpHowever, if I am interpreting this thread correctly, a wand with second level spells would cost 4500 gp (2. X. 3. X. 750). Third level wands would cost a minimum of 11,250 gp.
While this makes some sense for an all or nothing type spell, I wonder if it must be true for spells that have affects based on CL. Suppose wizard XYZ comes to a town and needs some cash, so he decides to sell a few wands. There is no market for 1st level wands, however, being a mining community there is a market for Darkvision wands. At 4500 gp for a CL 3 wand, these may be out of reach for most miners. However, since Darkvision has a duration based on CL, could XYZ dumb down the spell to CL 1 and sell the wands for a more affordable 1500 gp
Before saying No, if you must be 5th level to create a wand, you are already dumbing down spells to creat a wand with a CL of 1 or 2 .
Will Mullen
Chicago
Unfortunately, in the case of higher spell levels you can't lower the caster level of the spell below what it would normally require to cast the spell. In other words, you could not lower Darkvision to a caster level of 1st, since it is a 2nd level spell and thus requires at least a caster level of 3rd.
Of course a caster of sufficient level can make a wand of higher level than the minimum. A 9th-level wizard could craft a wand of magic missiles at CL 9th that fired five missiles per charge expended. The cost would be (1 x 9 x 750gp) = 6750 gp
But, as the other posters have said, if the module doesn't specify the CL, then assume the minimum to cast the spell.
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While this makes some sense for an all or nothing type spell, I wonder if it must be true for spells that have affects based on CL. Suppose wizard XYZ comes to a town and needs some cash, so he decides to sell a few wands. There is no market for 1st level wands, however, being a mining community there is a market for Darkvision wands. At 4500 gp for a CL 3 wand, these may be out of reach for most miners. However, since Darkvision has a duration based on CL, could XYZ dumb down the spell to CL 1 and sell the wands for a more affordable 1500 gp
Before saying No, if you must be 5th level to create a wand, you are already dumbing down spells to creat a wand with a CL of 1 or 2 .
Here's an analogy.
It takes a certain amount of energy to move a 5lb rock lying on the ground. You can use more energy, and move the rock faster or farther, or you can be lazy/efficient and use less energy but unless you use a certain minimum amount of energy that rock will not move at all because inertia and static friction are keeping it in place.
Rocks might have a higher or lower minimum amount of energy required to move them depending on the size of the rock, but they all have some minimum.
Likewise, each spell requires a certain amount of magical energy to store in a crafted item, and that stored energy is measured by caster level. You can use a higher caster level and get better range, duration, damage, etc., or you can be lazy/efficient and use a lower caster level to make the item cheaper, but unless you use a certain minimum caster level you will not be able to store that spell.
Spells have a different minimum caster level depending on the spell level, but they all have some minimum below which they cannot be cast or stored. You can "dumb down" CL if you have an excess, but you can't drop below the minimum.