I think this phrase best answers your question:
The DC to create a magic item increases by +5 for each prerequisite the caster does not meet. The only exception to this is the requisite item creation feat, which is mandatory. Emphasis Mine.
This is mostly in the text because the other various armor and weapon properties have explicit caster levels tied to them. Generic enhancement bonuses have their caster level slipped into the main text, so it bears a little repeating in the feat.
However, I see no problem with "pushing" yourself to make a +2 armor at CL 5. Good luck though, because the CL of the target enchantment still sets the DC, so thats still Base 5 + 6 (+2 enh) +5 (not meeting CL prereq) = 16.
Is 16 hard for a 5th level character to hit? No, not at all, masterwork tools, skill focus, max ranks, and a 18 stat bring you up to +14. There are several other ways to get an extra +1 or +2, such as Magic Aptitude for spellcraft, or an ability enhancer. Either way, a specialist could not only pull off this DC, but they could likely never fail.
Then again, that is what a specialist does: things ordinary people in the same general profession can not.
A more reasonable crafter, with a 16 ability score and no skill focus, could still hit +10. A roll of 1 would make a cursed item. A roll of 2-5 would fail to produce. Since you can't take 10 on the roll, that chance of failure will always exist. From a realistic standpoint, I wouldnt want to risk wasting such a huge amount of money unless the situation was desperate (such as an alchemist making potions of remove curse and remove disease at high speed to cure mummy rot victims, in my Savage Tide game).
Not to open this can of worms again, but you can take 10 on a Craft check if aren't rushed or in a dangerous situation.
This is mostly in the text because the other various armor and weapon properties have explicit caster levels tied to them. Generic enhancement bonuses have their caster level slipped into the main text, so it bears a little repeating in the feat.
However, I see no problem with "pushing" yourself to make a +2 armor at CL 5. Good luck though, because the CL of the target enchantment still sets the DC, so thats still Base 5 + 6 (+2 enh) +5 (not meeting CL prereq) = 16.
Is 16 hard for a 5th level character to hit? No, not at all, masterwork tools, skill focus, max ranks, and a 18 stat bring you up to +14. There are several other ways to get an extra +1 or +2, such as Magic Aptitude for spellcraft, or an ability enhancer. Either way, a specialist could not only pull off this DC, but they could likely never fail.
Then again, that is what a specialist does: things ordinary people in the same general profession can not.
A more reasonable crafter, with a 16 ability score and no skill focus, could still hit +10. A roll of 1 would make a cursed item. A roll of 2-5 would fail to produce. Since you can't take 10 on the roll, that chance of failure will always exist. From a realistic standpoint, I wouldnt want to risk wasting such a huge amount of money unless the situation was desperate (such as an alchemist making potions of remove curse and remove disease at high speed to cure mummy rot victims, in my Savage Tide game).
Actually, you can take-10 on the roll. So to hit that DC 16, all a 5th level character needs max ranks and a 12 ability score.
Official cite:
James Jacobs comments in this thread about magic item creation justifying the take-10 rule.
Official cite:
James Jacobs comments in this thread about magic item creation justifying the take-10 rule.
Thanks for the link. I was too lazy.