Detect Magic / Spellcraft for Identify magic items

[Cryptichorror]

I know that will detect magic and spellcraft, the properties of a magic item can be determined with a DC 15 + spell level. How do you use this to determine the properties of say a +1 longsword or a +2 light hammer of bane? What is the spell level in this case? I thought I read this somewhere, but now I can't find it again.

[Dominigo]

My group generally uses the level required to craft the item as the caster level. I think it is three times the enhancement bonus or enhancement equivilent of abilities (whichever is higher). So for a +1 longsword, CL 3. +1 Flaming burst longsword is CL 6.

[Dominigo]

Actually, I just checked and my method is slightly wrong.

Caster Level for Weapons: The caster level of a weapon with a special ability is given in the item description. For an item with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. If an item has both an enhancement bonus and a special ability, the higher of the two caster level requirements must be met.

DC to identify is 15 + CL, not spell level.

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Cryptichorror wrote:

I know that will detect magic and spellcraft, the properties of a magic item can be determined with a DC 15 + spell level. How do you use this to determine the properties of say a +1 longsword or a +2 light hammer of bane? What is the spell level in this case? I thought I read this somewhere, but now I can't find it again.

As Domingo says, the DC is actually 15 + Caster Level, not Spell Level.

All magic items have a caster level - for the longsword +1, it's probably 3 (the absolute minimum) or 5 (the minimum for the creation feat).

The +2 light hammer with the bane property is probably CL 6 (the minumum for the +2 enhancement) or CL 8 (the default for the bane property).

So, to identify a +1 longsword, the Spellcraft DC is probably 18 or 20, which is easily doable for most Wizards / Magi at the appropriate level by Taking 10. For the +2 light hammer of [whatever] bane, it's likely DC 21 or 23.

Make sense?