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As complicated as the pricing rules are, at least they're there! The only thing I can find about determining a wondrous item's caster level is this:
While item creation costs are handled in detail below, note that normally the two primary factors are the caster level of the creator and the level of the spell or spells put into the item. A creator can create an item at a lower caster level than her own, but never lower than the minimum level needed to cast the needed spell. Using metamagic feats, a caster can place spells in items at a higher level than normal.
So...does that mean that wondrous items should have a caster level equal to the minimum level that would be necessary to cast the spells involved in its contruction? This doesn't always seem to be the case (for example, philter of love has a CL of 15, even though a 9th level wizard can cast permanency). There also doesn't seem to be much correlation between CL and the price of an item.
Before I start breaking out spreadsheets and trying to reverse engineer some formula, does anybody know if I'm missing something?
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My personal criteria:
Start a 3 for craft wondrous
Raise to the minimum of the of caster level to cast the spells for creation
Raise to the minimum of the of level of feat/requirement for the caster to have for creation
Raise to the minimum of the of caster level to replicate the item's effect
+1 if the item is a passive effect that is never activated
+1 for cumulative effects beyond the first
+1 if the item takes no item slot
+1 if the item's effects cannot be articulated in one paragraph
+1 if the item requires the DM to roll on a random table
+1 if the creator did not bring beer or chips (and dip) for this session
-1 if the item is temporary or has limited charges
-1 if the creator picks up the pizza tab
-1 if the item's activation requires a gross indignity or sacrifice of a party member
-1 if the item can lead to a hilarious PC death
-1 if the item can lead to a hilarious death for the entire party
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Ah, cool, thanks! I'd searched for a thread earlier last week and hadn't found anything. Looks like it's pretty recent. Glad to know I'm not alone!
After reading that thread, all I understand is that the Core Rulebook items have Caster Level inconsistently applied and it is anyone's guess.
Actually, the precedent is set that you can start with CL 1st. See in Wondrous Items section of the Core Rule Book, the Brooch of Shielding.
Explanation of one way this is possible...
Caster Level 3 is needed for the feat Create Wondrous Item
BUT
Caster Level 1 is all that is needed for the spell cast.
If you like, they are created by dual classed caster, 3rd level in one class, 1st in the other, so gaining the feat via the first class and casting a 1st level spell from their other class to infuse the item with the spell power.
So if you are creating a low level, low power shiny, it can have CL 1st. And yes - there is precedent for CL 2nd too - see Elixir of Swimming.
Hope this helps.
I generally just set it to the minimum required to cast the most powerful spell needed, unless there is some reason to do otherwise. Items which grant an attack or armor class bonus often have a min caster level = to 3 times the bonus... such as bracers of armor...
For example if I were to create an amulet that provided a +4 armor bonus and allowed the wearer to use bless 3/day (note that is nothing like my entry this [or any other] year... and in my opinion lacks any sort of superstar quality) I would set the min caster level to 12 (three times the armor bonus) as it is higher than the caster level required for the spell requirements (1st).
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I had no idea Snow Crash-themed items had such innately low CLs.
"This item, when equipped, prints "POOR IMPULSE CONTROL" on the wearer's forehead in Elvish."
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One thing to remember is that the creator doesn't actually have to have a CL equal to or greater than the item's CL in order to create it.
The FAQ on pearl of power makes this clear:
Though the listed Caster Level for a pearl of power is 17th, that caster level is not part of the Requirements listing for that item. Therefore, the only caster level requirement for a pearl of power is the character has to be able to cast spells of the desired level.
This goes for all other items, too. Even if the item has a CL way higher than its required spells, that doesn't mean you actually have to be higher level to create it. Remember that all the requirements go in the requirements section. Nothing outside of that section is a requirement.
People think that an item's CL is the minimum level you need to be to create it, but that just isn't true. It seems to me that the actual main function of an item's CL is to determine the strength of its aura and its bonus on saving throws. It has very little to do with crafting.
I tried to look at the minimum caster level for the spell(s), then after calculating the cost, compare to others in the same cost bracket. If the item is using a spell or spells that is +/- 1 CL as those in the same cost bracket then I feel like it's right. If it's off by more than 1 CL for others in its cost bracket...I've calculated cost wrong or calculated CL wrong.
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It has very little to do with crafting.Aside from determining the DC for actually making the item ...
Yes, that's true, I had forgotten about that. Good point. And due to that, it actually *does* have an indirect effect on the level a character needs to be to reliably craft it.
I can tell you, all of my players are absolutely paranoid of failing item creation Spellcraft checks and wasting their money. They'll almost never craft anything that they don't have a guaranteed success on.
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I tried to look at the minimum caster level for the spell(s), then after calculating the cost, compare to others in the same cost bracket. If the item is using a spell or spells that is +/- 1 CL as those in the same cost bracket then I feel like it's right. If it's off by more than 1 CL for others in its cost bracket...I've calculated cost wrong or calculated CL wrong.
Huh, that sounds like a really good rule of thumb to me. Thanks, Pendin Fust!