I am a bit confused about CL for magic items. Mostly when it comes to spellcraft checks for identification by my PCs.
Consider a the Ring of Torag. The module lists its CL as 3rd. But I thought you had to be 7th level caster to Create Rings....so wouldn't the CL be 7th at the minimum?
Also, is there a quick and easy way to determine a CL if the module does not list it?
Thanks.
The DC to create a ring is 5+the CL of the ring. Thus, with a CL of 3, the Ring of Torag requires a Spellcraft check of 8 to create.
The spellcraft to identify an item is 15+CL. So the Ring of Torag requires a spellcraft check of 18
When creating a magic item, you can create an item with a lower caster level than your own, but it must still be high enough to cast a spell required for the item's creation
Looking at the Ring of Torag again, it requires the spell "Resist Energy" which is a 2nd level Wizard spell and can be cast by a 2nd level wizard. Thus, the Ring must have a CL of at least 2.
To determine CL, well it depends on the caster creating the item and the spells used in its construction
Specifically, what is your question regarding spellcraft checks for identification?
Reference: Magic Item Creation
You explained it quite well. The CL is for the spells level (or, more accurately, the caster level that puts the spell on the ring) added to the base check of 15.
Thanks.