I would say, that by RAW, no having a spell like ability doesn't really give you a caster level 5. Besides which, in order to craft magical items you need to be able to cast the required spells, or the spelcraft check in order to craft it goes up. I believe that a Paladin's caster level is paladin level-4, so he wouldn't be able to take it till 9th level. A much easier way to obtain crafting would be to sink 1 skill point per level into a crafting skill, craft armor for example. After you have 5 skill points into a skill you can take the feat Master Craftsman. This feat effectively gives you the feats Craft Wondrous Items and Craft Arms and Armor. You use your ranks in the skill as you caster level for item creation. This is probably the best way to go. Wierd side effect of the way the feat is written, is although you may only have craft armor, it sounds like you can craft weapons or wondrous items even though you may not have the relevant crafting ability to craft an item of that type.
My interpretation, one day you craftin along as a weapon smith, and your swinging your hammer at a piece of steel. BAM! Next thing you know it turns into a necklace of fireball. "Well, that's interesting".
You craft so hard, it's magic.
Technically, yes, you can use a scroll as part of the magic item crafting process, but you have to have as many scrolls of the needed spell(s) for the number of days it will take you to craft. You're basically trading gold to eliminate the +5 to the crafting DC.
And also, Claxon is correct. Having spell-like abilities does not qualify you as having a legitimate "magic caster level". However, I'm sure you noticed that Master Craftsman does not automatically give you CMA&A or CWI, it simply allows you to qualify for them by replacing caster levels with ranks in relevant Craft skills.
As far as the scrolls go, we have a wizard with scribe scroll, so getting ahold of scrolls should be relatively cheap.
Why the **** isn't your wizard taking the item creation feats? He's the one best suited to doing the whole thing?
Why the **** isn't your wizard taking the item creation feats? He's the one best suited to doing the whole thing?
Maybe because he has other feats he'd rather be taking?
Bigdaddyjug, welcome to the world of limited resources and tough choices. You're just going to have to decide which you want more - the item crafting feats or the other ones you'd take. There's no right or wrong answer, just opportunity costs no matter what choices you make. Go with the ones that you'd prefer to play.
Why the **** isn't your wizard taking the item creation feats? He's the one best suited to doing the whole thing?Maybe because he has other feats he'd rather be taking?
Bigdaddyjug, welcome to the world of limited resources and tough choices. You're just going to have to decide which you want more - the item crafting feats or the other ones you'd take. There's no right or wrong answer, just opportunity costs no matter what choices you make. Go with the ones that you'd prefer to play.
Maybe it's just the group I play with, but every wizard character thats been played at that table has had the item creation feats except for one blaster wizard. Most find that the bonus they get from custom item creation far outweight those granted by most feats.
Evoker wizard not having at least Craft Wand or Craft Wondrous Items? For shame.