A question about wands

[subnet_rx]

We're trying to figure out wands, their spells, and cost. When your dealing with spell that scales damage according the caster level, what is the cost of the wand? As an inquisitor, I have ear-piercing scream, it does 1d6 per two caster levels. Would I just pay 750gp for a wand with 50 charges and the damage scale according to my caster level? Or would the cost be at the damage level that I wanted?

[ryric]

The wand has a catser level chosen when it is made. So a 750gp wand of ear-piercing scream is always at catser level 1. If you want a higher caster level the cost is spell level * caster level * 750 gp.

[subnet_rx]

Thanks, do you add material cost on top of that? Or does that already take average material cost into consideration?

[Sniggevert]

You add 50*cost of material components to the cost of the wand at creation.

[DM_Blake]

From the CRB:

"The price of a wand is equal to the level of the spell × the creator's caster level × 750 gp."

The book lists basic prices for wands of spell levels 1, 2, 3, and 4, but it assumes the minimum caster levels for those spells (1, 3, 5, & 7). Thus, if you do the math, you'll see that a wand of a 4th level wizard spell (requires a level 7 wizard to cast it) would be 4 x 7 x 750 which is exactly 21,000 gp which is exactly what the price in the book states.

The caster level that is used is the level of the wand's creator when he makes the wand (although the creator can set this to a lower value, but not lower than the minimum level to cast the spell). So a level 10 crafter can set the caster level for a 4th level wizard spell to be 7, 8, 9, or 10, but doing so changes the price of the wand according to the formula given.

So, Ear-Piercing Scream is a level 1 inquisitor spell. If someone makes a wand of that, they can create it at Caster Level 1 (750gp) or Caster Level 2 (1500gp) or Caster Level 3 (2250gp), etc.

[ryric]

Yep, if the spell has an expensive material component you have to pay for 50 uses. Also I want to point out that wands have minimal save DCs - a first level spell is save DC 11. Wands are generally not best used for offensive spells that allow saves, but rather utility/healing magic and some attack roll spells.

There are some class abilities that overcome these limitations, but I wouldn't worry about those until you are more experienced with the game.

It occurs to me thta you may be referring to the material cost to create a wand in general, regardless of the material componets of the spell. That cost is half the normal price, and is already factored in to the purchase price of the wand.

[DM_Blake]

There are no material components on that spell, so there is nothing to add.

The cost of making any magical item requires half of the final base price in raw materials to make it, so crafting a 750gp wand requires 375gp, crafting a 21,000gp wand requires 10,500gp, etc.