minimum crafting caster level?

[demonolgist]

hello everyone recently a member of my party has gone a little nutso with craft wondrous item and has been spending aLL his downtime crafting so taking advantage i asked him to make me a headband with a continuous protection from evil headband and he told me the cost would be 12000 stating

it was a lvl 1 spell and the minimum caster lvl to create the items was 3 and the rule for continuous items is If a continuous item has an effect based on a spell with a duration measured in rounds, multiply the cost by 4. If the duration of the spell is 1 minute/level, multiply the cost by 2

so i'm wondering can u go below lvl 3 for minimum caster lvl?

[Nigrescence]

Protection from Evil is a level one spell, so the minimum caster level is actually 1.

So the formula estimation (at minimum caster level possible) would be [Spell level 1 x Caster level 1 x 2000 x 2(for being minute per level)] = 4000. Crafting is at half cost, so it could be crafted for 2000 (unless you're being charged full price by the crafter, hehehe).

Level three is merely the minimum for taking Craft Wondrous Items.

The minimum caster level is based on the level of spell used. The minimum level needed to cast that spell. Obviously, you can choose to craft an item with a higher caster level (for stronger effect or other reasons).

[Gilarius]

The formula is merely one step in pricing an item, and not the initial one either.

Step one is to get approval for the basic concept from the GM.
Step 2 is to ask the GM what price he/she wants the item to have, assuming you get their approval at all.

The GM then uses all the crafting rules to assign a price which start with a comparison with existing items which are similar, followed by them deciding if they want or need to adjust it up or down. One of the methods they can use if they want to, is to use the formula quoted above.

Read the crafting rules in full, but the GM decides in the end.

[DM_Blake]

You know, there doesn't seem to be any item in the magic item database that has a continuous Protection from Evil effect.

I think that is deliberate. It's surprisingly powerful. Especially that part about being immune to mind control. Huge.

Worth way more than 4,000gp. More like 40,000gp. Or more.

As Gilarius said, Step 1 and Step 2 are there to prevent accidentally creating overpowered items for ridiculously low prices. Consider a 2,000gp Ring of True Strike that gives a continuous +20 to hit on all attack rolls. Some items just should not be made. Other items are not priced according to the simple formulas (look at the Ring of Invisibility, it's double the formula price). All of which should be up to your GM long before it's up to you or me or anyone else on the forums.

You should probably ask your GM and suggest to him that the formula price seems to be very, very low for such a powerful item.

[Alshoodone]

Hmm... One could argue that that ability is a bit potent for the price that it is. Honestly the price that he says it is, by rules, is much more than it actually is. Then again, for what it does, that price doesn't sound too far-fetched.

An interesting question would be "Can the spell be made permanant, and how much does that cost?" and that's taking into consideration the permanancy spell.

Honestly speaking of the good folks are allowed to make those, then the evil guys are allowed to do the same, right?

If you listen closely you can hear the enchantment wizards killing themselves as we speak.

I personally feel it falls into the category of "Should not be continuous" alongside True Strike. That, or the price needs to be quite high, and out of their current reach.

[ElMustacho]

DM_Blake wrote:

You know, there doesn't seem to be any item in the magic item database that has a continuous Protection from Evil effect.

I think that is deliberate. It's surprisingly powerful. Especially that part about being immune to mind control. Huge.

Worth way more than 4,000gp. More like 40,000gp. Or more.

As Gilarius said, Step 1 and Step 2 are there to prevent accidentally creating overpowered items for ridiculously low prices. Consider a 2,000gp Ring of True Strike that gives a continuous +20 to hit on all attack rolls. Some items just should not be made. Other items are not priced according to the simple formulas (look at the Ring of Invisibility, it's double the formula price). All of which should be up to your GM long before it's up to you or me or anyone else on the forums.

You should probably ask your GM and suggest to him that the formula price seems to be very, very low for such a powerful item.

Protection from possession and mental control comes with a Clear Spindle Ioun Stone inside a Wayfinder at a buying price of 4500 gp (so this is 2250 gp for crafting), while freeing your headband slot. You only gain that protection, but the bonus to saving throws and AC do not stack with the ring of protection and the cloak of resistance. And at the level you have that amount of money enemies have options to deal with the "can't touch" effect of the spell, so it's not that much of a loss.

I also report some relevant quotes from the PRD.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/magicItems.html wrote:

[...]

For potions, scrolls, and wands, the creator can set the caster level of an item at any number high enough to cast the stored spell but not higher than her own caster level. For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the item itself.
[...]

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/magicItems/magicItemCreatio n.html wrote:

[...]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.
[...]

[pipedreamsam]

Slotting a 4K clear spindle Ioun stone into a 500gp wayfinder has a 75% chance to give the protection from possession and mental control as per protection from evil. Seems like a good enough starting point to expound upon if the player wants more.

EDIT: ninja'd