[3.5]Why is the caster level for creating metamagic rods so high?

[rmg22893]

17th level seems a tad ridiculous, no?

[Myou]

At a guess I'd say that it's to make players pay extra to buy them, since they're very powerful when applied to high level spells.

[rmg22893]

At a guess I'd say that it's to make players pay extra to buy them, since they're very powerful when applied to high level spells.

I would think it would make more sense to make the caster level lower for the lesser metamagic rods, though. Making a lesser metamagic rod seems a bit trivial for a level 17 caster.

[Keld Denar]

That's the CL of the item, not the CL needed to create the item. In order to create a MM Rod, you just have to have Craft Rod and the appropriate metamagic feat.

The CL of items is used to determine how difficult it is to dispel the item, and the duration and magnitude of any effects that item might create. Since MM Rods don't create any effects, its CL is mostly irrelevant unless you try to targeted dispel it or disjoin it.

[tyckspoon]

It's actually not a prerequisite to make them- you can create any of the rods at 9th level (when you pick up Craft Rod) if you have the appropriate metamagic feat and enough GP/XP free to pay for it. The given Caster Level is merely that which is found on found/purchased Rods; it's not relevant to the creation or function of the Rods, and only really comes into use if they're being dispelled or have to make a save as an unattended item.

(Also, if you want a completely senseless disconnect between price/function and default Caster Level: Sovereign Glue. 50 GP, CL 20. Whut.)

Edit: Curse you, simulpost ninja.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

DMG Errata (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a)

Caster Level
Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 215
Problem: The last two sentences in the section on Caster
Level are ambiguous and potentially misleading.
Solution: Replace with this text: For other magic items, the
caster level is determined by the creator. The minimum caster
level is that which is needed to meet the prerequisites given.

Then read up on what each section of a magic item descriptions (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#magicItemDescriptions) actually means.

Let's take a look at a given metamagic rod, I'll use Empower since it's at the top of the list:

Metamagic, Empower
The wielder can cast up to three spells per day that are empowered as though using the Empower Spell feat.
Strong (no school); CL 17th; Craft Rod, Empower Spell; Price 9,000 gp (lesser), 32,500 gp (normal), 73,000 gp (greater).

Each portion of the bottom line of that is separated by a semicolon, going back to the magic item descriptions (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#magicItemDescriptions) link above, we have the following:
Aura for purposes of Detect Magic: Strong (no school);
Caster Level for the item's saving throws, dispel checks against it, etc. is 17th by default when one is randomly discovered as loot. It could go as low as 9th, the minimum to meet the item's prerequisites;
Prerequisites for creating this item are only what falls between those two semicolons: Craft Rod, Empower Spell;
Market Price comes last on that line, it's given for each grade of that metamagic rod.

As you can see, you don't need to be 17th level to craft any of those. You only need to meet the prerequisites given in that section of the item's description.