caster level

[CryptbornAkryea]

Could one apply one's personal caster level (and buffs) to one's wand?

[HunterOfJello]

Under normal circumstances? No.

Are there exceptions? Yes.

There is a feat from Complete Mage called Residual Magic that has you cast a spell from your daily allotment then cast the same spell again from a wand or scroll and allows you to use your own caster level, DC, and any other effects for the wand or scroll as if you had cast the spell yourself. If you cast a CL10 fireball, then pulll out a Wand of Fireball with CL=5 on it you can cast from the wand at CL10 and with a DC equal to the first fireball you cast (instead of the very low dc you would normally have).

[Zombulian]

Under normal circumstances? No.

Are there exceptions? Yes.

There is a feat from Complete Mage called Residual Magic that has you cast a spell from your daily allotment then cast the same spell again from a wand or scroll and allows you to use your own caster level, DC, and any other effects for the wand or scroll as if you had cast the spell yourself. If you cast a CL10 fireball, then pulll out a Wand of Fireball with CL=5 on it you can cast from the wand at CL10 and with a DC equal to the first fireball you cast (instead of the very low dc you would normally have).

That's pretty neat. With spells from wands do you always assume the lowest stat possible to cast the spell DC wise?

[CryptbornAkryea]

Alright, instead let's go with scrolls.

1 scroll of Consumptive Field = 1.5 cl
craft scroll of Consumptive Field at 1.5 CL?

[KillianHawkeye]

With spells from wands do you always assume the lowest stat possible to cast the spell DC wise?

Yes, the default for things such as potions, scrolls, and wands (and wondrous items if applicable) is the lowest Caster Level (unless specifically bought at a higher level) and the lowest ability score required to cast a spell of whatever spell level.


Magic items produce spells or spell-like effects. For a saving throw against a spell or spell-like effect from a magic item, the DC is 10 + the level of the spell or effect + the ability modifier of the minimum ability score needed to cast that level of spell.

Staffs are an exception to the rule. Treat the saving throw as if the wielder cast the spell, including caster level and all modifiers to save DC.
source (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#savingThrowsAgainstMagicItemPo wers)

[Fax Celestis]

Isn't there a Wand Mastery feat (or maybe it's a feature of Cannith Wand Adept) that lets you use your own stats for wands if they're better, sort of like staves?

[GameSpawn]

Isn't there a Wand Mastery feat (or maybe it's a feature of Cannith Wand Adept) that lets you use your own stats for wands if they're better, sort of like staves?

Eberron Campaign Setting has a feat called Wand Mastery that increases both CL and Save DC for wands by 2.

[Zombulian]

Yes, the default for things such as potions, scrolls, and wands (and wondrous items if applicable) is the lowest Caster Level (unless specifically bought at a higher level) and the lowest ability score required to cast a spell of whatever spell level.


source (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#savingThrowsAgainstMagicItemPo wers)

Ah cool. I'm learning all sorts of new things. I never really have wands on my character where there's a DC for an effect... it's usually about buffs/healing.

[Extra Anchovies]

Isn't there a Wand Mastery feat (or maybe it's a feature of Cannith Wand Adept) that lets you use your own stats for wands if they're better, sort of like staves?

I don't know if there are any feats that allow the expenditure of spells to save a wand's charges; however, I do know that there is a feat that lets you do the same with staffs (i.e. expend a spell slot to avoid using up charges; I forget the exact exchange rate), but it's an epic feat so a similar effect for wands would probably be like that too.

However, there are always Runestaffs from the Magic Item Compendium; they each have a certain set of spells encoded in them. I'm having trouble putting how they work into concise words, so here's an example:

Hennet is a ninth-level sorcerer and has just gotten his hands on a shiny new Runestaff of Abjuration, which contains Dismissal, Dispel Magic, Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, Repulsion, Resist Energy, and Shield. If he sacrifices a third-level spell slot, he can cast Dispel Magic through the staff, up to three times per day (giving up one third-level slot per casting). He could also sacrifice a second-level slot for Resist Energy (again up to three times per day), a first-level slot for Shield, or a fourth-level slot for Lesser Globe of Invulnerability. However, since he doesn't yet have access to fifth- or sixth-level spells, he can't use the Runestaff to cast Dismissal or Repulsion.

They're got piles more flavor to them than normal staffs IMO, and conceivably you could create a Runestaff with only one spell on it. They're also pretty kickass for sorcerers in particular; if you have a friendly wizard with enough XP to spare, they could just make a few runestaffs for you and suddenly your spells known list is effectively twice as large.

On the topic of Runestaffs, I have two three questions about them:
1. Could a spontaneous caster with Versatile Spellcaster use lower-level slots to power the runestaff, as long as they know spells of the level(s) appropriate for the runestaff's spells? (e.g. a sixth-level sorcerer using two second-level slots to cast a third-level spell from a runestaff)
2. Where are the rules for creating new runestaffs? I haven't been able to find them in the Magic Item Compendium, but I really like the items and want to know how to make them.
ETA: 3. Do runestaffs let you use your own caster level when you activate them, or do they have a pre-set caster level based on their creator? I brought them up because I assumed the former, but am now no longer sure.