Items with SLA save DC

[snailgosh]

I am designing a custom rod with several spell-like abilities, but am at a loss what its save DC's would be, since I cannot find rules on the ability modifier.
My take would be to use the minimum ability score to cast a spell of that level, so for example

10 + 1(spell level) + 0(11Int) for Shocking Grasp, or
10 + 3(spell level) + 1(13Int) for Fireball

These are ridiculously low in my eyes however. Anyone got some RAW on this?

[questionmark693]

If it's custom, you can do whatever you want, but the default stuff is generally determined by the lowest ability modifier possible.

[snailgosh]

If it's custom, you can do whatever you want, but the default stuff is generally determined by the lowest ability modifier possible.

Do you have a proposition to how a higher DC should affect the base price?

[AnonymousPepper]

If it's custom, you can do whatever you want, but the default stuff is generally determined by the lowest ability modifier possible.

That. Items like this always have the lowest saving throw DC possible. Exception: Artificers get some nice things for wands - the Wand Mastery feat increases wand save DC by 2, and the three-level Cannith Wand Adept PrC allows you to add your CWA class level on top of that (it explicitly stacks, as it well should, since they're from the same book and the feat is a prereq for the class).

This is why you simply never use spells with saving throws unless you can cast the things yourself, as a rule.

There are plenty of fantastic no-save spells out there you can use. Use them instead. Either no save SR applies (because you CAN control caster level when making an item), a spell where the save only applies to a secondary effect (often, rays or instantaneous conjurations, which require ranged touch attacks instead), or use self-buffing/action economy/utility spells instead.

For example, Time Stop doesn't really care if you put it in a custom wondrous item, nor does Celerity. Nor does Choose Destiny, aka the strongest spell in the game hands-down.

And the best blasting spells in the game - Orb of Force (and the other Orbs of X) and Avasculate - don't care about saving throws either (though Disintegrate does, sadly). Not sure but I'm pretty sure Enervate and Energy Drain don't also, and negative levels are always Fun.