How to Rods Work?

[tedcahill2]

When the Rod of Escape says that you can use the Jump spell twice per day, is it as though cast by a level 1 caster, or a level 9 caster, since the item description says Caster Level 9th?

I know wands are always made at the lowest caster level possible, but I was unsure about rods.

[DrMotives]

The 2nd one, a 9th level caster. If an item has no listed caster level, assume the lowest caster level that could use the given spell.

[Saintheart]

When the Rod of Escape says that you can use the Jump spell twice per day, is it as though cast by a level 1 caster, or a level 9 caster, since the item description says Caster Level 9th?

I know wands are always made at the lowest caster level possible, but I was unsure about rods.


And here was me thinking magic staffs are screwy. Per the SRD: "Rod costs are difficult to formularize. Refer to Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Price Values and use the rod prices in the rod descriptions as a guideline. Creating a rod costs half the market value listed."

Sticking to the principle that you make an item at the lowest level possible is always a good one.

[Feantar]

The 2nd one, a 9th level caster. If an item has no listed caster level, assume the lowest caster level that could use the given spell.

Wait what? Wouldn't that be 1st? As in, the lowest caster level that can use Jump is CL 1, as Jump is a 1st level spell?

[Saintheart]

Wait what? Wouldn't that be 1st? As in, the lowest caster level that can use Jump is CL 1, as Jump is a 1st level spell?

If it's a magic item, you're stuck with the lowest caster level that can cast the highest-level spell in the item. You can't create a Rod at CL 1 if it has Wish and Magic Missile, because the rod's CL is not high enough to cast Wish. Although there are 'book' magic items, specifically staffs, whose stats do exactly that, thanks WOTC :smallsigh:

EDIT: That said, you can set a spell to cast at a lower level in the staff, i.e. our Rod of Wish and Magic Missile might have a CL of 19, but the Magic Missile spell in it can be set to fire at CL 2 or something. That would alter the rod's price because generally item ability prices are determined in part by the caster level, but you'd have to keep good notes to remember the thing doesn't just cast at CL 19. And it wouldn't change the fact the rod still has to be CL 19 or whatever the minimum level you can find in order to cast Wish.

[Duke of Urrel]

I don't believe there is a rule that applies to all rods. Each type of rod acts according to its own description.

The Magic Item Compendium states on page 221 that the caster level of a magic item equals the minimum required for the "highest-level spell given as a prerequisite for the item" unless the item's individual entry states otherwise.

The highest-level prerequisite spell that a Rod of Escape has is the Control Water spell, whose caster level is at least seven. However, the statistics block of the Rod of Escape on page 173 identifies its caster level as nine, and nothing in the item's description specifies otherwise. I believe this means that the Jump spell contained in a Rod of Escape works as if cast by a ninth-level spellcaster. In other words, I agree with DrMotives.