Creating a Scroll 3.5 confusion

[CastraOil]

Going to start a campaign with some friends and am playing the Artificer class which has to do with a lot of magic item creation. But it is really confusing me. Can someone walk me through making a scroll for example? I am using the artificer from the Eberron campaign setting. I am level 3 and have the scribe scroll feat. I understand some of the parts of item creation for my character. Lets go with a scroll of Dispel Magic as a starting example.

According to my Item Creation class feature I can right now create a scroll with a spell that is caster level 5 since creation uses my current caster level(3) + 2 for creation. When I use the spell however I can only use it at caster level 3 strength. So for Example I could create a scroll of fireball which is caster level 5. But when I use the scroll it would be a weaker fireball that is caster level 3 so 3d6 instead of 5d6. Ok now so far i get this. What i don't get is first how to find out the caster level of a spell. From what I was told I look at the spell level and see what the minimum level required for a caster to cast it is. For example with fireball. It's a 3rd level spell which wizards can start using at level 5. Therefore it is a 5th level spell. But what happens when multiple classes can use the spell at different levels. Sorcerers can't use fireball till level 6. So for them it's a sixth caster level spell correct? Or am i completely misunderstanding caster levels in this regard.

I also understand the cost. For the artificer with item creation its caster level X spell level X 12.5 gp +15 xp. Ok cool. But now I just don't understand what I'd be creating. Is it a one time use scroll. is it reusable etc.

So if someone could walk me through how you would go about creating a scroll. Choosing a spell, figuring out its caster level requirement, cost, and then what i'd end up with.

If this is confusing I apologize, understand though I am just as confused. Thanks for any help you give.

[reddir]

Just an answer to a single point: all created scrolls are single-use only, so far as I know.

[Zanos]

You mostly have it down. You calculate the cost of the scroll based on the minimum caster level or your artificer level, whichever is higher. If you aren't high enough level to craft the item normally you still pay the cost of the minimum caster level, but it's 2 levels lower when you actually use it. As for minimum caster level, it does depend on the spellcaster. As an artificer you get some leeway here; you can choose to use whatever class spell list is the most advantageous for you to craft off of. So you could craft a scroll of plane shift from the cleric spell list instead of the wizard spell list, since it's a lower level for clerics. Keep in mind that you need to also make the UMD checks to emulate the spells.

Keep in mind you don't have to use the weaker scrolls once your artificer level is high enough. If you're a 5th level artificer you can make a normal caster level 5 scroll of fireball that does 5d6 damage. You can even make higher level ones as you get more levels, but that costs more.

Scrolls are single use items.