Sanctum Spell for Item Creation

[Endarire]

Greetings, all!

Let's assume I craft an item that casts a spell X times per day (a wondrous item) or I make a consumable item that casts a spell (wand, staff, scroll, potion, etc.) Let's also assume I apply the Sanctum Spell metamagic and I'm outside of my designated sanctum.

Since the spell is treated as 1 level lower in all cases (like a reverse Heighten spell), does this make the item cheaper to craft?

For example, normally making a scroll of fireball would cost (spell level 3 * caster level 5 * scroll cost multiplier 25G) for a total of 375G, whereas using Sanctum Spell in this case would make it formulaically cost (spell level 2 * caster level 5 * scroll cost multiplier 25G) for a total of 250G. Yes, the spell DC would be lower by 1 and this tactic would be generally best done on buffs and utility spells that don't depend on overcoming saves to be useful.

Note that crafters can normally apply legal metamagics to spells when crafting items, like making a wand of Extended haste.

Thus, how RAW legal is this?

Thankee!

[InvisibleBison]

Sanctum spell changes the effective level of the spell when you cast it. Does using a spell to fuel magic item creation count as casting? The SRD implies that it doesn't ("those spell slots are expended from his currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast", emphasis mine), but it's definitely open to interpretation.

[RandomPeasant]

If they are expended "just as if" they have been cast, that would imply they have the properties they have when cast, like modifications from Sanctum Spell. Unless you are willing to argue that a Scroll of Maximized fireball cannot be created, I see no reason that Sanctum Spell would not allow you to create magic items as if spells were lower level.

[Aracor]

You can use Sanctum Spell to treat a spell as if it's lower level, but considering a scroll of maximized fireball crafted using Sudden Maximize still costs as if it's a 6th level spell, it's not going to get you a discount on the price.

[redking]

The rules don't say you can get a discount from raising caster level by other means, so no. For what it's worth, Improved Metamagic (https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Improved_Metamagic) won't give a discount on an item with a metamagic spell in it either.

[sleepyphoenixx]

A scrolls cost is determined by slot level, not spell level. Maximized fireball would be priced as a 6th level spell for item creation.
Sanctum Spell affects spell level, not slot level - it explicitly uses a slot of the same level as normal - so it can never give you a discount in item creation.

What that means is that Sanctum Spell would not affect price but still lower your spell level outside your sanctum.

[Pinkie Pyro]

"The base price of a scroll is its spell level × its caster level × 25 gp."

if you lower the spell level, you lower the price.

There's a build using the mindmage prestige class that lets you prepare and cast any spell in a 0-1st level spell slot, then make magic items correspondingly cheaper.

it ruins the economy. if that's what you're going for, go for it.

[sleepyphoenixx]

"The base price of a scroll is its spell level × its caster level × 25 gp."

if you lower the spell level, you lower the price.

There's a build using the mindmage prestige class that lets you prepare and cast any spell in a 0-1st level spell slot, then make magic items correspondingly cheaper.

it ruins the economy. if that's what you're going for, go for it.

Mind Mage works that way because it explicitly lowers slot level, which is what's used for determining crafting price (as per the rules for crafting items with metamagic spells).
Otherwise crafting items with any metamagic but Heighten would be free.
Sanctum spell doesn't adjust slot level, so using it has no influence on item creation prices.

The Mind Mage build you're refering to also ignores the ML limit on spending power points.
The Compensation ability costs 8pp per level reduced, so reducing a 9th level spell to a 1st level slot would require a ML of at least 64.