Craft Wonderous Item

[daggaz]

Is it possible to have somebody else cast a spell for you if you dont have it?

Say Im a 16th lvl wizard, making bracers of defense, I have the craft feat... Can I have a 8th lvl druid cast the barkskin for me? If so, would the bracers then be limited to +4 (druid's CL/2) or +8 (my CL/2)?

Same thing for if I find a wand I can use.. does the wand's CL effect the item, or does it just depend on my own CL?

[Yuki Akuma]

...I think so, although I couldn't give you a rules citation..

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

You would still be the creator so any level dependant power would be based on your levels.

Note that all items have prerequisites in their descriptions. These prerequisites must be met for the item to be created. Most of the time, they take the form of spells that must be known by the item’s creator (although access through another magic item or spellcaster is allowed).

(Emphasis mine)



The CL of wands are determined when the item is created.

For potions, scrolls, and wands, the creator can set the caster level of an item at any number high enough to cast the stored spell and not higher than her own caster level. For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the creator. The minimum caster level is that which is needed to meet the prerequisites given.

[Thomas]

I was just recently corrected and told that you can, indeed, create an item by having someone else cast one of the spells. The line wasn't in the SRD, as I recall, but it's apparently in the DMG.

As for wands, the CL is indeed decided when it is created. Staves are different:

Staffs use the wielder’s ability score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against their spells. Unlike with other sorts of magic items, the wielder can use his caster level when activating the power of a staff if it’s higher than the caster level of the staff.
This means that staffs are far more potent in the hands of a powerful spellcaster. Because they use the wielder’s ability score to set the save DC for the spell, spells from a staff are often harder to resist than ones from other magic items, which use the minimum ability score required to cast the spell. Not only are aspects of the spell dependant on caster level (range, duration, and so on) potentially higher, but spells from a staff are harder to dispel and have a better chance of overcoming a target’s spell resistance.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

The line wasn't in the SRD, as I recall, but it's apparently in the DMG.

My quote is from the SRD.

[marjan]

As i recall in magic item creation it says that you need to meet all prerequisites (CL), know spell, have it prepared every day you spend crafting item and spell is cast from your spell slot itself without having to pay material and xp components for the casting of spell.

[kamikasei]

I think people are misunderstanding the OP on this point:

Same thing for if I find a wand I can use.. does the wand's CL effect the item, or does it just depend on my own CL?

There are references being given to how to determine the CL of a wand, but what's being asked is whether, if you use a wand to give you the spell to create an item, the wand's CL is used in place of your own for determining the item's CL.

[Zeb The Troll]

Is it possible to have somebody else cast a spell for you if you dont have it?

Say Im a 16th lvl wizard, making bracers of defense, I have the craft feat... Can I have a 8th lvl druid cast the barkskin for me? If so, would the bracers then be limited to +4 (druid's CL/2) or +8 (my CL/2)?

Same thing for if I find a wand I can use.. does the wand's CL effect the item, or does it just depend on my own CL?

As has been mentioned, but just to sum it up into one post..

1.) Yes.
2.) It would be limited to the lowest level caster helping with the creation. (By the way, Barkskin is used in making an Amulet of Natural Armor [caster level must be 3x the bonus desired, max of +4], Mage Armor is used in Bracers of Armor [caster level must be 2x the desired bonus, max of +8]. "Bracers of Defense" are not SRD.)
3.) The wands CL is determined at creation and in the absence of any description otherwise, is assumed to be of the lowest level allowed to create it.

Here's the link to the pertinent info in the SRD.