Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ebonarc 06-21-07, 06:20 PM	The item creation rules in the DMG give specific rules as to the caster level of most types of magic items. They don't, however, for wands. I rolled two wands (detect magic and cure light wounds, my players will be thrilled) in a treasure hoard recently, and this is my first time dealing with wands. What I can't figure out is this: Are the spells stored in wands cast from the wand at the minimum caster level? For instance, would that wand of cure light wounds heal 1d8+1 HP, or would it be higher?
Kamin_Majere 06-21-07, 06:28 PM	I generally play that wands are made at minimum caster level (unless something special) you have to remember though craft wand has a minimum level (5th i believe) so the wand of cure light wounds would heal 1d8+5
Salla 06-21-07, 06:31 PM	Typically, a wand is created at the minimum caster level. A 'stock' wand of CLW heals d8+1. You *can* create a wand at a higher caster level (notice the spread of wands of magic missile on the DMG chart), but they become more expensive in the process.
Mock26 06-21-07, 06:33 PM	As others have stated, generally the minimum caster level works best. But, for me, I do it just for the sake of simplicity. If you have 6 different wands, each with a different caster level, it can get very confusing. Additionally, imagine if you had a wand that cast spells at 6th level, but your 10th level mage then recharged it! Then, imagine that his 9th level mage friend adds in a few charges. That would be even more confusing!
Salla 06-21-07, 06:38 PM	As others have stated, generally the minimum caster level works best. But, for me, I do it just for the sake of simplicity. If you have 6 different wands, each with a different caster level, it can get very confusing. Additionally, imagine if you had a wand that cast spells at 6th level, but your 10th level mage then recharged it! Then, imagine that his 9th level mage friend adds in a few charges. That would be even more confusing! Well, TECHNICALLY, wands and other charged items cannot be recharged. :)
Anathema 06-21-07, 06:46 PM	There are things that allow players to recharge wands and the like, but they never change the properties of the item. A minimum level fireball wand will always be minimum level, even if you manage to recharge it. As has been implied, wands can have a variable caster level, based on what was used to create the item.
Ebonarc 06-21-07, 11:07 PM	Thanks everybody. I figured that they were usually made at minimum caster level, and thus minimum spell effect, but I wanted to be sure. That wand of cure light wounds will, I'm sure, be a popular magic item among the party members, even if it only does heal 1d8+1.
Kouk 06-22-07, 01:58 AM	Thanks everybody. I figured that they were usually made at minimum caster level, and thus minimum spell effect, but I wanted to be sure. That wand of cure light wounds will, I'm sure, be a popular magic item among the party members, even if it only does heal 1d8+1. It always is.
Kouk 06-22-07, 01:59 AM	I generally play that wands are made at minimum caster level (unless something special) you have to remember though craft wand has a minimum level (5th i believe) so the wand of cure light wounds would heal 1d8+5 Just because it requires a certain level to be able to craft wands, doesn't mean you can't put in a spell with a lower caster level. You can decide to make a spell weaker if you want, usually for crafting it is to save money and XP.
Morwen 06-22-07, 02:40 AM	Just because it requires a certain level to be able to craft wands, doesn't mean you can't put in a spell with a lower caster level. You can decide to make a spell weaker if you want, usually for crafting it is to save money and XP. Plus you don't need to put in the spell yourself. For instance, a 5th level Wizard could craft the wand, and get a 1st level Cleric to cast the required CLW into it.
Nom 06-22-07, 02:47 AM	you have to remember though craft wand has a minimum level (5th i believe) so the wand of cure light wounds would heal 1d8+5Wands, staves, potions and scrolls have an explicit rule setting the minimum CL to be the minimum CL of the spell. For other items (whose minimum CL is the minimum of the pre-reqs), it's debatable whether the crafting feat pre-req counts or not. Certainly, the items in the DMG don't honour that interpretation. In addition, DMG pg 285 states that "A creator can create an item at a lower caster level than her own, but never lower than the minimum level needed to cast the needed spell." (see also http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm ).
Xykon 06-22-07, 10:10 PM	Wands can have caster levels as high as 9th, its just that the higher the caster level the higher the cost. the formula is: caster level x the spell level x 750 so if you want to have a level 5 wand of cure light wounds (1d8 + 5), you would have to pay 3,750 gp (5 x 1 x 750). Ones listed in DMG are just the minimum level just for the purposes of random drops.
CryoSilver 06-22-07, 10:13 PM	Wands can have any caster level, but cap at 4th level spells.
Anathema 06-23-07, 12:05 AM	Wands can have any caster level, but cap at 4th level spells. Yea, my heart was broken when I tried to make a wand of Shadow Evocation. I mean come on, how cool would that be!?
Ebonarc 06-23-07, 11:03 AM	Yea, my heart was broken when I tried to make a wand of Shadow Evocation. I mean come on, how cool would that be!? In one of the Villain Builder articles, Wolfgang Baur accidentally mentioned the usefulness of a wand of teleport, a 5th level spell.