Artificer's Items DC question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Artificer's Items DC question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Obsidian_Razor
03-23-08, 07:01 PM Please forgive me if this has already been answered, I couldn't find it anywere...

So, if an Artificer creates, for example, a fireball wand, how do you calculate the DC of the fireball the wand casts (not the DC to create the wand) ?

What if the wand he has created casts a divine spell, like Firestorm?

Thanks in advance
skrap-san
03-24-08, 01:29 AM activating a wand is a constant DC 20 acording to the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/useMagicDevice.htm)
Obsidian_Razor
03-24-08, 03:57 AM I'm talking about the spell's DC...

If the Artificer builds said wand of Fireball, whats the DC to save against it for half damage?
GoodKingJayIII
03-24-08, 02:35 PM I think you would calculate it the same way you'd calculate a wand made by a wizard or a sorcerer.

For a wand of fireballs, the DC is 14: 10 + 3 (spell level) + 1 (min. ability modifier necessary to cast 3rd level spells).
Obsidian_Razor
03-24-08, 04:07 PM Kinda gessed it, but I can't find an official answer anywhere...

And in the case of objects with divine spells? would you use the Artificer Intelligence or his Wisdom?

Thanks, by the way ;)
skrap-san
03-24-08, 06:25 PM For purposes of meeting item prerequisites, an artificer's effective caster level equals his artificer level+2. If the item duplicates a spell effect, however, it uses the artificer's actual spell level.
Based on my understanding of the class and its item creation skills I would say that it has a standard save DC. But it still does the weaker damage mentioned.
Edymnion
03-25-08, 09:11 AM Kinda gessed it, but I can't find an official answer anywhere...

And in the case of objects with divine spells? would you use the Artificer Intelligence or his Wisdom?

Thanks, by the way ;)Wisdom. It is exactly like making the item normally, and follows all the normal rules, you just make a skillcheck instead of casting a spell.
Obsidian_Razor
03-25-08, 01:31 PM But he still can make a, for example, rod of miracle, without having Wisdom 19, right?
Edymnion
03-25-08, 08:54 PM But he still can make a, for example, rod of miracle, without having Wisdom 19, right?Nope. You have to emulate that ability score. See the UMD entry in the PHB, "Your effective ability score is your UMD check -15."

So, to emulate a Wisdom 19, you need to make a DC 34 UMD check.

If you're playing the Artificer "right", you typically don't need to make that check for arcane spells, because you should be keeping your Intelligence high anyway. When you use Wisdom as your dump score though, you're going to suffer when it comes to making divine items.
Obsidian_Razor
03-26-08, 02:26 PM Thanks, I missed that part!

So, when said artificer creates a Divine item, the check to emulate the required ability score is just one more of the checks he needs to make to emulate the prerequisites to build it, correct?
Edymnion
03-27-08, 12:59 PM Thanks, I missed that part!

So, when said artificer creates a Divine item, the check to emulate the required ability score is just one more of the checks he needs to make to emulate the prerequisites to build it, correct?Thats where it starts getting tricky.
I'm away from my books right now, but I seem to recall that its considered to be a part of a normal UMD check, not seperate. So, you would make your check to emulate casting the spell, and whatever you get on that check -15 is also the effective ability score for the spell, all in one roll. If you already have the ability score, you obviously don't have to worry about the second part, you can use whichever is higher. Usually, your natural ability score is going to be higher, so you use it.

Very useful on things like spell storing infusions where you're making a UMD check to store a spell that has a save DC, since you can pump up the ability score. Also good for staves, since they scale with your DCs (unlike wands which are set).

Its just that, most of the time, by the time you get a check high enough for this to matter, its generally easier to have just crafted an ability boosting item, or use an ability boosting infusion to up your score a few points.
Obsidian_Razor
03-29-08, 05:55 AM Thanks!

That should cover everything...

This should be in some kind of FAQ by the way...
Edymnion
03-29-08, 04:03 PM This should be in some kind of FAQ by the way...*Ahem* (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=813665)
Obsidian_Razor
03-29-08, 10:37 PM I stand corrected ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Obsidian_Razor 03-23-08, 07:01 PM	Please forgive me if this has already been answered, I couldn't find it anywere... So, if an Artificer creates, for example, a fireball wand, how do you calculate the DC of the fireball the wand casts (not the DC to create the wand) ? What if the wand he has created casts a divine spell, like Firestorm? Thanks in advance
skrap-san 03-24-08, 01:29 AM	activating a wand is a constant DC 20 acording to the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/useMagicDevice.htm)
Obsidian_Razor 03-24-08, 03:57 AM	I'm talking about the spell's DC... If the Artificer builds said wand of Fireball, whats the DC to save against it for half damage?
GoodKingJayIII 03-24-08, 02:35 PM	I think you would calculate it the same way you'd calculate a wand made by a wizard or a sorcerer. For a wand of fireballs, the DC is 14: 10 + 3 (spell level) + 1 (min. ability modifier necessary to cast 3rd level spells).
Obsidian_Razor 03-24-08, 04:07 PM	Kinda gessed it, but I can't find an official answer anywhere... And in the case of objects with divine spells? would you use the Artificer Intelligence or his Wisdom? Thanks, by the way ;)
skrap-san 03-24-08, 06:25 PM	For purposes of meeting item prerequisites, an artificer's effective caster level equals his artificer level+2. If the item duplicates a spell effect, however, it uses the artificer's actual spell level. Based on my understanding of the class and its item creation skills I would say that it has a standard save DC. But it still does the weaker damage mentioned.
Edymnion 03-25-08, 09:11 AM	Kinda gessed it, but I can't find an official answer anywhere... And in the case of objects with divine spells? would you use the Artificer Intelligence or his Wisdom? Thanks, by the way ;)Wisdom. It is exactly like making the item normally, and follows all the normal rules, you just make a skillcheck instead of casting a spell.
Obsidian_Razor 03-25-08, 01:31 PM	But he still can make a, for example, rod of miracle, without having Wisdom 19, right?
Edymnion 03-25-08, 08:54 PM	But he still can make a, for example, rod of miracle, without having Wisdom 19, right?Nope. You have to emulate that ability score. See the UMD entry in the PHB, "Your effective ability score is your UMD check -15." So, to emulate a Wisdom 19, you need to make a DC 34 UMD check. If you're playing the Artificer "right", you typically don't need to make that check for arcane spells, because you should be keeping your Intelligence high anyway. When you use Wisdom as your dump score though, you're going to suffer when it comes to making divine items.
Obsidian_Razor 03-26-08, 02:26 PM	Thanks, I missed that part! So, when said artificer creates a Divine item, the check to emulate the required ability score is just one more of the checks he needs to make to emulate the prerequisites to build it, correct?
Edymnion 03-27-08, 12:59 PM	Thanks, I missed that part! So, when said artificer creates a Divine item, the check to emulate the required ability score is just one more of the checks he needs to make to emulate the prerequisites to build it, correct?Thats where it starts getting tricky. I'm away from my books right now, but I seem to recall that its considered to be a part of a normal UMD check, not seperate. So, you would make your check to emulate casting the spell, and whatever you get on that check -15 is also the effective ability score for the spell, all in one roll. If you already have the ability score, you obviously don't have to worry about the second part, you can use whichever is higher. Usually, your natural ability score is going to be higher, so you use it. Very useful on things like spell storing infusions where you're making a UMD check to store a spell that has a save DC, since you can pump up the ability score. Also good for staves, since they scale with your DCs (unlike wands which are set). Its just that, most of the time, by the time you get a check high enough for this to matter, its generally easier to have just crafted an ability boosting item, or use an ability boosting infusion to up your score a few points.
Obsidian_Razor 03-29-08, 05:55 AM	Thanks! That should cover everything... This should be in some kind of FAQ by the way...
Edymnion 03-29-08, 04:03 PM	This should be in some kind of FAQ by the way...Ahem (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=813665)
Obsidian_Razor 03-29-08, 10:37 PM	I stand corrected ;)