CC of Magic Item Powers

[The Pugilist]

How do you determine the Challenge Class for saving throws against powers from magic items?

Staffs, for example, seem to be easy. Their description says that they cast as 6th level characters, so the Challenge Class would logically be 6.

But let's suppose a 10th level Wizard is using a Wand of Charm Person. Is the Challenge Class 10, for the wielder, or is it the level of the creator (which is not mentioned in the magic item descriptions), or is it something else entirely?

I'm sorry if this has been asked before but I did not find the answer in a search. Thanks!

[Treebore]

I do it a bit differently. I do it based on what level the item had to be made at. So if its a wizard item it was made at at least 9th level. So the CL to save versus a staff will always be a 9, at minimum. Now if that staff has an 8th level spell in it, then it was obviously made at least at 15th level of power, so that staff will have a CL 15, for all its powers.

I have never bought into the "A 12th level Wizard had to have made this, but it casts at 5th level" line of thought. I suppose it can be done, but if your 12th level and can only afford to make it at 6th level of power, why bother?

Besides, I like it when the 5th level group of PC's realizes a staff is being used on them. The "HOLY CRAP!!" is so genuine!
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[Lord Dynel]

I think the 6th level of the spell only pertains to the effect you get out of the spell being cast, I would suppose. It does account for some odd things, though - Ressurection, for example is a 6th level spell and would be able to bring a person dead as much as 130 years back from the dead. With the Staff of Resurrection, however, that time limit is cut to 60 years. That is indeed a little odd.

Maybe someone more official could come on and give their insight?
Me personally, I think I would rule that a staff or wand has a caster level of the level necessary to cast the highest level spell, +3. So in the example of the wand of illusion in M&T the caster level would be 12 (the highest level spell, Persistant Image is a 5th level spell, so a 9th level caster is necessary. Add three to that gives 12)

[Omote]

Because by the base rules of the game (a spells' challange class is equal to caster level), I think you have to assume that the CC of the item is equal to the challange class of the item's creator. If the item indicates otherwise, use that. If there is no indication, use the caster level of the item's creator.

Additionally, there is another arguement for using the caster level of the magic item creator: when the magic-user created the item using the gold p[iece value cost method, the caster level is figured into the cost to create the item.

-O
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[Maliki]

My houserule is that the wielders level determines the CC. Keeps it simple, I know the level of the guy that is wielding the item, I don't have to worry about the level of the guy who made it.
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[serleran]

At minimum, the level needed to make the item.
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