Caster level

Your caster level (CL) is the level in your casting class, thus it may be different from your character level in the case of a multiclass character.

• Many spells have greater effect depending on the caster level. Often, spell damage increases (e.g., +1d6 per caster level) or spell duration (e.g., +1 minute per caster level).
• Caster level is an important factor in your Spell Penetration roll to defeat enemy Spell Resistance. Every Caster level adds +1 to your Spell Penetration checks.

The caster level of spell-like abilities granted by race, feats, or epic destinies is usually equal to your character level. These SLAs can still benefit from effects that increase CL.

Caster level, Maximum caster level, and Spell level are often easily mistaken for one another. Below are the differences between the three.

• Caster level determines the power of a spell. Caster level is what the damage dice of a spell is multiplied by, how long a spell lasts, and is added to your Spell Penetration bonuses to bypass Spell Penetration.
• Maximum caster level determines the limits of a spell. If a spell's Caster level is higher than its Maximum caster level, that spell's power is lowered, discarding all damage dice granted by caster levels above the maximum. A spell above Maximum caster level still receives Caster level bonuses to Spell Penetration and duration.
• Spell level determines the complexity of a spell. A spell's DC is increased by 1 per Spell level. Heighten can be used to raise a spell's DC up to as if it were the same as the highest Spell level spell you could cast from that class.

Note that in PnP, a Paladin or Ranger has a caster level equal to class level divided by two (but zero until level four, since they cannot cast spells before that). DDO does not follow that reasoning, so Paladins and Rangers start at caster level 4 immediately once they gain any spells. (i.e. when they reach level 4 in that class.)

Effects that increase caster level of spells and SLAs

Stacking: character abilities generally stack with everything. For items and Song of Arcane Might, stacking is bugged; usually, only one effect applies, often not the strongest.

Item enchantments

• Spell Augmentation: None of the following stack with one another. Unless specifically stated, only the latest equipped source of Augmentation is applied. Only the 'best' choice of each type of Spell Augmentation can apply at once. "Spell" and "Elemental" Augmentation effects stack with each other but not with themselves.
  • "Spell" Augmentation (Mutually exclusive, only one is applied at once, generally only applies the latest equipped source):
    • Arcane Augmentation: +1-3 for arcane (Usually Wizard & Sorcerer spells)
    • Divine Augmentation: +1-3 divine (Usually Cleric & Favored Soul spells not on the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list)
    • Sea Attunement, Sky Attunement: +1 for cold / fire spells if in matching Elemental Form
    • Greater Water Elemental Form on Reflection of Wave: +5 for cold spells if in Water Elemental Form
    • Elemental Spiral on Spiral, the Voice of the Elements: +5 for fire, cold, acid, electric, rotating between the four, only works if no other source of Spell Augmentation is equipped
    • Illusory Death: +1-3 for Illusion and Necromancy spells
    • Enchanting Death: +3 for Enchantment and Necromancy spells
    • Lesser Evocation Augmentation: +1 for Evocation spells
  • "Elemental" Augmentation (Highest value of each individual item is applied), comes in Acid, Cold, Electricity and Fire varieties

Sentient Filigree

• Coalesced Magic (4 pieces): +1 with arcane spells
• Embraced by Light (5 pieces): +2 with healing spells
• Soulweaver (3 pieces): +1 with positive spells

Class abilities

Alchemist

• Liquid Power I / II / III: +3 with acid/cold/electric/fire/poison spells (Choose one element per core, cannot choose the same element twice)
• Augmentation: +2 for Crimsonite and Gildleaf spells
• Alchemical Studies - Pyrite / Verudite / Orchidium / +1 CL to matching colors, feats do not stack with each other

Artificer

• Runic Efficacy: +2 for electric spells

Bard

• Song of Arcane Might: +1 (Is classified as a "Spell" type of Spell Augmentation, and is suppressed if any other "Spell" type of Augmentation is equipped)
• Stormsinger core 5 and 6: +1 and +1

Cleric

• Divine Disciple core 5 and capstone: +1/+1 negative OR light/alignment spells
• Divine Disciple tier 5: +2 acid/cold/electric/fire/force spells
• Radiant Servant enhancements: +3 healing spells

Druid

• Season's Herald enhancements: multiple sources in cores and tier 5, matching active season.
• Wild Shape: elemental forms, hive forms, thorn forms
  • +1 to Poison and Thorn for Thorn Kin, +1 to Poison and Acid for Hive Keeper.
  • +3 Poison and Thorn for Thorn Knight, +3 Poison and Acid for Hive Master
  • +3 Fire and -3 Cold and Water for Fire Elemental, +3 Cold and Water and -3 Fire for Water Elemental

Favored Soul

• Intense Faith: +3 to Fire, Force, Light, and Physical damage spells

Rogue

• Arcane Trickster's Mixed Magics enhancement (t3) makes your base caster level with spells equal to your character level. (Max 20)

Sorcerer

• Sorcerer Savant prestige enhancements: +1 per core ability to spells of an element
• Wild Mage's Mixed Magics enhancement (t4) makes your base caster level with spells equal to your character level. (Max 20)
• Wild Mages have multiple enhancements that increase your CL and MCL with all spells (and extra for Chaotic spells)

Wizard

• Archmage cores: +1 and +1

Race abilities

Dragonborn

• Draconic Knowledge: +1 to spells of selected element

Dwarf

• Iron Stomach: +1 to Admixture spells and potions

Half-Elf

• Power of the Storm: -2 penalty to earth spells

Tiefling Scoundrel

• Magic of Melodies +1 with enchantment spells

Epic abilities

• Epic Knowledge
• Legendary Knowledge

Items that produce spell effect

The caster level of items (scrolls, wands, clickies) is usually the minimum level necessary to cast the spell.

A handful of effects exist that increase the caster level:

• Arcanotechnician capstone
• Artificer Dilettante
• Artificer Knowledge
• Clickies on quarterstaves use the caster level of the character, if it's higher than clicky's caster level.

See also

• FvS tests (2018): DDO Forums ^{ARCHIVE ME!}, DDO Forums ^{ARCHIVE ME!}