Does *class level* affect DCs?

[PivoFreak]

Does *class level* affect DCs?

I often see losing 1 DC as a reason not to splash, but it appears that only the *spell* level matters, not the class level.

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From ddowiki:

DC in equation form:

10 + Spell Level + Casting Stat Modifier + Items + Feats = DC

Example:

Player A is a level 20 wizard casting Finger of Death, a level 7 Necromancy spell with a Fortitude Save. She has a 40 INT, for a +15 modifier. She has Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy, for +2 to DCs of her Necromancy spells. She is also wearing a Stormreaver's Napkin, for +1 to her DCs. She is using Heighten Spell to bring the level of the Finger of Death to level 9.

Plugging this into the above equation, we get:

10 + 9 (Spell Level with Heighten) + 15 (Modifier) + 1 (Napkin) + 2 (Feats) = 37

So the mob has to make a 37 Fortitude Save or die.

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No mention of class level.

[MrCow]

Most spells are not dependent on class level for the purposes of spell Difficulty Checks. However, there are a few spells that do have class level as part of the Difficulty Check (Poison, Dismissal, Banishment, Knock) and it may have an impact if you are using the metamagic Heighten.

[A_Sheep2]

Spell penetration DC could be what they're talking about which uses a d20+caster level+feats/enhancements versus enemy spell resistance #.

2 levels of splash also used to reduce the level of spell you could cast by 1 for clerics, which would reduce your top DC by 1 especially for heighten as the cow in the neighboring pen has noted. Currently, this is still true levelling up your cleric until level 17 (which would be level 19 for a 2 splash build) when you reach your 9th level spells.

[Trillea]

Also not to mention that the wizzy capstone of +2 INT raises DC by 1 by itself...

[Corebreach]

Does *class level* affect DCs?

I often see losing 1 DC as a reason not to splash, but it appears that only the *spell* level matters, not the class level.

Caster level matters directly for overcoming Spell Resistance.

Caster level does not matter directly for determining (most) saving throw DCs, though it may matter indirectly if you have Heighten Spell.