Please explain Spell DC's

[2x4]

I am considering rolling and/or Tr'ing into a wizard. Could you please explain spell DC like your talking to someone brand new to casting (like a dwarf).

For example how do you even locate this stat and what can be done to keep it at it's best as you level up?

Thanks in advance for the advice and information

[350zguy]

Saving Throw Difficulty Class

A saving throw against your spell has a DC of 10+the level of the spell+your bonus for the relevant Ability. (Intelligence for a Wizard, Charisma for a Sorcerer or Bard, and Wisdom for a Cleric, Favored Soul, Paladin, or Ranger.) A spell's level can vary depending on your class. Always use the spell level applicable to your class.

In addition there are various feats and items that may improve your DCs. For example Spell Focus. http://ddowiki.com/page/Spell_Focus

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So if you were to cast a level one spell, with a primary casting stat of 18 (We're assuming wizard here so int).

1 (level) + 10 (base) + 4 (stat bonus) + 0 (feats, etc) = 15

15 DC vs various saving throw...

You can also use the heighten spell feat, to force the level (and spell cost) up to the highest level you can cast. If you're 18th level and cast a heightened fireball its DC goes up accordingly.

Fireball 9th (Normally 3rd)
20 int +5
10+9+5 = 24 DC vs reflex save.

......

Just cast scorching ray all the time... That's what I do. No save, no SR, and if you're a fire wizard you can hit for 900 on a lucky hit.

[MsEricka]

DC Formula
10 + int mod + spell level + feats + past life + items + special

Special would be something such as lich form

[Cardtrick]

For example how do you even locate this stat and what can be done to keep it at it's best as you level up?

There's no one place to find it on your character sheet, because it varies for different spells. Instead, hover your mouse over one of your spells (on your quick bar, for example), and the popup will list the save required. This save is also known as the DC ("Difficulty Class"). The higher, the better.

There are a great many things that affect it, but the two big ones are:

1) The level of the spell. This gets added directly to the DC. Assuming no other changes, a level 9 spell will have +8 DC compared to a level 1 spell.

1A) It is possible to artificially raise the level of a spell using the Heighten metamagic. When this is turned on, any spell you use is cast as if it is at the maximum spell level you can cast. In some cases, this is a huge difference -- web, for example, is a level 2 spell, so Heighten gives +7 to its DC (a truly enormous difference). This is also part of the reason why artificers and bards (to a lesser extent, due to their capstone) will always have lower DCs than other comparably geared casters -- their maximum spell level is 6, so Heighten gives 3 less DC.

2) The ability modifier of your primary casting stat. This also gets added directly to the DC. For a wizard or artificer, this is Intelligence; for a bard or sorcerer, it's Charisma; and for a cleric or favored soul, it's Wisdom. Any caster who cares about DC will try to maximize their primary casting stat when building their character, setting enhancements, and choosing gear.

There are also a variety of smaller effects, which typically take the form of a bonus to a particular school of magic. These are things like spell focus/grater spell focus feats, spell focus/greater spell focus items, certain prestige or capstone enhancements, and various past lives (cleric passive for +1 to Conjuration, sorcerer passive for +1 to evocation, wizard active life for +1 to all, bard active life for +1 to enchantment). As a rule, feats will stack with each other and anything else, while items do not stack.

Due to a limited number of feats and gear slots, you will generally want to specialize in a certain school. For a sorcerer or evoker FvS, this is almost always evocation. For wizards, there's a lot more flexibility, and it becomes practical to get good DCs across the board and focus on two different schools. This will typically be either enchantment or conjuration, for crowd control, and either necromancy or evocation, for killing. Many people would agree that these days the combination of necromancy (instant kill) and conjuration (heightened web, for crowd control) is particularly potent.

To summarize: while leveling, always keep your primary casting stat maxed. Take Heighten at some point when you have the SP to handle its cost and enough spells that will benefit from having their level raised -- 15 or 18 are common levels to take it. Search for gear to add to your primary stat, and also for gear with the "focus" or "greater focus" property to add +1 or +2 to particular schools.

If you're struggling, also keep in mind that lowering an opponent's save is just as good as raising your DC. Consider using debuff spells like Hypnotism, Energy Drain, Mind Fog, Cloud Kill, Curse, etc.

One thing you may have noticed is that your character level does not get added directly to the DC. Many people are confused about this and will tell you otherwise. Character level does get added to spell penetration, which is a related (but different) check, which not all spells are subject to and which only applies to enemies with spell resistance.

[2x4]

+1 to all three of you. This is very informative and helps me very much.