What abilities can assist in a caster level check?

Question

The remove curse spell requires a caster level check (d20 + caster level) vs. the curse DC.

This doesn't give fantastic odds of the spell working successfully, although I can't see any text that says you can't retry.

Given this isn't a skill check, or indeed any sort of stat check what spells/abilities can be used to give a bonus to this roll to improve chances of success?

This would be for a wizard, level 7. Little cash available but a city where hires can be done nearby. Any bonus that improves the roll is good. Have a friendly druid and paladin in the group.

Answer 1

There are few bonuses, but the best way to effectively get a decent bonus is to use a power where you can get a reroll. In our current Carrion Crown campaign, I run a witch with the Fortune hex (allows you to roll 2d20 and take best), and that's our go-to when we have Dispel checks, SR checks, etc. that people don't customarily have a lot of bonuses in. Of course, witch hexes aren't the only thing that gives this. Clerics with the Luck domain, a luck blade, spells like borrow fortune, Hero points - anything that'll let you reroll "any d20 roll."

There are some other magic items like the orange prism ioun stone or a bead of karma from a strand of prayer beads, but that's well out of your budget.

See How much is a Second roll worth in Modifier Bonus for how many "points of bonus" a reroll is worth. There's math. "+5, more or less."

Answer 2

Increasing Arcane Caster Level on the Cheap Is Hard

A wand of remove curse [abjur] (3rd-level spell at caster level 20) costs 900 gp per charge; if used wands are available this is the easiest way to get access to a high-caster-level remove curse spell. Even the paladin can use the purchased wand (and laugh at the druid while he does).

A 5th-level or higher cleric or witch may be willing to cast the 3rd-level spell sharesister [necro] on the wizard to grant the wizard a +1 insight bonus to caster level.

If the wizard has ranks in the skill Use Magic Device and can get a scroll of death knell [necro], convince the druid the chicken deserves it, stab a chicken until it's dying but not dead, and--before the chicken bleeds out--successfully cast the spell death knell on the chicken, the wizard can get a +1 bonus to his caster level. Yeah, I know.

Otherwise, a wizard's stuck with very expensive options like the ioun stone (orange prism).

Answer 3

I googled a bit, and I found this post on the paizo message boards.

The list is not very long however, and much is tied to class features, but you can always hire someone.

From what I've seen, the Magician Bard Archetype's Dweomercraft performance is a good way.

Dweomercraft (Su): A magician can use performance to manipulate magical energies. Allies of the magician gain a +1 bonus on caster level checks, concentration checks, and attack rolls with spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. This ability relies on visual and audible components.

Convince your GM to place a magician in town, and hire that guy. Level 1 Bards are a cheap +1, level 5 Bard would even be +2, for a bit more cash. As far as I know, there is no official price list for class feature services, but you can orient yourself on spellcasting prices. Maybe 25xLevelxRounds in gold or similar. Note that you only need a single round of singing.

Alternatively, if you can find a cleric with the Arcane subdomain: The Arcane Beacon domain power works as well, if you cast remove curse as an arcane spell.

Arcane Beacon (Su): As a standard action you can become a beacon of arcane energy until the end of your next turn. The aura emanates 15 feet from you. All arcane spells cast within the aura either gain a +1 bonus to their caster level or increase their saving throw DC by +1. The caster chooses the benefit when she casts the spell. You can use this ability for a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Answer 4

There is an interesting feat tree in the Pathfinder Player Companion: Faiths & Philosophies that starts with the following feat:

Meditation Master allows you to, after meditating for one hour, add a +1 insight bonus to any d20 roll within 24 hours of the meditation. It has no pre-requisites.

Another feat in the same tree (Combat Meditation) is worth mentioning because it speeds up the meditation from one hour to one full-round action. Much more useful in a fight. It also lets you trade your +1 bonus for a re-roll of any ability check, attack, save, or skill check*.

Some feats in the rest of the tree are relevant for casters as well, but mostly target Concentration checks.

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If your character is Human, there is also the Inexplicable Luck feat. which adds a +8 to any d20 roll once per day as a free action.

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*: Doesn't include Concentration checks or Caster Level checks

Answer 5

There is a cheaper way, I have discovered.

Power Components from Adventurers Armoury provides cheap ways to one-shot buff certain spells.

Specifically for dispelling two are particularly useful:

Cold Iron (5 gp for a dose of 5) Spells of the abjuration school are cast at +1 caster level for the purpose of caster level and dispel checks

Myrhh (2 gp for a dose of 4) Spells of the abjuration school are cast at +1 caster level for the purpose of caster level checks and dispel checks.

Not sure if they'll stack together (the bonuses appear untyped) but anyway, it's a much cheaper way to get a bonus to a caster level check.