Caster level question

[Unseenmal]

Hello fellow playgrounders, I don't know why I can't wrap my brain around the correctness of caster level.

Example: A 1st level Cleric. Race is Illumian with 2 sigils Krau and whatever. Krau adds +1 to caster level. Now if you take the Enhanced Power Sigil feat it doubles the power of your sigils to +2 caster level.

Now, my question is...if you are a level 1 cleric, then you only can cast level 1 spells but as a 3rd level cleric? Or can you now cast level 2 spells? If I am reading it correctly, you can only cast the spells that you have access to but at a higher level. So no level 2 spells until you hit PC level 3. Right? Forgive me if this sounds very silly to you guys but I just want to be sure I have the rule right before I allow a player to do something like this. And I am only allowing it because the group is small. Only 3 players and no DMPC's. The extra few HP's from heals and other buffs the player is looking to do would help out for the game (and PC's) to survive.

[Kin Silvion]

You are correct in that he casts it at a higher level, and does not gain access to the higher level's spells.

[Unseenmal]

Thanks I just needed confirmation that I had it right

[Psyren]

IS: Krau adds 1 to the spell's effective level, actually. This is not the same as the cleric's own caster level; it's more akin to the Heighten Spell feat.

What this means is that an Illumian Cleric with IS: Krau can cast a first-level spell as though it were second-level. This is typically used to enter prestige classes early.

EDIT: Ninja'ed, but with less detail.

[Ernir]

Yes, "caster level" is the trait that determines level-based variables of individual spells and such. Taking a level of a class that grants spellcasting gives you a caster level, but having an effect that increases your caster level does not mean you gain all the benefits associated with gaining additional levels in the spellcasting class.
So for example, a level 1 Cleric with a caster level of 2 would use the same spells per day table as a Cleric with a caster level of 1, but a Shield of Faith spell cast by the first Cleric would last twice as long as the one cast by the second.

Also, note that the Krau sigil can not increase anyone's caster level above its HD. It is generally only useful for multiclass spellcasters, or "half-casters" who don't have a caster level equal to their class level (like Paladins).

EDIT:

IS: Krau adds 1 to the spell's effective level, actually. This is not the same as the cleric's own caster level; it's more akin to the Heighten Spell feat.

It's not Improved Sigil (Krau) feat that is being mentioned, I think it's the Enhanced Power Sigils feat.

[Unseenmal]

It's not Improved Sigil (Krau) feat that is being mentioned, I think it's the Enhanced Power Sigils feat.

That is correct. The player wants to give this a try because of the PrC that he wants to try out and the first level of the PrC doesn't include a +1 CL bonus. That begins @ the 2nd level of the PrC. This won't come into play until 6th level so his plans may change at that point.