Crafting Basics

Introduction to Crafting

This system is an attempt to make crafting more available to players, especially in campaigns without extended downtime. This system makes both helpful consumables and everyday items more available to players, with Guaranteed Satisfaction™ knowing they made it themselves! Most players with a little effort should be able to craft low level items and consumables, while players who invest in tool proficiencies and other bonuses to crafting will be rewarded by being able able to craft stronger, rarer items. Do note that while this system does not replace benefits associated with tool proficiencies, there may be some overlap or redundancy. This system curently supports crafting with alchemist's supplies, poisoner's kit, calligrapher's tools, brewer;s supplies, weaver's tools, leatherworker's tools, cobbler's tools, smith's tools, tinker's tools, woodcarver's tools, jeweler's tools, and cook's utensils, but other tools may be added later.

Crafting Level Requirements

Crafting requires players to reach a certain level and also has an associated crafting DC based on rarity:

• Common - 3rd level - DC10
• Uncommon - 6th level - DC15
• Rare - 9th level - DC20
• Epic (Very Rare) - 12th level - DC25
• Legendary - 15th level - DC30
• Artifact - 20th level - DC35

The Crafting Process

The crafting process varies by trade, but some things hold true across all of them. Crafting requires consuming materials to make a crafting check against the appropriate DC, crafting the item on a success and destroying the materials on a failure. A player can craft an item as part of a long rest, but some items require multiple steps, and for those a player can complete one step per long rest instead.

Trades and Material Types

This system breaks trades down by the types of materials they require. Do note that materials can be utilized by multiple trade categories - for instance, some plants and animals may be sources of fiber, as well as being sources of herbs, hide, or foodstuffs.

• Herbcraft encompases alchemy, poisonmaking, scrollcrafting, and brewing, and uses herb materials
• Fibercrafting encompases weaving, and uses fibrous materials
• Leathercrafting encompases leatherworking and cobbling, and uses hide materials
• Metalcrafting encompases smithing, tinkering, and jewelrymaking, and uses ore and gem materials.
• Woodcrafting encompases woodcarving, and uses wood materials
• Foodcrafting encompases cooking, and uses foodstuff materials

Aquiring Materials

  Materials could be aqcuired from any number of places, but the typical methods are either purchasing, or foraging. When purchasing materials, the cost should be roughly equivalent to half the cost of the final object. Sometimes this can be hard to estimate, especially if materials are being bought without specific intent, but it's a helpful guideline. When foraging for materials, declare a material type (herb, fiber, leather, metal and gem, wood, or foodstuffs). Again, there may be some overlap between material types, but this is primarily represented by some materials showing up on multiple foraging tables. Additionally, under certain circumstances a DM may allow you to declare two or more types when foraging, if there is sufficient overlap. You then spend time in wilderness in increments of an hour searching for materials of the declared type(s). At the end of each hour, make a forage check (survival or investigation, though your DM may allows others such as nature) against the appropriate scarcity DC (see below), and if you succeed, you aqcuire materials. Roll on the appropriate table, or your DM may decide for you. Your DM may also allow you to search for a specific material instead of rolling if you are familiar with it, by raising the scarcity DC by 3. After you determine what material you found, roll a d4 to determine how many you found. You can instead roll a d6 by succeeding on a DC15 sleight of hand check (or with an herbalism kit for herbs, or fibrous or foodstuff materials that are plants).  

Scarcity

Some areas may be particulary barren or lush, depending on a number of natural or supernatural factors. Your DM decides the scarcity DC for your forage checks from below:

• Barren - 25
• Sparse - 20
• Typical - 15
• Lush - 10
• Bounteous - 5

You can reduce the scarcity DC by 5 with an appropriate field guide or pertinent information.