Makeshift Gear Creation Rules
Creating gear for Burn Barrel Blitz is a narrative crafting mini-game that emphasizes player creativity, available materials, and Camp Hope's gritty ingenuity. Players can craft Gloves, Tongs, or Custom Tools to gain small mechanical benefits—or avoid getting scorched.
Step 1: Choose Your Gear Type
Gloves – Worn gear, good for mobility (anything that covers the hands)
Tongs – Held gear, better heat protection but less agile (anything that holds the core)
Custom – Anything strange: a bucket on a stick, a welding mask, a scorched oven mitt… (anything that doesn't fit in the other sections)
Step 2: Gather Materials
Materials can be scavenged, bought, or repurposed from gear. The DM can sets the difficulty for gathering based on availability. The quality of materials will determine the difficulty of the build. Gathering materials can also lead to questing. In general, anything that takes them outside of Camp Hope itself would be a mini quest that would take them to scavenging locations. This chart assumes that they are looking for things around camp.
| Material Quality | Examples | Gathering DC | Crafting DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poor (Trash) | Burned tarp, rusted pipe, rag bundle | 10 | 16 |
| Common (Scavenged) | Leather scraps, old tools, broken armor | 12 | 14 |
| Good (Bartered) | Welding gloves, smith tools, thermal padding | 14 | 12 |
| Rare (Modified Tech) | Heat shielding, ceramic plates, reactor mesh | 16 | 10 |
Step 3: Craft It
Check: Dexterity or Intelligence
An appropriate tool would give a proficiency bonus to the role. Judge appropriateness of tool base on the narrative of what they are making and using for supplies to make it.
Takes 1d4 hours depending on complexity.
Success means the item works as intended. Failure means it’s unreliable—grants disadvantage on rolls during the game. Disadvantage stacks while playing Burn Barrel Blitz.
Optional: Use Inspiration to re-roll failures or add bonuses if the player makes it fun and creative.
Step 4: Determine Gear Traits
Once crafted, the player chooses 1 minor trait from the list below—or the DM can roll randomly.
Glove Traits
| D4 | Trait | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Resistant | Advantage on Dex saves vs heat damage |
| 2 | Grippy | +2 to pass or catch rolls |
| 3 | Bulky | Disadvantage on Sleight of Hand, but grants 1d4 damage resistance |
| 4 | Flicker | Advantage on throwing the core |
Tong Traits
| D4 | Trait | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Reach | +5 ft to pass or intercept range |
| 2 | Lockjaw Grip | Once per match, can “lock on” to core to prevent drop |
| 3 | Heavy | Disadvantage on movement while carrying, and advantage on checks against dropping the core |
| 4 | Scald Resistance | Fire resistance |
Custom Traits
| D4 | Trait | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jury-Rigged Madness | Roll a d6 each match: on 5–6, gain +2 to all pass/catch checks that match |
| 2 | Obnoxiously Loud | Disadvantage on Stealth checks, but intimidates opponents (DC 12 Wis save) |
| 3 | Flame Flair | Sparks or flame trail when scoring: grants +1 morale to team next round |
| 4 | Smoked Sealed | Can ignore 1 round of smoke-based obscurity |
Note: just about any effect could be added to the custom gear if the players can narratively justify it. This would require it to be built out of things that makes sense for the effect as well as potentially increasing the DC of the crafting.
Risk of Breakage
After each use of the tool, roll a d20:
- On a 1–2, the gear fails spectacularly.
- On a 3–5, it partially breaks (half effects).
- On 6+, it holds—burns, dents, and all.
Note: Using tools that you are proficient with while making your gear will negate the breakage risk.
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