About
This book is meant to be used as a reference by the DM or the player who wishes to craft an item.
The Trinity
- The rigid: Our materials define the base properties of the item.
- The flexible: Our enchantments offer a wide range of effects, and can be placed on item anytime.
- The vivid: Our epics happen spontaneously in the world, they are the legends and the myths.
Transfer of items
When item is done, if you're not nearby, you can tell your hireling to send it to you, or someone else. Careful though! What if someone knows what you ordered and wants to ambush the carrier, or plans to steal the item when it's done.
Hirelings
Depending on campaign, downtime can be a few days to several months. The PCs might not be full-time blacksmiths, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the perks of creating items. Hirelings are active while you are out adventuring as well.
- Hireling: Half speed bonus, works half speed while you are away. Common and uncommon. 2gp/d
- Master Hireling: Double speed bonus, works normal speed while you are away. You get advantage on 1 roll on item the Master assists you with. 5-10gp/d
Manuals
Manuals come in forms of schematics and ancient tomes that guide the person through creation of item or enchantement. In your world they might be few and rare, or nearly common.
Effect: Lower DC of target item creation by 3.
Crafting
The Dungeon Master decides the balance of the three in their world. The prices offered in this tome are meant to be a reference and adjusted based on your generosity with gold, loot, and your preference for players to personally obtain items or do favours to get them.
Smithing
Materials give the item its properties, and first step should be establishing if there are any accessible materials to craft with.
Rare materials come from cross-realm merchants, royalty with access to such purchases might have access to them. Mages might know creatures who could supply the materials or trade them. The few places that do have such materials on material plane are bound to be points of interest. The material would mean monopoly and a massive wealth, if it is forgotten by time, people will be trying to locate it, if infested they will clear it, it is possible wars or skirmishes could be waged over them. Gold and silver mines are literally shitting money. A common mine which finds a vein of adamantine might find itself drawing a lot of attention, both good and bad.
There might be receipts for specific combinations of material that bring greater boon, it can also be paired with enchanting.
Reforging
Simple and effective, keeping balance of items DM distributes.
The item keeps all of its effects as it is reforged into a different shape.
Reforging is the same process like making the weapon, only usually not requiring additional materials.
Masterwork
Masterwork equipment can be of any material, it reflects the work of a master of his craft. Such equipment is harder to make and more rare, and in some worlds where there are less materials they can be one of few sources of actually powerful items.
Masterwork effect: Pick 1 additional effect from one property of material used, or add one of General property effects.
This means that Orichalcum could be either Tough (x2) or Tough + General.
Creating a masterwork item: To craft a masterwork item, you must not fail a single roll. It is possible you will create masterwork items by accident.
Note: If you want less fantasy materials, you can instead make Steel uncommon and give it 'General' property.
Optional
Repairing
To repair, you need 1 unit of item's material. Roll once the DC of material, on success you repair 2 points of damage. On failure you accidentally damage the item 1 point.
Weapons get damaged when you critically fail attacking with them. Armors get damaged when you get crittally hit.
| ITEM | Durability |
|---|---|
| Armor | 4 |
| * Medium armor | +1 |
| * Heavy armor | +2 |
| Weapon | 4 |
| * Small weapon (d4) | -1 |
| * Large weapon (d12) | +2 |
Low Fantasy
Remove all Very Rare materials except Titanium.
If your default material is Iron, you can make Steel uncommon and give it property of Masterwork or Tough.
The further back you go, the more items you can make more rare, such as defaulting to bronze and adding iron.
Interchangeability
Making Tough and Masterwork interchangeable expands your options.
How to craft?
Crafting formulae
- Pick your Material. (DC, Succeses req)
- Pick target item. (Time, units, DC +/-)
- Spend material's Property points on effects.
- Begin crafting by rolling Smith Tools for a number of days.
- You craft item if you roll enough successes.
- You fail crafting item if you don't roll enough successes, and you lose 1 unit of material.
- If all Crafting rolls are a success the item becomes Masterworked. Pick one: Add one Masterwork effect, or increase one Property of the material by 1.
_
Materials
Every material has Properties that give them their effects,
| MATERIAL | Rarity | Unit cost | Property points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orichalcum | Uncommon | 250 | Tough, Enchantee |
| Darksteel | Uncommon | 400 | Tough, General |
| Cold Iron | Uncommon | 400 | Created, Antirace(Fae) |
| Mithril | Rare | 800 | Light, Tough |
| Cobalt | Rare | 800 | Antimagic |
| Obsidian | Rare | 800 | Tough, Thorns |
| Dragonscale | Rare | 1000 | Tough, Element (Type) |
| Azurite | Rare | 1000 | Enchantee 2 |
| Adamantine | Rare | 1000 | Tough 2, |
| Infernal Steel | Very Rare | 1500 | Element (Fire), Blood |
| Stellar Iron | Very Rare | 1500 | Holy, Enchantee |
| Shadowsteel | Very Rare | 2000 | Tough, Dark |
| Scarletite | Very Rare | 2000 | Thorns, Blood |
| Titanium | Very Rare | 2500 | Tough 3 |
Note: Number means you can take that amount of points in that Property.
Crafting start
Select your material's rarity. Then refer to Weapon or Armor.
| Material Rarity | Base DC | Success/total rolls |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 16 | 1 out of 2 |
| Uncommon | 18 | 2 out of 3 |
| Rare | 21 | 3 out of 4 |
| Very Rare | 25 | 4 out of 5 |
| Legendary | 30 | 5 out of 6 |
Armor
Crafting time, amount of material needed, and DC modifier.
| Armor | Units | Crafting | DC +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light armor, Shield | 2 | 3 days | |
| * Studded leather | 3 | 5 days | +2 |
| Medium Armor | 3 | 7 days | |
| * Breastplate, Half Plate | 4 | 10 days | +2 |
| Heavy Armor | 4 | 15 days | |
| * Plate Armor | 6 | 30 days | +2 |
Weapon
Crafting time and amount of material needed.
| Weapons | Units | Crafting |
|---|---|---|
| Small weapons, d4 | 1 | 1 days |
| Standard weapons, d6-d10 | 2 | 5 days |
| Large Weapons, d12 | 4 | 7 days |
Crafting common items
To make items with common materials, the unit cost is equal to half their PHB price. They can be Masterworked.
Usually common materials are iron and steel.
List of Properties
Unique Properties
These are properties which are obtained in a unique way.
Masterwork
Masterwork items are independent on material and gained if you don't fail a single creation roll.
Weapon effects:
- Well-balanced: Increase to hit by 1.
- Sharp: Increase damage by 1, or increase weapon die size by one.
- (d8, d12) Altered edge: Adjusted or unusual edge. Your weapon die is 2d4 instead or d8, 2d6 instead of d12. Or vice versa.
- Fleeting: As a reaction, you can move 5ft. If you provoke an Attack of Opportunity, you can Attack of Opportunity back.
- Hook: Advantage on disarming shields.
- Elongated: Your weapon gains Reach until the end of your turn. 1 per SR.
- Duelist: If an enemy moves within your range, you can move 5ft within their range as reaction.
- Decorated: The weapon is beautifully decorated.
- (Heavy) Powerful: As a bonus action you can shove a target you attacked this turn.
- (Reach) Danger zone: Your range becomes difficult terrain.
- (d10) Pommel strike: As a bonus action, you can strike your opponent with pommel, 1d4
- (Axe) Splintering: On critical hit, destroy target's shield.
- (Blunt) Disorienting: On hit, reduce target's speed by 5ft.
- (Shield) Towering: As a bonus action, increase your AC and dex save by 1 until start of your next turn.
- (Staff) Supportive: If some effect reduces your speed by more than 5ft, reduce that effect by 5ft.
Armor effects:
- Hardened: Gain 1 Tough property effect.
- Low-weight: Lower the weight of armor. 5 for light, 10 for medium, 15 for heavy.
- Decorated: The armor is beautifully decorated.
- Sly: Increase your Stealth by 1.
- (Light, Medium) Comfortable: You can sleep in the armor with ease.
- (Medium, Heavy) Grounded: Increase the weight of armor. Medium +10lb, Heavy +20lb. Any effect that would move the bearer against their will is reduced in distance by 5 feet.
Created
This material can be made.
Unique effects:
- This material can be created
Material Properties
These are the only properties that can be granted by materials, the list here is to cover the main aspects. You are welcome to adjust or add your own if it fits the campaign.
Anti(Race)
Materials with the property: Cold Iron
Enchantments and methods: Ritual (), Monster Essence, Spell ()
Weapon effects
- Deal 1d6 psychic damage vs (race).
- Weapon becomes +2 against (race), critical hits deal additional weapon die damage.
- Ancient pain: On hit, target (race) rolls Wis save (12+your prof). On failure, they are Feared. Reroll on end of turn.
Armor effects
- Any (race) that touches you is damage for 1d6 psychic damage.
- Aura: You emit an aura 10ft in all directions, walking in it is difficult terrain for (race). Fae within 5ft roll Wisdom save (12+your prof) or get Feared.
Antimagic
Materials with the property: Cobalt
Enchantments and methods:
Weapon effects
- On hit, if your target has to roll Concentration save, it is made with advantage.
Armor effects
- Resistance vs magical damage
- Advantage vs spell effects
Blood
Materials with the property: Scarletite
Enchantments and methods:
Weapon effects
- On hit, target rolls Con save (12+ your prof bonus). They are bleeding 1d4 at start of every turn, at end of turn they reroll con save.
- If you draw blood on hit, regain 1HP.
Armor effects
- All healing on you has advantage.
Tough
Materials with the property:
Enchantments and methods:
Weapon effects
- Precise: Increase to hit by 1.
- Edge: Increase damage by 1, or increase weapon die size by one.
- Durable: Increase durability by 2.
- (2) Weapon becomes +1
- (3) Weapon becomes +2
Armor effects
- Reduce physical damage taken by 1.
- Durable: Increase durability by 2.
- Smooth: Reduce slashing damage by 2.
- (2) Armor becomes +1
- (3) Armor becomes +2
Element (type)
Materials with the property:
Enchantments and methods:
Weapon effects
- Deal 1d4 (type) damage.
Armor effects
- Gain (type) damage resistance.
Enchantee
Materials with the property:
Enchantments and methods: Ritual (), Monster Essence, Spell
Weapon effects
- Applicable: Enchanting this item is at -2 DC.
- (2) Magical: This item gains 1 simple enchantment
Armor effects
- Applicable: Enchanting this item is at -2 DC.
- (2) Magical: This item gains 1 simple enchantment
Holy
Materials with the property:
Enchantments and methods:
Weapon effects
- Deal 1d4 holy damage.
- Touching a target with it gently allows you to heal them 1d6, once per LR.
Armor effects
- Resistance against Necrotic damage.
- All healing is made at advantage to you.
Thorns
Materials with the property:
Enchantments and methods:
Weapon effects
- Deal additional 1d4 physical damage.
- Your critical hit deals another weapon die of damage.
- On hit, target rolls Con save (11+ your prof bonus). They are bleeding 1d4 at start of every turn, at end of turn they reroll con save.
Armor effects
- When someone hits you with melee attack within 5ft, they take 1d4 physical damage.
Light
Materials with the property: Mithril
Enchantments and methods:
Weapon effects
- You cannot be at disadvantage during your Attack of Opportunity.
- (2) Non-Heavy weapon becomes Light. Weapons with Heavy property have it removed.
- (2) Your Attack of Opportunities are made with advantage.
Armor effects
- Lower strength requirement to wear by 2.
- (Light armor) Feather: You get 5 feet of movement.
- Remove Stealth disadvantage from the armor.
- (2) Remove strength requirement to wear.
- (2) Reduce armor proficiency required to wear by one category.
Table of WIP content:
- Enchantments
- Epics
- Low fantasy
Enchanting
Enchanting the materials, the process itself, or using magic and surroundings to create magical effect that are desired.
Blacksmith & Enchantments
- Smith's Tools proficiency, half of your INT modifier rounded down.
- Smith's Tools expertise, your INT modifier (min 1).
Blacksmith have to learn about other methods, or have enchanters do them. Expansion on enchantments and enchanters will come eventually.
| Method | Source |
|---|---|
| Infusing with spells cast | Arcane |
| Monster essence | Nature |
| Ritual (star alignment, sacrifice, players) | Religion, History |
| Runes (or gems) | Runer's Tools (Int) |
| Invention (or a schematic) | Tinker's Tools |
| Mysterious Recipe | - |
| Placing a curse | Religion (Evil), Arcane |
Ancient Enchants
Similar to Masterwork equipment
- Masterwork effect: Pick 1 additional effect from one property of enchantment used, or add one of General property effects.
Placing an Elder Enchantment:
To craft a masterwork item, you must not fail a single roll. It is possible you will create masterwork items by accident.
- Pick which enchantment you want.
- Find someone who can place the enchantment via one of its methods
- Obtain the cost of the enchantment.
- Start enchanting by rolling as time progresses.
- On success, you completed the enchantment.
- If all your total rolls are a success, the item is Elder and you can increase one effect from its properties, or one effect from General.
- On failure you lose half of material cost.
- If you rolled a 1, the item is cursed.
Tables with new non-material enchants
| RARITY | Cost | Time | DC | Success needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncommon | 500gp | 3 days | 20 | 1 out of 2 |
| Rare | 1500gp | 7 days | 24 | 2 out of 3 |
| Very Rare | 5000gp | 30 days | 28 | 3 out of 4 |
| Legendary | 15000gp | 100 days | 32 | 4 out of 5 |
Enchanting Properties
Epics
Epics are bound to more mystical approach, one that is rarely able to be crafted. Yet still we mention them as they can enrich the world:
For example:
- An eldery blacksmith makes a feat of climbing to the top of the icy mountain, where the last frozen giants made their stand and endowed the whole mountain into a eternal frost. Up there he survives, building his forge, fueled by ancient magic and dragonfire. When the four stars finally align in the sky, the echo of forge fills the mountain range. The time was now, shaping the meteorite into the sword, quenching it into the eternal ice beneath him, as the stars shine upon him. He completes his sword.
In Epics, the previous example could end up just a normal sword, unless:
- The blacksmith sees the sword is nothing special, using the expensive materials and timing them right. He throws the sword off the top of the mountain, annoyed. The sword falls into the snow far below, betrayed by it's creator, it begins gathering evil and shadows within from surrounding areas. Type: Weapons have souls
- The spirits break the veil and offer the blacksmith and the sword a touch. Type: Supernatural source.
- The blacksmith trembles as he aims to make it his life work. The sword is everything the blacksmith was. Type: Infused by emotion.
The thing with Epics is that it's far harder to make a magical item like that.
- Sword of the man who has killed a hundred people in a single battle. Type: Infused by surroundings
In many cases, one does not even have to be a blacksmith to create such a weapon, as more often than not they are 'accidents', or rather what if the weapons had souls. In this case Reforging can become one of few methods to create something else from such weapons, however if the act itself is done 'it will deal better damage' it might lose its property if the act itself doesn't have enough intent behind it . A weapon made by someone who is making it to save their own life will be more epic than a blacksmith who makes hundred weapons a year. However, what if a blacksmith promised to make a thousand weapons? The last one will be magical.
With Epic mode, all weapons require a story of their own.