Level Up (A5E) Broken armor and maintanance

[lichmaster]

One of my players found a broken armor that he'd like to repair (a splint mail) He has proficiency with smithing tools and access to them, but we're not sure RAW if that's enough or not.

If I check the table for the armors or materials, I see that repairing it is a DC 15 check, with an experise die due to the material (steel), but it requires a forge and smith tools. If I check the rules for maintenance only the tools are mentioned. On the tools section, it says that with 1h of work smith tools can be used to mend "many" weapons and armors (I wonder what that many means...)

So, which is it?
If the forge is required, repairing while out adventuring is basically not a thing. If it's not required, then why is it mentioned on multiple tables?

I can make a ruling about this, but would like to have an official answer.

 

[Micah Sweet]

One of my players found a broken armor that he'd like to repair (a splint mail) He has proficiency with smithing tools and access to them, but we're not sure RAW if that's enough or not.

If I check the table for the armors or materials, I see that repairing it is a DC 15 check, with an experise die due to the material (steel), but it requires a forge and smith tools. If I check the rules for maintenance only the tools are mentioned. On the tools section, it says that with 1h of work smith tools can be used to mend "many" weapons and armors (I wonder what that many means...)

So, which is it?
If the forge is required, repairing while out adventuring is basically not a thing. If it's not required, then why is it mentioned on multiple tables?

I can make a ruling about this, but would like to have an official answer.

Portable forges are absolutely a thing, and could be considered part of a smith's tools set. In fact, they ought to be, as the tools aren't much good at moving metal without heat.

 

[lichmaster]

Portable forges are absolutely a thing, and could be considered part of a smith's tools set. In fact, they ought to be, as the tools aren't much good at moving metal without heat.

Ok, but this doesn't really answer my question. If they're part of smith tools (from the description I'm not sure, and IMO should asolutely count as a bulky item at the very least), are they mentioned separately?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Ok, but this doesn't really answer my question. If they're part of smith tools (from the description I'm not sure, and IMO should asolutely count as a bulky item at the very least), are they mentioned separately?

I don't think so, no, but as I said smith tools aren't of much use without a way to heat the metal, and the basic components of a forge are portable (if bulky), so I would rule a portable forge is part of the kit.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

the added line of "access to a forge" implies smith's tools don't include one (which the tool description says outright)...so i'd probably say a portable forge is, like, a 10 gp item that's like 20 pounds and counts as a bulky item, that can be used in place of a forge. or you could increase the smith's tools weight by 20ish pounds and say the portable forge it comes with counts as a bulky item if you think making the forge cost extra is overkill.