craft as non-magic "ritual"

[Set]

Since the other effects in the game have 'power sources' like magical, martial or divine, it only makes sense that there would be non-magical, non-divine 'rituals.'

Seems like a logical progression of where they are going.

An extended period of training to get a temporary skill bonus or a skill specialty or proficiency with a specific weapon (or the ability to use class features with a non-standard weapon) or a particular weapon stunt, would be an example of a martial 'ritual.'

 

[Baumi]

CoolAwesome Idea

 

[HeinorNY]

Chuul Posion Vial
RItual level 10
Cost: X gp
Requirement: Poisoncrafting, alchemist kit.
Creating Time: One day.
Application: Standard action.
Effect: You can apply the poison to one melee weapon or 20 ammunition. Lasts one encounter or 5 minutes. If your poisoned attack hits make a secondary attack roll against the target's Fortitude; target is immobilized until the end of your next turn.
Special: No two or more types of poison may affect a weapon at the same time.

Sharpening Stone
Ritual level 2
Cost: 50 gp
Requirement: Blacksmith tools
Creating Time: One hour
Application: Standard action
Effect: You can apply the sharpening stone to one bladed weapon. Lasts one day. The weapon gains +1 to damage rolls.

 

[SilverAgent]

I'm planning on including Secondary Skills in my D&D game like so:

You get a number of 'non adventuring skills' equal to your Intelligence Bonus. These skills are the ones you almost never roll like most Crafts and Professions.

Then, if you work the skill into an adventuring roll in a meaningful manner, you get a +2 bonus to that skill.

As an example, a character who has "Painting" on his secondary skills is trying to use Diplomacy on the King. He produces a beautiful painting, hand-painted by himself, and gives it to the King as a sign of his respect, and then asks for whatever favor later in the evening.

Bam. +2 bonus.

It's simple, effective, and works. At least for me.

 

[vagabundo]

Roll the Bones
Ritual
Cost: 10 gp (Offering, consumed by the spirits)
Requirement: Fire and Bone Fragments
Casting Time: One hour (at night)
Effect: You gain an insight bonus of +1 to atk rolls and a extra action point for the next day

hmm nothing crafty about it, still my first ritual..

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I want the option to. And I'd prefer it cost me something as well. If I can say my character is a weapon smith and bang he is one for free, being a weapon smith has no value. If you don't like these kind of skills great, don't put them on your character, but if I do like them which I do, I'd like the rules to be there to facilitate that.

I'd prefer they aren't. Since what is on people's character sheets determines the focus of the game. If everyone has "master craftsman" or "barkeep supreme" then they are going to want the game to give them a chance to sit around in a bar handing out drinks and crafting weapons for months on end.

Plus, if the options need to cost something before they have value, then you are taking away resources from the character in other areas to give them that ability. Which is fine if the game places a large importance on whether someone has these skills or not. It is not good when you get to a rope and a character says "Sorry, I can't climb it and get out of here. I know we're all going to die unless we get up there...but I REALLY wanted to be a master craftsman."

I'd just like D&D to focus on the "core D&D experience": going on adventures, killing monsters, saving people and the world, exploring strange new places, finding treasure, getting more powerful, and the like.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Sharpening Stone
Ritual level 2
Cost: 50 gp
Requirement: Blacksmith tools
Creating Time: One hour
Application: Standard action
Effect: You can apply the sharpening stone to one bladed weapon. Lasts one day. The weapon gains +1 to damage rolls.

I've always kind of assumed that the "Casting Time" for this is "5 minutes" and that every PC with bladed weapons does this every day as a matter of basic maintenance. I assume that "1d8" is what a longsword is "good working order" does.

But I like the idea of Mundane rituals of this nature. I particularly like the "Worg Ribs" one.

 

[ruleslawyer]

While I understand that its more realistic and suits some people's tastes to have real mastery of a craft out of reach of adventurers, i would personally prefer to let them have it. For starters, not everyone is restricted to our puny three-score-and-ten human lifespan. Surely a dwarf can master a craft before picking up his axe and heading out. Heck, he's probably not allowed to have a drivers license or graduate high school until he does. But apart from that, many fantasy heroes are skilled in arts or crafts as well as war, and that's something I'd like to allow my players.

I see your point! However, as Majoru implied, I think this sort of thing is relatively campaign-specific. The reason I suggested handwaving is that I'm not sure it's such a good idea to have these sorts of mechanics hardwired into the system. That said, the moment you silo resources into adventuring vs. non-adventuring, I think you've fixed the problem, and the only thing remaining for the DM that wants a more adventuring-focused experience is to ignore the non-adventuring resource rules.

The suggestions for rituals you gave are excellent! I would definitely use those. As to being a master smith/cloak-maker/whatever: I'd tend to prefer to follow the 4e exception-based design paradigm in that respect. IOW, my dwarven battlesmith will probably be a decent, though not exceptional, fighter with a super-high crafting bonus and some crafting special abilities tacked on, and my master alchemist will probably have no combat ability whatsoever, some knowledge-related abilities, and some serious alchemy-related abilities. From that point, I would deal with players who wanted their PCs to be a master smith, alchemist, et cetera by using the rules in the DMG for porting monster abilities over to PCs.

 

[Rabbitbait]

Plus, if the options need to cost something before they have value, then you are taking away resources from the character in other areas to give them that ability. Which is fine if the game places a large importance on whether someone has these skills or not. It is not good when you get to a rope and a character says "Sorry, I can't climb it and get out of here. I know we're all going to die unless we get up there...but I REALLY wanted to be a master craftsman."

I'd just like D&D to focus on the "core D&D experience": going on adventures, killing monsters, saving people and the world, exploring strange new places, finding treasure, getting more powerful, and the like.

I can do that in any given fantasy computer game. There's nothing wrong with making a sacrifice in your character to enhance the roll playing aspect, and it something that can ONLY be done well in pen-and-paper type games. It makes the game better as your choices mean something. Sure its a pain when you can't quite climb that rope well enough, but its more than made up for when you craft that intelligent flaming longsword to give to the commander of the eastern forces which then opens up a number of adventure paths to you.

 

[Celebrim]

I'm not at all opposed to the idea, but it seems like a really round about way to put the craft skill back in to the game.

Why not be straight forward about it. Craft is a collection of specific skills. Everyone can craft anything untrained. Everyone starts trained in one specific craft skill to represent 'secondary skills' (very 1st edition-ish). Everyone can buy more craft skill training with a feat, or even more skill focus if they like.

Characters actually trained in the skill can use trained uses of the skill like craft things of high quality, rush thier work, etc. Everyone else does 'rough' work. Define what 'poor quality' means (lowered hardness, hitpoints, break saves, bulkier, etc.), and you are done.