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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ruleslawyer" data-source="post: 4106750" data-attributes="member: 1757">IMO, allowing a *PC* to add "weaponsmith" to his list of traits for free does not somehow deprive being a weaponsmith of value... provided that you don't allow a PC to add weaponsmith plus master mariner plus 3-star Michelin pastry chef, et cetera et cetera. Hence why I suggested a "pick one trade, but only one" approach. Moreover, as I said, I wouldn't allow a player to make his PC a *master* smith for free; that really should just be an NPC ability unless the DM wants to allow it ad hoc for that particular character. The analogy I'm using is to the 4e monster design philosophy; if a PC wants a cool power that is normally not a standard PC option but possessed by an NPC (bugbear strangler meat shield, say), then the DMG can hopefully show you how to adapt that ability for PC use.I still think that crafter NPCs should be designed like monsters; ultimately, there's no reason for the elven master maker of cloaks to have any combat ability, magical ability, et cetera other than the ability to perform crafting "rituals" to make really good cloaks. If a PC wants that ability, it should be possible for the DM to grant it, but I see little point to placing it into the same resource pool used to allocate trained skills, feats, etc. Having a background skill adds richness; I don't want to penalize a PC's adventuring capability if he decides to add such richness.</blockquote>