Do you like the craft rules? Any suggestions?

[RangerWickett]

I don't want this to drift into specific rules, and I don't have a full idea myself yet, but I want to know what people think about the current rules for crafting non-magical items. Are there any published variants? I personally don't like the way they work right now, but I don't feel like writing house rules for something that is honestly not that likely to crop up.

However, if I were to do something, I'd probably make it so every item in the core rules had an entry for crafting. It would list time, material cost, and Craft DC. Then there would be rules of some sort for collaborating on large projects.

 

[Stormborn]

I wrote a book, Magesmithing 101, that dealt with a way for non-spellcasters to create magic items. In many ways its really for a low-magic setting where you don't want spell slinging but you do want magic swords and potions. However, in the midst of that I came up with a Craft Unit system. Simply put items are assigned a number based on type, not market price, which determines how long it takes to make it. Its a system that probablly deserved more space than it got, and could be elaborated on easilly.

EDIT: So in answer to your question, no I am not fond of the craft system as is. However, in studying it I realized that the reason its not better is because its probably not meant to be used. Magic items are the only thing that PCs are expected to create, and those work on a slightly different system anyway.

 

[Umbran]

I personally don't like the way they work right now, but I don't feel like writing house rules for something that is honestly not that likely to crop up.

Well, the real question is - if you don't think it is likely to crop up, why do you want rules for it?

The current crafting rules work well enough for what they are - rules to be used by PCs, and occasionally for an NPC working on a particular project that is relevant to the campaign. One can make arguements that they aren't realistic, and don't give you a sound economic model in the end. But who cares?

It isn't like you're playing a game of "Crafters and Collegians". This is D&D - the crafting rules are a relatively easy, but not entirely deterministic, way to track completion of the occasional project. And for that, they're good enough.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

[sidetrack]Stormborn.. I like your work, but have a question.. are you planning on doing a Flesh Golem book?[/sidetrack]

On topic, yes, the crafting rules make about as much sense as the use of 'common' across the entire world/plane. However, they work for what they are intended to work for, which is to balance the cost of building magic items by PCs.

Some of it is silly...but heck, this is a fantasy game

As evidenced by my purchase of both GolemCraft 101 and MageCraft 101.. I am always interested in a less silly approach.

 

[Kerrick]

I came up with a variant crafting system some time back, if anyone's interested.

 

[Stormborn]

[sidetrack]Stormborn.. I like your work, but have a question.. are you planning on doing a Flesh Golem book?[/sidetrack]

SNIP

As evidenced by my purchase of both GolemCraft 101 and MageCraft 101.. I am always interested in a less silly approach.

Thanks PS! Always good to know when ones work is appretiated. Not planning on a Flesh Golem book, but I did have thoughts on a prosthetics/graft book that might could work that in. I'll talk to the publisher about it.