expanded Craft rules for low-magic settings

GlassJaw

Hero
Does anyone have any recommendations for expanded Craft rules for a low-magic setting? You know, a setting where being a good craftsman is actually worth something, unlike, oh I don't know, 3ed for example. :p

Obviously, weapons and armor would have to be an important focus. Please don't recommend Black Company either. I have it and it's exactly what I'm not looking for: a bunch of magical weapon and armor effects just relabeled as non-magical.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

So what exactly do you want? What sorts of things would this craft skill enable a character to do? Your comment about Black Company seems to suggest that you dont want the Craft skill to enable one to make magic items, but will they be available at all (or is that not relevant?) What about ranges of masterwork quality items? Alchemy? "Technological" devices?
 


Stormborn said:
What about ranges of masterwork quality items? Alchemy? "Technological" devices?

Yes, yes, and yes.

Basically anything non-magical. I'm seriously considering to not have any permanent magic items at all in the setting. I want skilled craftsman to be rare and their services to be greatly sought after.

Expanded options for weapon and armor mods that aren't just repackaged magical effects would be great too.
 

You might take a peek at d20 Apocalypse and how it handles Crafting, salvage, raw materials, and so forth.



Cheers,
Roger
 

OK, a book I wrote called Magesmithing 101 isn't really going to do what you want (and honestly I'm not sure it does everything I wanted it to do) but it does introduce a basic mechanic that i really think applies here: Craft Points.

Essentially the Craft Point system is one in which the complexity of the item, not the price, determines how long it takes to make it. That number replaces the sp value in all craft calculations (so that a copper ring, a silver ring, and a gold ring all take the same amount of time to create).

From there you can build on the system by determining what sort of items you want to allow and how complicated they are to create by establishing a CP value for each. Adding features would increase the CP of the item (not in the book, BTW, as it really is a system for magical items). Some magical propreties would make sense (like Keen for example) but you could also adjust the CP to accomidate things like Balance (giving bonuses to attack), Hardness, and add properties like Heavy, Light, Fortified, etc. for weapons and add features that reduce dexterity penalites, arcane spell failure chances, etc for armor. Steam or Clockwork tech could easily be accomidated with a little effort to establish a standard of complexity and then an increase in CP for various gadgets.

Magical potions (something the book does adress) and other examples of alchemy would simply require certain ingrediants and an appropriate DC set based on CP - the higher the spell level the harder it is to make.

Personally, I wrote Magesmithing 101 trying to replicate a fantasy feel in which Smiths were the only source of magic items and where getting a magic sword was the subject of an extended quest for materials and wealth.
 


Roger said:
You might take a peek at d20 Apocalypse and how it handles Crafting, salvage, raw materials, and so forth.

I actually checked out d20 Apolalypse last night. The salvage and repair rules are actually pretty cool.
 



Pets & Sidekicks

Remove ads

Top