Item creation while adventuring

[jasin]

On rec.games.frp.dnd, it has been brought to my
attention that this was said in Rules of the Game:

"Other than the loss of prerequisite spells (see the section on
prerequisites), and the time requirement, item creation doesn't impose
any restrictions on your activities during the days when you work on an
item."

I first thought that this was a kind of errata-by-"clarification", like
when the RotG said you can only speak during your own turn. But the only
thing on the topic I can find in the SRD is:

"The caster works for 8 hours each day. He cannot rush the process by
working longer each day. But the days need not be consecutive, and the
caster can use the rest of his time as he sees fit."

Which seems to agree with RotG.

But I was absolutely sure that item creation allowed only "routine
tasks"! I.e. no other spellcasting, no adventuring, nothing "useful".
Another person on rgfd apparently though so too, since his response to
the quote from RotG was: "Yes, I rather like this option, consider it stolen
for my own campain." And my impression is that it is common wisdom that
you need to give PCs enough downtime if item creation feats are to be useful.

For example, the City of the Spider Queen adventure is criticized for
driving the PCs onwards from 10th-18th without much opportunity for
rest, leaving them with looting as the only option to improve their
gear. But if the rule is... well, what it appears to be, it's easy to
find 8 hours per day to work on items! If you're not actually
travelling, once you hit heavy resistance, you only adventure for a few
hours every day before you run out of spells/rages/smite evils. So why
is the lack of downtime pointed out as a flaw of CotSQ?

Is this a rule new to 3.5? Was it really "no adventuring while creating
items" in 3.0, as I recall it? Are most people even aware of the new
rule?

 

[Shallown]

From the SRD

The creator also needs a fairly quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place in which to work. Any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items.


Since You can prep spells during an adventure you can craft as well. The Hardest part I would think is buying the needed materials to craft more than having the time an environment. There are several spells (tiny hut and such) that can provide a good enviroment.

As a house rule I usually allow scroll scribers to buy ink and paper and use it universally for crafting scrolls and an alchemy lab with money put into general supplies can do the same but for other items the material needed is fairly unique to the item created. So material to creat gauntlets of strength could be used for a belt of strength (except for the belt of course) but not much else.

I don't think punishing the players is the aim. So I might provide materials available in the correct setting such as raiding a wizard may turn up what they need to craft a few limited items and be treasure as well.

Later

 

[jasin]

But is this a 3.5 rule, or is this how it's been since 3.0?

 

[mikebr99]

And the timeline for CotSQ isn't that hectic...

A high level party should be able to secure & defend a temporary base of operations within Underdark, for the creators to... create stuff.


Mike

 

[Whimsical]

It was different in 3.0. Item creation time has to be continuous.

I had a cleric who was in the middle of creating items when she and her high level friends went to Waterdeep for a pleasant evening diversion on a flying carriage drawn by the Ranger/Windrider's horse with magical flying horseshoes. Suddenly, we plane shift into an unknown plane. The players are telling me to cast plane shift so that we can go back. But if I cast the spell it would ruin my work on the magic item I was creating. After studying my character sheet, I pull out a plane shift scroll and hand it to the bard/arcane archer cohort and requested that he use his Use Magic Device to read it for us. At that time the DM revealed to us that we plane shifted to the plane of air and it was because of an undiscoverd property of the horseshoes that the horse was using. So, I was able to maintain my item creation to the slight chagrin of my DM.

 

[irdeggman]

From the SRD

The creator also needs a fairly quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place in which to work. Any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items.


Since You can prep spells during an adventure you can craft as well. The Hardest part I would think is buying the needed materials to craft more than having the time an environment. There are several spells (tiny hut and such) that can provide a good enviroment.

As a house rule I usually allow scroll scribers to buy ink and paper and use it universally for crafting scrolls and an alchemy lab with money put into general supplies can do the same but for other items the material needed is fairly unique to the item created. So material to creat gauntlets of strength could be used for a belt of strength (except for the belt of course) but not much else.

I don't think punishing the players is the aim. So I might provide materials available in the correct setting such as raiding a wizard may turn up what they need to craft a few limited items and be treasure as well.

Later

The location rule is consistent in both 3.0 and 3.5 rules.

Ths continuous time rule is not though.

 

[jasin]

What about other activity? In 3.0, could you spend one 3rd-level slot each day on your wand of fireballs, and cast a bunch of other fireballs to blast orcs, or cast a bunch of identifies as a shop-mage, or whatever, as long as you kept the creation time continuous? Or am I recalling correctly about there existing a "no other casting, no adventuring, only routine activity" rule?

 

[dedicated]

Yes, in 3.0 you could only participate in "light activity" (no fighting/spellcasting) while creating an item

 

[dcollins]

But is this a 3.5 rule, or is this how it's been since 3.0?

You're right, it was more restrictive in earlier editions. From the 3.0 SRD:

The creator also needs a fairly quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place in which to work. Any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items. Creating an item requires one day per 1,000 gp in the item’s base price, with a minimum of at least one day. Potions are an exception to this rule; they always take just one day to brew. The caster is assumed to work for 8 hours each day. The character cannot rush the process by working longer. A character can only work on one item at a time. The character can do nothing else while working. During rest periods, the character can engage in light activity such as talking or walking but cannot fight, cast spells, use magic items, conduct research, or perform any other physically or mentally demanding task. The caster can take a short break from working (for naps and the like) as often as he or she likes, so long as the character spends at least 8 hours out of every 24 working on the item. The character cannot take a day off: Once the process has started, the character must see it through to the end or admit defeat. If the caster is disturbed while making the item, or spends less than 8 hours working in any period of 24 hours, the process is ruined. All materials used and XP spent are wasted.