Methods of increasing crafting speed

[EroGaki]

Specifically the craft: alchemy skill. I have it in my mind to make a dedicated alchemist; unfortunately, saving the world from giant greasy monsters is time consuming, and the crafting rules are both cumbersome and slow to produce results. This makes sense for certain items, but I don't feel I should have to spend a week brewing one vial of acid.

Are there any methods to increase the production of alchemical items without causing the craft DC to skyrocket? Be it feat, spell, random prestige class, I'm open to suggestions. Thanks everyone.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Craft points from UA are the easiest thing, but of course that's a rule your DM would have to adopt. You can just pump the skill bonus and increase the DC for rapid crafting, but it sounds like you've gone there already.

There is a feat in Experts v. 3.5, Creative Efficiency, that allows you to do 8 hours worth of crafting in 5 hours, but again that's only if your DM lets you go there and you have access to it.

I suspect the Alchemist class from the new Pathfinder playtest would help if you could do that. The only 3.5 alchemist prestige classes I'm aware of are in Magic of Faerun and of Eberron respectively, which I don't have but you might.

 

[Dandu]

Fabricate.

 

[Corsair]

Fabricate.

This.

The craft rules just don't work. By basing things off of market price, it makes things that are merely made of rare, expensive materials take eons to craft, merely because of that rarity.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

The craft rules just don't work. By basing things off of market price, it makes things that are merely made of rare, expensive materials take eons to craft, merely because of that rarity.

I disagree. The craft rules try to maintain realistic crafting times* and also balance it so that players can't make a fortune at low levels making and selling items. Crafting only "doesn't work" because most adventurers can't afford ot devote enough time to make things.

*Side fact I feel like sharing. Saw an old Ancient Discoveries episode tonight about ancient Egyptian tech, and they apparently had the composite bow, way back around the Battle of Quadesh. Program said the process for making such a bow took 18 months or more -- a year and a half!

But to concur with the others, fabricate is the simplest way to churn out tons of mundane craft items really fast, if that's what you're looking to do.

 

[Herzog]

The craft rules try to maintain realistic crafting times

They might do for mundane items, like armor, weapons, etc.

What Corsair is referring to is that an item made out of gold will take longer to craft than the same item made out of steel.

Also, creating a masterwork staff somehow costs you 100 gp in base materials, while a normal staff costs you nothing.

The basis on which the craft rules were written is wrong. The target audience should be characters with the craft skills. Instead, it has focussed on realism and NPC crafters.

A more realistic way of handling things would be to make the crafting time depend on the difference between the cost of the base materials and the price of the end product. That way your crafting actually covers your work.
Also, while crafting masterwork items may increase the time, it shouldn't increase the cost of the base materials.

But that's my opion.....

 

[irdeggman]

A more realistic way of handling things would be to make the crafting time depend on the difference between the cost of the base materials and the price of the end product. That way your crafting actually covers your work.
Also, while crafting masterwork items may increase the time, it shouldn't increase the cost of the base materials.

But that's my opion.....

I disagree, IMO being masterwork involves both good workmanship (DC 20 craft check) and superior materials (increase in material costs). This logic works for me and serves as a rational for the RAW.

 

[irdeggman]

Specifically the craft: alchemy skill. I have it in my mind to make a dedicated alchemist; unfortunately, saving the world from giant greasy monsters is time consuming, and the crafting rules are both cumbersome and slow to produce results. This makes sense for certain items, but I don't feel I should have to spend a week brewing one vial of acid.

Are there any methods to increase the production of alchemical items without causing the craft DC to skyrocket? Be it feat, spell, random prestige class, I'm open to suggestions. Thanks everyone.

Find ways to increase your bonus to the craft check because

If the check succeeds, multiply your check result by the DC.
If the result × the DC equals the price of the item in sp, then you
have completed the item. (If the result × the DC equals double or
triple the price of the item in silver pieces, then you’ve completed
the task in one-half or one-third of the time. Other multiples of the
DC reduce the time in the same manner.)

Masterwork artisan tools (+2 to craft check)

taking 10 on the check (allowed, you just can't take 20 due to the penalty for failure (i.e. you lose material))

Skill focus

Find a race with a racial bonus (e.g. dwarves and gnomes have racial bonuses to specific craft checks)

Intelligence boosting items/effects