Talk to me about item crafting

[Slife]

Go for Brew Potion rather than CWI. Think of your mage with two bandoleers - one of potions and one of scrolls. To start with your potions should be the stat boosters - Cats Grace etc - and spells like Invisibility.

Don't worry about being a level behind the other characters: you'll make up for it in versatility and usefulness.

There's a big but with Item Creation: speak to your GM to ensure that there's going to be enough downtime between adventures. Nothing sucks more than a feat that you can't use.

If you're going the crafting route, I suggest Craft Wand (Fireball, Lightning Bolt) at 5th level and Craft Wondrous Item at 6th. A trick with wands is to create them with only a few charges, then charge them up fully later.

I disagree with this. Brew potion is far too limited. CWI allows one-use items as well, through the crafting of magical traps.

And the low-level magical traps are awesome. Why should your camp be unprotected?

The normal selection of wondrous items is great as well.

EDIT: Magic traps are basically equivalent to landmines (for single use) or automated turrets (for multi-use). Using them like this adds a lot of tactical options.

 

[Voadam]

I'm playing a wizard in a new campaign. We just reached 3rd level, and I'm trying to decide what feat to take. I was considering Craft Wondrous Item.

Go ahead and treat me like I don't know anything. I've read the feat description and the DMG section on crafting wondrous items, but I'd like to see someone else explain it.

So tell me about item crafting. How does it work? Is it something my character can do at this level or will I have to wait until I'm higher level for it to be beneficial? What constitutes a wondrous item? Can I craft multiple-use items, or only single-use?

Craft wondrous is great for eventually making a blessed book, very useful if you want to add lots and lots of spells to your spellbook. It won't be possible for a few levels and will take a while to pay off the initial investment, but it becomes hugely worthwhile once you get going.

I'm playing an 18th level wizard eldritch knight and it has been useful for me.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

You also have to make sure there's actual downtime in your game to allow you the time necessary to create these things.

And this is the big killer.

"Nope, can't work on that +4 sword, the end of the world's nigh!"

Brad

 

[sniffles]

Right, so I worked up this list for E6 (a version of D&D that caps level advancement at 6th level)- see House Rules Forum. It my be helpful to you when considering taking a craft feat at low levels.

Here is a list of all minor wondrous items (in dmg) that require only spells
3rd lvl or lower to create.
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Elixir of love 150 gp
Unguent of timelessness 150 gp
Dust of tracelessness 250 gp
Elixir of hiding 250 gp
Elixir of sneaking 250 gp
Elixir of swimming 250 gp
Silversheen 250 gp
Elixir of truth 500 gp
Bag of tricks, gray 900 gp
Hand of the mage 900 gp
Bracers of armor +1 1,000 gp
Cloak of resistance +1 1,000 gp
Pearl of power, 1st-level spell 1,000 gp
Phylactery of faithfulness 1,000 gp
Salve of slipperiness 1,000 gp
Elixir of fire breath 1,100 gp
Pipes of the sewers 1,150 gp
Dust of illusion 1,200 gp
Brooch of shielding 1,500 gp
Necklace of fireballs type I 1,650 gp
Dust of appearance 1,800 gp
Hat of disguise 1,800 gp
Pipes of sounding 1,800 gp
Amulet of natural armor +1 2,000 gp
Horn of fog 2,000 gp
Robe of bones 2,400 gp
Sovereign glue 2,400 gp
Boots of elvenkind 2,500 gp
Boots of the winterlands 2,500 gp
Candle of truth 2,500 gp
Cloak of elvenkind 2,500 gp
Scarab, golembane 2,500 gp
Necklace of fireballs type II 2,700 gp
Stone of alarm 2,700 gp
Bag of tricks, rust 3,000 gp
Chime of opening 3,000 gp
Horseshoes of speed 3,000 gp
Rope of climbing 3,000 gp
Dust of disappearance 3,500 gp
Lens of detection 3,500 gp 57
Bracers of armor +2 4,000 gp
Cloak of resistance +2 4,000 gp
Gloves of arrow snaring 4,000 gp
Restorative ointment 4,000 gp 68
Pearl of power, 2nd-level spell 4,000 gp
Circlet of persuasion 4,500 gp 7
Slippers of spider climbing 4,800 gp
Bracers of archery, lesser 5,000 gp
Helm of comprehend languages and read magic 5,200 gp
Vest of escape 5,200 gp
Eversmoking bottle 5,400 gp
Sustaining spoon 5,400 gp
Boots of striding and springing 5,500 gp
Wind fan 5,500 gp
Amulet of mighty fists +1 6,000 gp
Horseshoes of a zephyr 6,000 gp
Pipes of haunting 6,000 gp
Gloves of swimming and climbing 6,250 gp
Circlet of blasting, minor 6,480 gp
Horn of goodness/evil 6,500 gp
Bottle of air 7,250 gp
Periapt of health

Medium Items
Bracers or armor +3
Amulet of NAC +2
Boots of haste
Cloak of Arcadia
Minor cloak of displacement
[/sblock]

Fabulous list! Thanks!

I've been perusing the Magic Item Compendium for the cheaper wondrous items that might come in handy for my group.

Go for Brew Potion rather than CWI. Think of your mage with two bandoleers - one of potions and one of scrolls. To start with your potions should be the stat boosters - Cats Grace etc - and spells like Invisibility.

I have considered Brew Potion, but I do find it more appealing to create items that aren't single-use.

Sniffles, you might consider picking up the Artificer's Handbook (it's available in PDF). It replaces (optionally) the core Craft feats with a simplified hierarchy of Craft Simple, Medium, and Complex (though I could be misremembering their names).

I may have to check that out. Typically we don't use 3rd-party materials in most of our games, but the GM of the campaign in question often writes for 3rd-party producers so he might be more amenable to that.

Lots of good stuff here. Thanks everyone for your input! Keep it coming.