The Crazy Craft Skill

[dcollins]

Now, buying a magic item that gives +10 to a skill is not that expensive, so a crafter could have something like that.

I think I might need to jump in here and sound a cautionary note on this issue.

The core rules were only balanced assuming the presence of magic items detailed in the DMG. Assuming that any possible "new items" (per DMG p. 242) are always arbitrarily allowed is a fast-track to a very differently balanced game.

The core rules absolutely do not assume that crafters have access to any craft-skill-boosting items that do not appear in the DMG (or other core materials). Or Spellcraft, et. al.

 

[Jeremy]

Fastest way to craft something like this is a Wizard with the correct craft skill and the Fabricate spell. You can get it done really quick that way.

I figure that is the reason all the Wizards have Craft as a class skill. Allow them to manufacture their own wares, so that they know it is will be done right.

Tell that to the fighter who sunk 17 ranks into a skill at with 2 + mod skill points per level because he wants to custom make his armor for himself.

"Sorry, as with all other skills, mages can do it better. And much faster, shouldn't take me more than 30 seconds or so... Quit wasting your skill points and get back up there to take hits for me."

 

[Velenne]

Caliban: That's an awesome rule! I think we could use that.

Assuming good ole' Bocata was going to make his armor magical anyway, he could make it for size a Medium creature and it will resize itself to fit him. Unless Skip decided that armor won't resize itself up or down size categories. But according to DMG, magical armor resizes itself to the wearer so

Or how about: your skill check * # you beat the DC by (minimum 1) = amount done per week in GP.

So if Bocata took 10 on his check (result of 52), he would beat the DC of 18 by 34. 52 x 34 = 1,768 gp/wk. So he's done with average full plate in less than a week.

He beats the DC of 20 by 32 so that's 1,664 gp/wk.

9,000/1,664 = 5.4 weeks for a suit of medium mithral full plate armor, about 12 weeks (3 months), for a set of Large of the same. Considering he could sell that bad boy for 10,500, and paid 1/3 for materials, that's a profit of 7,000gp for 5-6 weeks of work if he sells it as-is. Pay a few bills and he still lives very well.

Example 2:

My 4th level archer has (7 ranks + 3 mod = ) +10 to his Craft:Bowmaking and uses masterwork tools. So he'll take 10 on his check and get 22 for the masterwork component of his longbow.

So he'd get 40 gp per week done toward his masterwork component and would finish it in 7.5 weeks.

Using the regular method, he'll finish in 6.8 weeks.



So what we see is that the learning curve with my method is much slower than the PHB method, but pays off greatly at high levels. Throw in tongs of the armorer from Magic of Faerun to get +10 to your check and it goes much faster.

 

[Velenne]

Speaking of +skill items, let's see Bocata make his armor with +30 to his check from Greater Tongs of the Armorer (custom, bonus squared * 20 gp = 18K gp).


My method: (Taking 10) Skill check of 82 * (82 - DC 20) = 5,084 gp/wk. He'd be done in 2 weeks. Call it an investment.

Normal method: 82 * 20 = 1,640 sp/wk. 54.8 weeks. Ugh...

Caliban's Method: 82 * 82 = 6724 sp/wk. 13.3 weeks. Managable, still a worthwhile investment.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Jeremy what we did is ignore the cost of special mateials when it came to the time of making the item. so a mithral breastplate would take the same time as a masterwork breastplate which is what 350-400gp so 3500-4000sp at 840sp a week(masterowk DC in your example) it would take about 5 weeks.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Tell that to the fighter who sunk 17 ranks into a skill at with 2 + mod skill points per level because he wants to custom make his armor for himself.

Well, since he probably knows he's a fighter, and he knows what the part that comes before the "er" means, he probably doesn't need anybody to tell him what he can actually expect to be best at.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Well, since he probably knows he's a fighter, and he knows what the part that comes before the "er" means, he probably doesn't need anybody to tell him what he can actually expect to be best at.

The problem with that idea is virtually every class can come close to equalling thefighter in a fight, and some like the wizard and cleric can frequently and usually do exceed the fighter in a fight, so why are they better than the fighter at everything else still.

Fighter, I'm good at fighting.
Cool I get that.

Wizard I'm good at casting spells.
What can spells do.
Wizard Anything except healing, for that you go to the cleric who can heal and a bunch of other stuff.

 

[Caliban]

Jeremy what we did is ignore the cost of special mateials when it came to the time of making the item. so a mithral breastplate would take the same time as a masterwork breastplate which is what 350-400gp so 3500-4000sp at 840sp a week(masterowk DC in your example) it would take about 5 weeks.

I think that by the core rules, the special material cost is supposed to be treated the same as cost of a masterwork component for creation times. (i.e. 300 gp for a weapon, 150 gp for armor.)

 

[Conaill]

Speaking of +skill items, let's see Bocata make his armor with +30 to his check from Greater Tongs of the Armorer (custom, bonus squared * 20 gp = 18K gp).

Gad, people... why would you even bother to use skill points anymore, if you can just *buy* yourself a bonus that is much larger than any mere mortal is ever going to achieve?

Yuck.

 

[Stalker0]

Anyone have a clue how much typical items like that took back in the day?

My problem has been that some items take a REALLY long time, while others are too quick.

I like Caliban's method a lot, and I've just decided to institute it. However, I'd say that if your players are revving up the DC, they can't take 10 on the check. Taking 10 kind of assumes a relaxed, non stressful situation, and trying to get a suit of armor done 5 times faster sounds a little stressful to me