Engraver's Tools
Used mainly as decoration and art, engraved images have been scrawled on cave walls, oyster shells, and more. Relics have persisted through thousands of years, providing the barest glimpses of ancient people. Engravings depict the sigils of royalty, provide an intricate and pleasing shape to an otherwise bare handle, or have a variety of other purposes.
Engraver's Tools
Engraver's tools include a set of burin, sharpening stone, a small magnifying glass, a light mallet, vial of ink, and lacquer.
Engraver's tools weigh 8 lbs and cost 50 gp.
Engraving
Engraving an object requires you to have access to your engraver's tools as well as the object you are graving. An object to be engraved is typically something small that can be carried in a hand, like a sword or a stein, though it must have a flat and hard surface to be graved.
When graving an object, you must succeed on a Dexterity (Engraver's Tools) check, adding your proficiency bonus if you are proficient with the tool.
Creating the Design
Engraving is a long process that requires several hours to apply, even for small and simple designs. A graver must utilize a burin, a steel tool with a precise cutting face, and slowly push by hand across metal, wood, or even stone, slowly creating grave lines at different angles to create a design.
Engraving can be defined into two broad categories: Size and Complexity.
Size
The size of an object to be engraved effects how long it takes for the graver. There are three categories for size: Small, Medium, and Large.
- Small sizes are for objects no more than two inches across in any one direction. This could be the pommel of a sword or a small metal plate. For magical designs, this would be enough for a common design. It typically takes an hour to engrave this size of material, in addition to it's complexity.
- Medium sizes are for objects that are no more than six inches across in any one direction. This could be the blade of a dagger or the blade of an axe. For magical designs, this would be enough for an uncommon or rare design. It typically takes 8 hours to engrave this size of material, in addition to it's complexity.
- Large sizes are for objects that are six inches or longer in any one direction. This could be the blade of a longsword or a large metal plate for artwork. For magical designs, this would be enough for a very rare or legendary design. It typically takes 40 hours to engrave this size of material, in addition to it's complexity.
All sizes represent the minimum space for each design, and at the DM's discretion may take up more. Non-magical engraved designs can be placed next to each other or next to magical designs, but magical designs can not be near each other without their magic failing.
Complexity
The complexity of a design effects the length of time to engrave it. There are three categories for the complexity of your design: Simple, Moderate, and Intricate.
- Simple engraved designs include simple lines and geometric shapes. These designs require at least an hour to engrave, in addition to the time required for the size of material.
- Moderate engraved designs include words, graver lines at different angles to provide shading, as well as working in filler designs like scrollwork. These designs require at least 8 hours to engrave, in addition to the time required for the size of material.
- Intricate engraved designs include lots of details like showing facial expressions, fur on an engraved animal, or utilizing your full set of burins to create different depths and angles. These designs require at least 40 hours to engrave, in addition to the time required for the size of material.
All times represent the minimum amount of time to engrave a design of its complexity, and at the DM's discretion, may take longer.
Application
Once a graver begins, they need at least an hour of work to make progress, and once they complete the design or have spent 8 hours of work, the graver must succeed on a Dexterity (Engraver's Tools) check. If they succeed, they make progress on their design or the design is finished and is accurate to their idea of the project. On a failed check, they make no progress on their design and instead waste time trying to work out their idea.
The DC for engraving is dependent on the Size and Complexity of the design.
- DC starts at 8 and then adds in Size and Complexity
- Size modifier A Small size adds +1, Medium +3, and Large +5 to the DC.
- Complexity modifier A Simple complexity adds +1, Moderate +3, and Intricate +5 to the DC.
The DM may decide that certain situations or materials may raise or lower the DC.
Selling Engraved Materials
By spending time engraving objects, you can then turn around and sell them. Many knights and nobles are willing to spend extra on engraved daggers, swords, and even shields to show off.
Typically, an engraved item can be sold for its base value plus 5% times your proficiency bonus for Simple designs, 10% times your proficiency bonus for Moderate designs, and 15% times your proficiency bonus for Intricate designs - so long as the item has an appropriate amount of designs on it. A greatsword with just an engraved pommel, no matter the design, isn't likely to sell for as much as one whose entire blade is engraved, per the DM's discretion.
Example Designs
| Type | Coverage | Complexity | Time to Apply | DC | Number of Checks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A rune on the pommel of a dagger | Small | Simple | 2 hours | 10 | 1 |
| Patterned lines on a greatsword's blade | Large | Moderate | 48 hours | 16 | 6 |
| Silver platter carved with kittens | Large | Intricate | 80 hours | 18 | 10 |
| Small locket with the king's mark | Small | Intricate | 41 hours | 41 | 6 |
Magical Engravings
A spellcaster, or a graver with a spellcaster at their service, can provide minor boons and runes on their designs by expending spell slots while engraving. If an engraving requires attunement, it causes the item to require being attuned that it is engraved upon. A magic item can not be engraved, though there is said to be sets of magical engraver's tools that allow an engraver to work on magic items.
Expended Spells
An engraving requires spell slots to be expended in order to create it. Each design specifies what level of spell slot it requires. A spell must be expended once for each 8 hours of work an engraver works, failure to do so means that the design is no longer magical and does not gain the effect.
Good Fortune
- 3rd-level spell slot
- Requires Attunement; Uncommon
- Size Medium; Complexity Intricate
This mysterious design is prized by gravers for its power to protect those who bear it. When it is graved onto armor, like a breastplate, once per day the wearer can call upon its power as a reaction to failing an ability check, allowing them to reroll the check. They must take the second result. Once they use this ability, they can't use it again until the next dawn.
Quick Draught
- 2nd-level spell slot; Rare
- Size Medium; Complexity Moderate
This metal flask must be coated in a specific pattern that gives worship to a deity of water and life. As a bonus action, you can touch the flask and consume the liquid contents of the flask with your touch. You consume and gain the benefits of whatever was contained in the flask and the flask is emptied out. Once you consume the contents of the flask, you can not activate its power for 24 hours and a new substance must be added to it.
Returning Rune
- 1st-level spell slot; Common
- Requires Attunement
- Size Small; Complexity Intricate
This rune is etched on the pommel of a dagger. If the dagger is thrown, it immediately returns to the wielder's hand that threw it after striking a creature or an object. If the wielder's is carrying an object in their hand while the dagger is attempting to return, the weapon does not return and stays where it is.
Talking Grave
- 1st-level spell slot; Common
You infuse a design and it repeats a short phrase, the length of which is based on the DC of the design. It can speak a number of words equal to the DC of the engraving, the more complicated and larger the design the more words it can repeat. When you finish engraving the design, you decide on the word to activate the phrase, this word can not be changed later. The engraving then speaks the phrase either using your voice, or someone else's voice that was part of the engraving process and spoke the phrase to be recorded.
Variant Rules
Destroyed Design
If the graver fails the check by 5 or more to engrave a design, they make a grievous mistake and their design is ruined.
Mending Mistakes
If the graver failed a check, they can not make any further progress until they cast mending on their design. This erases the mistake they made as well as 2d4 hours worth of progress.