Welcome

This document will teach you core information about smithing and discover how to implement Crafting in your world, as well as decide how much impact it has in your story. You can also use this to construct treasure for your party, giving depth to your world and expanding various aspects. Determining material availability, or even tying certain effects to nations and cultures.

The Preparation

1. Pick the base equipment as template
The Effects will be placed upon this item, or if there are no effects this is what you will create.

2. What materials are you using and how many do you require?
Check which materials you have, and which ones can you obtain. Ensure that you have enough of it, and optionally grab extra in case you have to redo.

3. Pick the Effect Type Category.
Decide Effect Types you want on the item, and how many. This determines the DC. Alternatively pick which magic item you want to make.

4. Determine Workshop and crafting duration
Having access to an appropriate workshop is important, so make sure everything is ready. And finally check the crafting duration.

1. Base Templates

Units of material needed, crafting time, and any DC modifier.

Armor

Armor	Units	Time	DC
Light armors, Shield	2	3 days
> Studded leather	4	5 days	+2
Medium Armors	4	7 days
> Breastplate, Half Plate	6	10 days	+2
Heavy Armors	6	15 days
> Plate Armor	8	30 days	+2

Weapon

Weapons	Units	Crafting
d4 , ammo x10	1	2 days
d6	2	4 days
d8, d10	3	5 days
d12	4	7 days

2. Materials

Apart from the materials the characters find as treasure during their adventures, they can look for materials available in a location. Be it a large city, a single village, or a small region.

Availability and pricing

• Mining sources such as mining towns, outposts, and mining companies usually have the lowest prices if there are any sellable materials left, as most shipments and routes are already established. Depending on the location the ore might not even be extracted and refined yet, and would require such process. The price of materials in these areas is one step lower.
• Nearby towns that use the materials, and cities that have large shipments will have the standard listed prices. Closest city that heavily relies on the material will fluctuate between cheap and expensive.
• Cities far away and few towns out of the trade routes might have the materials available at one step higher price due to scarcity or high shipments costs. But often any place that doesn't actually need the special materials will not have it. Someone might actually have it, but require a favor in return instead of coin.

For the rare materials there might be certain individuals who can supply them, such as some important NPCs in your campaign, or they might know where to go about obtaining them. A small adventure of its own like a cross-planar city, buried mines, and even the Underdark.

Usually a single Investigation or Persuasion check will suffice in finding available materials, and you have the option to add complexity and layers.

Salvaging Materials

You can also obtain materials by salvaging them from their natural occurring nodes, from creatures, or by breaking down existing items. The GM can decide how many units of material are on the target by standard, as well as the time required for extraction.

Salvaging DC: 14 + 3 per Material rarity.
A low roll yields 1 unit less as it wastes a portion or grants poor quality materials, while a much higher roll yields 1 unit more.

Mining takes a long time and focuses on mining and following the ore vein, checking for cave-ins and weak stone/earth/sand pockets, gas issues, dealing with burrowing creatures or entombed forgotten ones. Afterwards the heavy ore is transported elsewhere for refining or manufacture. It can be a small adventure on its own, including requesting permission to mine in the location or dealing with the authorities afterwards, and making sure everyone involved is satisfied with their share.

Breaking down items removes all Smithing effects from them, and reduces 1 Enchanting effect.

Special flames

Some rare materials need special fire in order to be softened enough for shaping, often sung about in mythical tales, such as: Dragon's Fire, Fire Elemental, Hellfire, Magical fire.

Alternatively an ember or coal with unique properties will work as well, harvested from different planes, or even creatures. Example is a Salamander's Ember.

Refining ore

In case of heavy unrefined ore that has been mined, it needs to be purified after which the quality needs to be assessed. This takes 1d4 days, or 2d4 if there is high amount of Units. Some ore can be particularly difficult or take a very long time to process, which is noted in the material section.

Creating alloys

Some listed metals are alloys that must be created if they aren't purchased in such a state. A smith often experiments with different ratios or combinations to gain a better understanding of the material.

Creating alloys is Smith's Tools (Wis or Int) check.

Each alloy material shows the DC. On failure you either make a lower quality of that alloy, or lose 25% Units (min 1).

3. Effect Types & Smithing

The smith describes what Effects they want for the item and how many, the GM can let them know the core six categories. If the smith is very specific the effect is likely not going to be exact as described, but similar enough. The amount of Effects they can place is determined by their Crafting Level. As they craft with time they will learn about possible effects. You can have them discover effects slowly and keep crafting mysterious, or give them the full list. You know your group best.

Crafting Level

Your Crafting Level equals your Proficiency Bonus if you are proficient with Blacksmith's Tools. If you have half-proficiency it counts as half (rounded down).

Crafting level determines how many Effects can you place on an item you are crafting.

Crafting Level unlocks:
0: Basic maintenance
1: Simple items and small repairs
2: PHB items
3: Items with 1 effect, common magic items
4: Items with 2 effects, uncommon magic items
5: Items with 3 effects, rare magic items
6: Items with 4 effects, very rare magic items

Effect Categories

Item Quality

These are the general +1, +2, +3 boosts on an item. They cost multiple Effect.

Offense

Increasing the amount of damage the item does, and generally improving the character's offensive capabilities.

Defense

Reducing the amount of damage the character receives, and generally improving their defensive capabilities.

Versatility

Gaining new usage options with the item, ease of use.

Example

A high level smith wants a make a Longsword with Offense 2, Versatility 1.
But they have previously crafted 'Massive' (Offense) so they decide Massive will be one of the two Offense effects.

Passion

Every Smith gets a point of Passion every 5 levels.

The GM can also give Passion when a character really invests themselves into crafting for a long time, a large character development happens that they reflect in the moments of smithing, or even internal conflicts and emotional investments that they bring out during crafting.

You can spend a point of Passion to gain Advantage or +3 on your Crafting roll, or gain Advantage on a roll with an item you have crafted, before or after you have seen the results of the roll.

Optional adjustments

If you use Inspiration, you can merge Passion into it. If you want players to make their own items more often, set them to gain Passion every 4 levels instead.

Optional rule: Manuals

Manuals come in forms of schematics and ancient tomes that guide the crafter through creation of an item or enchantement. In your world they might be incredibly rare, or nearly commonplace.

X Manual: Your Crafting level is considered 1 higher for the purposes of crafting this item, and you gain +3 for crafting it. Manuals can be specific and require a certain Item Base with two specific effects, or can be a loose theory book of a particular Effect that will only grant the dice bonus.

4. Workshop

Smith's tools can be used for minor adjustments, repairs, and maintenance of weapons on the road, but for the majority of crafting a fully outfitted workshop is needed.

A character can try to rent one from a friendly guild, a merchant company, or see if there are any smiths who are not actively using it and could rent it out to you.

Eventually the smith might even have a Workshop of their own.

Assistants

Your fellow party members and friendly NPCs can be your assistants during the crafting process, and so can be one of many craftsmen hirelings you can hire. An Assistant has to be there for at least half of the process to count.

Having 1 assistant: Reduces crafting time by 20%

Having 3+ assistants: Reduces crafting time by 33%

Apprentice Assistant: Equal or 1 lower Crafting Level, gain +1 to roll (applies once).

Master Assistant: Higher Crafting Level than you, gain +2 to roll (applies once).

Spells: Not many spells can be helpful to a Smith for extended periods of time, requiring constant re-casting and often distracting them. Enhance Ability comes to mind as a possible spell the party might use to help out. If someone focuses on casting constantly on the Smith, you can count them as an Apprentice Assistant as long as they help them around the workshop, even if they are not proficient.

Long-term employees

If you are keeping assistants hired for a long time, they can craft items for you and earn you gold. They use their own statistics for crafting rolls, with you granting them bonuses instead:

Head Smith: You grant your assistants a bonus to their crafting roll equal to the difference in your Crafting Level, as long as you spend 10% of the craft time with them during it. Instructing them during the planning or crafting phase. If you are available during the Event phase you can also give them the bonus then.

Apprentice Hireling costs

1gp per day for Crafting level 1, roll modifier +3 to +4.
3gp per day for Crafting level 2, roll modifier +4 to +5.
5gp+ per day for Crafting level 3, roll modifier +6 to +7.

Most master craftsmen go on and establish their own smithy once they are skilled enough to finish their apprenticeship, some go ahead and run their own stores, join guilds to rank up, or begin exclusively working for nobility. Hiring and even meeting them will be more difficult, as they already have the skill and enough business sense to charge far more, so tailor them towards your campaign.

Transfer of items

You can let your assistants send you an item once it is finished, or have them use a service to send it through them. Careful though as you risk losing it, depending on the security and quality of transport. Transport prioritizes the sea, the rivers, and then the land in that order. A single courier can however rapidly move through land if transporting something easily carriable that won't slow down the horses, often using government or faction horses through an established route, switching the horse when it tires in order to cross vast amount of land rapidly.

Crunching

"8 hours is too little, I want to work 10-12h every day!"

Roll Constitution check DC18 to work another 2h. On failure, you gain a level of Exhaustion. On critical failure you gain two instead.

If you have apprentices they roll as well.

Workshop qualities

You could have a Workshop+1 that gives a +1 bonus to roll. Alternatively if they are trying to smith without a workshop, you can grant them Disadvantage or a flat -5. They are still required to create a fire powerful enough to forge, which is at least 750°c / 1400°f.

Smithing

With the materials prepared, workshop setup for the project, all tools in order, it is time to begin the crafting process.

Crafting roll

When you are trying to craft an item, roll to check if you are successful. Using your Smith's Tools (Con).

Crafting DC = 14 + 3 per wanted Effect

On a success you successfully craft the item in the given timeframe.
If you roll 5 above the DC or fail then you go into the Event stage.

Example

A young adventurer is level 8, which means Crafting Level 4 due to proficiency.

If they want to make a Longsword with 2 Offense Effects, the DC is 20 (14 + 3 + 3).

If they wanted to make a Breastplate instead they would add +2 DC due to item template. If they were using Cobalt, they would also gain +2 DC but gain 'Spellcatcher' effect automatically due to material properties.

This represents how hard it is to make powerful items, keeps the balance in check by having a limit, and provides evident character growth over a long period of time.

Attunement

Attunement slot is required for an item that has a total of 3 Effects on it, including automatically gained Effects.

You can increase crafting DC by 2 for each Effect that goes over that limit in order to still not require Attunement.

Note: The DM can adjust the number to fit their campaign balance.

Reshaping Item

A smith can make a check to reshape an item into another base item of the same category as long as it requires same or less units of material, while keeping all of its effects and magical properties. This works great with DM granted magical treasure as it allows the smith to reshape it so someone else can use it.

DC: 14 + item rarity
3 - Uncommon, 6 - Rare, 9 - Very Rare, 12 - Legendary

Splitting it into two items adds a +3 DC.

On success you replace the base item template.

On failure go to Event Stage.

Decorating

You can add 1 unit of decorating material and extend crafting length by half, or 2 units while doubling the crafting length in order todecorating the item can make it more impressive or intimidating. The upper class and certain factions tend to like such items.

Metal can be folded to show off layers of it, specific chemical acids can be used to create interesting effects and beautiful transitions, engravings can be added, ornamental decorations can be made, and some metal can be poured and baked over another. Certain items can be completely made for an ornamental purpose rather than usability in actual combat, but they still take time to fulfill such complex high profile orders.

Optional: Repairing

This rule helps survival or realistic campaigns. Basic equipment maintenance takes care of most minor issues, but there is a chance a larger flaw occurs when fighting powerful foes. Those need to be carefully repaired with a check. The GM determines when an item is damaged, likely when a fitting dramatic situation calls for it, or when there are three bad critical hits before a short rest. Or to save a weapon that is near a breaking point.

The Repair check equals the item's original crafting dc, the smith gets Advantage if they are the one who made it in the first place.

On a success it is repaired, on failure go into the Event stage. On failure there, the item is completely broken or gets -1 quality.

Describing Real Smithing

Steps for making metal equipment parts:

1. Heat metal until it obtains the correct forging color.
2. Shape the metal by hammering on the anvil (forging), re-heat, repeat.
3. Join two same or similar metals (welding) if necessary.
4. Heat treat or quench to get specific hardness.
5. Repeat 1-4 for different pieces if making armor.
6. Combine the pieces (comfortable wood+leather handle, crossguard, the blade)
7. Use grindstone for smoothness and edge.
8. Extra decorating and polish.

Optional: Rarity pricing

As every campaign distributes wealth differently you are encouraged to adjust the pricing of materials to fit your world. However there is an option to charge for materials based on rarity of the final item rather than the units, with players spending gold as they progress through the crafting process.

Item Effects

Keep smithing a mystery and don't show your players all the mechanical effects. Instead allow them to explain what they are trying to accomplish or get, to explore and enjoy the mystery of smithing and creating powerful items. Let them keep notes, and slowly explain some options as they grow in their mastery and find out information and tricks in character.

Event Stage

No creation is the same, and life of adventurers is full of hurdles. The event stage is where you introduce a dynamic event that will the affect creation of the item, if they fail the main crafting roll this allows you to give them an opportunity to complete their item successfully, or if they have rolled 5 above then they can struggle and push their skill past their limit to create something truly magnificent.

All Events are different from one another, so assign Smith's Tools to an attribute fitting for the situation, or even ask for different skill check depending on Event and their improvized solution.

Character decides which direction they are taking their item, and events often influence the final Effects they get.

1. Think about which of the following six categories are most likely to affect the smith, taking in mind the current location and context. Or roll a d6 to decide.
2. Within the category find which one is the most suitable for their situation, turn it into an event and let them find a solution.
3. Once a fitting solution can be attempted, roll for Crafting again.

The DC is the same as the main Crafting roll.
On a success the item creation is complete successfully, or the extra Effect is gained.
On a failure one Effect is lost, or no extra Effect is gained.

Materials & Effects

Tungsten

Found deep underground and difficult to extract due to its ore, Tungsten is used in small quantities for alloys with other metals to increase their toughness and heat resistance. With sufficient purity it is used to make equipment, however it is difficult to work with due to its hardness.
🔨 Smithing DC +2:

Obsidian

A brittle volcanic glass, usually only found in towns near a volcano which increases it's value elsewhere. But it is rarely used in battle due to its short life span, favored by tribes.
🔨 Hard to work on Every Effect adds +2 DC.
🔨 Enchanting DC -2
✓ Too Brittle: After obsidian armor gets hit by a critical attack, or obsidian weapon gets critical failure on an attack, reduce its item quality by 1 until short rest.
✓ Thorns: When you deal damage (weapon), take melee damage (armor), or are grappled, the target takes additional 1d4 piercing damage.

Cold Iron

A mystical metal, iron that must not be touched by flame and must be coldforged into the wanted shape. There are difficulties obtaining it as all ore is refined with fire, and verifying some iron was not refined by it is almost impossible. Instead of using the forge the smith must only use the anvil and hammer without any heat.
🔨 Coldforged: Creating this material from iron ore is a DC25 Smith Tools (Str or Con) check, crafting time is doubled.
✓ Fae Bane: This weapon deals bonus 2d6 necrotic damage against fae. On armor, Fae must succeed a Wisdom save DC15 or target someone else.
Fae Ender: On armor it gives Fae disadvantage to attacking you, on Weapon after hitting Fae target it gives them on their next attack or saving throw.
(Weapon) Fae Hunter: This weapon counts as +1 against Fae, and you can reroll damage dice that lands on 1 against them.

Darksteel

Darksteel behaves like steel but is lighter, and when coated in certain oils whose formula is known to few who found the last remains of it, and heated in even a small fire, it becomes molten, and can be poured into molds to be cast into a new shape. Remarkably, darksteel can be melted and recast without destroying or (usually) altering existing enchantments on the metal. It has the further property of absorbing all natural and magical lightning or electrical energy into itself, without conducting any of it to a wearer or being in contact with it.
✓ Item quality +1
(✓ Armor) Unconductive: Gain resistance to Lighting and Thunder damage (↑: Immunity.) but reduce your movement speed by 5ft.

Orichalcum

A dark golden color, this material is a good conduit of magic and surprisingly durable, unlike gold, it can be often found paired with it in sun symbolism. The material always feels warmer to the touch than it should be.
🔨 Enchanting DC -4
✓ Empowering: Gain +1 to Strength and Constitution saves.
(Weapon) Blaze: It deals an additional 1d4 fire damage when set on fire.
(Armor) Warmth: Gain resistance to Cold damage and weather. (↑: Immunity.)

Cobalt

This strong material has been favored by mage hunters for it's magical absorbing properties, however it requires an incredibly hot non-magical fire to be properly shaped, most often from lava.
🔨 Crafting DC increased by 2.
🔨 Enchanting DC increased by 4.
✓ Spellcatcher: As a reaction you can reduce spell damage taken by 1d6 + your proficiency bonus, once per short rest. (↑: You can halve the damage instead.)
(Armor) Nullify: Once per short rest as a reaction you gain advantage to a saving throw against a spell effect. (↑: Permanently)
(Weapon) Disruptor: After hitting the target they have disadvantage to their next concentration check.

Dragonscale

Obtained from dragons, the scales vary in quality depending on the age of the dragon and the state of the scale. It is not unusual for a small surge of the material to arrive to the market after a dragon is slain, however it is quickly picked away by those knowing its true value, and collectors with an expensive taste.
✓ Scale quality: If the scale is from Adult dragon, it gains Item Quality +1. If it is from an Ancient dragon, it gains +2 instead.
✓ Dragon warning: The item glows when a dragon of sthe ame color the scale is within 5 miles.
(Armor) Element immunity: Gain resistance to the element of dragon's color. (↑: Immunity.)
(Weapon) Draconic rage: Deal additional 1d6 (element) damage. The element corresponds to the dragonscale's color. (↑: 2d6)

Arandzur

Arandzur is a rare natural metal found in igneous rock, usually as streaks of blue-green ore amid vitreous glass. So that it does not become as brittle as the glass it is found in, it must be tempered with the blood of an ancient creature in its forging. The finished forged metal is silver-blue with a green reflective shine.
🔨 Enchanting DC -5.
(✓ Weapon or Shield) Spell focus: The item can be used as a spell focus, but decrease the weapon die size or AC by 1. (↑: No decrease.)
Empower: Increase Spell attack by 1. (↑: Also increase your Spell save DC by 1.)
(Weapon) Tremble: Deal 1d6 magic damage with every hit. (↑: 1d10 instead.)
(Armor) Ley Channels: Gain advantage on Concentration checks.
Spellslinger: When damaged by a physical spell, your next attack deals an additional 1d8 damage of the same type.

Adamantite (Drow Steel)

Drow in the Underdark have a bountiful amount of adamantium ore, and Adamantite is their most used alloy due to the effects it obtains from the magical radiation (Faerzress). The process of creating the alloy takes at least a month and can reach up to a year, after which two variants are revealed - a successfully radiated one and nonradiated one. This process is the reason so many of drow equipment loses its properties on the surface, the non-radiated variant is usually sold or used by the surface raiders.
(✓ Variant: Radiated): Item Quality +1. Enchanting DC -8. If exposed to sunlight for a week it loses all of its enchantments, and takes a month in the underdark to restore them.
(✓ Variant: Non-radiated): Item Quality +1.

Moonsilver

Silver purified through a ritual, often called Alchemical Silver or Goddesses Tears by some. Moonsilver is silver touched by Luna, and lends some of Luna's protean nature to the material. Helps Werewolves control themselves by wearing it, but cutting on it brings them memories of the betrayal.
🔨 Creating it requires a special ritual or process.
🔨 Enchanting DC -4.
✓ Moontouched: Deal additional 1d6 radiant damage as weapon, or increase all Saving throws by 1 as armor.
Sacred: When Cleric uses this item to cast Channel Divinity, the DC is increased by 1.

Mithril

A very light material favored by the ancient Elven civilizations, a quality grade armor is highly sought after by spellcasters due to its lack of interference with magic and ease of use, and its light properties by everyone else.
✓ Item quality +1
✓ Feathery: Remove Stealth disadvantage (on armor), and Heavy (on weapon).
(✓ Armor) Flexible: Increase Dex range by 1.
(Armor) Gentle wear: Reduce Armor Proficiency requirement by one step, down to none.
(Non-heavy one-handed) Flowing: Gain the Light (non-heavy, one handed weapon) or Finesse trait.
(Light one-handed) Cutting wind: Your Two-handed Fighting attack becomes a part of the Attack action and you don't spend a Bonus action on it.

Adamantine

A closely guarded secret by the dwarves, their most successful alloy of incredibly hard to find adamantium ore. It is not surprising to see them taking up arms over any known deposits of it, often found warring against the underdark creatures to guard it.
✓ Item quality +1
(✓ Armor) Enduring: All critical hits are turned into normal hits against you, gain resistance to non-magical fire and cold.
(✓ Weapon) Superior structure: Add an additional weapon damage die. (↑: On critical, deal an additional weapon die damage.)
(Armor) Stand strong: Once per short rest, halve physical damage taken from a single attack. (↑: Twice.)
(Weapon) Penetrating: Increases your critical hit range to 19.

Infernal Iron

Ore obtained from Nine Hells where it is often used for forging Soul coins, and Hellfire weapons.
🔨 Soul Enchanting DC -10 (✓ Alloy variant) Infernal Steel: You can turn Infernal Iron into Infernal Steel with DC 28. Gain +1 Item Quality.
(✓ Weapon) Soul-catcher: Anyone slain by it has their soul captured into the weapon and cannot be resurrected by anyone else until the next soul replaces it (↑: Can capture up to 100 souls.). If resurrecting someone through it, halve the cost for resurrection due to the target soul being nearby.
✓ Fiery: Deal an additional 1d4 fire damage (if weapon) or obtain fire resistance (if armor) (↑: 1d8 or Immunity).
Wrathful: Once per short rest, gain advantage on all attacks, but everyone else gets advantage against to attacking you.
Primal screams: Deals 1d4 psychic damage to all enemies within 5ft of the target when you hit them (if weapon), or around yourself when hit (if armor). (↑: 1d8 instead)

Shadowsteel

An alloy of strange ore from Shadowfell and iron, the forging portion of making it is incredibly frustrating due to its incorporeal properties it obtains when touching other non-living matter.
✓ Item Quality +1:
(✓ Weapon) Fade in: Critical hit on rolling natural 19.
(✓ Armor) Fade out: When opponents rolls a natural 17, they miss unless it is a natural weapon attack or an unarmed attack.
(Armor) Shade: Gain advantage on Stealth checks.

Titanium

Titanium is a lustrous white metal, most often mistaken with Mithril in ancient texts. Any ore nodes of it are jealously guarded for its incredible properties, being lighter than steel but several times stronger. It is almost the perfect metal to craft with.
(✓) Item Quality +2.
(✓ Armor) Non-corroding: Resistance to Acid damage. (↑: Immunity)
(✓ Armor) Heat resistant: Resistance to Fire damage. (↑: Immunity)
(Weapon) Deadly: Increase weapon die size by one.
(Light weapon) Momentum: If you have Extra Attack feature and use Bonus Action for an off-hand attack, you make two off-hand attacks instead of one.

Starmetal (Meteorite):

Also called Meteorite. Believed to be the essence of dead gods, a gift from gods, or a great (good or bad) omen. Starmetal shines with the nature of the divine and warps fate slightly as part of its basic nature. Can be found in meteors.
(✓) Item Quality +2.
(✓) Fated. Once per long rest, gain advantage to a single roll.
(✓ Armor) Non-corroding: Resistance to Acid damage. (↑: Immunity)
Bind. Deals an extra 1d8 damage to creatures not on their home plane.

Scarletite

As an ore it is very difficult to mine as portions of it can explode and splatter, killing and infesting the miners. Refining it is a complex poisonous process that stabilizes it enough to be shaped into the desired object, after which some of its properties are re-activated.
🔨 Refining it is a DC 28 check. ✓ Item Quality +1.
✓ Restoring: If the item is broken or damaged, it repairs itself if at least 10hp worth of blood is spilled on it.
(✓ Weapon) Acquired Taste: Deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage to any creature you have damaged previously with it. (↑: Advantage on tracking it.)
(✓ Armor) Regenerate: You can spend up to 4 Hit Die to heal yourself with once per short rest. (Armor) Blood-fueled: If you take damage, as a reaction you gain +2 AC until the beginning of your next turn.
(Weapon) Consume: You have advantage on Grapple checks with it.