Downtime Activity: Hatmaking

atmaking is a profession as old as time, and

in the Forgotten Realms, any self-respecting
noble or mage wouldn't be caught dead
without a fashionable headpiece. Some
talented hatmakers infuse magical effects
into their creations, and these pieces can
fetch a fair sum of gold at the right auction.

Tools and Skills

If a character is not proficient with the appropriate tools,

they can still make a straw or felt (wool) hat, but must
succeed an Wisdom (Survival) check, with its DC noted in
the Hat Materials table below, under Proficieny
Required. If the character fails the check, the day is wasted
and the materials are ruined.

Infusing a Hat with Magic

Crafting Magic Hats

When a character has chosen to spend a day of downtime

crafting a hat, they can also choose to attempt to infuse the
hat with a beneficial or novel magical effect. To do so, the
character must spend a spell slot and roll an Intelligence
(Arcana) ability check. The DC of the ability check is
marked in the Hat Materials table below, under Infuse
DC. A character with no unspent spell slots cannot make
this attempt.
If a character fails this check, rolls on the Magical
Mishaps table. If the character succeeds, roll first on the
Magic Properties table, and then the Magic Activation
table, noting both results as magical properties of the
crafted hat.
Hats with beneficial or novel magical properties are
worth far more than their non-magical counterparts.

I can't believe I wrote all of this out.

Magical Mishaps

A good haberdasher must arm themselves with appropriate

tools (sold in any reasonably large settlement), and be
proficient in their use to create a hat of any real value. If
your character is not proficient in their use, they can spend
their downtime training with their tools. The time it takes
to learn a new tool proficiency is 250 days, and it costs 1 gp
per day in expended resources (PHB, pg. 187).
A character with the appropriate tools but no proficiency
in their use can still make one or two simple items as noted
in the Hat Materials table below, but will not be able to
infuse their creations with magical effects or lasting value.

d8 Mishap

Finding Materials
Materials can be bought from merchants in towns, cities
and along the road. The materials used are not rare or
difficult to obtain in this manner.
Alternatively, a character can spend an hour and make a
Wisdom (Survival) ability check aided by their tools
proficiency bonus to obtain raw materials found in the
wilderness, and refine the raw material into something
useful. Refer to the Hat Materials table below to see the
relevant DCs for refining each material, under Refine DC.

Owlbears aren't found in pubs

Although there is a DC set for each raw material
to be found and refined, your DM has final say as
to whether or not it is possible to find the given
material in your character's location.

1 You are unable to willingly let go of the hat.

2 The hat explodes, dealing 4d6 fire damage to every
creature within 10 feet.
3 The hat implodes, creating a tear in the Weave. You
spend all of your spell slots, and 1d4 angry Mephits
appear adjacent to you.
4 The hat disappears. For the next 1d6 days, whenever
you cast a spell, make a DC 10 Charisma saving
throw. On a failure, you teleport 50 feet in a random
direction before the spell is cast.
5 The hat is cursed, giving its bearer disadvantage on
all ability checks and saving throws. It announces "I
am a cursed hat!" before being worn, and the effects
only occur if a creature willingly dons it after hearing
this warning.
6 The hat is a Mimic, and it attacks you.
7 The hat is instantly stolen by Vel'nar, the Grand Hat
Thief, who laughs maniacally and disappears into thin
air before you have a chance to act.

Crafting a Hat
A character with artisan's tools can spend a day crafting a
hat using one of the materials in the table above. For each
day spent crafting hats, a character must spend 1 gp in
resources. A character can maintain a modest lifestyle for
free each day that character is crafting hats.

8 Instead of a hat, you have created a sock, with no

magical properties and no pair. It smells like it has
been used.

Hat Materials
Material

Cost

Refine DC Infuse DC Tools to Use

Proficiency Required

Straw

1 sp

30

Weaver's tools

No (DC 10)

Felt (wool)

4 sp

10

25

Artisan's tools

No (DC 15)

Felt (fur)

1 gp

15

20

Artisan's tools

Yes

Leather

2 gp

15

15

Leatherworker's tools

Yes

Buckram

5 gp

20

15

Artisan's tools

Yes

Leather (owlbear) 15 gp 25

10

Leatherworker's tools, or artisan's tools

Yes
MAGICAL HAT CRAFTING

Magic Properties
d20 Magical Property
1

The hat glows faintly in a colour of your choice.

Choose the colour at time of crafting.

The hat slowly makes a full rotation around the

bearer's head.

The hat becomes invisible.

The hat speaks its owner's name, in a booming

voice.

The hat conjures a tiny illusion of a fireworks show.

The hat becomes wet.

The hat returns to its rightful owner.

The hat determines which School of Magic the

bearer would best be suited.

The hat's bearer regains 1 hit point. If the bearer is

already at full hit points, they take 1d10 force
damage instead.

10 The hat grants advantage on the bearer's next ability

check or saving throw.

As you spend more time honing the craft of hatmaking,

your hats will increase in quality, and your reputation as a
highly-skilled hatmaker will increase.
A character with artisan's tools, weaver's tools or
leatherworker's tools may spend a day practising
hatmaking. For each day spent practising hatmaking, a
character must spend 1 gp in resources. A character can
maintain a modest lifestyle for free each day that character
is practising hatmaking.
For every 10 days practising hatmaking and for every hat
crafted, gain 1 Hatmaking Reputation point. Hatmaking
Reputation points may be amassed or spent as the
character sees fit, referring to the tables Spending
Reputation and Amassing Reputation below.
A specific effect may only be applied once at a time (for
instance, a character could not spend 100 Hatmaking
Reputation to reroll the roll made on the Magic Properties
table 10 times).

11 The hat and its bearer become invisible for 1

minute.

Spending Reputation

12 The hat's bearer grows 1 size larger for 1 minute.

Reroll a Refine Materials check.

13 The hat's bearer gains advantage on all Charismabased ability checks for 1 minute.

Demand a discount on hatmaking materials.

Reroll an Infuse Materials check.

10

Reroll on the Magic Properties table.

10

Reroll on the Magic Activation table.

20

Reroll on the Magical Mishaps table.

14 The hat returns to its creator.

15 The hat grants the bearer proficiency in one skill for
1 minute. Choose the skill at time of crafting.
16 The hat allows the bearer to understand and speak
in another language for 1 minute. Choose the
language at time of crafting.
17 The hat casts Polymorph on its bearer, turning the
creature into a dove. The effect lasts for 1 minute.

Points Effect

Amassing Reputation
Points Effect
10

Gain a +1 bonus on all hatmaking-related ability

checks.

100

Merchants sell hatmaking materials to you at half

price.

200

Your hats sell for twice their normal value.

300

20 At time of crafting, choose a first-level spell you can

cast. The hat casts this spell, using your spellcasting
ability but not expending a spell slot.

Gain a +2 bonus on all hatmaking-related ability

checks.

500

Your followers supply you with hatmaking

materials for free.

Magic Activation

1000 You can demand nearly any price for a hat you
have made that is infused with a magical effect.

18 The hat offers ethical advice to a single question

posed to it. All creatures within 10 feet of the hat
can hear the answer in a language they understand.
19 At time of crafting, choose a cantrip you can cast.
The hat casts this cantrip, using your spellcasting
ability.

d8 The hat's magical properties are activated

1 Once only, immediately when the hat is crafted.
2 Once only, at a random time within the next 2 weeks.
3 Once, when its command word is spoken by any
creature within 50 feet of it. Choose a command
word at time of crafting. This ability resets at dawn.
4 Once, as an action the bearer can take on its turn.
This ability resets at dawn.
5 Once, as a bonus action the bearer can take on its
turn. This ability resets at dawn.
6 Once, as a reaction the bearer can take when
targeted by another creature's spell, ability or attack.
This ability resets at dawn.
7 Once, when the hat is donned. This ability resets at
dawn.
8 Whenever the hat is thrown. When the hat is thrown,
roll 1d4. On a 1, the hat is destroyed.
2

Building Reputation &

Practising Hatmaking

MAGICAL HAT CRAFTING

Selling Hats
Non-magical hats can be sold to merchants, nobles and
townsfolk alike. Their value is around 10 times the price of
the materials used (for instance, a straw hat is worth
around 1 gp, and an owlbear leather hat is worth around
150 gp).
Magical hats can be sold at auction to nobles, lords and
particularly wealthy merchants. They have a keen eye for
quality and craftsmanship. Hats with beneficial magical
effects are worth more than those that are simply novel in
some way. A hatmaker's salesmanship can have an effect
on the price, too. Standard magic-hat auction etiquette
requires a demonstration of the hat's effects to any and all
interested in its sale.
Vel'nar, the Grand Hat Thief is known to visit magic-hat
auctions, under clever disguises and false names.