Grodin's Tome of Crafting

About

T
his book is meant to be used as a reference by
the DM or the player who wishes to craft an
item.

The Trinity
The rigid: Our materials define the base properties of the
item.
The flexible: Our enchantments offer a wide range of
effects, and can be placed on item anytime.
The vivid: Our epics happen spontaneously in the world,
they are the legends and the myths.
Transfer of items
When item is done, if you're not nearby, you can tell your
hireling to send it to you, or someone else. Careful though!
What if someone knows what you ordered and wants to
ambush the carrier, or plans to steal the item when it's done.
Hirelings
Depending on campaign, downtime can be a few days to
several months. The PCs might not be full-time blacksmiths,
but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the perks of creating
items. Hirelings are active while you are out adventuring as
well.
Hireling: Half speed bonus, works half speed while you
are away. Common and uncommon. 2gp/d
Master Hireling: Double speed bonus, works normal
speed while you are away. You get advantage on 1 roll on
item the Master assists you with. 5-10gp/d
Manuals
Manuals come in forms of schematics and ancient tomes that
guide the person through creation of item or enchantement.
In your world they might be few and rare, or nearly common.
Effect: Lower DC of target item creation by 3.
Crafting

T
he Dungeon Master decides the balance of the
three in their world. The prices offered in this Optional
tome are meant to be a reference and adjusted
based on your generosity with gold, loot, and Repairing
your preference for players to personally To repair, you need 1 unit of item's material. Roll once the DC
obtain items or do favours to get them. of material, on success you repair 2 points of damage. On
failure you accidentally damage the item 1 point.
Smithing Weapons get damaged when you critically fail attacking
with them.
Armors get damaged when you get crittally hit.
Materials give the item its properties, and first step should be
establishing if there are any accessible materials to craft with. ITEM Durability
Rare materials come from cross-realm merchants, royalty Armor 4
with access to such purchases might have access to them.
Mages might know creatures who could supply the materials * Medium armor +1
or trade them. The few places that do have such materials on * Heavy armor +2
material plane are bound to be points of interest. The
material would mean monopoly and a massive wealth, if it is Weapon 4
forgotten by time, people will be trying to locate it, if infested * Small weapon (d4) -1
they will clear it, it is possible wars or skirmishes could be
waged over them. Gold and silver mines are literally shitting * Large weapon (d12) +2
money. A common mine which finds a vein of adamantine
might find itself drawing a lot of attention, both good and bad. Low Fantasy
There might be receipts for specific combinations of
material that bring greater boon, it can also be paired with Remove all Very Rare materials except Titanium.

enchanting. If your default material is Iron, you can make Steel

uncommon and give it property of Masterwork or Tough.
Reforging The further back you go, the more items you can make
more rare, such as defaulting to bronze and adding iron.
Simple and effective, keeping balance of items DM
distributes. Interchangeability
The item keeps all of its effects as it is reforged into a
different shape. Making Tough and Masterwork interchangeable expands
Reforging is the same process like making the weapon, your options.
only usually not requiring additional materials.
Masterwork
Masterwork equipment can be of any material, it reflects the
work of a master of his craft. Such equipment is harder to
make and more rare, and in some worlds where there are
less materials they can be one of few sources of actually
powerful items.
Masterwork effect: Pick 1 additional effect from one
property of material used, or add one of General property
effects.
This means that Orichalcum could be either Tough (x2) or
Tough + General.
Creating a masterwork item:
To craft a masterwork item,
you must not fail a single roll. It is possible you will create
masterwork items by accident.
Note: If you want less fantasy materials, you can instead
make Steel uncommon and give it 'General' property.

3
 How to craft?
Crafting formulae
1. Pick your Material. (DC, Succeses req) Crafting start
2. Pick target item. (Time, units, DC +/-)
3. Spend material's Property points on effects. Select your material's rarity. Then refer to Weapon or
4. Begin crafting by rolling Smith Tools for a number of days. Armor.
5. You craft item if you roll enough successes.
6. You fail crafting item if you don't roll enough successes, Material Rarity Base DC Success/total rolls
and you lose 1 unit of material. Common 16 1 out of 2
7. If all Crafting rolls are a success the item becomes
Masterworked. Pick one: Add one Masterwork effect, or Uncommon 18 2 out of 3
increase one Property of the material by 1. Rare 21 3 out of 4
_ Very Rare 25 4 out of 5
Legendary 30 5 out of 6

Materials
Every material has Properties that give them their effects,
Unit Armor
MATERIAL Rarity cost Property points
Crafting time, amount of material needed, and DC modifier.
Orichalcum Uncommon 250 Tough, Enchantee
Armor Units Crafting DC +/-
Darksteel Uncommon 400 Tough, General
Light armor, Shield 2 3 days
Created,
Cold Iron Uncommon 400
Antirace(Fae) * Studded leather 3 5 days +2
Mithril Rare 800 Light, Tough Medium Armor 3 7 days
Cobalt Rare 800 Antimagic * Breastplate, Half Plate 4 10 days +2
Obsidian Rare 800 Tough, Thorns Heavy Armor 4 15 days
Tough, Element * Plate Armor 6 30 days +2
Dragonscale Rare 1000
(Type)
Azurite Rare 1000 Enchantee 2
Adamantine Rare 1000 Tough 2,
Infernal
Very Rare 1500 Element (Fire), Blood Weapon
Steel
Crafting time and amount of material needed.
Stellar Iron Very Rare 1500 Holy, Enchantee
Weapons Units Crafting
Shadowsteel Very Rare 2000 Tough, Dark
Small weapons, d4 1 1 days
Scarletite Very Rare 2000 Thorns, Blood
Standard weapons, d6-d10 2 5 days
Titanium Very Rare 2500 Tough 3
Large Weapons, d12 4 7 days
Note: Number means you can take that amount of points
in that Property.

Crafting common items

To make items with common materials, the unit
cost is equal to half their PHB price. They can be
Masterworked.

Usually common materials are iron and steel.

4 Page 2 | Crafting
List of Properties
Unique Properties Material Properties
These are properties which are obtained in a unique way. These are the only properties that can be granted by
materials, the list here is to cover the main aspects. You are
Masterwork welcome to adjust or add your own if it fits the campaign.
Masterwork items are independent on material and gained if
you don't fail a single creation roll. Anti(Race)
Weapon effects:
Materials with the property: Cold Iron

Enchantments and methods: Ritual (), Monster Essence,

Well-balanced: Increase to hit by 1.
Sharp: Increase damage by 1, or increase weapon die size
by one.
(d8, d12) Altered edge: Adjusted or unusual edge. Your
weapon die is 2d4 instead or d8, 2d6 instead of d12. Or
vice versa.
Fleeting: As a reaction, you can move 5ft. If you provoke
an Attack of Opportunity, you can Attack of Opportunity
back.
Hook: Advantage on disarming shields.
Elongated: Your weapon gains Reach until the end of
your turn. 1 per SR.
Duelist: If an enemy moves within your range, you can
move 5ft within their range as reaction.
Decorated: The weapon is beautifully decorated.
(Heavy) Powerful: As a bonus action you can shove a
target you attacked this turn.
(Reach) Danger zone: Your range becomes difficult
terrain.
Spell ()
Weapon effects
Deal 1d6 psychic damage vs (race).
Weapon becomes +2 against (race), critical hits deal
additional weapon die damage.
Ancient pain: On hit, target (race) rolls Wis save (12+your
prof). On failure, they are Feared. Reroll on end of turn.
Armor effects
Any (race) that touches you is damage for 1d6 psychic
damage.
Aura: You emit an aura 10ft in all directions, walking in it
is difficult terrain for (race). Fae within 5ft roll Wisdom
save (12+your prof) or get Feared.
Antimagic
Materials with the property: Cobalt

(d10) Pommel strike: As a bonus action, you can strike Enchantments and methods:
your opponent with pommel, 1d4 Weapon effects
(Axe) Splintering: On critical hit, destroy target's shield.
(Blunt) Disorienting: On hit, reduce target's speed by 5ft. On hit, if your target has to roll Concentration save, it is
(Shield) Towering: As a bonus action, increase your AC made with advantage.
and dex save by 1 until start of your next turn. Armor effects
(Staff) Supportive: If some effect reduces your speed by
more than 5ft, reduce that effect by 5ft. Resistance vs magical damage
Advantage vs spell effects
Armor effects:
Hardened: Gain 1 Tough property effect.
Low-weight: Lower the weight of armor. 5 for light, 10 for
medium, 15 for heavy.
Decorated: The armor is beautifully decorated.
Sly: Increase your Stealth by 1.
(Light, Medium) Comfortable: You can sleep in the
armor with ease.
(Medium, Heavy) Grounded: Increase the weight of
armor. Medium +10lb, Heavy +20lb.
Any effect that would
move the bearer against their will is reduced in distance
by 5 feet.
Created
This material can be made.
Unique effects:
This material can be created

5
Blood Holy
Materials with the property: Scarletite
Materials with the property:

Enchantments and methods: Enchantments and methods:

Weapon effects Weapon effects
On hit, target rolls Con save (12+ your prof bonus). They Deal 1d4 holy damage.
are bleeding 1d4 at start of every turn, at end of turn they Touching a target with it gently allows you to heal them
reroll con save. 1d6, once per LR.
If you draw blood on hit, regain 1HP.
Armor effects
Armor effects Resistance against Necrotic damage.
All healing on you has advantage. All healing is made at advantage to you.
Tough Thorns
Materials with the property:
Materials with the property:

Enchantments and methods: Enchantments and methods:

Weapon effects Weapon effects
Precise: Increase to hit by 1. Deal additional 1d4 physical damage.
Edge: Increase damage by 1, or increase weapon die size Your critical hit deals another weapon die of damage.
by one. On hit, target rolls Con save (11+ your prof bonus). They
Durable: Increase durability by 2. are bleeding 1d4 at start of every turn, at end of turn they
(2) Weapon becomes +1 reroll con save.
(3) Weapon becomes +2
Armor effects
Armor effects When someone hits you with melee attack within 5ft, they
Reduce physical damage taken by 1. take 1d4 physical damage.
Durable: Increase durability by 2.
Smooth: Reduce slashing damage by 2. Light
(2) Armor becomes +1 Materials with the property: Mithril

(3) Armor becomes +2 Enchantments and methods:

Element (type) Weapon effects
Materials with the property:
You cannot be at disadvantage during your Attack of
Enchantments and methods: Opportunity.
(2) Non-Heavy weapon becomes Light. Weapons with
Weapon effects Heavy property have it removed.
Deal 1d4 (type) damage. (2) Your Attack of Opportunities are made with advantage.
Armor effects Armor effects
Gain (type) damage resistance. Lower strength requirement to wear by 2.
(Light armor) Feather: You get 5 feet of movement.
Enchantee Remove Stealth disadvantage from the armor.
Materials with the property:
(2) Remove strength requirement to wear.
Enchantments and methods: Ritual (), Monster Essence, (2) Reduce armor proficiency required to wear by one
Spell category.
Weapon effects
Applicable: Enchanting this item is at -2 DC.
(2) Magical: This item gains 1 simple enchantment
Armor effects
Applicable: Enchanting this item is at -2 DC.
(2) Magical: This item gains 1 simple enchantment
Table of WIP content:
Enchantments
Epics
Low fantasy

7
 Enchanting

E
nchanting the materials, the process itself,
or using magic and surroundings to create Ancient Enchants
magical effect that are desired. Similar to Masterwork equipment
Masterwork effect: Pick 1 additional effect from one
property of enchantment used, or add one of General
property effects.
Blacksmith & Enchantments
Placing an Elder Enchantment:
Smith's Tools proficiency, half of your INT modifier To craft a masterwork item, you must not fail a single roll. It
rounded down. is possible you will create masterwork items by accident.
Smith's Tools expertise, your INT modifier (min 1).
Blacksmith have to learn about other methods, or have 1. Pick which enchantment you want.
enchanters do them. Expansion on enchantments and 2. Find someone who can place the enchantment via one of
enchanters will come eventually. its methods
3. Obtain the cost of the enchantment.
Method Source 4. Start enchanting by rolling as time progresses.
5. On success, you completed the enchantment.
Infusing with spells cast Arcane 6. If all your total rolls are a success, the item is Elder and
Monster essence Nature you can increase one effect from its properties, or one
Ritual (star alignment, sacrifice,
effect from General.
players)
Religion, History 7. On failure you lose half of material cost.
8. If you rolled a 1, the item is cursed.
Runes (or gems) Runer's Tools (Int)
Tables with new non-material enchants
Invention (or a schematic) Tinker's Tools
Mysterious Recipe -
RARITY Cost Time DC Success needed
Religion (Evil),
Placing a curse Uncommon 500gp 3 days 20 1 out of 2
Arcane
Rare 1500gp 7 days 24 2 out of 3
Very Rare 5000gp 30 days 28 3 out of 4
Legendary 15000gp 100 days 32 4 out of 5

Enchanting Properties

8
Epics

E
pics are bound to more mystical approach,
one that is rarely able to be crafted. Yet still
we mention them as they can enrich the
world:

For example:
An eldery blacksmith makes a feat of climbing to the top
of the icy mountain, where the last frozen giants made
their stand and endowed the whole mountain into a
eternal frost. Up there he survives, building his forge,
fueled by ancient magic and dragonfire. When the four
stars finally align in the sky, the echo of forge fills the
mountain range. The time was now, shaping the meteorite
into the sword, quenching it into the eternal ice beneath
him, as the stars shine upon him. He completes his sword.
In Epics, the previous example could end up just a normal
sword, unless:
The blacksmith sees the sword is nothing special, using
the expensive materials and timing them right. He throws
the sword off the top of the mountain, annoyed. The sword
falls into the snow far below, betrayed by it's creator, it
begins gathering evil and shadows within from
surrounding areas. Type: Weapons have souls
The spirits break the veil and offer the blacksmith and the
sword a touch. Type: Supernatural source.
The blacksmith trembles as he aims to make it his life
work. The sword is everything the blacksmith was. Type:
Infused by emotion.
The thing with Epics is that it's far harder to make a
magical item like that.
Sword of the man who has killed a hundred people in a
single battle. Type: Infused by surroundings
In many cases, one does not even have to be a blacksmith
to create such a weapon, as more often than not they are
'accidents', or rather what if the weapons had souls. In this
case Reforging can become one of few methods to create
something else from such weapons, however if the act itself is
done 'it will deal better damage' it might lose its property if
the act itself doesn't have enough intent behind it . A weapon
made by someone who is making it to save their own life will
be more epic than a blacksmith who makes hundred
weapons a year. However, what if a blacksmith promised to
make a thousand weapons? The last one will be magical.
With Epic mode, all weapons require a story of their own.
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