crafting & imbuing lite - gm binder
TRANSCRIPT
Crafting & Imbuing LiteCrafting & Imbuing LiteCrafting & Imbuing LiteCrafting & Imbuing LiteCrafting & Imbuing Lite
Crafting and Imbuing Lite is a lightweight ruleset for use in
D&D 5e campaigns featuring item crafting. The complexity
and mechanical heft of other crafting rules are traded for
streamlined simplicity.
The intent is to provide a flexible framework for characters
to construct mundane items and imbue them with magical
enhancements, while facilitating intermittent progress rather
than requiring contiguous downtime.
It is not intended to be a step-by-step guide for DMs to
balance homebrewed items, calculate how much these items
are worth, or prescribe the materials required to craft them.
These details are purposefully omitted - DMs and players
should work together to come to an agreement on what is
required to create a specific item.
Created by Eric J. Earley using GM Binder
Last updated 2020/12/06
The desire to create is ubiquitous amongst the civilized races.
Be it the roof over one's head, the clothes on one's shoulders,
the shoes on one's feet, the weapon in one's hand, or the food
in one's belly, artisans of all vocations, skills, and walks of life
form the backbone of society.
It behooves many adventurers, who have chosen (or been
thrust into) a life of danger and unpredictability, to learn a
crafting skill of their own, whether to maintain their
equipment, use rare materials and components they come
across in their travels, or simply to unwind by creating art for
art's sake.
Regardless of their motivations, many craftspeople cut
their teeth by creating common items, but eventually feel the
gnawing presence of invention pushing them to create, to
learn, and to grow as artisans. Some choose to design never-
before-seen creations, while others seek to imbue their crafts
with magical effects.
Crafting is the manufacture of mundane items - items with
no connection to the Weave and no magical capabilities.
Artisans trained in crafting are no common workers; on the
contrary, craftspeople are skilled laborers, often occupying
positions of prestige in local villages and forming the middle
class in more metropolitan societies.
Depending on the craft, artisans may use a wide range of
abilities. Carpenters and Leatherworkers use strength and
dexterity to ply their trade, but alchemists use intelligence to
select synergistic reagents, and calligraphers use charisma to
fuse art and language.
All artisans require a Blueprint before beginning a craft.
Regardless of the ability dominating their craft, drafting new
Blueprints is an endeavor requiring intelligence.
While even commoners can train in a craft in a manner of
months, very few can learn to Imbue a mundane item with
the Weave. It takes years of dedicated study (or gift, inborn or
granted) to learn the intricacies of imbuing.
The process of weaving magic into mundane items is not
dissimilar to that of weaving magic into spells. Any
adventurer capable of casting spells is also able to imbue
magic, and the manner in which they imbue varies - clerics
and paladins might channel their deity's power into an item,
whereas bards and wizards might instead directly manipulate
the Weave to their will.
All magi require a Formula to imbue. Furthermore,
designing new Formulae is a highly-cognitive task -
regardless of how casters normally manifest their spells,
designing new Formulae is an intellectual endeavor.
Crafting and imbuing progress is broken down into 8-hour
increments. Progress can be accumulated in smaller periods
- for example, an hour a day during one's free time - but
players only roll to determine the success of their work after
8 hours.
Crafting and imbuing are physically and mentally taxing
activities, and doing so for more than 8 hours in a day places
one at risk of exhaustion. Thus, artisans are limited to 8
hours of progress per day, after which they must take a Long
Rest before continuing their work.
Artisans crafting mundane or magic items, or creating
Blueprints or Formulae for these items, will need to track
their total number of Successful Artisan Checks. A
notecard with the appropriate number of empty circles
accomplishes this purpose.
Part 1 | The Vocation of Creation
2
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Crafting a mundane item has two prerequisites: proficiency
in the relevant artisan’s tools, and a Blueprint. Artisan’s tool
proficiency confers knowledge of Blueprints for items listed
in the PHB (at the DM's discretion). However, complex or
custom items require a working Blueprint, which artisans
may need to create themselves (see Designing a Blueprint)
Crafting is done in three steps:
1. Declare the item's Base Value
2. Declare the Item Quality
3. Craft the item
The Base Value determines the time required to craft an
item, and is based on the cost of materials used in its
creation.
Items listed in the PBH are made of standard materials,
and thus their listed costs are the minimum possible Base
Value. However, experienced artisans may wish to use more
expensive materials, such as precious or rare metals,
gemstones, or monster parts. These materials increase the
Base Value of the crafted item. A gem-encrusted platinum
sword is worth more and takes longer to craft than one made
of iron and steel.
The material cost of crafting an item is half of the Base
Value. Declare the materials from which the item will be
made, and determine the Base Value of the item accordingly.
The Item Quality determines how difficult the item is to
craft, as well as the value of the item upon its completion.
An artisan must decide on the level of detail with which an
item will be crafted. Crafting higher-quality items requires
greater skill and carries with it a greater risk of making no
progress, but increases the final value of the item. A well-
fitted suit may use the same amount of material as an ill-fitted
suit, but it requires greater skill and therefore is worth more.
Item Qualities and their respective Crafting DC and Value
Modifier are as follows:
Item Quality Crafting DC Value Modifier
Standard 10 1x
Refined 15 1.5x
Exceptional 20 2x
Masterwork 25 4x
Declare the Item Quality before crafting, and determine the
Value Modifier accordingly.
While crafting, you make progress in 10gp increments until
the item is complete, expending 5gp worth of crafting
materials each time.
Divide the Base Value, in gp, by 10; this is the number of
Crafting Successes necessary to complete the item.
For every 8 hours of crafting, make an Crafting Check
comprising an appropriate ability check and your artisan's
tools proficiency bonus. The appropriate ability check may
differ depending on the tools being used - stoneworking may
require a STR (mason's tools) check, while mixing a healing
salve may instead require a WIS (herbalism kit) check. The
Crafting DC is determined by the Item Quality.
Once all Successes have been achieved, the item is
complete. Multiply the Base Value by the Value Modifier to
determine the final Item Value.
A Blueprint is required to craft items, and proficiency with
artisan's tools typically only includes Blueprints for common
items (those included in the PHB). For artisans who wish to
craft new items, they must design their own Blueprints.
The process of designing a blueprint is similar to that of
crafting a mundane item. As with crafting, the Base Value of
the item determines the time required to complete the
design, as well as the value of the materials needed to do so.
The Base Value is based on a number of factors including,
but not limited to: utility, rarity, prestige, availability of
materials, novelty and innovation, and other social, political,
and market forces.
Declare the Base Value of the item assuming it is made of
standard materials.
While designing a Blueprint, you make progress in 10gp
increments until it is complete, using 5gp worth of crafting
materials each time.
Divide the Base Value of the item, in gp, by 10. This is the
number of Successes you must accumulate to complete a
Design.
For each 8-hour Design period, roll a Design Check
comprising an INT (artisan's tools) check. The Design DC is
15.
Once you have accumulated the required number of
Successes, the Blueprint is complete, and you now have a
standard quality item.
Part 2 | Crafting
3
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
To imbue an item with a magical effect, you must be able to
cast spells and have spell slots of a level appropriate for the
desired effect. You also require an imbuing Formula
describing the necessary materials and imbuing process.
Formulae are not easy to come by, but gifted magi may design
their own custom Formulae (see Designing a Formula).
Imbuing is done in four steps:
1. Declare a magical effect to imbue
2. Acquire an appropriate mundane item
3. Acquire Magical Foci
4. Imbue the item
Not all effects are equal - stronger effects require rarer
materials and greater experience, and are more difficult to
imbue.
The strength of the magical effect determines the rarity
and value of the imbued item, the character level required to
complete the magic item, and the imbuing difficulty. Magic
items listed in the DMG provide a good benchmark for what
effects are appropriate for different Item Rarities.
A magical effect must be affixed to a physical object to
become permanent - a magic sword requires a sword, magic
boots require boots, and so on. Furthermore, stronger
magical effects require items crafted with greater skill to
contain the power.
After determining the Item Rarity, you must acquire an
appropriate mundane item of at least the Item Quality listed
in the table below.
A magic item requires more than mundane materials to
permanently hold an imbued magical effect. Items need to be
crafted with Magical Foci to store arcane energy. These
exotic materials often come in the form of gems, rare and
precious metals, or materials from magical or extraplanar
creatures or locales.
Have the DM consult the table below for general
suggestions of the Challenging Rating (CR) of a creature or
encounter that characters may need to face to acquire a
Magical Focus.
Facing a creature can have different meanings, depending on
the Magical Focus. Some Foci may need to be harvested from
a creature’s corpse, while others may only be guarded by the
creature, or given by a creature in exchange for a favor.
Securing Foci can become an adventure in and of itself.
Once the DM has decided on the Foci required to imbue
the item, characters must collect these materials for
consumption during the imbuing process. The total value of
consumed materials is equal to half of the Imbuing Value.
While imbuing, you make progress according the Imbuing
Rate listed in the table below, using half the Imbuing Rate
worth of imbuing materials each time. Divide the Imbuing
Value, in gp, by the Imbuing Rate; this is the number of
Imbuing Successes necessary to complete the item.
For every 8 hours of imbuing, make an Imbuing Check
comprising a spellcasting ability check and your proficiency
bonus. The Imbuing DC is listed on the table below.
Once all Successes have been made, the item has been
imbued with the magical effect.
A Formula is required to imbue items. Characters must track
them down from accomplished magi, or create their own.
The process of researching a formula is similar to that of
imbuing an item. As with imbuing, the strength of the magical
effect determines the rarity and value of the imbued item, the
character level required to complete the magic item, and the
imbuing difficulty. Magic items listed in the DMG and XGtE
provide a good benchmark for what effects are appropriate
for different Item Rarities.
While developing a Formula, you make progress according
to the Imbuing Rate listed in the table below, using half the
Imbuing Rate worth of materials in the process.
Divide the Imbuing Value, in gp, by the Research Rate; this
is the number of Successes you must accumulate to
Research the Formula.
Magic emerges from a myriad of origins, and can be
directed by a magi's intellect, wisdom, or charisma. However,
developing the Formula to imbue items with magical
properties is an intellectual pursuit, ultimately relying on a
keen mind and trained knowledge in arcana.
For every 8 hours of Research, make a Research Check
comprising an INT (arcana) check. The Research DC is
listed on the table below.
Once you have accumulated the required number of
Successes, the Formula is complete, and you now have an
imbued item.
Magic Item Rarity Imbuing Value* Min Item Quality Min. Character Level Foci CR Imbuing DC Research DC Imbuing Rate
Common 100 gp Standard 1st 1-3 10 10 20 gp
Uncommon 400 gp Refined 3rd 4-8 10 15 40 gp
Rare 4,000 gp Exceptional 6th 9-12 15 20 80 gp
Very Rare 40,000 gp Masterwork 11th 13-18 20 25 320 gp
Legendary 200,000 gp Masterwork 17th 19+ 25 30 800 gp
*Halved for consumable magic items like potions and scrolls
Part 3 | Imbuing
4
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
The following rules are optional, but may enhance play by
providing additional strategic choices.
Many hands make light work. Multiple artisans can
contribute to the same project, provided they have the
prerequisites to do so, and their successes are applied to the
progress.
One artisan can also choose to assist another, allowing the
lead artisan to add the assistant artisan's ability modifier to
their roll. A lead artisan can only receive help from one
assistant artisan. This is particularly helpful when working
on high-quality items or items with powerful magical effects,
which require great skill to make progress.
Sometimes artisans of different vocations must combine
their efforts to complete an item. For example, catering a
banquet for a dwarven lady and her subjects might require
the services of a chef to provide the food, a brewer to serve
drinks, and a glassblower to craft the glassware for the event.
Required successes can be divided up between different
crafting types, each requiring a different type of Artisan
Check to complete.
Crafting is a physically and mentally taxing activity, and doing
so for more than 8 hours in a day places one at risk of
exhaustion. However, circumstances sometimes necessitate a
period of crunch, of pushing beyond these normal limits.
Weaving a battle banner for a general who is about to march
off to war, setting gems in a ring for an impatient noble, or
painting a landscape to submit into an art gallery before a
rival can submit a similar piece - all are possible reasons why
an artisan may need to extend their working day.
For every 4 hours of crafting or imbuing beyond 8 hours,
make a Constitution saving throw. The DC is 5 + 5 for every
additional 4 hours. On a failed saving throw, you suffer one
level of exhaustion at the END of your next Long Rest.
Some crafted items, and most magic items, require a
significant time investment to complete. Artisans who choose
to dedicate an entire workweek (5 days) to crafting or
imbuing can determine their number of successes for the
week by using the table on this page.
A fledgling artisan may set out to craft a exceptional item,
only to find it too difficult. Alternatively, an artisan may accept
a contract to renovate an standard family heirloom to
masterwork quality. During (or after) crafting, you can decide
to change the quality of an item.
If you change your item to a lower quality, you keep your
current Successes. However, if you change your item to a
higher quality, you lose half of your current Successes
(rounded up). Thus, if you have a finished item and want to
improve its quality, you start with half the required number of
Successes.
In some worlds, there exist tinkerers who craft wondrous
mechanical devices that are indistinguishable from magic.
These craftspeople have been known to make complex
creations that function equivalently to arcane magic items.
Craftspeople who wish to imbue items with magic-like
effects, but are unable to cast spells of their own, can choose
to replace Imbuing Checks and Research Checks with
Artificer Checks comprising an INT (tinker's tools) check.
All other Imbuing requirements are still enforced, including
starting with Formulae and acquiring Magical Foci.
This module draws inspiration from the crafting rules in the
PHB (pg 187), DMG (pg 128), and XGtE (pg 128). For DMs
interested in a different crafting experience, consider the
following modules:
City and Wild – Aeron Drake
Questionable Arcana – Grow Up and Game
Crafting Magic Items: A Guide to Artifice – The Arcane
Athenaeum
Item Crafting Rules for 5e – Charles Stapleford
Credits
Dwarf Craftsman, by R-ValleEberron Artificer, by Matthew RileyFemale Blacksmith by Thomaswievegg
----------------------------------------------- Ability Check Bonus ----------------------------------------------
Artisan DC +0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15
10 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
15 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 7
20 - - 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5
25 - - - - - - - 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
30 - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1 1 2
Part 4 | Variant Rules
5
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
1. Declare the item's Base Value: The Base Value
determines the time required to craft an item.
2. Declare the Item Quality: The Item Quality determines
the Crafting DC the item, as well as the Value Modifier of
the item upon completion.
3. Craft the item: Divide the Base Value, in gp, by 10; this is
your required number of successful Crafting Checks.
For every 8 hours, make a Crafting Check; on a success,
you make 10gp of progress and expend 5gp in materials.
Item Quality Crafting DC Value Modifier
Standard 10 1x
Refined 15 1.5x
Exceptional 20 2x
Masterwork 25 4x
1. Define the Base Value The Base Value is the standard
market value of the completed item. Define the Base Value
assuming it is made of standard materials.
2. Design a Prototype Divide the Base Value, in gp, by 10;
this is your required number of successful Design Checks.
The Design DC is 15.
For every 8 hours, make a Design Check; on a success,
you make 10gp of progress and expend 5gp in materials.
1. Declare a magical effect to imbue The strength of a
magical effect determines the imbued item's rarity and
value, required character level, and Imbuing DC and Rate.
2. Acquire an appropriate mundane item You must
acquire an appropriate mundane item of at least the Item
Rarity listed in the table below.
3. Acquire Magical Foci Magic items must be crafted with
Magical Foci to store arcane energy. The total value of
Magical Foci is equal to half the Imbuing Value
4. Imbue the item Divide the Imbuing Value by the Imbuing
Rate; this is your required number of successful Imbuing
Checks.
For every 8 hours, make an Imbuing Check; on a success,
you make the Imbuing Rate worth of progress, expending
half the Imbuing Rate worth of materials.
1. Declare a magical effect to imbue The strength of the
magical effect determines the rarity and value of the imbued
item, as well as the Research DC and Rate.
2. Research a Formula Divide the Imbuing Value by the
Research Rate; this is your required number of successful
Research Checks.
For every 8 hours, make a Research Check; on a success,
you make the Research Rate worth of progress, expending
half the Research Rate worth of materials.
Magic Item Rarity Imbuing Value* Min Item Quality Min. Character Level Foci CR Imbuing DC Research DC Imbuing Rate
Common 100 gp Standard 3rd 1-3 10 10 20 gp
Uncommon 400 gp Refined 3rd 4-8 10 15 40 gp
Rare 4,000 gp Exceptional 6th 9-12 15 20 80 gp
Very Rare 40,000 gp Masterwork 11th 13-18 20 25 320 gp
Legendary 200,000 gp Masterwork 17th 19+ 25 30 800 gp
*Halved for consumable magic items like potions and scrolls
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
CraftingCraftingCraftingCraftingCrafting&&&&&
ImbuingImbuingImbuingImbuingImbuingLiteLiteLiteLiteLite
Crafting and Imbuing Lite is a lightweight ruleset
for use in D&D 5e campaigns featuring item
crafting. The complexity and mechanical heft of
other crafting rules are traded for streamlined
simplicity.
The intent is to provide a flexible framework for
characters to construct mundane items and
imbue them with magical enhancements, while
facilitating intermittent progress rather than
requiring contiguous downtime.
For more entries in the Homebrew Lite series,
check out:
Learning & Language Lite
Travel & Exploration Lite
Dueling Lite
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used
are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.