| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Tyranthraxus
Senior Scribe
Netherlands
423 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Oct 2008 : 16:48:21
|
One of the players is interested in creating his own weapons. Since level 1 he has taken ranks in craft (weaponsmithing) and now he'd like to forge his own magic weapon. The problem is, he's no spellcaster but a barbarian/fighter.
During the Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor adventure, wich we played a few months ago, the party found a book on how to create magic weapons and stored it in their keep. I was thinking that the book could be used by the reader to emulate the craft magic arms and armor feat and the characters level counts as caster level. Also the XP and money for creating the item is doubled.
This reminds me of Bruenor forging Aegis Fang, since he's not a spellcaster either.
|
|
|
Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2008 : 17:18:37
|
I can't see any reason why that would unbalance things, considering the doubling of the cost and the completed 'quest' of discovering the aforementioned book.
You could rule that in doing so they are able to purchase mundane (albeit very expensive) ways to channel the required energies into the weapon.
Either way, good ruling! |
My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
 |
|
|
Yuen
Acolyte
Austria
22 Posts |
Posted - 31 Oct 2008 : 19:09:03
|
I never liked the idea that you have to be a spellcaster to forge magic arms and armors. It just doesn't make sense to me that the best dwarven smith on the planet (lets say level 25 expert) could only make the same "mundane" masterwork weapon like everyone else.
I houseruled that everyone can craft magic arms and armor with the normal craft skill. The DC is 20 + caster level of the item. If you fail by 5 or less you get a weaker version of the indented item (like +1d4 fire dmg instead of +1d6) representing slight flaws in the design. If you succeed by 10 or more you get a more powerful one. This reprensents the occasional masterpiece in the career of a crafter. If you fail the check completely roll a percentage dice to see how much of the materials you can salvage (you get x% of the crafting costs back).
You pay the normal crafting costs (including xp) plus the cost for all the required spells as if cast by an npc. You do not need the spells, but the cost represents all kinds of mystical ingridients you need to make the magic come to life. |
|
|
|
Pandora
Learned Scribe
Germany
305 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2008 : 06:51:25
|
There is a [General] feat in the Book of Exalted Deeds: Ancestral Relic. This allows you to have one magic item which can grow in power over time. This is an easy way of handling one item.
To be able to create magic items as a "crafter" the craft skill - with some other things taken into consideration - somehow represents the caster level. You should also include a "recipe of a ritual" for every item, so it doesnt become too easy.
The lost XP is a must have to prevent a flooding of the world with magic items and even Bruenor was a bit tired / out of focus after creating the Aegis Fang.
Requiring a skill roll for the item doesnt really seem to make sense if you are keeping the XP cost, but that is a vital thing for balance IMO. So I would think it should work without it, once you know the recipe. You could introduce the roll to figure out the recipe. Spellcasters dont need to roll either to see if they succeed.
Obviously I am assuming that a non-spellcaster has taken the item creation feats too and I would say that some points in Knowledge [Arcana] and/or Spellcraft might make sense to get some basic knowledge of magic. |
If you cant say what youre meaning,
you can never mean what youre saying.
- Centauri Minister of Intelligence, Babylon 5 |
|
|
|
Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
|
|
Tyranthraxus
Senior Scribe
Netherlands
423 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 14:21:50
|
quote:
Originally posted by Dagnirion
-There's apparently, a class somewhere that allows non-casters to craft their own magical weapons...The DMPC in my game has it...Battlesmith? Something like that...I think it's from Races of Stone.
Hmmm... sounds interesting. Thanks I'll look for it.
Edit: I've looked it up and its a good alternative! |
Edited by - Tyranthraxus on 07 Nov 2008 15:05:26 |
|
|
|
Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 17:23:51
|
quote:
Originally posted by Tyranthraxus
Hmmm... sounds interesting. Thanks I'll look for it.
Edit: I've looked it up and its a good alternative!
-Glad you like, then. Anything that needs to be changed (ie, not being a Dwarf) can easily be handwaved away, and there you go. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
|
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 18:39:42
|
| The Battlesmith doesn't impress me, personally... But I do like the idea of non-spellcasting dwarves being able to craft magic weapons. Me, I'd set it up to be a special, ritual thing, requiring skill, dedication, a lot of time, some or all of the same materials that the regular enchantment would require, and -- and this is the important part -- the blessing of one or more dwarven deities. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
|
|
|
Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 20:13:09
|
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
The Battlesmith doesn't impress me, personally... But I do like the idea of non-spellcasting dwarves being able to craft magic weapons. Me, I'd set it up to be a special, ritual thing, requiring skill, dedication, a lot of time, some or all of the same materials that the regular enchantment would require, and -- and this is the important part -- the blessing of one or more dwarven deities.
-I do not know anything about it other than the Dwarf DMPC has it, he asked my character for money to make a magical hammer, and that said Dwarf DMPC hits things with said hammer. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
|
|
|
Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 20:33:48
|
I always thought it would be ok for any dwarf to make a magical item so long as they had a feat that allowed them to make magical items: then of course the normally required feat also (such as Craft Magic Arms and Armor). If they wanted to be well known as a maker of magical jewelry, then they would take the Craft Wonderous Items feat.
Since they may not have the required spell for whatever item they make, I then just started substituting "material components" so to speak. It made for good adventuring quests!
In earlier editions of the game I made them take a non-weapon proficiency that took a certain number of slots...can't remember the details any longer; but that worked well enough too.
I should note, that I didn't allow other races to do this; only dwarves. I explained that the reason dwarves were able to channel raw magic into the creation of magical items is that they are so resistant to it in the first place. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Magic item creation
