Crafting at level 1? V 3.5

[dischdog]

My friends and I are starting a 3.5 campaign. one of my friends chose a human barbarian. He took weapon focus (Greatsword), Rage, power attack, and endurance for feats at level 1 (our DM allowed a flaw for an extra feat).

He claims that since he put 4 skill ranks in both craft armor, and craft weapons, the cost of his initial greatsword and scale armor was halved, so rather than using 50 gp on each, he spent 25 gp on each.

Is this right?

[Matticussama]

It would actually only cost him 1/3 of the price of the item, not 1/2. As per the SRD rules on the Crafting skill (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/craft.htm), the player has to pay one-third of the item’s price for the cost of raw materials.

Then they have to make a Craft check based on the type of weapon. For a Greatsword, it would be DC 15. For Scale mail, it would be DC 14. So long as the player has at least a +1 Int modifier with 4 ranks in craft, he could take 10 on both the Greatsword craft check and the Scale mail. If he doesn't have a +1 int mod or higher, then he could take 10 on the Scale mail check but would need to make rolls to ensure he successfully crafts the Greatsword.

[Gavinfoxx]

Okay... can he, with a Take 10, make a DC 15 Craft Weaponsmithing check for a Martial Melee weapon (IE, does he have a +5 craft weaponsmithing check? This can be 0 ranks or 4 ranks at level 1 to get that, or something in between).

Can he, with a take 10, beat a 10+AC bonus of the armor or shield in question, with Craft Armorsmithing?

If so, he can have weapons and armor at 1/3rd the price. So he's wrong; it isn't half, it's 1/3rd.

[dischdog]

It would actually only cost him 1/3 of the price of the item, not 1/2. As per the SRD rules on the Crafting skill (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/craft.htm), the player has to pay one-third of the item’s price for the cost of raw materials.

Then they have to make a Craft check based on the type of weapon. For a Greatsword, it would be DC 15. For Scale mail, it would be DC 14. So long as the player has at least a +1 Int modifier with 4 ranks in craft, he could take 10 on both the Greatsword craft check and the Scale mail. If he doesn't have a +1 int mod or higher, then he could take 10 on the Scale mail check but would need to make rolls to ensure he successfully crafts the Greatsword.

Thanks for the help!

[thriceborn]

Not exactly. You have to make skill checks to craft anything. And you have to pay only a third of the base price in raw materials. Plus, it is up to the DM weather or not he can craft anything at all.

[Gavinfoxx]

But you can -- and are generally encouraged to -- take 10 on those skill checks!

[Matticussama]

Not exactly. You have to make skill checks to craft anything. And you have to pay only a third of the base price in raw materials. Plus, it is up to the DM weather or not he can craft anything at all.

You can take 10 on a crafting check, so as long as the player has a at least a +1 Int modifier then he can successfully craft the item. He wouldn't have to make a check.

While the part about it being up to the DM whether or not he can craft anything at all, that is true as any action is technically up to DM discretion. However, I believe the OP was asking the specifics of the pricing, not about whether the DM can veto an idea.