Item Crafting in an Item-Poor Universe

[rgrekejin]

I am about to start play in a campaign world where magic has been historically rare, and thus magic items are few and far between. Since most of the items our party will want are likely to be unavailable to us, I asked my DM about crafting our own, and was told that he had no problems with players crafting whatever they want. Success!

For a variety of reasons, I'm already committed to playing a cleric (or cleric-like class [no, not archivist, someone else is that]), and I want to be able to maximize my item-crafting potential. Right now, I think my best bet is a 1-level dip into Binder (and the Improved Binding feat) to allow me to take the Divine adaptation of Anima Mage (which I've already cleared with my DM). That way, I can eventually bind Astaroth the Unjustly Fallen, and not have to spend any of my own precious feats on item creation.

The problem at this point is that I'm still stuck with only the Cleric's spell list, which means that some of the more common spells I need for enchanting (Leomund's Secure Chest, Fox's Cunning, Cat's Grace) are off the table for me. Does anyone know of a way I can get my hands on those for item-creation purposes? Does it work if I have someone else cast the spell while I craft the item? Keep in mind, I'm not going to have access to specific magic items I can't craft for myself.

My domains are Planning and Inquisition, and I'm playing a human.

[Psyren]

Does it work if I have someone else cast the spell while I craft the item?

Yes. Depending on your level, you can also call in outsiders (through Lesser Planar Ally et al.) to provide the spells to help you craft if your party doesn't know them, provided you're able to pay them with currency or perform services/quests for them in return.

[Rubik]

There're also the Anyspell and Greater Anyspell spells. You can prepare wizard spells in your cleric slots (of a level lower), but you need a spellbook or scroll available. This is very useful for an item crafter. Just make sure you have access to a spellbook, since preparing it from a scroll uses up the scroll.

Either borrow the party wizard's spellbook archivist's prayerbook or go find a wizard to gank.

[rgrekejin]

There're also the Anyspell and Greater Anyspell spells. You can prepare wizard spells in your cleric slots (of a level lower), but you need a spellbook or scroll available. This is very useful for an item crafter. Just make sure you have access to a spellbook, since preparing it from a scroll uses up the scroll.

Either borrow the party wizard's spellbook archivist's prayerbook or go find a wizard to gank.

Does Anyspell work for that? I was under the impression that magic item creation doesn't actually involve casting the spell, but rather knowing how to cast it (as in, you know how the magic that generates it works) while enchanting the item. My understanding was that since Anyspell doesn't actually teach you the spell in question, but simply acts a retrieval mechanism for a spell you don't actually know, it couldn't be used in item creation.

...of course, any or all of that could simply be the product of my fevered imagination.

[Rubik]

Does Anyspell work for that? I was under the impression that magic item creation doesn't actually involve casting the spell, but rather knowing how to cast it (as in, you know how the magic that generates it works) while enchanting the item. My understanding was that since Anyspell doesn't actually teach you the spell in question, but simply acts a retrieval mechanism for a spell you don't actually know, it couldn't be used in item creation.

...of course, any or all of that could simply be the product of my fevered imagination.You don't need to "know" a spell to use it to create a magic item, since you can use a spell completion item (such as a wand or scroll) or even a staff to fulfill a prereq.

Basically, so long as you can cast the spell, that's good enough.

[TypoNinja]

Find a Warlock, at 12th level they get a class feature that lets them substitute a UMD check for a spell in item creation. A warlock with a high enough UMD can make literally anything.

So working cooperatively your item creation feat with the Warlocks "Spell" means you can make anything.

[Rubik]

Find a Warlock, at 12th level they get a class feature that lets them substitute a UMD check for a spell in item creation. A warlock with a high enough UMD can make literally anything.

So working cooperatively your item creation feat with the Warlocks "Spell" means you can make anything.Also, artificer.

That's their entire schtick.

[Thealtruistorc]

I assume artificer is banned from play?

[Red Fel]

Look in my sig. See that guy? Ironsoul Forgemaster. It is written into the class that Clerics of Moradin want to help you make items and will give you discounts to supply you with spells.

Also works well as a PrC for a melee-oriented Cleric.

[Kelb_Panthera]

:smallsigh: The classic "low-magic" mistake. If your meleers are to avoid being completely hosed -someone- is going to have to pick up craft arms and armor ASAP. The meleer can do that himself in a few ways but if they had full builds in mind that's really gonna hurt.

Suggest to the DM that he put to use the rules in DMG2 for bonded magic items.

To the OP's question; get the party's wizard to help you by providing the necessary spells. If the party doesn't have a wizard find an enclave of the wiggle-fingers to butter up for the same effect. Leadership for a cohort of the arcane variety might work too.

[TypoNinja]

Also, artificer.

That's their entire schtick.

Artificier is from a Campaign book, so your DM may or may not decide they exist in your campaign world. Since the OP says its an item poor universe that to me excludes artificers, or it wouldn't have stayed item poor for long.

Artificer gets the ability much earlier than warlock, but then again his DC is higher. Though DC's are trivial anyway since a quick casting of Guidance of the Avatar (https://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a) has you covered. Artificers if you can get one, warlock if you can't.

[Rubik]

Artificier is from a Campaign book, so your DM may or may not decide they exist in your campaign world. Since the OP says its an item poor universe that to me excludes artificers, or it wouldn't have stayed item poor for long.

Artificer gets the ability much earlier than warlock, but then again his DC is higher. Though DC's are trivial anyway since a quick casting of Guidance of the Avatar (https://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a) has you covered. Artificers if you can get one, warlock if you can't.The point is that there are numerous ways (even in Core) to create magic items without "knowing" the spells in question. Artificer is just one among many.

[Fouredged Sword]

Another good option to consider, if human, is a two level chameleon dip. Yes, it's a little odd on a cleric but you can get any crafting feat you want and still change it to a devotion feat of you choice when adventuring.

[Psyren]

Another approach I like to take is the Magical Location rules from DMG2/PLH. You can provide a location to the PCs that they can access and gain many of the same buffs that magic items would have given them, without needing christmas-tree-style itemization. Maybe there is a magical spring whose water they can drink to gain enhancement/resistance bonuses, or an enchanted grove whose fruit they eat; maybe it's a magical library in Mechanus where they can all study, or a magical monastery in Limbo where they can all train, or a god's forge where he coats their mundane equipment in a fantastic material that must be reapplied every so often. These buffs would be exactly the same as the buffs they'd get for magical items of their level, and they'd last for several moons or even an entire year before needing to be replenished.

This can also become a plothook later. Perhaps the BBEG finds their sanctuary; unable to destroy it or seize it for himself, he instead corrupts it, and now the PCs have to deal with the Taint or Sanity rules as they seek a way to cleanse it before going after the Big Bad himself. Perhaps by cleansing it, they inadvertently unlock its true potential, giving them the edge they need to win the final battle once and for all. Perhaps just getting there is dangerous - the grove could be on a lower plane, or a secret held by dragons or spirits who wish to test the PCs mettle each time they return.