Arrow Crafting

[_felagund]

Hey guys,

how can an untrained PC learn to craft arrows? Which steps must he follow? (find trainer, learn skills etc...)

[pwykersotz]

This is a good question, I also have not seen the answer.

I would assume proficiency would be needed in related tools for any decent arrows. I tried to fire an amateurishly crafted arrow once...it didn't go well. And honestly, once you've spent the time and money to gain proficiency, I would expect it to be mostly automatic past that.

But non-proficient characters? Dunno.

[Daishain]

To my knowledge, there is no hard set way to do so.

However, if we follow the pattern set for other craftsman's trades: He needs proficiency with "Fletcher's Tools", which if he does not select as one of his skills at creation will take a total of 250 days of training with a fletcher (does not need to be sequential) and cost 1 gold per day in effective tuition.

Where one can find a teacher is up to the DM. But most towns of any size are likely to have someone with the skill set in question. Whether they have the time or inclination to teach their trade to a stranger is another matter.

If you want to be generous, since we are just talking about making one single thing. You could either lower the length of time. Or expand the skillset. Call it "Bowyer's tools", and have it cover bow making in addition to their ammunition.

[Slipperychicken]

Hey guys,

how can an untrained PC learn to craft arrows? Which steps must he follow? (find trainer, learn skills etc...)

I'd say arrow-crafting requires proficiency with woodworking tools. Unless arrows made primarily out of metal are a thing, in which case smith's tools might work too.

PHB 187 lets a character spend 250 days (costing 1gp per day) training to learn a new tool or language proficiency. The character must also find a teacher (presumably one who also has the proficiency), and pass any additional checks the DM asks for.

[Daishain]

I'd say arrow-crafting requires proficiency with woodworking tools. Unless arrows made primarily out of metal are a thing, in which case smith's tools might work too.
Your average carpenter is a crappy fletcher, and the same goes for blacksmiths. It is a different skillset and profession.

[pwykersotz]

Your average carpenter is a crappy fletcher, and the same goes for blacksmiths. It is a different skillset and profession.

It's pretty brutal to have such a unique skillset without a decreased cost though. Even if you roll fletcher into bowyer, it's still completely lacking in versatility.

Honestly, this is starting to seem like it might be better spent as part of a Background.

[Slipperychicken]

Your average carpenter is a crappy fletcher, and the same goes for blacksmiths. It is a different skillset and profession.

You are absolutely correct. Look at PHB 154. Carpenter's tools and woodcarver's tools are different things.

[Daishain]

You are absolutely correct. Look at PHB 154. Carpenter's tools and woodcarver's tools are different things.

Your average woodcarver/detailer is still a crappy fletcher.

Yes these professions are related, but assuming that one can do the other's job is a bit like asking a blacksmith to make silver jewelry. It is possible that he knows how, but if so, its because you were lucky and he has learned things not required for his main profession.


It's pretty brutal to have such a unique skillset without a decreased cost though. Even if you roll fletcher into bowyer, it's still completely lacking in versatility.

Honestly, this is starting to seem like it might be better spent as part of a Background.
I'm inclined to agree. It seems like the less... broad the skillset, the less time should need to be devoted to training. Especially if one already has a related tool proficiency.

[Mandragola]

I'd say to make "fletcher's tools" a unique new tool and one that you could be proficient with if you get to be proficient with something - say through your background. Reasons include:

- "Fletcher" was an actual job. It wasn't just some easy thing that anyone could pick up. Since it existed, it would be totally reasonable for a guild artisan or hero of the people to have as their profession before becoming an adventurer.

- It's actually useful, relative to a lot of tool proficiencies. A character may well actually make some arrows. How often is he going to do woodcarving, in a way that makes much of a difference to anything? Arrows are useful and you might even be able to make them to sell - if you had a bunch of time on your hands!

- I'm pretty sure the list of tools and professions in the phb isn't meant to be exhaustive and it's legitimate to add more.

[Chronos]

In older editions, you used weaponsmithing to make the metal (or flint, I suppose) arrowheads, and then used bowyer both to make the shafts and to attach the heads to them, as well as making bows. Of the two, making the shafts is harder.

Given the 5e tendency to lump skills together, I might include weaponsmithing as part of metalworking, and bowmaking/fletching as part of woodworking, but I think I'd still separate it out into two skills.