LordFluffy
2016-03-29, 12:31 PM
Problem:
The current crafting system has two factors, cost and time. This means that it's effectively only useful if you have days or weeks of downtime and that a plain silver ring will take a few hours, but a plain gold ring might take days
Also, skill doesn't really count for anything. A master smith and a fresh apprentice will finish a suit of armor in the same amount of time.
Suggestion: The following is a little more complicated and swingy, but I still think simple enough to use with 5e
Step 1: Determine if the item is simple or complex.
Simple: No moving parts, few components, mundane everyday items
Complex: Intricate construction, moving parts, delicate proceedures to create
Step 2: Determine if the construction requires common or rare materials
Common: Easily gotten by gathering or purchase, no special handling needed
Rare: Not easily available, very limited shelf life or requring special care
Step 3: Based on steps 1 and two, determine a difficulty
Complexity
Difficulty
Labor by Cost in GP
Simple, Common
Very Easy (5)
1hr per GP
Simple, Rare
Easy (10)
1hr per GP
Complex, Common
Medium (15)
1 hr per 2gp
Complex, Rare
Hard
1hr per 4 gp
Step 4: Determine hours to create
Divide the cost of the item by the number in the Labor by Cost in GP column. A well tempered longsword (Simple, Rare) would take 15 hours to complete and a spyglass (complex, Rare) would take 250 hours. The minimum you can spend is 1 hour, though you can make as many items as you can at the calculated rate (for instance, you could make 2 javelins in 1 hour, but if you wish to make 1, you must still spend 1 hour doing it).
A person can perform 4 hours of crafting a day without penalty or risk. For more intense builds, see Rush Jobs
Step 5: Add modifiers
Helpers: Each proficient helper lowers the DC by 1. You may only employ a number of helpers equal to your proficiency score plus either your Int or Chr modifier, whichever is higher.
Rush Job: You may attempt to work more than 4 hours of productive work a day. Increase the DC by 1 for each hour over 4 you attempt; you may not work more than 16 hours in a day (+12). For each 4 hours or fraction thereof above the first 4, make a Constitution ability check equal to the difficulty of the item or gain 1 level of exhaustion (this check is in addition to the check for failure (see below).
Proficiency: You may add your proficiency to your ability check if you have tools that are are appropriate to the task and with which you are proficient
No modifiers may take a job above 30 or below 5.
If the item is complex and you are not proficient in the associated tools (whether tools are present or not), you make the roll with disadvantage.
Step 6: Roll
Make a Dexterity ability check with the above modifiers. If the task seems more appropriate to Strength or Intelligence, the DM may rule that you should make the check with that ability instead.
If you succeed, you complete up to 4 hours of work.
Simple failure indicates you only complete 2 hours of work on the item that day, even if you were trying for more than 4. Make a Constitution check of the same difficulty as the item or gain one level of exhaustion.
If you succeed by 10 or more (20+ on a Easy build, for example) add another 4 hours to your efforts.
If you fail by ten or more (10 or less on a Hard build, for example) add 4 hours to the time to complete; make the same check for exhaustion as a simple failure.
Step 7: Mass production
If you wish to produce more than one copy of an item at a time, it is harder than making one item at a time, but faster than making one. You may make one more copy of the item (or set of items constructable in 4 hours) by raising the difficulty by 5 after all other factors are added. You must also have one helper per copy (Or set of copies for items less than 1gp in value); this helper does not improve your skill roll, but does count against your maximum number of helpers. You may not raise the difficulty higher than 30. You must still pay the cost of materials for each item (50% of the items cost).
So... whatcha think?
Disclaimer: This is brainstorming. I have not tested this out.
Edits:
Added disadvantage based on proficiency vs. complexity
Added helper rules to Mass production
Changed modifiers Helpers and Rush Job so that they effect DC, not modify the roll.
Clarified exhaustion and failure rules.
The current crafting system has two factors, cost and time. This means that it's effectively only useful if you have days or weeks of downtime and that a plain silver ring will take a few hours, but a plain gold ring might take days
Also, skill doesn't really count for anything. A master smith and a fresh apprentice will finish a suit of armor in the same amount of time.
Suggestion: The following is a little more complicated and swingy, but I still think simple enough to use with 5e
Step 1: Determine if the item is simple or complex.
Simple: No moving parts, few components, mundane everyday items
Complex: Intricate construction, moving parts, delicate proceedures to create
Step 2: Determine if the construction requires common or rare materials
Common: Easily gotten by gathering or purchase, no special handling needed
Rare: Not easily available, very limited shelf life or requring special care
Step 3: Based on steps 1 and two, determine a difficulty
Complexity
Difficulty
Labor by Cost in GP
Simple, Common
Very Easy (5)
1hr per GP
Simple, Rare
Easy (10)
1hr per GP
Complex, Common
Medium (15)
1 hr per 2gp
Complex, Rare
Hard
1hr per 4 gp
Step 4: Determine hours to create
Divide the cost of the item by the number in the Labor by Cost in GP column. A well tempered longsword (Simple, Rare) would take 15 hours to complete and a spyglass (complex, Rare) would take 250 hours. The minimum you can spend is 1 hour, though you can make as many items as you can at the calculated rate (for instance, you could make 2 javelins in 1 hour, but if you wish to make 1, you must still spend 1 hour doing it).
A person can perform 4 hours of crafting a day without penalty or risk. For more intense builds, see Rush Jobs
Step 5: Add modifiers
Helpers: Each proficient helper lowers the DC by 1. You may only employ a number of helpers equal to your proficiency score plus either your Int or Chr modifier, whichever is higher.
Rush Job: You may attempt to work more than 4 hours of productive work a day. Increase the DC by 1 for each hour over 4 you attempt; you may not work more than 16 hours in a day (+12). For each 4 hours or fraction thereof above the first 4, make a Constitution ability check equal to the difficulty of the item or gain 1 level of exhaustion (this check is in addition to the check for failure (see below).
Proficiency: You may add your proficiency to your ability check if you have tools that are are appropriate to the task and with which you are proficient
No modifiers may take a job above 30 or below 5.
If the item is complex and you are not proficient in the associated tools (whether tools are present or not), you make the roll with disadvantage.
Step 6: Roll
Make a Dexterity ability check with the above modifiers. If the task seems more appropriate to Strength or Intelligence, the DM may rule that you should make the check with that ability instead.
If you succeed, you complete up to 4 hours of work.
Simple failure indicates you only complete 2 hours of work on the item that day, even if you were trying for more than 4. Make a Constitution check of the same difficulty as the item or gain one level of exhaustion.
If you succeed by 10 or more (20+ on a Easy build, for example) add another 4 hours to your efforts.
If you fail by ten or more (10 or less on a Hard build, for example) add 4 hours to the time to complete; make the same check for exhaustion as a simple failure.
Step 7: Mass production
If you wish to produce more than one copy of an item at a time, it is harder than making one item at a time, but faster than making one. You may make one more copy of the item (or set of items constructable in 4 hours) by raising the difficulty by 5 after all other factors are added. You must also have one helper per copy (Or set of copies for items less than 1gp in value); this helper does not improve your skill roll, but does count against your maximum number of helpers. You may not raise the difficulty higher than 30. You must still pay the cost of materials for each item (50% of the items cost).
So... whatcha think?
Disclaimer: This is brainstorming. I have not tested this out.
Edits:
Added disadvantage based on proficiency vs. complexity
Added helper rules to Mass production
Changed modifiers Helpers and Rush Job so that they effect DC, not modify the roll.
Clarified exhaustion and failure rules.