Crafting magic items.

[jjadned]

In the DM guide it has little to nothing about crafting magic items. I talked to another DM and he recommended that only artificers should be able to craft most items. and they would have to make arcane rolls, dex, con rolls to see what happens.

How do you guys handle such a situation.

[Lombra]

That DM suggestion sounds weird. Xanathar's guide to Everything expands a little on the topic.

The value of the magic item dictates the amount of workweeks needed to complete it, 50gp/workweek, and the rarity dictates the value.

Materials and mentors and whatnot should be up to you as a DM, as you deem appropriate. I do suggest to read XGtE, it's cool.

[PhoenixPhyre]

In the DM guide it has little to nothing about crafting magic items. I talked to another DM and he recommended that only artificers should be able to craft most items. and they would have to make arcane rolls, dex, con rolls to see what happens.

How do you guys handle such a situation.

There's more info in Xanthar's guide about this, but it's still very up to the DM.

Generally, you need a tool proficiency (ie Blacksmith for metal), a recipe (often one more step rare than the item) and a "special" item/thing relevant. This last part usually requires a quest. May be a monster part, may be a dunking in a magic fountain guarded by a fearsome beast, something like that.

Items that particularly cast a spell require the ability to cast that particular spell)

[the_brazenburn]

First, you need material components. Expensive woods, metals, gemstones, and leathers. Some of these might require a side quest to obtain.

Second, you need to be able to cast an associated spell. For instance, you would have to cast Create Food and Water to make a Decanter of Endless Water. This spell would have to be cast once per day for one week per rarity of the magic item.

Finally, you would have to make several checks in order to get the item to function. I would advise at least three Str/Dex checks, with profiency added if you know how to use associated tools, followed by several Int/Wis checks to make the magic effect permanent. Proficiency could be added to this based on proficiency with the associated skill (probably Arcana or Religion).

These are my ideas, feel free to adapt them as necessary.

[Spiritchaser]

For wondrous items and artificers I require specific, hard to find patterns or plans, which call out specific, hard to find ingredients/materials.

I assume that an artificer has the plans for all the items they could potentially make in the UA article, but that hunting down a special gem, wyvern skin or a giants heart string might be tougher

I generally don’t let my players make straight up magic weapons, though in fairness, no one has ever really tried, and no one has had a dwarven forge cleric.

[jjadned]

So for a lets say luck blade,

Know how to make a luck blade from like a scroll or something

I would need to cast wish

go on a quest to find 3 magic emeralds (to be the charges of wish.) and other parts of the blade

Then craft it with tools and have it take lots of gold and years probably.

Lastly take the item to a magic fountain of some sort to "awaken" its power.

[DivisibleByZero]

I don't let players craft magic items other than consumables. Been that way for a long time now. Years and years and years. I've found that allowing it just makes certain that players spend a ridiculous amount of downtime doing so, even going so far as to seek out and/or artificially create downtime to do it.
It would be even worse in 5e, as there is much less to spend money on than there has previously been.

The skills and formulae to create items have been lost to the ages.
With the exception of potions and scrolls, they find what they find.
Bonus points because they actually get excited about pretty much any magic item found, no matter what it is.

[jjadned]

I don't let players craft magic items other than consumables. Been that way for a long time now. Years and years and years. I've found that allowing it just makes certain that players spend a ridiculous amount of downtime doing so, even going so far as to seek out and/or artificially create downtime to do it.
It would be even worse in 5e, as there is much less to spend money on than there has previously been.

The skills and formulae to create items have been lost to the ages.
With the exception of potions and scrolls, they find what they find.
Bonus points because they actually get excited about pretty much any magic item found, no matter what it is.

I've always liked wondrous items that may not be all that useful compared to other items. An item like Daern’s Instant Fortress will always interest me more than a bag of holding...

I think taking away a PC's chance to make an item is not the best solution.

Doesn't have to be easy though. It maybe even have it be the PC's life goal and it takes 100k gold and a ridicules amount of time to make but is still possible

[Lombra]

I don't let players craft magic items other than consumables. Been that way for a long time now. Years and years and years. I've found that allowing it just makes certain that players spend a ridiculous amount of downtime doing so, even going so far as to seek out and/or artificially create downtime to do it.
It would be even worse in 5e, as there is much less to spend money on than there has previously been.

The skills and formulae to create items have been lost to the ages.
With the exception of potions and scrolls, they find what they find.
Bonus points because they actually get excited about pretty much any magic item found, no matter what it is.

Rewarding a player with a chance to craft an item is not much different than finding the item in a treasure chest if you think about it, it can be a plot hook in and of itself if needed be.

I see what you mean tho, if the players can't plan what they'll get, the game will be more random and they will adapt rather than trying to apply white-room forum builds, if that scares you.

[Lombra]

So for a lets say luck blade,

Know how to make a luck blade from like a scroll or something

I would need to cast wish

go on a quest to find 3 magic emeralds (to be the charges of wish.) and other parts of the blade

Then craft it with tools and have it take lots of gold and years probably.

Lastly take the item to a magic fountain of some sort to "awaken" its power.

Sounds reasonable, maybe you as the crafter don't need to know wish, just find someone to cast it on the gems or something, you can choose whatever fits your campaign best.

[Unoriginal]

Items that particularly cast a spell require the ability to cast that particular spell)



Second, you need to be able to cast an associated spell. For instance, you would have to cast Create Food and Water to make a Decanter of Endless Water. This spell would have to be cast once per day for one week per rarity of the magic item.

Actually by the rules of the Xanathar's, you do NOT need to be capable of casting that particular spell, or any spell at all. Unless you're scribing scrolls, in which case you need to have the spell prepared.

According to the Xanathar's, you need:

-Proficiency in the tools to craft the item or an already crafted item

-The formula for this particular magic item

-The gold and time to spend on it depending on the item's rarity

-A quest involving a creature/challenge of a CR depending of the item's rarity

And that's it.

So Trodhem the Blacksmith might know how to craft a Frostbrand, even if he doesn't have any cold spell or buddy who can use them.


"You must know the spell/have someone who know the spell to craft the magic item" was a thing in 3.X, but *not* in 5e.

[Lombra]

Actually by the rules of the Xanathar's, you do NOT need to be capable of casting that particular spell, or any spell at all. Unless you're scribing scrolls, in which case you need to have the spell prepared.

According to the Xanathar's, you need:

-Proficiency in the tools to craft the item or an already crafted item

-The formula for this particular magic item

-The gold and time to spend on it depending on the item's rarity

-A quest involving a creature/challenge of a CR depending of the item's rarity

And that's it.

Casting a spell may fall under the tools proficiency to an extent.

[Unoriginal]

Casting a spell may fall under the tools proficiency to an extent.

No, it may not. Tools proficiencies and spells have nothing in common.


Of course, you can homebrew it as you wish. I'm just stating what the book says.

[mephnick]

I don't let players craft magic items other than consumables. Been that way for a long time now. Years and years and years.

Same. Crafting is for NPCs. PCs go on adventures. This has been a part of my session 0 for at least a decade. IMO crafting belongs in video games and I love crafting in video games. It doesn't deserve my attention in D&D. Players are initially disappointed sometimes, but they get over it.

[DivisibleByZero]

Same. Crafting is for NPCs. PCs go on adventures. This has been a part of my session 0 for at least a decade. IMO crafting belongs in video games and I love crafting in video games. It doesn't deserve my attention in D&D. Players are initially disappointed sometimes, but they get over it.

Precisely.
Everyone is always clamoring on about how we *need* better crafting rules.
No, we don't. Some of you *want* them. That's different. We don't need them.
Many of us ignore the ones we had, and the newer ones in Xan's, and would continue to ignore any potential newer ones that may arise.

[Trippic]

Same. Crafting is for NPCs. PCs go on adventures. This has been a part of my session 0 for at least a decade. IMO crafting belongs in video games and I love crafting in video games. It doesn't deserve my attention in D&D. Players are initially disappointed sometimes, but they get over it.

I prefer crafting in game for some of the same reasons alot of people play dnd. They enjoy the freedom it provides for their character, and I enjoy being able to craft in dnd, its way too restrictive in video games

and the alternative is finding a magic nicknack during play that hopefully goes with your character
some PCs carouse during downtimes, why cant others craft?

The whole its ancient magic from times long past saying, has been, and always will be, a complete load of BS. A world in which noone creates will stagnate. Then all your left with is a world cluttered with a bunch of broken toys that used to be magic items
I feel the same way about spells as well
Kind of feels a bit depressing for a PC looking to become the next legendary/famous figure
no more melfs, mordenkinens, tashas, iuns, qualls, diamonjins(or however its spelled) etc (who i believe started out as PCs for the most part)



Precisely.
Everyone is always clamoring on about how we *need* better crafting rules.
No, we don't. Some of you *want* them. That's different. We don't need them.
Many of us ignore the ones we had, and the newer ones in Xan's, and would continue to ignore any potential newer ones that may arise.

there are alot of things in 5e that are not needed but wanted beyond the basic phb rules, like more class options, feats, spells, races.

'everyone is clamoring' or 'many of us ignore' so which is it?

[PhoenixPhyre]

"You must know the spell/have someone who know the spell to craft the magic item" was a thing in 3.X, but *not* in 5e.

Ah. I was thinking more of "wand of magic missiles"-type things that actually say "you cast spell X" but was AFB. I'll take your word for it.

[Phoenix042]

Players can create their own magic items freely.

Doing so will require the same amount of questing and adventuring as finding magic items.

The specifics of how are much less important, and can involve whatever sort of quest you like.

Perhaps the magic item requires a specific monster part, or it can only be completed in a certain place. Or maybe the magic can't be completed until the item is infused with symbolic significance; a sword forged to be a harbinger of light and holy power might remain dormant and non-magical until the wielder risks her own life to protect the innocent from the encroaching darkness. In that moment, the blade's power shines forth.

The downtime requirement is arbitrary, and shouldn't get in the way of adventuring.

[Pex]

5E doesn't want players to create magic items, but for whatever reason they didn't want to admit it so they passive aggressively made it prohibitively hard to impossible to do in a normal campaign. Xanathar's Guide made it a little bit easier. What you'll have to do is talk with your DM. If he's ok with the concept of players creating magic items you'll have to work together to come up with a reasonable means to do so on your own. It should still be a significant cost in wealth and game world time but a lot less ridiculous than what the rules say.

I will concede at least that requiring special materials like a displacer beast's hide for a cloak of displacement or a red dragon claw or something that is resistant to fire normally for a ring for fire resistance is not unreasonable, but it shouldn't take an epic quest of at least 5 adventures taking a year real world time of playing to get and then spend 70,000 gp and a game year off not adventuring to make.

[Unoriginal]

but it shouldn't take an epic quest of at least 5 adventures taking a year real world time of playing to get and then spend 70,000 gp and a game year off not adventuring to make.

Why should an item of legendary power not be legendary to make ?

[Trippic]

5E doesn't want players to create magic items, but for whatever reason they didn't want to admit it so they passive aggressively made it prohibitively hard to impossible to do in a normal campaign. Xanathar's Guide made it a little bit easier. What you'll have to do is talk with your DM. If he's ok with the concept of players creating magic items you'll have to work together to come up with a reasonable means to do so on your own. It should still be a significant cost in wealth and game world time but a lot less ridiculous than what the rules say.

I will concede at least that requiring special materials like a displacer beast's hide for a cloak of displacement or a red dragon claw or something that is resistant to fire normally for a ring for fire resistance is not unreasonable, but it shouldn't take an epic quest of at least 5 adventures taking a year real world time of playing to get and then spend 70,000 gp and a game year off not adventuring to make.

I blame AL


Why should an item of legendary power not be legendary to make ?

specially since you can accidentally trip over a few while adventuring
or just straight up buy it in an AL game

[Pex]

Why should an item of legendary power not be legendary to make ?

Because the campaign would likely be over by the time you're done getting the materials. I have no issue a Paladin must Quest to find a Holy Avenger and then slay the Lich with it. However, if I want to make a cloak of displacement and tell the DM on January 30, 2018 I shouldn't finally have everything I need to make it on March 5th, 2019.

[opaopajr]

According to the Xanathar's, you need:

-Proficiency in the tools to craft the item or an already crafted item

-The formula for this particular magic item

-The gold and time to spend on it depending on the item's rarity

-A quest involving a creature/challenge of a CR depending of the item's rarity

And that's it.

Huh, that's actually a very succinct and game-worthy approach. I like it!

Vessel Product Knowledge (what the target item can withstand), The Imbuing Process (formula), Resources (time & goods), and Extraordinary Effort (quest or quests).

All of which can turn into Adventures in and of themselves.

Nothing I'd farm out to Downtime Days lest I get factory level mass production. But great if I want to make that magic item more meaningful through personal effort. Clean outline with enough vagaries for GM judgment and consent to avoid being meta-gameable.

I don't say this often enough, but good job WotC!