Preparing NPC crafters for a Town (pathfinder/3.5)

[arkol]

Hello everyone.

I've recently decided to take a plunge and DM for a group of friends. They will all be new players so everything will be a discovery for them.

I've decided on a early-general-plot for the campaign without going into much detail or plan ahead since the game might not take off fully but one thing I'm trying to flesh out as much as possible is he initial town especially some important NPCs.

Since this is a town they will be getting back to regularly I figure NPC merchants/artisans will be important as they will want to sell/trade/create/upgrade their loo/treasure.

I've already drafted a plan for a witch tiefling that will initially be the go to for potion but have a open plot point to turn her into an antagonist later on if the need arises and am now looking for other. Scrolls, armor and weapons mostly, as that's likely what they will be wanting early on.

Is there a class (npc or otherwise) that might work well for such a character? I'm unfamiliar with artificers but the name sounds like they could be magic item merchants. Would they work. Any suggestions for interesting/unique NPCs to fulfill this role in town?

Thanks in advance!

[SangoProduction]

Yeah. Artificer in 3.5 is literally made to be a money printer crafting class.

For Pathfinder, there's the Blacksmith class, which is more of a combat-crafter. The Essence Smith archetype focuses more on enchanting. Fleshforger is great for grafts and... bio-mechani-magical alterations. And Iron Cheft cooks such impressive food that they provide bonuses.

[AvatarVecna]

If 3rd party like spheres is on the table, then PF also has the Artisan, which is more or less a PF version of Artificer. Honestly, though, basically any caster in either edition who takes some crafting feats can put out some serious magic items. You don't even need casting in PF: you can take Master Craftsman on a noncaster to make magic wondrous items, armor, and weapons that are appropriate to whatever craft skill you have. There's even another option available if the NPCs are high enough level: if you take Craft as an unchained skills (via rogue ability or the Signature Skill feat), and you have 20 ranks (or 14 ranks, if you're a Phantom Thief rogue), you can craft magic items of any kind as long as the base item is appropriate for your craft specialty to make.

[arkol]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Could you tell me the source of these things? Blacksmith class (I assume the other 3 are the archetypes of the class yes?), Artisan, Master Craftsman?

[SangoProduction]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Could you tell me the source of these things? Blacksmith class (I assume the other 3 are the archetypes of the class yes?), Artisan, Master Craftsman?

http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/blacksmith
Blacksmith. And scroll down, you'll find the archetypes.

[AvatarVecna]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Could you tell me the source of these things? Blacksmith class (I assume the other 3 are the archetypes of the class yes?), Artisan, Master Craftsman?

Artisan (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/3rd-party-classes/drop-dead-studios/the-artisan/)

Master Craftsman (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/master-craftsman)

[SangoProduction]

To be clear. NPCs definitely don't need class levels. And of the classes presented, the most obvious is the artificer.
But may as well have options.

[Maat Mons]

One of Artificer's signature abilities is being able to craft items without knowing the prerequisite spells. In Pathfinder, everyone can do this. This somewhat undermines the use of Artificer in a Pathfinder game.

Now, it is true that the Pathfinder rule that lets everyone ignore prerequisite spells when creating items doesn't apply to spell completion items, spell trigger items, or potions. So Artificer can still have a niche in crafting potions, scrolls, and staves.

[arkol]

Again thank you everyone for the replies. If anyone has any ideas for the NPCs themselves they are more than welcome :D



One of Artificer's signature abilities is being able to craft items without knowing the prerequisite spells. In Pathfinder, everyone can do this. This somewhat undermines the use of Artificer in a Pathfinder game.

Now, it is true that the Pathfinder rule that lets everyone ignore prerequisite spells when creating items doesn't apply to spell completion items, spell trigger items, or potions. So Artificer can still have a niche in crafting potions, scrolls, and staves.

I guess this is a detail that had escaped me. Better re-read the magic item rules for pathfinder.... but if that is the case then what's the point of the spell requisite of the items?

[SangoProduction]

Pretty sure you still have to make a craft DC, modified by how many prerequisites you are missing. And also pretty sure that in order to ignore spells, you need something that allows you to do so.

But I could be wrong on that second part. Might need to check up on the rules again. Haven't needed them in literal years lol.

[Maat Mons]

Here's the relevant text.


Note that all items have prerequisites in their descriptions. These prerequisites must be met for the item to be created. Most of the time, they take the form of spells that must be known by the item’s creator (although access through another magic item or spellcaster is allowed). The DC to create a magic item increases by 5 for each prerequisite the caster does not meet. The only exception to this is the requisite item creation feat, which is mandatory. In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting its prerequisites.

[AnimeTheCat]

While cities don't *need* to be fleshed out, I do like using the DMG guidelines for city building. I take all of the classes in the DMG, add in the Magewright NPC (1d4 roll for highest level, 1% of the remaining population as Magewrights), and I really think about why a city was built where I'm putting it.

For example, metropolises are likely to have all kinds of crafters, as they likely have very robust trade routes running through them, but a large mining town that doesn't have access to trees and doesn't have coal veins will have to export their ore or import their coal, which will have dramatic effects on the commerce of the town, the nobility that manages it, and the craftsmen/women that sell their goods there. Towns that export the ore are likely to have stonecrafters and artisans, likely known for their statues, figurines, or containers (bowls, cups, etc). If the coal is imported and the ore is refined and worked there, you're more likely to have your armorsmiths and weaponsmiths there.

These are the kinds of things I like to think about before I've even placed leveled NPCs. A wizard who is in this mining town as a resident is far less likely to be interested in the arts of divination and enchantment (unless they're pulling the strings through magical coercion) or necromancy, and would probably be more inclined to focus on transmutation or aberration, spells that they can directly sell and research to the town without having to rely on adventurers.

I also lump similar spellcasting classes together and mix it up so not every town is full of wizards, sometimes you get other prepared arcane spellcasters instead of wizards, but their spells known always reflect the reason they are making their living in that particular town.

[Maat Mons]

For supplying PCs with wands, potions, and low-level scrolls, it should suffice to have an assortment of NPCs that collectively cover all the spell lists.

If you want a single NPC who can craft all wands, potions, and low-level scrolls, a Skald should work. Skalds get limited access to all Bard, Cleric, and Sorcerer/Wizard spells via Spell Kenning. There's a feat to expand their access to Druid and Witch spells too. You only get up 6th-level spells this way, but that covers all wands and potions. It also cover quite a few scrolls, probably including the most commonly-sought ones.

Alternately, a Cleric with the Dreamed Secrets feat can craft wands, scrolls, staves, and potions of all valid spells on both the Cleric and Sorcerer/Wizard spell list. Those two spell lists together cover quite a lot. And it's fun to imagine the NPC crafter greeting a PC with a cheerful "Have you accepted Cthulu as your personal lord and destroyer?"

[Fizban]

Is there a class (npc or otherwise) that might work well for such a character? I'm unfamiliar with artificers but the name sounds like they could be magic item merchants. Would they work. Any suggestions for interesting/unique NPCs to fulfill this role in town?
You don't need any special class. The bog-standard NPC Adept can make quite a few standard items without even being a PC class. And-

While cities don't *need* to be fleshed out, I do like using the DMG guidelines for city building. I take all of the classes in the DMG,
As noted, the DMG has tables for building out the NPCs of a town, which will include members of every PHB class. All you have to do is give those NPCs crafting feats.

add in the Magewright NPC (1d4 roll for highest level, 1% of the remaining population as Magewrights), and I really think about why a city was built where I'm putting it.
I know someone put together a list of all the items Adepts can craft- I wonder how many the Magewright actually can? Neither is neccesary thanks to there already being classed NPCs, but I have to admit I would find it pretty funny if the Magewright was actually worse at crafting than the Adept.


The other thing to remember is that you don't have to have a magic item "shop." And really, you shouldn't. Having a bunch of "inventory" just makes a certain type of player immediately want to start murdering magic shop owners to take their stuff. Such a "shop" is actually a person, quite possibly a go-between with no crafting or inventory at all- who knows how to contact a bunch of people who can craft items or have items they wish to sell. The guideline that says the PCs should be able to purchase anything under Xgp does not have to be read as "off the shelf," and may require them to commission it, possibly even from a crafter whose alignment/hobbies/etc they find unpleasant.

The magic items found in a location should never be more than the amount of treasure expected for the challenges one would need to overcome to loot that location*. If you wish to have bottom-up magic shops, establish the threat of all the traps and guardians you think their shop should have, and then give them a hand-picked assortment of items that they have available for immediate purchase, maybe with a few pieces of randomly generated rubbish (but since no one will ever buy it, no one shoudl be trying to sell it. . .).

All this goes out the window once you hit 9th level arcanists with access to Secret Chest and Lesser Planar Binding (no, not because of lol Planar Binding broken). A Secret Chest cannot be stolen from: it can only be accessed by the caster, or by finding the chest on the ethereal plane (the phrase "mount an expedition" should make it clear that the chest vanishes to some random place, rather than just in front of you), and nothing prevents further defenses being placed on the chest to prevent access in the event the caster is mind controlled. Planar Binding could be used to contact and broker deals with beings that can flit between the various Planar Metropoli where anything can be bought, bringing the item directly with them and making what the caster can actually craft completely moot, if the DM wishes such trades to go at standard Market Price in order to support "buy anything" expectations.

*Could be even lower, since traps that come out of NPC abilities could be "free" and only provide the treasure of their NPC Gear, which is itself somewhere around Triple Standard. But the system of some monsters having high rolled treasure is meant to balance out with others that have none- ruling that your own magic shops should have more treasure than normal encounters is self-defeating (while the difference in monster treasure is usually ignored by lumping much of it into the "boss" room anyway).

[AnimeTheCat]

You don't need any special class. The bog-standard NPC Adept can make quite a few standard items without even being a PC class. And-

As noted, the DMG has tables for building out the NPCs of a town, which will include members of every PHB class. All you have to do is give those NPCs crafting feats.

I know someone put together a list of all the items Adepts can craft- I wonder how many the Magewright actually can? Neither is neccesary thanks to there already being classed NPCs, but I have to admit I would find it pretty funny if the Magewright was actually worse at crafting than the Adept.


The other thing to remember is that you don't have to have a magic item "shop." And really, you shouldn't. Having a bunch of "inventory" just makes a certain type of player immediately want to start murdering magic shop owners to take their stuff. Such a "shop" is actually a person, quite possibly a go-between with no crafting or inventory at all- who knows how to contact a bunch of people who can craft items or have items they wish to sell. The guideline that says the PCs should be able to purchase anything under Xgp does not have to be read as "off the shelf," and may require them to commission it, possibly even from a crafter whose alignment/hobbies/etc they find unpleasant.

The magic items found in a location should never be more than the amount of treasure expected for the challenges one would need to overcome to loot that location*. If you wish to have bottom-up magic shops, establish the threat of all the traps and guardians you think their shop should have, and then give them a hand-picked assortment of items that they have available for immediate purchase, maybe with a few pieces of randomly generated rubbish (but since no one will ever buy it, no one shoudl be trying to sell it. . .).

All this goes out the window once you hit 9th level arcanists with access to Secret Chest and Lesser Planar Binding (no, not because of lol Planar Binding broken). A Secret Chest cannot be stolen from: it can only be accessed by the caster, or by finding the chest on the ethereal plane (the phrase "mount an expedition" should make it clear that the chest vanishes to some random place, rather than just in front of you), and nothing prevents further defenses being placed on the chest to prevent access in the event the caster is mind controlled. Planar Binding could be used to contact and broker deals with beings that can flit between the various Planar Metropoli where anything can be bought, bringing the item directly with them and making what the caster can actually craft completely moot, if the DM wishes such trades to go at standard Market Price in order to support "buy anything" expectations.

*Could be even lower, since traps that come out of NPC abilities could be "free" and only provide the treasure of their NPC Gear, which is itself somewhere around Triple Standard. But the system of some monsters having high rolled treasure is meant to balance out with others that have none- ruling that your own magic shops should have more treasure than normal encounters is self-defeating (while the difference in monster treasure is usually ignored by lumping much of it into the "boss" room anyway).

My magic shops tend to be either temples (with the clerics, paladins, and adepts all filtered about according to cultural needs/beliefs), or guilds/colleges/unions that exist for some other purpose than strictly magic items. That means that for any given shop, 25-60% of all PC and NPCs will be under that employ. That makes it much harder to murderhobo. To that, there usually isn't a stock except for relatively cheap or mundane items. A few level 1 potions, maybe a +1 dagger or quarterstaff, a wand of cure minor wounds. Much else is made to order and paid for up front. Expensive stock, as you said, is a liability when it's just sitting around.

That's just how I do it. From time to time, some merchant is overcome by hubris and will flaunt a particular item or have a variety of expensive stock, but it's certainly nor every time, and usually have that as a one-shot or side adventure when the whole group isn't there. Either a heist or a whodunit little mini quest.

[arkol]

My magic shops tend to be either temples (with the clerics, paladins, and adepts all filtered about according to cultural needs/beliefs), or guilds/colleges/unions that exist for some other purpose than strictly magic items. That means that for any given shop, 25-60% of all PC and NPCs will be under that employ. That makes it much harder to murderhobo. To that, there usually isn't a stock except for relatively cheap or mundane items. A few level 1 potions, maybe a +1 dagger or quarterstaff, a wand of cure minor wounds. Much else is made to order and paid for up front. Expensive stock, as you said, is a liability when it's just sitting around.

That's just how I do it. From time to time, some merchant is overcome by hubris and will flaunt a particular item or have a variety of expensive stock, but it's certainly nor every time, and usually have that as a one-shot or side adventure when the whole group isn't there. Either a heist or a whodunit little mini quest.

That makes sense, and it's probably how I'm gonna run it, but still I want things to make sense both from the logical sense but also the mechanical sense, that's why I'm thinking about the NPCs that will run this stores (or temples or guilds or whatever they end up being). I want some familiar faces that the PCs can bounce off from, who might give them additional quests and/challenges.

[AnimeTheCat]

That makes sense, and it's probably how I'm gonna run it, but still I want things to make sense both from the logical sense but also the mechanical sense, that's why I'm thinking about the NPCs that will run this stores (or temples or guilds or whatever they end up being). I want some familiar faces that the PCs can bounce off from, who might give them additional quests and/challenges.

For sure, usually every NPC with PC classes at least has a name and a general demeanor (usually 5 keywords that make up their essence). More notable ones, i.e the mayor, constable, Merchant's Guild leader, lord's court wizard, etc... they are all quite fleshed put with specific motivations. If, while I'm figuring out those motivations, that NPC has ties to other lower level NPCs, I flesh them out a bit more.

The encounter would go something along the lines of meeting the NPC who is the clerk at the storefront (level 3 halfling bard named Chad, for example) who the party asks to see the guy in charge. Chad knows Bosco (the level 7 half orc Cleric of Kord who runs this adventuring guild) is not one to entertain newcomers without good reason, so he'll explain the situation and tell the party about 3-5 local notables who might have some work that can catch Bosco's attention. Those 3-5 notable NPCs will have more fleshed out backstories and be the quest hooks that the party can do all or none of, if they would prefer to just barge in to Bosco's office instead.

That's generally how I do it at least. Each town is different, so the means of interaction might sometimes be directly with the quest giver etc. All goes back to why the town is the way it is and why the NPC is there.