Craft: Bookbinding

[Tibbaerrohwen]

I had a quick question, that I can't seem to find the answer to anywhere. One of my characters is a serious book-worm. As such, he has ranks in both craft: wordsmithing (and is now an acclaimed author) and craft: bookbinding.
I've been getting gold for his work as a wordsmith, but he also binds his own books.
My question is how much do you make for a crafting book bindings? I haven't seen a chart anywhere for it.

Thanks.

[Keld Denar]

Craft

Check
You can practice your trade and make a decent living, earning about half your check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the craft’s daily tasks, how to supervise untrained helpers, and how to handle common problems. (Untrained laborers and assistants earn an average of 1 silver piece per day.)

Profession:

Check
You can practice your trade and make a decent living, earning about half your Profession check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the profession’s daily tasks, how to supervise helpers, and how to handle common problems.

Etc. Basically, just make a check, earn half that check in GP for a weeks work. How many books you actually bind is purely an RP artifact.

[mucat]

Same as any other craft. Set a DC for the work -- DC 15 or higher seems right for a book, depending on its quality -- and, assuming the check is successful, a week's worth is worth (check result) x (DC) in silver pieces.

A third of that price is spent on raw materials. And if the player is trying to sell the finished books through the informal channels normally available to adventurers, he can sell them for half their value. So his profit margin is only a sixth of the value calculated above.

If he's a full-time bookbinder, he'll probably have connections to sell the books for closer to their full value. But for an active adventurer, that kind of craft skill is mainly for flavor.

(Don't get me wrong -- it's good flavor. I would certainly make sure the player enjoys the fact that his character is a writer. Describe the reception his latest book gets, and have him meet NPCs who know his work sometimes. The fact that he does his own bindings paints him as a perfectionist and artist, not just another hack churning out drivel. But unless this is an unconventional campaign, it probably won't make him rich.


EDIT: Partly ninja'd...and it looks like Keld quoted a simpler set of rules, so I would go with those. (The ones I cited are also in the SRD, but I suppose they're intended for making a specific item that the player will use, rather than generally plying his trade to make money.)

[notagain111]

Perhaps use the Profession rules to govern it? Though it really depends how much you want him to potentially gain from it, as the Profession rules tend to not allow for a lot of income.

[Wabbajack]

There are special types of spell books, for example metal pages and dragon leather binding. I don't know which book they are included in but maybe he can make those?

[Ranger Mattos]

There are special types of spell books, for example metal pages and dragon leather binding. I don't know which book they are included in but maybe he can make those?

Complete Arcane, pg 140.

[Fouredged Sword]

Weaponsmithing can make swords, so I see no reason why bookbinding couldn't bind a spellbook. The cost of spell writeing wouldn't go down, but getting plenty of blank pages would be cheep, and it's a great way for a character to drop the cost of a rivintine (sp?) spellbook.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

There are special types of spell books, for example metal pages and dragon leather binding. I don't know which book they are included in but maybe he can make those?

Do you think you could do that with a Craft: Book Binding check? Is there anyway to determine what the DC would be?
It would be fantastic if I could; it would work so well and give a skill I added primarily for flavour some monetary value.

[Telonius]

I suppose you could use a variant on the Jumplomancer. Booklomancer? Basically if you take Exemplar5, you can use a skill instead of a Diplomacy check. Buff the check high enough and you can turn someone into a fanatical follower. (This also works for any other skill; jump is usually used since it's the easiest to get into the stratosphere through speed enhancements).

[Ernir]

You have ranks in Craft: Bookbinding?

Take Craft Construct and make your own Grisgol (MM3). You should be one of the only ones in the world.

[Dr Bwaa]

You have ranks in Craft: Bookbinding?

Take Craft Construct and make your own Grisgol (MM3). You should be one of the only ones in the world.

Please oh please do this.

[Telonius]

I can also see a "Brave Little Tailor"-esque plot hook when somebody mistakes you for a Binder.

[Dimers]

This also works for any other skill; jump is usually used since it's the easiest to get into the stratosphere through speed enhancements.

Literally! Hah!

[Tibbaerrohwen]

You have ranks in Craft: Bookbinding?

Take Craft Construct and make your own Grisgol (MM3). You should be one of the only ones in the world.

Please oh please do this.

I'll get back to you on this one. I don't have my books with me to check, but I'm pretty sure my character doesn't qualify...but now I really want to.

[Ravens_cry]

I think someone should make a class, if it hasn't been done already that creates books, books so descriptive they transport one to to the place described. You get a preview of said world in a moving image on the front page.

[Tvtyrant]

I think someone should make a class, if it hasn't been done already that creates books, books so descriptive they transport one to to the place described. You get a preview of said world in a moving image on the front page.

Black Scrolls of Ahm, one of them is a major artifact that sends you to where you are reading about in the Abyss as if Astral Projecting, but the Abyss sends some Demons after your body in return.

[Ravens_cry]

Black Scrolls of Ahm, one of them is a major artifact that sends you to where you are reading about in the Abyss as if Astral Projecting, but the Abyss sends some Demons after your body in return.

Yes, there was something similar in

Spoiler

Show

Legacy of Fire

.
I was thinking more like in Myst though.
That world still gives me goosepumps, rackin' frackin' Rocketship Piano notwithstanding.