How often do you get to use item creation feats?

[Dausuul]

I love the idea of making magic items, but I hardly ever do it aside from the occasional hastily scribed scroll, because there simply isn't enough down time in any campaign I'm in. My character is always chasing off on some time-critical mission and can't stop to spend three weeks crafting a ring of invisibility, no matter how useful it would be. To me, therefore, most item creation feats are worthless.

So, how often do you have enough down time to make magic items (excluding potions and scrolls)?

[illathid]

Well, my artificer gets to use them almost constantly with the help of his Dedicated Wright homunculus.

[Saph]

I'm playing a crafter-type enchantress, with three item creation feats. I get the chance to use them fairly often, once every four sessions or so.

However, this was something I specifically asked the DM about at the beginning of the campaign. If he'd said that the campaign was going to be high-pressure and I wouldn't have the chance ever to do any crafting, I would have taken different feats or a different character.

- Saph

[Mellchia]

Not me persay, but my friend in an Epic campaign we're playing almost always has a few days to make golems. But there's always downtime, since we have to traverse the continent in a floating tower.

[Morty]

I never have downtime to make magic items for few reasons. First, my DM banned all item creation feats. Second, we rarely have any spare cash to afford it. Third, from few cities we visited by now, there was only one we didn't have to leave really quick to avoid limb loss.

[Galathir]

I don't personally craft items, but in most of our campaigns the DM often has downtime lasting anywhere from a week to several months where our characters can persue other interests. In a recent campaign a character played an Effigy Master (CArc) which was really fun when he had time to actually make stuff.

[PlatinumJester]

Item creation feats are stupid. You get them thinking that you will use need them at high levels but you are always put off by the XP and GP costs.

[Cruiser1]

Item creation feats are stupid. You get them thinking that you will use need them at high levels but you are always put off by the XP and GP costs.

It indeed costs gold to make use of an item creation feat, however that gold is only half of what it would cost to buy that item. Item creation feats of course also allow you to pick the exact item you want, as opposed to having to make do with whatever's available in the market (which is often little if anything). Basically, crafting an item allows you to exchange half the gold price for some XP, and of course getting the exact item you want. Don't forget that Item crafting also allows you to add to an existing item, e.g. convert a +1 sword to a +2 sword, or a +4 headband of intellect to a +6 headband, for the price difference. If you want optimized gear, item crafting is the way to go.

[RandomNPC]

i don't give downtime unless someone asks for it, because i say

Me: "ok, good job, you win at D&D, you've got some downtime untill something else happens, whatcha gonna do?"

players: uh.........

they even do that with some warning that downtime is on the way.

[Crazy_Uncle_Doug]

Actually, the DM I am with rarely offers downtime. It's usually a harried one emergency after another. I like Item Creation feats, but having a chance to use them is not always available.

I've offered Downtime to the group I've run. Certainly, there are a few who don't have anything they'd do, but there's a few who take advantage in different ways.

[PMDM]

The simple solution to downtime is to let the PCs split up their crafting time. If they only have one week to spend in a city, let the wizard build 1/3 of a ring of invisibility.

[Isomenes]

I'm pretty heavy on the Brew Potion and Craft Wondrous Item--at least every third session I find a little time to make the useful stuff like CMW and small, useful spell-trinkets. It doesn't hurt that I'm more or less the source of these for our area of the world, so demand is up. (No magic item shops for us!)

I'm hearing a lot of "no downtime" replies, but if you talk with your DM about your intentions, you'll find there's time. I must admit, it is tough to be a crafter while doing a high-intrigue game: I'm a bard (i.e. group diplomat), and the party's only arcane caster to boot. But potions are one-day items, and we have lots of city time.

(What? I played a wizard last campaign. So what if no one else wants to pick up the slack?)

[Ikkitosen]

In PbP games I have used them only during character creation when extra XP are given out over the level.

[Dareon]

I managed to get my DM to allow me to brew potions and work on things while we traveled. I have a wagon and the bare minimum of stuff required for potionmaking (vials, some jugs, and an iron pot), plus as an elf artificer, I don't need as much sleep and don't need to actually use my "spell" slots, so I can craft while the rest of the party sleeps and still be good if we hit an encounter.

It kind of contradicts the RAW for what's allowed to be done while crafting, but I figure he figured driving a wagon falls under the same level of exertion as walking and talking. I suppose we're handwaving the source for ingredients.

[Isomenes]

It kind of contradicts the RAW for what's allowed to be done while crafting, but I figure he figured driving a wagon falls under the same level of exertion as walking and talking. I suppose we're handwaving the source for ingredients.

I actually make potion tiles for this very reason--no ingredients necessary other than crafting the tiles, of which I've accumulated a pretty decent stock. And Eschew Materials lets me avoid that other aspect of casting.