While some creature parts are useful fresh from the carcass, many require some alterations before their full potential can be realised. These items can be identified due to having a
craftable item listed in their crafting column.
As crafting is a very natural complement to
Harvesting, here are the rules.
Crafters
In order to craft a harvested item into a usable item, it must be worked on by a skilled crafter. Crafters are specialised professionals with the knowledge to turn raw materials into something usable. Crafters also tend to be of a certain type, covering different types of items to be made (see “Crafter Types” below).
Both player characters and NPCs may act as crafters, so long as they fulfil the stipulated requirements for their crafter type.
Crafters also need to have the right equipment and tools in order to craft an item, however that aspect is left up to the discretion of the DM and the suitability of the setting. In more fantastical campaigns, magical forges and laboratories may line every city bazaar, while in more grounded settings, finding appropriate facilities may be a quest in and of itself.
Materials, Time, and Cost
Each craftable item listed in this guide requires at least one
harvestable material from a monster’s harvesting table to act as a base component of the item. This base component provides the driving magical force that allows the item to function. The harvesting material and quantity of the materials required are listed in the description of the craftable item. For some craftable items, there are several potential harvestable materials that may act as the base component. In these cases, any of the listed materials may be used.
Craftable items require more than just the base component provided by harvested materials, however. Crafting an item requires a cost covering other requirements such as tools, facilities, and extra materials. Note that this cost does NOT include the cost of actually hiring a crafter, and that such a cost is considered separate. Assuming that the players are providing the base
component for a craftable material, the value of this base component can be deducted from the end cost of crafting the item.
Finally, craftable items take a certain amount of time before they can be completed. The breakdown of the time and cost investment to craft an item is listed in the Magic Item Crafting Time and Cost table
Magic Item Crafting Time and Cost
| Item Rarity | Workweeks* | Cost* |
|---|
| Common | 1 | 50 gp |
| Uncommon | 2 | 200 gp |
| Rare | 10 | 2,000 gp |
| Very Rare | 25 | 20,000 gp |
| Legendary | 50 | 100,000 gp |
*Halved for a consumable item like a potion or scroll.
This guide uses the rules for crafting in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything as the basis for the crafting rules presented here. DM’s are encouraged to adjust these numbers based on the needs of their own games..
Crafter Skill
Not all crafters are created equal. While a village blacksmith may be good at fixing scythes and making nails, if you hand them a dragon scale, the best you will get back is a ruined dragon scale and an apologetic look. If you have high quality materials, you're going to need a high quality crafter.
While under the base rules, anyone can craft anything so long as they meet the base proficiency requirements, under this rule, crafters are differentiated based on their proficiency bonus. A crafter may craft any item whose rarity is equal to or below their proficiency bonus as outlined in the Crafting Skill Proficiency table on the next page.
Crafting Skill Proficiency
| Prof. | Skill Level | Item Rarity | Description |
|---|
| +2 | Novice | Common | Usually an apprentice, assistant, or self-taught practitioner. Knows how to use the tools properly but has little skill with more difficult materials and no ability to make new ideas. |
| +3 | Journeyman | Uncommon | A craftsmen that serves their village or works in a specific role within their profession. Knows a few things very well, but most likely would not be able to understand the complexities of more exotic materials. |
| +4 | Artisan | Rare | The highest level of skill that most ordinary people could hope to attain. Capable of establishing a good trade in a city or in service of a noble. Experienced in almost all aspects of their profession and can work with some confidence on rarer materials. |
| +5 | Master | Very Rare | While hard work and dedication is always valuable, only a few people possess the inherent talent to push the limits of their craft farther than ordinary people. These talented individuals can be considered masters of their art; capable of not just reproduction, but innovation. |
| +6 | Grand Master | Legendary | An absolute master of their art. Most likely was either an adventurer in their past, or learned their trade from a supernatural force, as this would be the only way for them to become accustomed to the legendary materials that they work with. Capable of crafting any item that falls under their profession. |
Crafter Type
You don’t ask a blacksmith to cut the timbers of your house, and you don’t ask an alchemist to craft you a suit of armour. If you want an item crafted, you need the right person for the job. Each craftable item comes with a tag in brackets explaining which type of crafter is capable of making that item.
Crafters are not restricted to a single profession either. Some skills are complimentary, or certain individuals are simply talented enough to cover multiple fields. Unless otherwise stated, crafters with multiple proficiencies use the same score for each field.
The following is a basic rundown of crafter types:
Alchemist
Artificer
Blacksmith
Leatherworker
Runesmith
Tinker
Thaumaturge
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