Crafters

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.

Both player characters and NPCs may act as crafters, so long as they fulfill the stipulated requirements for their crafter type. Crafters are not restricted to a single profession either. Some skills are complementary, 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. Below is a basic rundown of crafter types.

Alchemist

Alchemy is a profession that deals with the brewing and mixing of potions, concoctions, and tinctures. In general, if an organic material needs to be crushed, powdered, dried, boiled, melted, burned, mixed, etc., it's a job for an alchemist.

As part of their job, alchemists must also be experienced herbalists and have some knowledge of creature parts, but this level of knowledge may vary wildly from alchemist to alchemist. For example, village alchemists may know how to mix up local herbs with dried animal parts to cure a cold, while an elvish grandmaster may have learned the 12 secret uses of dragon blood.

Any character that has proficiency with alchemy tools may be considered an alchemist for crafting purposes.

Artificer

A catch-all term for anyone who works primarily in the moulding, transfiguration, enchanting, and manufacture of magical items. Often powerful wizards, their job requires them to not only understand magic, but alse be able to weave permanent spells to transform mundane objects into wondrous ones. A common practice among artificers working with harvested materials is to transfigure them into gems and other objects more conducive to humanoid wear.

As part of their job, an artificer would have knowledge of the uses of magical creature parts, spellwork, the use and preparation of magical reagents (crushed gems, incense, etc), magical identification, magical history, and basic metal and woodworking. Of course, not all artificers have the same level of skill. Some may spend their entire lives mass manufacturing the same magical trinkets day in and day out, while others have ventured to far planes and learned ancient lessons in the courts of djinni princes.

Any character that is proficient in the Arcana skill and has access to at least one spell slot may be considered an artificer for crafting purposes.

Blacksmith

A hammer striking anvil, the roar of a heated forge, and the hiss of cooling metal. These are the sounds of a blacksmith’s shop, the masters and crafters of metal. While the job of a blacksmith is usually simplified to a “metalworker,” the role encompasses so much more. Blacksmiths craft and fix all manners of equipment ranging from farming equipment, to weapons, to suits of armour, with the rare few having the ability to work with runestones.

Not only that, but while blacksmiths normally deal strictly with metal, many creature shells, bones, and scales require metal reinforcement and/or attachments before they can be used as weapons and armour. As such, even though they are organic materials, it is still primarily a blacksmith’s responsibility to craft with them.

Blacksmith skills can vary wildly. The local blacksmith may only have a small forge from where they repair the hammers and scythes of their neighbours, while the master smiths of dwarven kingdoms smelt adamantium in rivers of magma at the heart of volcanoes.

Any character that is proficient in the smith’s tools may be considered a blacksmith for crafting purposes.

Leatherworker

Metal armour doesn’t agree with everyone, and many creatures have perfectly good hides that they won’t be using anymore. For times like these, a leatherworker is required. It is a long and messy job to take raw hides, tan them, preserve them, cut them, and fashion them into armour and other equipment, but most societies would break down without this crucial industry.

While leatherworkers are often looked down upon for their unpleasant job, these are usually just the leatherworkers that deal with mundane animal hides and skins. Highly skilled leatherworkers however are treated with the utmost respect since without them, your skinned Purple Worm hides would go completely to waste.

Any character that is proficient in the leatherworker’s tools may be considered a leatherworker for crafting purposes.

Tinker

Tinkers are a rare profession, but their work possesses incredible value. Tinkers are usually associated with finnicky contraptions, vehicles and devices, and if they ever use magic it is usually more of an energy source rather than the driving characteristic. Really, tinkers are more concerned with finding new materials with strange properties to experiment with, and their inventions can range from the entertaining to the absolutely revolutionary.

With that in mind, tinkers vary widely in skill. A travelling peddler may have some experience in making mechanical puppets that flail around for the amusement of children, while the daring few that have travelled to Mechanus and returned alive may have unlocked the secrets of artificial life.

Any character that is proficient in the tinker’s tools may be considered a tinker for crafting purposes.

Thaumaturge

When a piece of armour needs the blessings of a god, or an ancestral sword needs spirit coaxed into it, a thaumaturge is needed. These specialised crafters usually do not consider themselves crafters at all, but simply people with special connections to the gods and their divine energy. Thaumaturges are not limited to just those that worship the gods either, many fiendish cults can boast their own specialised thaumaturge members that craft their cursed daggers and bind damned souls into pieces of jewellery.

As strange as it is to say, the gods do not see everyone as equals, and certainly do not apportion their gifts impartially. A vagrant holy man is probably capable of invoking his god’s name to create a few vials of holy water, while a high cleric of Moradin would be able to bless a hammer so that it strikes with the same fury as their furious deity.

Any character that is proficient in the Religion skill has access to at least one spell slot, and is a follower of a deity or otherworldly patron, may be considered a thaumaturge for crafting purposes.

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.

A crafter may craft any item whose rarity is equal to or below their proficiency bonus as outlined in the Crafting Skill Proficiency table below.