Magic Item Crafting - Checks & Progress

Skill Checks

To start with, a character needs to formulate the magical item and understand the underlying magical processes. This is achieved with an Intelligence (Arcana) check performed before any progress towards crafting the item is made. The DC for this check is found on the table below.

Crafting magical items is achieved through repeated Intelligence checks over an extended period - often many weeks. Successes on these checks give progress towards completing the item. Crafting an item also requires the expenditure of a spell slot on each day of crafting. This spell slot could come from an assistant - it simply represents the magical energy required to manipulate the influences of the materials and the Weave itself. Alternatively, an Artificer may reserve one of their infusion slots for a whole week in place of spending spell slots. This allows Artificers to create magic items of any rarity, even though their spellcasting would normally be limited to 5th level. At minimum, 8 hours of crafting need to be completed per day over at least five days of the week for this Intelligence check to be made.

The Intelligence check being made is dependant on the item. A sword would require the use of smith's tools while a potion would require alchemist's tools. The DC of this check, along with the Arcana check made to formulate an item, increases with item rarity and type in the following way:

Rarity*	Spell Slot	Consumable	Limited	Recharging	Permanent
Common	1st	6	7	9	11
Uncommon	3rd	9	10	12	14
Rare	5th	12	13	15	17
Very Rare	8th	15	16	18	20
Legendary	9th	18	19	21	23

One such Intelligence check is made after a week of work is completed. This duration is reduced for consumable items - the check may be made at the end of each work day.

Progress

Succeeding on the Intelligence checks described above gives progress: 1 point for success and an additional point for each 5 higher than the required DC the player rolled. For example, a craftsman who rolled a 21 while crafting an uncommon, recharging item has rolled 9 higher than the 12 required, giving them 2 progress that week. The total progress required before the item is finished scales with rarity and type in the following way:

Rarity	Consumable	Limited	Recharging	Permanent
Common	3	4	6	8
Uncommon	6	8	12	16
Rare	12	16	24	32
Very Rare	24	32	48	64
Legendary	48	64	96	128

To keep track of this progress, I recommend creating an entry within the inventory of the player producing the item in question using the following format: incomplete "item name" (XXX/XXX). For example, an incomplete +2 quarterstaff (19/24) shows that the player has nearly finished crafting their new weapon.

Failure

If a player does not meet the DC of the Intelligence check to craft their item, it does not mean they instantly fail and have to start from scratch with new materials. Instead, they should roll on the following crafting mishaps table. It is worth noting that no mishap causes the complete destruction of the item. Instead continuous failure costs time, materials and money with no progress to show for it.

Crafting Mishaps

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Roll	Effect
1	Disaster strikes, lose 2d8 progress. Progress never goes negative.
2	Materials wasted, determine at random a material to lose from those currently being used for crafting. The character will need to source a replacement before crafting can continue.
3	You have disadvantage on the next Intelligence check made to craft this item.
4	Broken tools, lose the tools being used for crafting.
5	Social problems, DM determines the effect. This should be an inconvenience such as a theft or the interference of a rival.
6	Nothing bad occurs, continue crafting next week as normal.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction & Terms
• Materials & Influences
• Formulating an Item
• Checks & Progress
• Help & Hindrance
• Optional Rules

Related Articles:

• Butchery
• Herbalism
• Poisonmaking