Time necessary to Craft Mithral Equipment [Archive] - Wizards Community

Time necessary to Craft Mithral Equipment [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DMRelious
07-26-07, 01:18 PM Under the Craft Skill, it says to take the base price of an item, convert it to silver pieces, then a craft check (DC of check multiplied against check result) will determine how much work towards the item was completed in one week's time.

My PCs are going to have some mithral ore turned into equipment, but I have to come up with a timeframe in which they'll be made. The smith they'll likely choose has a +22 on his crafting checks, but should I include the amount extra for using mithral into the craft check equation? Or just figure how much it would be to make the armor or weapon straight out of the equipment list in the PHB?

I would reason that since Mithral is supposed to be the strength of steel, it would be just as workable, so for the purposes of figuring out how long it would take to craft it, I'd just use the equipment base price and not include the additional cost of the Mithral.

How would you price this and determine how long it would take to craft it?

Thanks in advance, DMs out there!
wrecan
07-26-07, 01:43 PM That's a good question. Since mithral adds 1000 to 9000 gp to the cost of armor, with an average craft roll of 32 and a DC of between 11 and 20 depending on the armor being created, your armorsmith will be creating only about 48 gp of work in a week! Mithral chainmail (DC 15, 4150 gp cost) would take about 20 months to complete!

With costs that high, I might instead use magic item creation rules just for the mithral. Have the smith take the time usually required for masterwork chainmail (9.375 weeks) and then spend 1 day/1,000 gp value of the mithral (4 days). So he'll have his armor in 10 weeks.

Alternately, you could use the variant Craft Points (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/craftPoints.htm) rules for even quicker Crafting rules.
Puca
07-26-07, 01:54 PM The fact that mithral is supposed to be the strength of steel makes a compelling argument that, in the real word, it should take the same amount of time to work it. (There are real world arguments against this though: Maybe it has to be tempered in a different way? You have to add carbon to iron to make it steel. Maybe it is more time intensive to properly harden your mithral? I dont know enough about working metal to make much of this, but I know enough to know you can make an issue of it.)

But, real-world considerations are sort of irrelevant. Mithral takes longer to work under D&D rules because it is more valuable and the time rules for crafting are a function of the value. Real-world crafting issues dont relate to D&D well, as D&D is not a crafting game.

How would you price this and determine how long it would take to craft it?Im the DM. I can use whatever time I want. It depends on how much time you want the players standing down.

If I wanted to "follow the rules," Id use the rules as written based on the full value of the mithral gear in question.

As far as cost, the 1/3 of the market price of an item is needed as base materials. How much of this is covered by the mithral they already have is up to you.

Id probably make it 75-95% of the item, depending on what is being crafted.

Mithral Chain Shirt: 1100 gp market price
Cost of raw materials: 367 gp

Id say the mithral you have constitutes probably 90% of the material you need to make the shirt. (I pulled 90 out of my arse. It is almost all metal, but it must have other materials there as well, padding, straps, whatever. If you disagree with this, put out your own :)

.9 x 367 = 330 gp

So, considering how much you have already supplied, deducted from the market price, you would have to pay the craftsman 770 gp to make the shirt.
Lilinthra
07-26-07, 02:05 PM Hire a mage to cast Fabricate. Using normal craft rules will take a long time in game.
wrecan
07-26-07, 02:59 PM Hire a mage to cast Fabricate. Using normal craft rules will take a long time in game.

FYI: the Fabricate spell will require the wizard to make an appropriate Craft check (DC 10 + AC of the armor/shield). It's unclear what happens to the material if the wizard fails the check. Still, for 150 gp/casting, it's a bargain!
Edana
07-26-07, 03:31 PM Shouldn't Fabricate cost 450gp per casting (NPC)? (SL 5 * CL 9 * 10).

Once you're high enough level, get a ring of spell storing (regular one, 50,000gp), have someone cast Fabricate into it when you want something made, give it to an appropriate crafter, and the craft check is no longer an issue.

Plus, now your party has a ring of spell storing. Handy even when you're not crafting stuff ;).
wrecan
07-26-07, 04:00 PM Shouldn't Fabricate cost 450gp per casting (NPC)? (SL 5 * CL 9 * 10).
Doh! Stupid numeric keypads.
StevenO
07-26-07, 08:27 PM When crafting with exotic materials I say use the time/DC for a masterwork item but add to full additional cost due to the material.
Lilinthra
07-27-07, 11:30 AM FYI: the Fabricate spell will require the wizard to make an appropriate Craft check (DC 10 + AC of the armor/shield). It's unclear what happens to the material if the wizard fails the check. Still, for 150 gp/casting, it's a bargain!

Yes, I know. I was going with the underlying assumption that if the caster actually has Fabricate, they've spent enough in certain Craft skills that they can succeed.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DMRelious 07-26-07, 01:18 PM	Under the Craft Skill, it says to take the base price of an item, convert it to silver pieces, then a craft check (DC of check multiplied against check result) will determine how much work towards the item was completed in one week's time. My PCs are going to have some mithral ore turned into equipment, but I have to come up with a timeframe in which they'll be made. The smith they'll likely choose has a +22 on his crafting checks, but should I include the amount extra for using mithral into the craft check equation? Or just figure how much it would be to make the armor or weapon straight out of the equipment list in the PHB? I would reason that since Mithral is supposed to be the strength of steel, it would be just as workable, so for the purposes of figuring out how long it would take to craft it, I'd just use the equipment base price and not include the additional cost of the Mithral. How would you price this and determine how long it would take to craft it? Thanks in advance, DMs out there!
wrecan 07-26-07, 01:43 PM	That's a good question. Since mithral adds 1000 to 9000 gp to the cost of armor, with an average craft roll of 32 and a DC of between 11 and 20 depending on the armor being created, your armorsmith will be creating only about 48 gp of work in a week! Mithral chainmail (DC 15, 4150 gp cost) would take about 20 months to complete! With costs that high, I might instead use magic item creation rules just for the mithral. Have the smith take the time usually required for masterwork chainmail (9.375 weeks) and then spend 1 day/1,000 gp value of the mithral (4 days). So he'll have his armor in 10 weeks. Alternately, you could use the variant Craft Points (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/craftPoints.htm) rules for even quicker Crafting rules.
Puca 07-26-07, 01:54 PM	The fact that mithral is supposed to be the strength of steel makes a compelling argument that, in the real word, it should take the same amount of time to work it. (There are real world arguments against this though: Maybe it has to be tempered in a different way? You have to add carbon to iron to make it steel. Maybe it is more time intensive to properly harden your mithral? I dont know enough about working metal to make much of this, but I know enough to know you can make an issue of it.) But, real-world considerations are sort of irrelevant. Mithral takes longer to work under D&D rules because it is more valuable and the time rules for crafting are a function of the value. Real-world crafting issues dont relate to D&D well, as D&D is not a crafting game. How would you price this and determine how long it would take to craft it?Im the DM. I can use whatever time I want. It depends on how much time you want the players standing down. If I wanted to "follow the rules," Id use the rules as written based on the full value of the mithral gear in question. As far as cost, the 1/3 of the market price of an item is needed as base materials. How much of this is covered by the mithral they already have is up to you. Id probably make it 75-95% of the item, depending on what is being crafted. Mithral Chain Shirt: 1100 gp market price Cost of raw materials: 367 gp Id say the mithral you have constitutes probably 90% of the material you need to make the shirt. (I pulled 90 out of my arse. It is almost all metal, but it must have other materials there as well, padding, straps, whatever. If you disagree with this, put out your own :) .9 x 367 = 330 gp So, considering how much you have already supplied, deducted from the market price, you would have to pay the craftsman 770 gp to make the shirt.
Lilinthra 07-26-07, 02:05 PM	Hire a mage to cast Fabricate. Using normal craft rules will take a long time in game.
wrecan 07-26-07, 02:59 PM	Hire a mage to cast Fabricate. Using normal craft rules will take a long time in game. FYI: the Fabricate spell will require the wizard to make an appropriate Craft check (DC 10 + AC of the armor/shield). It's unclear what happens to the material if the wizard fails the check. Still, for 150 gp/casting, it's a bargain!
Edana 07-26-07, 03:31 PM	Shouldn't Fabricate cost 450gp per casting (NPC)? (SL 5 * CL 9 * 10). Once you're high enough level, get a ring of spell storing (regular one, 50,000gp), have someone cast Fabricate into it when you want something made, give it to an appropriate crafter, and the craft check is no longer an issue. Plus, now your party has a ring of spell storing. Handy even when you're not crafting stuff ;).
wrecan 07-26-07, 04:00 PM	Shouldn't Fabricate cost 450gp per casting (NPC)? (SL 5 * CL 9 * 10). Doh! Stupid numeric keypads.
StevenO 07-26-07, 08:27 PM	When crafting with exotic materials I say use the time/DC for a masterwork item but add to full additional cost due to the material.
Lilinthra 07-27-07, 11:30 AM	FYI: the Fabricate spell will require the wizard to make an appropriate Craft check (DC 10 + AC of the armor/shield). It's unclear what happens to the material if the wizard fails the check. Still, for 150 gp/casting, it's a bargain! Yes, I know. I was going with the underlying assumption that if the caster actually has Fabricate, they've spent enough in certain Craft skills that they can succeed.