What craft skills are worth taking? [Archive] - Wizards Community

What craft skills are worth taking? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
celestialkin
04-06-07, 03:30 AM Hey guys, I am finishing up my two newest characters (for two different campaigns) and I am not sure what craft skills they should specialize in. In the past I have had many of my former characters craft poisons, and I have grown to enjoying crafting items on my parties' downtime. I am going to take a break from poisons for a while, but I still want to craft something when my characters get some free time.

I will be buying them each a ring of sustenance soon to give them 6-10 hours a night of crafting time, so I would like a craft profession which I can also do on the road while my parties sleep and take turns keeping watch. Therefore, I will need to be able to do it with only my 5lbs of Master Worked Artisan's Tools and the materials I need for the items I'm crafting.

I would also like to know your opinions on if it is worth using your downtime (and in my case my 6-10 hours a night) to craft items, or master worked items to sell for a profit if there is nothing I can craft for myself or my party that is worthwhile. I would still prefer to craft items for myself, though.

In case it matters, my two characters are a Tibbit rogue in a Forgotten Realms (Faerūn) campaign and a Fog Trog in an Iron Kingdoms campaign.

Thanks in advance.
mythSSK
04-06-07, 04:40 AM Honestly? As it stands, choosing a Craft skill over just about anything else is a suboptimal choice. If you're set on Crafting, ask your DM if he'll waive the "must be a spellcaster" requirement of Craft (Alchemy) - - it's a nonsensical rule, and many DMs I know open Alchemy to anyone who wishes to take it. There are many halfway decent items to be made with alchemy, especially if your group has access to a large amount of splatbooks.

EDIT: Wrote this before I realised your "on the road" Crafting method. In that case... well, I suppose poisons is your best bet then, unless you want to cart around an alchemist's lab with all your raw materials (you could arrange to pay the materials cost while in town, then take them with you and craft on the road). Things like weapon and armorsmithing require access to a forge and such, so no good there.
j3st3r
04-06-07, 06:09 AM Useful craft skills are:
armorsmithing
bowmaking
trapmaking
weaponsmithing

It's strange that making bows isn't included in weaponsmithing, even though making crossbows is. I understand that making bows don't require smithing (except the arrowheads but I think that is something that the weaponsmithing actually does). If this is the main reason they are seperate craft skills, then why armorsmithing can produce all the armors? All the leather armors should be only possible to create with the craft (leatherwork).

I think that many craft skills requires a good environment and tools to work with and crafting while adventuring with your companions is almost impossible in many cases. For example, using craft (armorsmithing) while camping in the middle of nowhere would be possible if you're doing armors that don't require the forge (all light armors + hide armor, perhaps scalemail and chainmail). Also craft (weaponsmithing) requires the heat provided by the forge and other heavy tools (anvils, hammers, pliers, pincers, cutters...).
FntsyWlkr
04-06-07, 12:01 PM WEAPONSMITHING:
> although you don't have a forge the DM may allow you to fix weapons if they are damaged or use it as a knowledge check if your enemies pull out any weird type of weapon (or even the local makers of that weapon/the land it comes from).

SNARE/TAPMAKING:
> good for making food, and at higher levels good for setting up ambushes for bad guys. If you're afraid of someone tracking you, you can set up some traps behind you with with just some rope.

ROPEMAKING:
> maybe using local plants you could make rope.

CLOTHESMAKING:
> repair clothes or design new costumes for disguise checks. Maybe use it as knowledge checks to identify someone's dress as nobility or what city they're from.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:
> to make musical instruments for the Bard on the fly. A simple drum, bones, fix broken instruments.

CRAFT SPELL BOOK:
> can you do that?

CRAFT RATIONS:
> you know, season bacon, dry fruit stuff like that.

CRAFT SHELTER:
> tents and stuff.

CRAFT PAPER:
> I'm sure that was expensive back in the day. And people needed books!

LEATHER WORKING:
> once again repair armor and boots.

Just some idea ...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
celestialkin 04-06-07, 03:30 AM	Hey guys, I am finishing up my two newest characters (for two different campaigns) and I am not sure what craft skills they should specialize in. In the past I have had many of my former characters craft poisons, and I have grown to enjoying crafting items on my parties' downtime. I am going to take a break from poisons for a while, but I still want to craft something when my characters get some free time. I will be buying them each a ring of sustenance soon to give them 6-10 hours a night of crafting time, so I would like a craft profession which I can also do on the road while my parties sleep and take turns keeping watch. Therefore, I will need to be able to do it with only my 5lbs of Master Worked Artisan's Tools and the materials I need for the items I'm crafting. I would also like to know your opinions on if it is worth using your downtime (and in my case my 6-10 hours a night) to craft items, or master worked items to sell for a profit if there is nothing I can craft for myself or my party that is worthwhile. I would still prefer to craft items for myself, though. In case it matters, my two characters are a Tibbit rogue in a Forgotten Realms (Faerūn) campaign and a Fog Trog in an Iron Kingdoms campaign. Thanks in advance.
mythSSK 04-06-07, 04:40 AM	Honestly? As it stands, choosing a Craft skill over just about anything else is a suboptimal choice. If you're set on Crafting, ask your DM if he'll waive the "must be a spellcaster" requirement of Craft (Alchemy) - - it's a nonsensical rule, and many DMs I know open Alchemy to anyone who wishes to take it. There are many halfway decent items to be made with alchemy, especially if your group has access to a large amount of splatbooks. EDIT: Wrote this before I realised your "on the road" Crafting method. In that case... well, I suppose poisons is your best bet then, unless you want to cart around an alchemist's lab with all your raw materials (you could arrange to pay the materials cost while in town, then take them with you and craft on the road). Things like weapon and armorsmithing require access to a forge and such, so no good there.
j3st3r 04-06-07, 06:09 AM	Useful craft skills are: armorsmithing bowmaking trapmaking weaponsmithing It's strange that making bows isn't included in weaponsmithing, even though making crossbows is. I understand that making bows don't require smithing (except the arrowheads but I think that is something that the weaponsmithing actually does). If this is the main reason they are seperate craft skills, then why armorsmithing can produce all the armors? All the leather armors should be only possible to create with the craft (leatherwork). I think that many craft skills requires a good environment and tools to work with and crafting while adventuring with your companions is almost impossible in many cases. For example, using craft (armorsmithing) while camping in the middle of nowhere would be possible if you're doing armors that don't require the forge (all light armors + hide armor, perhaps scalemail and chainmail). Also craft (weaponsmithing) requires the heat provided by the forge and other heavy tools (anvils, hammers, pliers, pincers, cutters...).
FntsyWlkr 04-06-07, 12:01 PM	WEAPONSMITHING: > although you don't have a forge the DM may allow you to fix weapons if they are damaged or use it as a knowledge check if your enemies pull out any weird type of weapon (or even the local makers of that weapon/the land it comes from). SNARE/TAPMAKING: > good for making food, and at higher levels good for setting up ambushes for bad guys. If you're afraid of someone tracking you, you can set up some traps behind you with with just some rope. ROPEMAKING: > maybe using local plants you could make rope. CLOTHESMAKING: > repair clothes or design new costumes for disguise checks. Maybe use it as knowledge checks to identify someone's dress as nobility or what city they're from. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: > to make musical instruments for the Bard on the fly. A simple drum, bones, fix broken instruments. CRAFT SPELL BOOK: > can you do that? CRAFT RATIONS: > you know, season bacon, dry fruit stuff like that. CRAFT SHELTER: > tents and stuff. CRAFT PAPER: > I'm sure that was expensive back in the day. And people needed books! LEATHER WORKING: > once again repair armor and boots. Just some idea ...