Last week we looked at crafting systems across a variety of video games, broadly splitting them into categories based on input and output and process. This week I want to look at how tabletop roleplaying games handle crafting, but I am much less certain we will find as much similarity.
In base Dungeons & Dragons 5e, there appear to be few rules governing the creation of non-magic items. The Dungeon Master’s Guide initially states that magic items distribution should ultimately be up to the DM, so even their crafting is not a guaranteed mechanic. Furthermore, “the creation of a magic item is a lengthy, expensive task.” It’s almost as if the designers really don’t want players to be able to craft.
Here’s the process as described:
- the player character must have the formula (recipe)
- the player character must be a spellcaster
- the player character must be a minimum level based on the rarity of the item
- the DM may arbitrarily decide upon ingredients or conditions the formula requires
- the cost of creating the item is a number of gold pieces based on the item’s rarity
- every 25 gp of value takes a day of work
For example: creating an uncommon magic item takes 20 days and 500 gp and requires the player to be at least a level 3 spellcaster in addition to knowing the formula and filling the arbitrary requirements of the DM.
I have never once played a game where there were 20 days of downtime available for projects, much less enough time for rarer items.
The 5e book Xanathar’s Guide to Everything adds rules for crafting non-magical items and alternative rules for crafting magical items. Non-magical items can essentially be crafted in a single workweek with raw materials worth half the item’s selling cost. Each workweek produces 50 gp worth of crafting progress using a similar system from the DMG.
Magic items are a far more serious endeavor. Quoting directly: “it is a long-term process that involves one or more adventures to track down rare materials and the lore needed to create the item.” The system is fundamentally similar to the process from the DMG with the following adjustments:
- the magic item requires an ingredient which forces you to face a minimum challenge rating creature
- item rarity determines the number of workweeks (instead of days)
- the gold cost of creating the item is lower
- there is no longer a requirement to be a spellcaster (or any particular level)
Ultimately, Xanathar’s system is more of a refinement of the one from the DMG. I want to highlight it specifically because of the way XGtE frames crafting as interacting with the larger game loop: getting ingredients is the subject of one or more adventures. The designers view crafting as a way to exert agency over random loot.
I picked Beam Saber to analyze because it is the Forged in the Dark system that I am most familiar with, but the rules for crafting will be pretty similar among all of them. In general, item creation is treated as a long-term project, which creates a progress clock that players can contribute to in a variety of ways. Beam Saber adds some unique conditions for the process:
- players must have a design for the object they wish to craft
- creating a new design is often a long-term project
- the GM determines the minimum quality and magnitude of the item
- the designer describes why their creation is not in common use (self-imposed downsides and complications)
- the GM further describes the item’s drawbacks / weaknesses
- common items already have designs and do not require a new one
The actual process of manufacturing an item with a design comes down to a single roll to determine the result’s level of quality. In order for the craft to be successful, it must meet or exceed the minimum quality as specified in the design. Resulting quality is influenced by the squad tier, the roll of the dice, and materiel contribution.
It’s clear from the framing that this system was designed for ambitious and unique projects, with “common items” including all standard pilot and vehicle gear essentially an afterthought. One notable flaw is the ratio of downtime action to item creation regardless of complexity. It works well enough for large projects, but making 16 chemical grenades would take 8 downtime actions based on rules as written.
On the other end of the spectrum is a game arguably about crafting even if its focus is not complete fabrication. Salvage Union’s primary game loop revolves around salvaging scrap from a post-apocalyptic wasteland. This scrap is both currency as well as crafting ingredient, and separated based on rarity.
The process of crafting is as simple as collecting enough scrap of the correct tier and bringing it back to the crawler home base, where players can use the crafting bay to create any item of the crawler’s tier or lower. The book notes that the GM may decide to restrict what “any” includes, but the implication is that such restrictions are not default. Most importantly: “There are no restrictions, except for the amount of Scrap you have, on how much you can build during Downtime.”
It’s elegant. It’s simple. Unfortunately it’s also not really what I’m looking for in a crafting system — at least one I intend to put into a fantasy game. My biggest issue is with the way all components are flavorless tiers of generic scrap. Without going into my design thoughts too much: I think having categories of scrap could incentivize salvaging from specific locations and help lead players to prepared adventure sites.
After looking at crafting systems from both video and tabletop games, I feel more prepared to tackle designing my own mechanics for The Serket Hack. While some of these examples are inspirational, there are many that feel like clear philosophies to avoid. If you know further examples of ttrpg crafting, please mention them in the comments!