Mastercrafting

Smithing is equal parts art and science: turning the raw materials of the world and crafting them into functional items that can be used for the benefit of civilization. Smiths can turn mundane materials into tools, weapons, and armor. The best smiths can produce equipment so fine that it is almost mystical.
Creating a mastercraft item follows the normal rules for crafting, but adds a preliminary step where you gather the appropriate materials and a final step to the process where you finish the item and add the details and personalization that make the item truly special.
Gathering Materials
While most weapons, armor, tools, and gear are made of steel, low quality items may be made of iron while high quality items can be made of anything from mithral, adamantium, dragonscale, or other exotic materials. The charts below describe the materials, the types of tools used to work the material, as well as their effects on the crafting cost and DC.
Some of these armors may be available for purchase from a craftsman or shop. If so, the cost multiplier is applied to the final purchase price of the object.
Armor Materials and Techniques
Materials & Techniques |
Armor Types |
Effect |
DC Modifier |
Cost Multiplier |
Tools |
Special |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adamantine | Breastplate, chainmail, chain shirt, half plate, ringmail, plate, scalemail, splint | See Dungeon Master’s Guide pg 150. | +5 | x4 | Constitution (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be a dwarf or giant. Requires a specialized forge. | |
Braidmail (light) | Chain shirt | +1 to maximum Dexterity bonus. Can be combined with Mithral material. | +3 | x3 | Dexterity (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be an elf. | |
Braidmail (heavy) | Chainmail, ringmail, splint | No disadvantage to stealth checks. | +5 | x4 | Dexterity (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be an elf. | |
Bronze | Scale mail, breastplate, halfplate, ring mail, plate, shield | -1 to AC | -2 | x0.5 | Strength (Smith’s tools) | ||
Dragonhide | Hide, leather, scale mail | While wearing this armor, you gain resistance to the type of damage associated with the dragon it was harvested from. | +5 | x4 | Constitution (Leatherworker’s tools) | ||
Githweave cloth | Clothing, robes, padded | +1 to Wisdom saving throws to resist being charmed | +2 | x2 | Intelligence (Weaver’s tools) | Crafter must be trained in the Arcana skill. | |
Iron | Scale mail, breastplate, halfplate, ring mail, plate, shield | This armor imposes disadvantage on Stealth and Acrobatics checks. | -1 | x0.75 | Strength (Smith’s tools) | ||
Ironwood | Breastplate, half plate, scale mail, plate, splint | This armor has the same properties as standard armor, but can be worn by druids. | +2 | x1.5 | Wisdom (Woodcarver’s tools) | Crafter must be trained in the Nature skill | |
Meteoric Iron | Breastplate, chainmail, chain shirt, half plate, ringmail, plate, scalemail, splint | Reduce slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage from non-magical weapons by 1. | +5 | x4 | Constitution (Smith’s tools) | Requires a specialized forge. | |
Mithral | Breastplate, chainmail, chain shirt, half plate, ringmail, plate, scalemail, splint | See Dungeon Master’s Guide pg 182 | +5 | x4 | Dexterity (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be an elf. | |
Pitforged | Breastplate, chainmail, chain shirt, half plate, ringmail, plate, scalemail, splint | Grants resistance to fire, acid, and cold | +8 | x5 | Intelligence (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be a Tiefling trained in Arcana. | |
Primitive | Any | If you take more than 10 damage from a single attack, the armor’s AC is reduced by 2 until you take a short rest | -5 | x0.5 | Strength (Woodcarver’s Tools) | May be combined with other materials and techniques. |
Weapon Materials and Techniques
Materials & Techniques |
Weapon Types |
Effect |
DC Modifier |
Cost Multiplier |
Tools |
Special |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adamantine | Bludgeoning Weapons | Increase the size of the dice by 1 step (d4 to d6, d6 to d8, etc). | +5 | x4 | Constitution (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be a dwarf or giant. Requires a specialized forge. |
Balanced | Any light weapon | Increases the range of the thrown property by 10/20 (or grants the Thrown 20/60 quality). Can be combined with other properties. | +2 | x1.5 | Dexterity (Smith’s tools) | |
Barbed | Any weapon (or ammunition) that deals piercing or slashing damage | Roll an additional dice for damage on a critical hit. | +2 | x1.5 | Dexterity (Smith’s tools) | Can be combined with other techniques and materials. |
Bronze | Any normally made of steel | -1 to attack and damage | -2 | x0.5 | Strength (Smith’s tools) | |
Iron | Any normally made of steel | -1 to damage. Counts as a magical weapon against fey creatures. | -1 | x0.75 | Strength (Smith’s tools) | |
Ironwood | Club, greatclub, light hammer, mace, quarterstaff | Add +1 to damage rolls. | +2 | x2 | Wisdom (Woodcarver’s tools) | Crafter must be trained in the Nature skill |
Meteoric Iron | Any normally made of steel | Add +1 to attack rolls and damage. | +5 | x4 | Constitution (Smith’s tools) | Requires a specialized forge. |
Mithral | Any normally made of steel | Reduce weight by half. One-handed weapons gain light quality. Heavy weapons made of mithral can be wielded by Small creatures without disadvantage. | +5 | x4 | Dexterity (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be an elf. |
Pitforged | Any normally made of steel | Deals an additional dice of damage against angels and fiends | +8 | x5 | Intelligence (Smith’s tools) | Crafter must be a Tiefling trained in Arcana. |
Primitive | Any | If you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll with this weapon, you suffer disadvantage on attack rolls with the weapon until you take a short rest | -5 | x0.5 | Strength (Woodcarver’s Tools) | May be combined with other materials and techniques. |
Weighted | Any melee weapon that deals bludgeoning damage | On a critical hit, the target is knocked prone. If the weapon has the light property, it loses it. If the weapon has the two-handed property, it gains the heavy property. | +2 | x2 | Strength (Smith’s tools) | Can be combined with other techniques and materials. |
Crafting
Follow the rules found on page 187 of the Player’s Handbook, using the adjusted item price based on the type of material used.
Mastercrafting
The final step in the crafting process is to roll a skill check based on the type of material used. The base DC is determined by the type of weapon, as follows, and is modified by the materials and techniques used.
Type of Equipment | DC |
---|---|
Light Armor and Simple Melee Weapons | 8 |
Medium Armor, Shields, Simple Ranged Weapons, and Shields | 10 |
Heavy Armor, Martial Weapons, and Shields | 12 |
Compare your result to the following table to get the end result.
Result | Effect |
---|---|
Failure by 10 or more | Ruined. The materials are ruined, and the item must be crafted from scratch. |
Failure by 5 or more | Salvageable. The materials can be salvaged, but the item must be crafted from scratch. |
Failure | Still Needs Work. You must spend an additional 1d10 days of downtime to complete the item, and may make a new roll at the end of that time. |
Success | Fair. The item is completed and works as expected. |
Succeed by 5 or more | Exceptional. The item is completed and gains a randomly determined minor property (ignore any rolls of 20). |
Succeed by 10 or more | Masterwork. The item is completed and gains two randomly determined minor properties (ignore any rolls of 20). |
Material Descriptions
Adamantine
A super dense metal typically only crafted by dwarves, duergar, and fire giants, adamantine is one of the strongest materials on the prime planes.
Balanced
This weapon is perfectly balanced for throwing.
Barbed
A common modification among the weapons of fiends and evil doers, vicious serrated edges line the cutting edge of this weapon.
Braidmail
Made from a mithral alloy, braidmail is an intricate chain pattern unique to elven craftsmen that is light and makes very little noise.
Bronze
Very cheap and requiring only rudimentary forges to work, bronze is often used by more primitive cultures.
Dragonhide
Made from the hides of young dragons, and lacking many of the properties of true dragon scale mail, dragonhide armor offers resistance with against elemental damage associated with the dragon from which it was harvested.
Githweave cloth
Woven by the Gith on the Astral plane using techniques stolen from Illithids, githweave incorporates crystalline threads and offers natural protection from attacks against the mind.
Iron
Cheap and easier to work than steel, iron is used by some cultures who do not possess advanced metalworking techniques.
Ironwood
A rare wood, as strong and light as steel, it provides heavy protection for druids and others who wish to wear a more natural material.
Meteoric Iron
Mithral
Light and flexible, mithral is used primarily by elves to forge fine chain armors and curved longblades.
Pitforged
Derived from infernal techniques passed down from the tiefling empire of Bael Turath, pitforged weapons and armor are made of iron mined from one of the Nine Hells and forged to withstand the hazards of infernal battlefields.
Primitive
Made from bone, rock, wood, or other natural materials, primitive materials are not very durable and often wind up broken.
Weighted
Heavier at the head of the weapon, this weapon can flatten opponents, but is a bit unwieldy.