D&D 5e – Questionable Arcana – Crafting: Smith’s Tools

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Although this crafting system leverages many existing mechanics published under the 5e SRD and OGL, the final product is completely home-brewed. The finer details of this system are still being revised, and those changes will slowly be introduced into this document. However, the system as a whole is totally functional and ready to be used in any campaign. Furthermore, the rules and concepts discussed are intended to work in-tandem with the expanded artisan's tools rules found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. If nothing else I hope this document and its siblings can be used as a source of guidance and inspiration for whatever crafting system you decide to go with.

With the weaver’s tools all wrapped up we are coming up on the final pages of this crafting compendium.

My initial assumption was that the smith’s tools would be the strongest crafting kit in 5th edition. After all, the blacksmith is the quintessential crafting profession in fantasy settings. Everybody from dwarves to elves have their own smithing styles. However before we dig into the history and mechanics of the kit, it is important that we settle in on the definition of the craft.

After assessing the options I felt that the Cambridge dictionary had the most relevant definition:

Definition: Someone who makes things out of metal, especially by heating it and hitting it with a hammer: Example: a goldsmith/silversmith See also: blacksmith

Satisfied with this definition, I moved on to the historical analysis of the crafting kit.

Getting Hammered – The History of Smithing

Although there are some examples of metalwork as far back as 4500 BC, the first evidence found of smithing with a hammer is a dagger found in ancient Egypt dated to 1350 BC. These early smiths likely heated iron using wood fires, but they would eventually would discover that wood converted to charcoal would produce a better flame for smithing. Eventually it was discovered that the intensity of the heat could be increased by blasting it with air. This lead to the creation of the bloomery which was eventually superseded by the blast furnace in modern times.

Initially smiths used stones and stone hammers to hammer copper and lead, but around 1200 BC the bronze anvil was invented. Eventually the bronze anvil would give way to the iron anvil which remained the most popular type of anvil until the process for making steel was discovered. There was some experimentation with cast-iron and wrought-iron, but eventually they all gave way to the cast-steel anvils used today.

There is a great deal of nuance to the art of smithing, however at its core it can be broken down into the following 7 techniques:

1. Drawing Down – Lengthening one dimension by narrowing another
2. Bending – Bending heated and ductile metal to the desired angle
3. Upsetting – Making metal thicker in one dimension by shortening another
4. Shrinking – Upsetting technique used on compound curves
5. Swaging – Altering the dimensions of an item by forcing it into dies
6. Punching – Using a chisel to create holes, slits, and patterns
7. Forge Welding – Joining a similar or different type of metal

Although the technologies used to execute these techniques has changed over-time, the process has more or less remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Metal Gear is Solid – Crafting Items

As always I am going to assume that most D&D campaigns take place in a setting that is technologically similar to medieval times. This means that a forge with a bloomery will be the means of production that the smiths in your campaign will use.

When it comes to creating mundane items the smith’s tools are the most prolific crafting kit in all of 5th edition.

As you can see the majority of weapons and armors can be created by a player with smith’s tools proficiency. Furthermore there is a wide variety of adventuring gear items that can be directly produced, as well as a handful of other options if the DM is flexible.

This strong crafting foundation is only reinforced when you expand into magical items.

The sheer volume of magical that items this toolkit can create gives the player the ability to craft a great variety of both accessible and exceptional items.

Arguably the greatest weakness of the kit is the fact that you need a forge to use it. Depending on the campaign this may or more not be an issue. If the party finds itself traveling all corners of the globe, opportunities to use the smith’s tools could be scarce. However, should you be participating in something like a West Marches campaign that is centered around a single location, then this kit is easily one of the best when it comes to producing magical items.

The concept of linking creature traits to item properties used in the above example can be applied to home-brew items as well.

Lastly if being able to create the most expansive list of items in the game wasn’t enough for you, the smith’s tools can also be used to assist in the creation of structures. For example the iron portcullis’ used in the creation of a keep require a smith’s expertise. Ultimately it will be up to the DM to determine how many smiths can contribute to a construction project.

The Takeaway: The smith’s tools has the largest list of craftable RAW items in 5th edition. This includes most weapons and armors, as well as many adventuring tools. This variety expands to magical crafting as well. Furthermore the smith’s tools can be used to aid in building construction.

Struck Gold – Crafting Artwork

Although smithing is usually considered a more utilitarian profession, there is actually quite a bit of artistic potential in the smith’s tools. Using a crafting system such as our Questionable Arcana Artwork Crafting System or similar you can attempt to create valuable metal artwork.

There are all manner of metal emblems and figures you could potentially craft and sell on the open market. However, it is likely that your main source of clientele will be the sword toting and armor wearing nobility.

For example it is very common for a noble family to want their family crest engraved in a shield, or to have armor with specific designs punched into it. All of these objects should be considered artwork, and using the rules described above you can define the level of effort and overall value of the work being done.

However, unlike many of the other kits in our system, there is no extra bonus given to artwork created with metal. This is because there is relatively low demand for metal oddities, and generally each noble family looking to create custom armor already has their own network of smiths that can accomplish the task for them. As a result you’ll often find yourself trying to sell your own original creations which can be profitable, but selling it can often be a fairly arduous process.

The Takeaway: You can use the smith’s tools to create metal artwork, but there are no special bonuses granted in the artwork creation process.

Put The Pedal to The Metal – Adventuring Utility

Beyond the its incredible crafting capabilities, the smith’s tools actually have a fair amount of non-crafting utility as well. For starters a smith should be able to add their proficiency bonus to most checks that interact with forged metal. For example if the party is looking for a way through an iron portcullis, the player with smith’s tools proficiency would be more likely to see if there is a brittle section that they may be able to break through.

A smith will be able to repair any damaged piece of metal equipment granted they have access to a forge. They are also able to make modifications to metal pieces of equipment. This could be entirely for aesthetic purposes, or maybe even used in deceit and espionage. For example if you are trying to sneak into a palace, you could have a smith punch the palace insignia into a common suit of chain mail and try to sneak in by pretending to be a guard.

You can also make major alterations to armor as well. For example should you come across a suit of plate mail that is sized for a human, you could use your smithing skills to resize it for a dwarf in your party. At your DM’s discretion this could be a creative way for certain races to enjoy items that are potentially size restricted for another race.

The Takeaway: The smith’s tools can be used to repair and alter metal equipment. Furthermore your understanding of smithing gives you a benefit whenever you interact with forged items.

Conclusion

I wish I had a more creative take on this kit, but as expected it is easily one of the best if not the best pure-crafting kit in the game.

Beyond crafting the smith’s tools can pull their weight as well. The ability to alter weapons and armor can be used in key situations where the party aims to impress or deceive. Furthermore the ability to fix and alter armor can be at minimum a cost savings device, and at maximum a rule bending boon.

With the largest list of craftable items in the game, any party who knows they will have regular access to a forge in their campaign would be silly to not have at least one member with proficiency in this kit.

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