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

Man chiseling a block of wood
Questionable Arcana Crafting System
Item Crafting Rules Artwork Crafting Rules
The Artisan's Tools
Alchemist's Supplies Brewer's Supplies
Calligrapher's Supplies Carpenter's Tools
Cartographer's Tools Cobbler's Tools
Cook's Utensils Glassblower's Tools
Jeweler's Tools Leatherworker's Tools
Mason's Tools Painter's Supplies
Poisoner's Kit Potter's Tools
Smith's Tools Tinker's Tools
Weaver's Tools Woodcarver's Tools
Other Homebrew Rules
Critical Hit Charts Wild Magic
More Martial Actions D&D Drinking Game

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.

The Woodcarver’s Tools At A Glance

RAW Cost: 1 GP
RAW Weight: 5 lbs
*Items: Carving Knife, Chisel, Mallet, Saw, Gouge
Crafting Restrictions: None
Mundane Item Crafting: All non-slashing weapons, Laminar Armor**, several pieces of adventuring gear.
Magic Item Crafting: Wide list of wooden items
Artwork Creation: Can create carved wooden artwork such as statuettes.
QA Artwork Bonus: None
Structure Building: None
Adventuring Utility: Can create simple ah-hoc weaponry out of just wood.

* These items are specific to the Questionable Arcana system. Other similar crafting systems may utilitize a different list of items.

** Laminar Armor is a home-brewed version of chain mail.

Now that we have finished digging into the destructive properties of poisons, I think it is time to focus on something a little more constructive. Rather than dig into the more popular forms of crafting like alchemy or smithing, I am going to start on some of the perceived runts of the crafting litter. One of those supposed runts is the Woodcarver’s Kit.

I honestly don’t know why so few players elect to specialize in woodworking. At a surface level it might seem like an inferior alternative to smithing, but I firmly believe that is simply the result of a positive bias towards smithing due to its popularity in fantasy settings. In practice woodcarving allows the player to craft a large number of blacksmith quality items without the burden of needing a forge to make it. Furthermore it also allows you to easily create wooden artwork that can be sold, traded, or gifted.

To be fair woodworking does have its drawbacks. Other than shields, there aren’t any RAW armor types that can realistically be produced with woodworking. Also there are very few RAW slashing type weapons that can be produced by woodworking without considerable DM intervention.

With these ideas in mind, the goal of this article will be to help clarify some of the confusion around when and how the Woodcarver’s kit can be used. The rules and concepts discussed are meant to be used in tandem with the modified crafting system we created, however many of the items being discussed can be applied to any crafting system.

Questionable Arcana Item Crafting Rules At A Glance

Overview: The Questionable Arcana Crafting System is a homebrew set of rules that builds on the RAW crafting system. The goal of the system is to increase the rate that items are crafted while introducing an element of variability(aka dice rolling).

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR THE COMPLETE RULES

Crafting Requirements

  1. A Lead Artisan - An artisan with the appropriate tool who can lead the crafting process.
  2. Crafting Materials - Materials to craft with. The items should be valued at 50% market value for mundane items and 100% market value for magical items.
  3. Means of Production - Any special equipment or location requirements such as a forge for blacksmiths.
  4. Instructions - Memorized instructions for mundane items or a written blueprint for magical items.
  5. Labor - Time and energy measured in 8 hour increments and proficiency dice rolls!

Crafting Capabilities Definitions

  • LEAD - You can serve as the lead artisan when creating this item.
  • ASSIST - You can work under a lead artisan to create this item.
  • OPTIONAL - You could potentially create a non-RAW version of this item at the DM's discretion.
  • N/A - You cannot use this toolkit to contribute to the creation of this item.
  • SPECIAL - Special cases defined on a case by case basis.

Crafting GP Progression Formula

[PROGRESS IN GP] = 5 + (Proficiency_Dice_Roll * 5)

Important Disclaimer: The Questionable Arcana Crafting Rules and lists are not official material. The concepts and ideas provided by this write-up are simply suggestions. I happen to think they are good suggestions, but ultimately your table's DM has the final say when it comes to any and all crafting rulings.

Getting Wood – Crafting Process and Materials

As usual, I recommend sticking to the gold based progression system referenced in our crafting system article for Woodworking. This system functions by having the DM assign a GP value for an item, then whenever players craft an item they use the GP contributed during crafting as an abstraction of crafting progression. Once 100% of the value of the item has been contributed, the item is complete.

There should also be a real GP cost associated with making an item from woodworking. When crafting mundane equipment the cost should be 50% of the item’s GP value, and magical items should cost 100% of the item’s GP value.

The GP cost of items can sometimes create some confusion with woodworking. After all, a resourceful Woodcarver could make an effective spear out of a long branch. Rather than restrict these types of items I would recommend you permit it but be sure to implement a drawback of some sort when using these items.

For example a hastily crafted spear should be more fragile and likely to be broken if targeted in combat. An ad-hoc spear might only have 10 HP and 14 AC where as a properly crafted wooden spear could have 30 HP and 15 AC.

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Carved out of Wood – Craftable Items

There are a lot of approaches you can take when determining what items each kit can create. In this case I am going to do my best to provide with with an itemized list of crafting objects, but at the end of the day it is up to you to decide what a player can and cannot create.

Crafting Weapons

Unless you are playing a particularly brutal survival campaign, you will probably be looking to create some higher end equipment, and therefore will have an interest in creating martial weapons. The problem is a woodcarver would not be able to create many of these weapons on their own.

However, should the woodcarver have access to the metallic components of these weapons such as the head of a pike, it is reasonable to assume that they would be able to lead or participate in the construction of many weapons. Examples of ways to acquire said components are purchasing them from a market or having an artisan with the needed tool proficiency produce the component.

Below is a list of weapons a player with proficiency in the woodcarver’s tools should be able to create:

Weapon Crafting List
Weapon Cost Weight Crafting Capability
Club 1 SP 2 LEAD
Dagger 2 GP 1 ASSIST
Greatclub 2 SP 10 LEAD
Handaxe 5 GP 2 ASSIST
Javelin 5 SP 2 LEAD
Light Hammer 2 GP 2 ASSIST
Mace 5 GP 4 ASSIST
Quarterstaff 2 SP 4 LEAD
Sickle 1 GP 2 ASSIST
Spear 1 GP 3 LEAD
Crossbow, light 25 GP 5 LEAD
Dart 5 CP 0.25 LEAD
Shortbow 25 GP 2 LEAD
Sling 1 SP – LEAD
Battleaxe 10 GP 4 ASSIST
Flail 10 GP 2 ASSIST
Glaive 20 GP 6 ASSIST
Greataxe 30 GP 7 ASSIST
Halberd 20 GP 6 ASSIST
Lance 10 GP 6 ASSIST
Maul 10 GP 10 ASSIST
Morningstar 15 GP 4 ASSIST
Pike 5 GP 18 ASSIST
Trident 5 GP 4 ASSIST
War pick 5 GP 2 ASSIST
Warhammer 15 GP 2 ASSIST
Blowgun 10 GP 1 LEAD
Crossbow, hand 75 GP 3 LEAD
Crossbow, heavy 50 GP 18 LEAD
Longbow 50 GP 2 LEAD

Put some minor restrictions on what types of projects a woodcarver can lead. While wooden components are an integral part to many crafted items, there are some weapons in the PHB that a woodcarver wouldn’t have the expertise needed to create on their own. I would argue that leading the construction of any martial weapon that deal slashing damage would be beyond the expertise of a woodcarver. You could make the case for a woodcarver creating shortbows and longbows should their character have a background in fletching, however crossbow construction is best left to someone with expertise with the tinker’s tools.

On the other hand, when it comes to assisting another artisan in the crafting process, I would recommend being flexible. As alluded to above, every single RAW weapon has components that can be created using wood, and it is not a stretch to assume the woodcarver can assist with minor non-woodcarving tasks once the carving is done.

The Takeaway: Woodcarvers can lead the creation of any Bludgeoning or Piercing Martial Melee weapon, and assist in the creation of any weapon.

Wooden Armor

Armor is a bit trickier, open to interpretation, and therefore more fun. As alluded to above the only armor that uses wood in its RAW description is the shield, so for posterity’s sake I will state that creating shields out of wood is a valid choice. However, I don’t feel like laminar armor is being given a fair shake. There are many instances of wooden laminar armor being used over the course of history, so I think that it is valid to include it as a homebrew option.

Armor Crafting List
Armor Cost Weight Crafting Capability
Shield 10 GP 6 LEAD
Ring Mail 30 GP 40 OPTIONAL

Historically wooden laminar armor was phased out because of the relatively poor protection it provided against metal weapons, and the burdensome weight it imposed on the wearer. Fortunately for us there is already an armor in existence that has these exact properties! Yes the good old fashion ring mail seems to have the stat line we need. With a nice low AC of 14 unmodified by Dex, a weight of 40 lbs, and permanent disadvantage on stealth checks, I think it is fair to say that it is perfectly acceptable to use laminar armor as a ring mail surrogate. While it may not be an adventurer’s first choice for protection, it can serve as an effective low cost option for a low level character or when stocking a militia on the frontier.

Finally when it comes to magical wood, I firmly believe the sky is the limit. Should the DM create a fictional wood that is as resilient as steel, I see no reason that a woodcarver with the appropriate magical cutting edge to match could not use it to create any armor in the list.

The Takeaway: When using regular wood, the only armor you can craft is shields and laminar armor(wooden ring mail). Magical wood is exempt from these rules at the DM’s discretion.

Adventuring Gear

If an expansive list of weapons and some home-brewed potential for armor wasn’t enough for you, then you’ll be happy to hear that the woodcarver’s tools can create an impressive number of items from the adventuring gear list:

Adventuring Gear Crafting List
Item Cost Weight Crafting Capability
Abacus 2 gp 2 lb. LEAD
Arrows (20) 1 GP 1 lb. LEAD
Blowgun Needles (50) 1 GP 1 lb. LEAD
Crossbow Bolts (20) 1 GP 1.5 lb. LEAD
Arcane Focus, Rod 10 gp 2 lb. ASSIST
Arcane Focus, Staff 5 gp 4 lb. LEAD
Arcane Focus, Wand 10 gp 1 lb. LEAD
Barrel 2 gp 70 lb. LEAD
Basket 4 sp 2 lb. LEAD
Bell 1 gp — OPTIONAL
Bottle, Glass 2 gp 2 lb. OPTIONAL
Bucket 5 cp 2 lb. ASSIST
Candle 1 cp — OPTIONAL
Case, Crossbow Bolt 1 gp 1 lb. LEAD
Case, Map or Scroll 1 gp 1 lb. OPTIONAL
Chest 5 gp 25 lb. ASSIST
Climber’s Kit 25 gp 12 lb. ASSIST
Druidic Focus, Sprig of Mistletoe 1 gp — LEAD
Druidic Focus, Totem 1 gp — LEAD
Druidic Focus, Wooden Staff 5 gp 4 lb. LEAD
Druidic Focus, Yew Wand 10 gp 1 lb. LEAD
Fishing Tackle 1 gp 4 lb. ASSIST
Flask or Tankard 2 cp 1 lb. ASSIST
Hammer 1 gp 3 lb. OPTIONAL
Hammer, Sledge 2 gp 10 lb. OPTIONAL
Healer’s Kit 5 gp 3 lb. ASSIST
Ink Pen 2 cp — LEAD
Jug or Pitcher 2 cp 4 lb. LEAD
Ladder (10-foot) 1 sp 25 lb. ASSIST
Manacles 2 gp 6 lb. OPTIONAL
Mirror, Steel 5 gp ½ lb. OPTIONAL
Paper (one sheet) 2 sp — ASSIST
Pole (10-foot) 5 cp 7 lb. LEAD
Ram, Portable 4 gp 35 lb. ASSIST
Shovel 2 gp 5 lb. LEAD
Signal Whistle 5 cp — LEAD
Signet Ring 5 gp — OPTIONAL
Spikes, Iron (10) 1 gp 5 lb. OPTIONAL
Spyglass 1,000 gp 1 lb. ASSIST
Tent, two-person 2 gp 20 lb. ASSIST
Tinderbox 5 sp 1 lb. LEAD
Torch 1 cp 1 lb. LEAD

While some of the items I listed above might traditionally be out of metal, I think in many cases such as ball bearings you could argue that a wooden version would work equally well. However, in other cases such as manacles, I would advise you use your judgement when deciding how effective they are. For example if a wooden manacle is just a large board with a couple of holes in it, then they will probably hold as well as their metal counterpart. But if the manacle is effectively a pair of wooden bracelets held together by wood, then lowering the DC required to break free to 15 might be appropriate.

The Takeaway: The woodcarver’s tools has a very strong list of adventuring gear items it can create. Even more-so if you allow for alternative wooden versions of items such as ball bearings.

Magical Items

Last but definitely not least is magical items. As I mentioned before you could argue that magical wood could allow the player to break the rules and create virtually and weapon and armor in the game. However, for the sake of not making this article longer than the average 5e campaign, I will only list the items that I believe can be crafted out of your garden variety(forest variety?) wood pieces:

Magic Item Crafting List
Item Rarity Category Crafting Capability
Ammunition, +1 – Arrows Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +2 – Arrows Rare Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +3 – Arrows Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +1 – Blowgun Needles Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +2 – Blowgun Needles Rare Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +3 – Blowgun Needles Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +1 – Crossbow Bolts Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +2 – Crossbow Bolts Rare Weapon LEAD
Ammunition, +3 – Crossbow Bolts Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Animated Shield Very Rare Armor LEAD
Armor +1 – Ring Mail Rare Armor OPTIONAL
Armor +2 – Ring Mail Very Rare Armor OPTIONAL
Armor +3 – Ring Mail Legendary Armor OPTIONAL
Armor of Resistance – Ring Mail Rare Armor OPTIONAL
Arrow-Catching Shield Rare Armor LEAD
Arrow of Slaying Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Berserker Axe – Handaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Berserker Axe – Battleaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Berserker Axe – Greataxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Berserker Axe – Halberd Rare Weapon ASSIST
Bowl of Commanding Water Elementals Rare Wondrous Item LEAD
Brooch of Shielding Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Broom of Flying Uncommon Wondrous Item LEAD
Candle of Invocation Very Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Circlet of Blasting Uncommon Wondrous Item ASSIST
Dagger of Venom Rare Weapon ASSIST
Decanter of Endless Water Uncommon Wondrous Item ASSIST
Dimensional Shackles Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Dwarven Thrower Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Folding Boat Rare Wonderous Item ASSIST
Giant Slayer – Handaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Giant Slayer – Battleaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Giant Slayer – Greataxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Giant Slayer – Halberd Rare Weapon ASSIST
Hammer of Thunderbolts Legendary Weapon ASSIST
Instant Fortress Rare Wondrous Item ASSIST
Javelin of Lightning Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Mace of Disruption Rare Weapon ASSIST
Mace of Smiting Rare Weapon ASSIST
Mace of Terror Rare Weapon ASSIST
Oathbow Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Periapt of Health Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Periapt of Proof against Poison Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Periapt of Wound Closure Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Pipes of Haunting Uncommon Wondrous Item LEAD
Pipes of the Sewers Uncommon Wondrous Item LEAD
Ring of Animal Influence Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Djinni Summoning Legendary Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Elemental Command Legendary Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Evasion Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Feather Falling Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Free Action Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Invisibility Legendary Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Jumping Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Mind Shielding Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Protection Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Regeneration Very Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Resistance Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Shooting Stars Very Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Spell Storing Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Spell Turning Legendary Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Swimming Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Telekinesis Very Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of the Ram Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Three Wishes Legendary Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Warmth Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of Water Walking Uncommon Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Ring of X-ray Vision Rare Wondrous Item OPTIONAL
Rod of Absorption Very Rare Rod OPTIONAL
Rod of Alertness Very Rare Rod OPTIONAL
Rod of Lordly Might Legendary Rod OPTIONAL
Rod of Rulership Rare Rod OPTIONAL
Rod of Security Very Rare Rod OPTIONAL
Shield +1 Uncommon Armor LEAD
Shield +2 Rare Armor LEAD
Shield +3 Very Rare Armor LEAD
Shield of Missile Attraction Rare Armor LEAD
Spellguard Shield Very Rare Armor LEAD
Staff of Charming Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Fire Very Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Frost Very Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Healing Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Power Very Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Striking Very Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Swarming Insects Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of the Magi Legendary Staff LEAD
Staff of the Python Uncommon Staff LEAD
Staff of the Woodlands Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Thunder and Lightning Very Rare Staff LEAD
Staff of Withering Rare Staff LEAD
Sword of Sharpness – Greatsword Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Sword of Sharpness – Scimitar Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Trident of Fish Command Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Club Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Dagger Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Greatclub Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Handaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Javelin Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Light Hammer Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Mace Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Quarterstaff Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Sickle Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Spear Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Crossbow, light Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Dart Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Shortbow Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Sling Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Battleaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Flail Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Glaive Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Greataxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Halberd Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Lance Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Maul Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Morningstar Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Pike Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Trident Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – War pick Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Warhammer Rare Weapon ASSIST
Vicious Weapon – Blowgun Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Crossbow, hand Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Crossbow, heavy Rare Weapon LEAD
Vicious Weapon – Longbow Rare Weapon LEAD
Vorpal Sword – Greatsword Legendary Weapon ASSIST
Vorpal Sword – Scimitar Legendary Weapon ASSIST
Wand of Binding Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Enemy Detection Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Fear Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Fireballs Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Lightning Bolts Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Magic Detection Uncommon Wand LEAD
Wand of Magic Missiles Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Paralysis Very Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Polymorph Very Rare Wand LEAD
Wand of Secrets Uncommon Wand LEAD
Wand of the War Mage, +1, +2, or +3 Uncommon Wand LEAD
Wand of Web Uncommon Wand LEAD
Wand of Wonder Rare Wand LEAD
Weapon +1 – Club Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Dagger Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Greatclub Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Handaxe Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Javelin Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Light Hammer Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Mace Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Quarterstaff Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Sickle Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Spear Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Crossbow, light Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Dart Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Shortbow Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Sling Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Battleaxe Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Flail Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Glaive Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Greataxe Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Halberd Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Lance Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Maul Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Morningstar Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Pike Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Trident Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – War pick Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Warhammer Uncommon Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +1 – Blowgun Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Crossbow, hand Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Crossbow, heavy Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +1 – Longbow Uncommon Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Club Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Dagger Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Greatclub Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Handaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Javelin Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Light Hammer Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Mace Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Quarterstaff Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Sickle Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Spear Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Crossbow, light Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Dart Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Shortbow Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Sling Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Battleaxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Flail Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Glaive Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Greataxe Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Halberd Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Lance Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Maul Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Morningstar Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Pike Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Trident Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – War pick Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Warhammer Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +2 – Blowgun Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Crossbow, hand Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Crossbow, heavy Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +2 – Longbow Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Club Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Dagger Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Greatclub Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Handaxe Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Javelin Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Light Hammer Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Mace Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Quarterstaff Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Sickle Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Spear Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Crossbow, light Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Dart Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Shortbow Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Sling Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Battleaxe Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Flail Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Glaive Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Greataxe Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Halberd Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Lance Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Maul Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Morningstar Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Pike Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Trident Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – War pick Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Warhammer Very Rare Weapon ASSIST
Weapon +3 – Blowgun Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Crossbow, hand Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Crossbow, heavy Very Rare Weapon LEAD
Weapon +3 – Longbow Very Rare Weapon LEAD

The Takeaway: Just look at the size of that list of magic items…

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Money Does Grow On Trees – Creating and Selling Wooden Artwork

Using the Questionable Arcana Artwork Crafting Rules a woodworker can create very valuable artwork.

Questionable Arcana Artwork Crafting Rules At A Glance

Overview: The Questionable Arcana Artwork Crafting System is a homebrew set of rules that allows your players to create potentially valuable artwork. The goal of the system is to allow for crafting options beyond the defined RAW items. This is especially important for artistic toolkits such as the painter's supplies where RAW crafting options are limited.

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR THE COMPLETE ARTWORK CRAFTING RULES

Crafting Process

  1. Obtain Means of Production - Obtain any special equipment or set up in a location that allows you to use the artisan's tools. This step does not apply to all kits. For example a smith needs a forge to create art, but a painter can create artwork anywhere.
  2. Roll Artisan's Tool Ability Check - A skill check that involves using the artisan's tool to create a piece of artwork. If you succeed the check add Crafting Progress Roll value to the estimated value of the artwork. If you fail the check no progress is made. If you fail the check by 5 or more you subtract the Crafting Progress Roll value from the estimated value of the artwork.
  3. GP Progression Roll - Roll your proficiency dice to determine how much value is added or subtracted to the estimated GP value of the artwork being created.

Artisan's Tool Ability Check Formula

[Ability Check DC]* = [Target Item's Current Estimated Value]** / 10

* Values are rounded down and the Max DC is 20
** Does not include the value of materials used to create the artwork. For example the value of any gemstones installed using a jeweler's tools are not used to calculate the ability check DC.

Crafting Progress Roll

[Target Item's Estimated Value] = [Target Item's Current Estimated Value] +/- ([Proficiency Dice Roll] x 5)

Important Disclaimer: The Questionable Arcana Artwork Crafting Rules and lists are not official material. The concepts and ideas provided by this write-up are simply suggestions. I happen to think they are good suggestions, but ultimately your table's DM has the final say when it comes to any and all artwork crafting rulings.

The process of crafting wooden artwork is the same as the standard process described in the link above, but we will also quickly run through the basics below:

  1. OPTIONAL: Use 10 GP worth of artisanal goods purchased on the market to gain advantage on your Woodcarver’s Tools Ability Check
  2. Make an Woodcarver’s Tools Ability Check. The DC of the check is based on the current value of the artwork. The more valuable the artwork already is, the more difficult it is to increase the value.
  3. If you succeed add your Crafting Progress Check to the Estimated Value of the artwork. If you fail by less than 5 no progress is made. If you fail by 5 or more subtract your Crafting Progress Check from the Estimated Value of the artwork.

As an example a level 5 character with woodcarver’s tools proficiency working on a figurine of a minotaur with an estimated value of 125 GP would need to roll a DC 12 Dexterity(woodcarver’s tools) check. If they succeed they are then able add 5+(1d6*5) to the figurine’s value estimate.

Ad-hoc Weaponry

Proficiency in the woodcarver’s tools gives you another major benefit that could be a game change in the right situation. Your party may find themselves in a situation where they have more bodies in the group than weapons in hand. However, if there is an ample supply of wood, a skilled woodcarver can create a batch of improvised weapons that can make those bodies an asset instead of a liability.

Figuring out how to handle weapons entirely made out of wood was actually fairly simple. All of the martial weapons traditionally have some type of metal component in them, so by default they are ineligible to be carved out of a log. Furthermore, in order for a weapon to effectively deal slashing damage a wooden edge really isn’t going to do a trick, so all of those weapons are out as well. This leaves us with simple weapons that deal bludgeoning and piercing damage.

The dagger was the only piercing weapon that was a little bit suspect at first. However, since a dagger shares the same damage as an improvised piercing weapon(1d4), I see no problem with allowing a skilled woodworker to balance the knife properly granting it the finesse and thrown properties.

You might also be tempted to say the mace and light hammer require a metal head, but before you commit to that decision I recommend you do conduct this two step experiment.

  1. Go outdoors in real life and find a nice dense piece of wood.
  2. Have a friend test the wood’s performance in the role of either a mace or light hammer on you.

If after this experiment you still doubt woods ability to function in this role then feel free to exclude maces and light hammers as crafting options. Otherwise I recommend you allow woodcarvers to create the following list of wooden only ad-hoc weapons:

  • Club
  • Dagger
  • Greatclub
  • Javelin
  • Light Hammer
  • Mace
  • Quarterstaff
  • Spear

The Takeaway: Using only wood you are able to create any simple weapon that deals bludgeoning or piercing damage.

In Conclusion

I hope that by the end of this arcana you are convinced of the merits of woodcarving. Even if you don’t choose to use the QA crafting system, many of the concepts discussed in this document can be applied to any crafting system. Although it is often not a player’s first choice, in the right hands the woodcarver’s kit is arguably one of the most useful crafting kits in 5th edition.

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