This compendium details various rare and exotic materials found across the grim and perilous world of Etharis. Each entry includes where such materials originate, the challenges in acquiring them, and the special properties they lend to armor and weapons. Whether in the darkest forests of the Ostoyan Empire or the bustling capitals of the Bürach Empire, these materials can alter the fate of those who wield them—if they survive the journey to obtain them.
Material Requirements
The table below shows the number of ingots required to craft various items:
| Item Type | Ingots |
|---|---|
| Light Armor | 3 |
| Medium Armor | 5 |
| Heavy Armor | 8 |
| Plate Armor | 9 |
| One-Handed Weapon | 1 |
| Two-Handed Weapon | 3 |
Crafting Weapons and Armor in Etharis
The art of crafting weapons and armor in Etharis is a blend of skill, knowledge, and the rare materials themselves. Each piece of equipment tells a story of its maker’s dedication, the dangers faced in acquiring its components, and the mysteries of the material itself. Below is a detailed guide on the mechanics and requirements for crafting, ensuring adventurers and artisans alike can bring their visions to life. Crafting Requirements
Tools Proficiency: Proficiency with the appropriate artisan tools is required:
- Weaver’s Tools for light armor.
- Leatherworker’s Tools for medium armor.
- Smith’s Tools for heavy armor and melee weapons.
- Woodcarver’s Tools for ranged weapons.
- Tinkerer’s Tools for advanced weapons (used alongside Smith’s or Woodcarver’s tools, depending on the weapon type).
Crafting Knowledge: Before working with an exotic material, you must acquire specific training or schematics. This may be unlocked through:
- Completing a relevant quest.
- Earning a schematic as a reward.
- Discovering ancient crafting secrets in long-lost tomes or through skilled mentors.
Raw Materials: Each item requires “ingots” of the desired material. Note that “ingots” is used broadly to represent equivalent crafting units of any material, such as bundles of spider silk or shards of ilithon crystals.
Crafting, Time and Costs
- Crafting Time: Crafting an item requires 1 day of uninterrupted work per ingot used.
- Material Cost Reduction: Crafting your own armor or weapon reduces the total cost by 50%, representing savings from labor and direct sourcing of materials.
- Critical Successes: For every 5 points by which your tool check exceeds the DC, reduce the crafting time by 1 day (to a minimum of 1 day).
- Collaborative Crafting: Multiple artisans with proficiency in the required tools may work together, reducing the crafting time. Each assistant reduces the time by 1 additional day, up to a maximum of three assistants.
- Material Synergy: Some materials might grant unique bonuses during crafting. For example:
- Crafting with adamantine in a dwarven forge reduces ingot requirements by 1.
- Forging mithral with elven assistance eliminates the Strength requirement for armor, even for non-mithral armors.
Skill Challenges
Crafting in Etharis can be fraught with challenges, especially when working with exotic or dangerous materials. Each day of crafting, the DC for crafting is determined by the Dungeon master with a 10 + 1d10.
Below are some example skill challenges that can arise during crafting. The DM can choose challenges appropriate to the material or create custom ones for specific scenarios:
- Adamantine Forge Fire: A sudden spark threatens to ruin your ingot supply. Succeed on a Dexterity (Smith’s Tools) check against the day’s DC to prevent the loss of 1 ingot.
- Darksteel’s Curse: Prolonged exposure to darksteel weakens your resolve. Succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the day’s DC or gain one level of exhaustion.