Crafting Cost Without Coin
In settled societies, magic item crafting cost is usually measured in gold pieces. In ruined, isolated, or moneyless regions, gold may have little or no practical value. That is the reason for the Andórë Crafting System.
When coin is not meaningful, treat an item’s crafting cost as an abstract measure of the resources consumed during the crafting process.
This cost may be paid with any suitable combination of:
- salvage
- refined metal
- charcoal, coal, oil, or other fuel
- alchemical reagents
- acids, salts, powders, resins, and binding agents
- replacement tools and tool wear
- workshop access
- preserved monster parts
- rare plants, minerals, gems, or pigments
- trade goods accepted by local survivors
- labor, favors, or access to specialized knowledge
The required components of the recipe must still be provided. The remaining cost represents everything consumed in the process of making the item permanent, stable, and reliable.
Resource Burden by Rarity¶
| Item Rarity | Crafting Time | Resource Burden |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 5 days | 50 GP worth of materials |
| Uncommon | 10 days | 200 GP worth of materials |
| Rare | 50 days | 2,000 GP worth of materials |
| Very Rare | 125 days | 20,000 GP worth of materials |
| Legendary | 250 days | 100,000 GP worth of materials |
In a moneyless campaign, the listed GP value is not paid in coin. It is used only as a benchmark for how much usable material, fuel, reagent, salvage, and workshop effort is consumed.
Crafting Supply Units¶
When tracking exact gold is not useful, the DM may convert crafting cost into Crafting Supply Units.
| Item Rarity | Supply Units Required |
|---|---|
| Common | 1 |
| Uncommon | 4 |
| Rare | 40 |
| Very Rare | 400 |
| Legendary | 2,000 |
One Crafting Supply Unit represents roughly 50 GP worth of usable salvage, fuel, reagents, prepared materials, or workshop consumables.
Required Components and Consumed Supplies¶
A magic item recipe lists the components that must be physically or magically present in the finished item. These components do not need to equal the full resource burden of the item.
The remaining resource burden represents materials consumed during the crafting process, such as alchemical reagents, binding salts, flux, oils, inscriptions, failed cuts, quenching agents, stabilizing powders, tool wear, workshop fuel, and other supplies.
The final crafting time and resource burden are determined by the item’s rarity unless the DM rules otherwise.
Higher-Potency Essence¶
A recipe may always use an essence of the same tag and a higher potency than required.
For example, a recipe that requires Lesser Healing Essence may use Potent Healing Essence, Greater Healing Essence, or Mythic Healing Essence instead.
Using higher-potency essence does not reduce the number of units required unless the recipe specifically says otherwise.
Essence Substitution¶
When a crafting recipe calls for a specific essence tag, the listed tag is the most efficient and reliable option.
At the DM’s discretion, a closely related essence tag may be substituted if it can plausibly produce the same effect. If the substitute essence is the same potency as the required essence, the recipe usually requires twice as many units.
A higher-potency essence may sometimes overcome an imperfect tag match. If the substitute essence is at least two potency tiers higher than the required essence, 1 unit may replace the listed essence even if the tag is only indirectly related.
The DM may reject a substitution if the essence does not meaningfully support the item’s function.
Specific Components and Essence Alternatives¶
Some crafting recipes may be completed in more than one way.
A recipe may call for a general essence tag, a specific raw material, or either one.
- Essence requirements represent a broad magical principle that can be sourced from many creatures.
- Specific material requirements represent a body part or raw material whose natural properties already embody the desired effect.
When a recipe lists a specific raw material as an alternative, that material may replace the listed essence requirement.
The DM decides whether the specific material fully replaces the essence requirement or only replaces part of it.