# Making Tools Useful in 5e: Smith's Tools — Dump Stat Adventures
URL:: https://dumpstatadventures.com/the-gm-is-always-right/making-tools-useful-in-5e-smiths-tools
Author:: Stephen Bandstra
## Highlights
> To figure out what can be crafted off and on the trail, let’s go ahead and make three categories for complexity: Simple, Moderate, & Complex.
> Simple - requires no moving parts and is generally one piece of metal shaped quite quickly into form. All simple weapons and some types of armor, like breastplate.
> Moderate - requires multiple pieces of metal shaped into a more intricate form. All martial weapons, except certain types, and some armor falls in this category.
> Complex - requires lots of pieces and many moving parts. Some martial weapons and most armor belong to this category. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767530))
> you can use the head of a suitably large sledgehammer. Sink it into the ground, or a bucket of sand or concrete and hammer out small items off of that. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767532))
> Ringmail and Chainmail are highly complex in that they require up to thousands of rings crafted, but the individual rings can be crafted by themselves and so they can use our mini-anvil by a campfire. To determine how big something is, we will have to look at each item on a case-by-case basis and separate them into two categories: Campfire or Forge. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767533))
> Blacksmithing is extremely loud. I am not at fault if you are attacked by all manner of spooky beasts. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767534))
> Crafting time
> Simple - weight / 4 = # of days needed to craft; minimum 1 day, round up
> Moderate - weight / 2 = # of days needed to craft; minimum 1 day, round up
> Complex - weight = # of days needed to craft; minimum 1 day, round up
> For a few examples, this means that:
> Shield (Simple) 6lbs = 2 days of crafting
> Scale Mail (Moderate) 45lbs = 23 days of crafting
> Ringmail (Complex) 40lbs = 40 days of crafting ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767535))
> Smith’s Hammers of Silence - These hammers have been enchanted to make no sound when used to craft equipment. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767536))
> Travel Forge - This cart has 1,200 pounds of tools, coal and supplies. These tools and supplies included a bellows attached to a fireplace, a 4-inch-wide (100 mm) vise, 100-pound (45 kg) anvil, a box containing 250 pounds (110 kg) of coal, 4-foot-long (1.2 m) bundled bars of iron, and on the limber is a box containing the requisite smith's tools. All of this is placed on a convenient cart that just requires a draft horse to pull it around. This equipment will allow you to craft materials that require a forge. Price - 800 gp ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767537))
---
Title: Making Tools Useful in 5e: Smith's Tools — Dump Stat Adventures
Author: Stephen Bandstra
Tags: readwise, articles
date: 2024-01-30
---
# Making Tools Useful in 5e: Smith's Tools — Dump Stat Adventures
URL:: https://dumpstatadventures.com/the-gm-is-always-right/making-tools-useful-in-5e-smiths-tools
Author:: Stephen Bandstra
## AI-Generated Summary
None
## Highlights
> To figure out what can be crafted off and on the trail, let’s go ahead and make three categories for complexity: Simple, Moderate, & Complex.
> Simple - requires no moving parts and is generally one piece of metal shaped quite quickly into form. All simple weapons and some types of armor, like breastplate.
> Moderate - requires multiple pieces of metal shaped into a more intricate form. All martial weapons, except certain types, and some armor falls in this category.
> Complex - requires lots of pieces and many moving parts. Some martial weapons and most armor belong to this category. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767530))
> you can use the head of a suitably large sledgehammer. Sink it into the ground, or a bucket of sand or concrete and hammer out small items off of that. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767532))
> Ringmail and Chainmail are highly complex in that they require up to thousands of rings crafted, but the individual rings can be crafted by themselves and so they can use our mini-anvil by a campfire. To determine how big something is, we will have to look at each item on a case-by-case basis and separate them into two categories: Campfire or Forge. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767533))
> Blacksmithing is extremely loud. I am not at fault if you are attacked by all manner of spooky beasts. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767534))
> Crafting time
> Simple - weight / 4 = # of days needed to craft; minimum 1 day, round up
> Moderate - weight / 2 = # of days needed to craft; minimum 1 day, round up
> Complex - weight = # of days needed to craft; minimum 1 day, round up
> For a few examples, this means that:
> Shield (Simple) 6lbs = 2 days of crafting
> Scale Mail (Moderate) 45lbs = 23 days of crafting
> Ringmail (Complex) 40lbs = 40 days of crafting ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767535))
> Smith’s Hammers of Silence - These hammers have been enchanted to make no sound when used to craft equipment. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767536))
> Travel Forge - This cart has 1,200 pounds of tools, coal and supplies. These tools and supplies included a bellows attached to a fireplace, a 4-inch-wide (100 mm) vise, 100-pound (45 kg) anvil, a box containing 250 pounds (110 kg) of coal, 4-foot-long (1.2 m) bundled bars of iron, and on the limber is a box containing the requisite smith's tools. All of this is placed on a convenient cart that just requires a draft horse to pull it around. This equipment will allow you to craft materials that require a forge. Price - 800 gp ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1362811855/14767537))