Smith’s tools allow you to work metal, heating it to alter its shape, repair damage, or work raw ingots into useful items.
[[Blacksmithing]] with smith's tools confers some advantages:
- You can add your proficiency bonus to some skill checks related to smithing.
- You can repair metal items.
- You can craft metal items.
## Components
Smith’s tools include hammers, tongs, charcoal, rags, and a whetstone.
## Skill checks that benefit from proficiency
**[Arcana](https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/using-ability-scores#Arcana)** and **[History](https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/using-ability-scores#History).** Your expertise lends you additional insight when examining metal objects, such as weapons.
**[Investigation](https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/using-ability-scores#Investigation).** You can spot clues and make deductions that others might overlook when an investigation involves armor, weapons, or other metalwork.
## Repairing metal items
With access to your tools and an open flame hot enough to make metal pliable, you can restore 10 hit points to a damaged metal object for each hour of work.
| Activity | DC |
| -------------------------------- | --- |
| Sharpen a dull blade | 10 |
| Repair a suit of armor | 15 |
| Sunder a nonmagical metal object | 15 |
## Crafting metal items
### Requirements
#### Skill
To attempt to craft a metal item, a character must be proficient with the relevant tools or skill (having both gives you double bonuses).
#### Crafting Cost
Half of the item's gold cost in materials, rounded down.
#### Plans
- Knowledge of how to make the item.
- Learning plans
- Simple: Study or design item for a short rest
- Moderate: Help a more experienced smith make one. (spend a quarter of the time it takes to craft one)
- Complex: Help a more experienced smith make one.
- Legendary: ???
#### Equipment
- Smith's Tools
- Forge or [[Makeshift Forge]]
- Simple and Moderate can be done in a [[Makeshift Forge]]
- Complex can only be done with a forge
#### Crafting Time
![[Making Tools Useful in 5e - Smith's Tools — Dump Stat Adventures#^28e7f5]]
DON'T ROUND UP FOR SIMPLE
#### Skill check
d20 + proficiency with tools + Strength modifier.
- Moderate: DC 11 check for every week spent. Need number of successes in "Crafting Time" above.
- Complex: DC 20 check for every week spent.
### Classes of metal items
#### Simple Metalwork
| Name | Crafting Cost | Crafting Time | Known by Boris |
| ----------------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------- | -------------- |
| Dagger | 1 gp | 2 hours | ✅ |
| Handaxe | 2 gp 5 sp | 4 hours | ✅ |
| Javelin | 2 sp 5 cp | 4 hours | ✅ |
| Light hammer | 1 gp | 4 hours | ✅ |
| Mace | 2 gp 5 sp | 1 day | ✅ |
| Sickle | 5 sp | 2 hours | ✅ |
| Crossbow prod | 12 gp 5 sp | 1 day 2 hours | ✅ |
| Darts, crossbow bolts, arrows | 3 cp each | 30 minutes each, 1 day/20 | ✅ |
| Breastplate | 200 gp | 5 days | ✅ |
| Half plate | 375 gp | 10 days | ❌ |
| Shield | 5 gp | 1 day 4 hours | ❌ |
Simple metalwork involves no moving parts and are usually made of one piece of metal. It includes all simple weapons, some medium armor (breastplate and half-plate), and shields.
**Learning Plans**: study or design item for a short rest
**Equipment Required**: Makeshift forge.
**DC**: None; meeting requirements is an automatic success.
#### Moderate Metalwork: DC 11
| Name | Crafting Cost | Crafting Time | Successes | Known by Boris |
| ----------- | ------------- | ------------- | --------- | -------------- |
| Battleaxe | 5 gp | 2 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Flail | 5 gp | 1 day | 1 | ✅ |
| Glaive | 10 gp | 3 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Greataxe | 15 gp | 4 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Halberd | 10 gp | 4 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Lance | 5 gp | 3 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Longsword | 7 gp 5 sp | 2 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Maul | 5 gp | 5 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Morningstar | 7 gp 5 sp | 2 days | 1 | ✅ |
| Pike | 2 gp 5 sp | 9 days | 2 | ✅ |
| Rapier | 12 gp 5 sp | 1 days | 1 | ❌ |
| Scimitar | 12 gp 5 sp | 2 days | 1 | ❌ |
| Shortsword | 5 gp | 1 day | 1 | ✅ |
| Trident | 2 gp 5 sp | 2 days | 1 | ✅ |
| War pick | 2 gp 5 sp | 1 day | 1 | ✅ |
| Warhammer | 7 gp 5 sp | 1 day | 1 | ✅ |
| Chain shirt | 25 gp | 10 days | 2 | ✅ |
| Scale mail | 25 gp | 23 days | 5 | ❌ |
Moderate metalwork involves multiple pieces of metal in more intricate shapes: most martial weapons, some medium armor (chain shirt and scale mail).
**Learning Plans**: Help a more experienced smith make one. (Spend a quarter of the time it takes to craft one.)
**Equipment Required**: Makeshift forge.
**DC**: 11. (d20 + proficiency with tools + Strength modifier)
#### Complex Metalwork: DC 20
| Name | Crafting Cost | Crafting Time | Successes | Known by Boris |
| ---------- | ------------- | ------------- | --------- | -------------- |
| Greatsword | 25 gp | 6 days | 2 | ❌ |
| Ring mail | 15 gp | 40 days | 8 | ❌ |
| Chain mail | 37 gp 5 sp | 55 days | 11 | ❌ |
| Splint | 100 gp | 60 days | 12 | ❌ |
| Plate | 750 gp | 65 days | 13 | ❌ |
Complex metalwork involves lots of pieces and moving parts. It includes some martial weapons (greatsword) and all heavy armor.
**Learning Plans**: Help a more experienced smith make one.
**Equipment Required**: Forge.
**DC**: 20. (d20 + proficiency with tools + Strength modifier)
#### Legendary Metalwork
- made of mithril, adamantine, or other rare metals
- includes mythical masterwork from elven or dwarven tradition
![[Making Tools Useful in 5e - Smith's Tools — Dump Stat Adventures#^b5937d]] [^makingtoolsuseful]
### Unforeseen Characteristics
Unforeseen characteristics
- Nonmagical: Add a quirk
- Magical
- Perks for at least 1 roll higher than DC + 5.
- Flaws for at least 1 roll lower than DC
#### Quirks
- 1: **Unusually colored**: Item takes on an unexpected color.
- 2: **Color-Altering**: Color of item changes based on users’ mood.
- 3: **Magnificent Appearance**: The item looks more valuable than it is.
- 4: **Noisy**: The item makes an odd noise each time it’s used (such as a squeak, the sound of a spring, etc.).
- 5: **Bloodthirsty**: Item vibrates when it touches blood.
- 6: **Levitating**: Item floats two inches above ground when unattended.
- 7: **Molting**: Item now has a scaly skin and occasionally sheds it to reveal a new one.
- 8: **Loyal**: Item only works for the one who created it.
- 9: **Slimy**: Item is covered in a thin layer of slime.
- 10: **Glittering**: Item leaves a trail of sparkles when it’s used.
#### Perks
- 1: **Lightweight**: The item’s weight is reduced by half.
- 2: **Durable**: The item is less resistant to breaking.
- 3: **Resistance**: The item gains a damage resistance.
- 4: **Inscribed with an unexpected spell**: A secondary low-level spell can be cast.
- 5: **Favored Enemy**: The item deals extra damage to a particular enemy type.
- 6: **Fortune's Favor**: Cast Fortune's Favor once per long rest.
- 7: **Lunar**: Item manifests additional power when used in the moonlight.
- 8: **Solar**: Item manifests additional power when used in full sunlight.
- 9: **Potent**: Cast a spell of 2nd level.
- 10: **Shielding**: The item absorbs some of the damage occasionally.
#### Flaws
- 1: **Heavy**: Item becomes twice as heavy.
- 2: **Fragile**: Item has twice as much chance to break.
- 3: **Vulnerable**: Item is vulnerable to one type of damage.
- 4: **Addictive**: Owner does not want to give up the item under any circumstances (Think the One Ring in LOTR).
- 5: **Impotent**: Item spells are one level lower than intended.
- 6: **Backlashing**: The user of the item takes 1d6 in damage from magical energy backlash.
- 7: **Enticing**: Others covet the item and try to take it at all costs.
- 8: **Pacifistic**: Weapon deals non-lethal damage only.
- 9: **Allergic**: Item ceases magical abilities while within 30 feet of a particular type of creature.
- 10: **Cursed**: Item gains a curse.
## References
[^makingtoolsuseful]: Bandstra (2019). _[[Making Tools Useful in 5e - Smith's Tools — Dump Stat Adventures]]_. Accessed in April 2021.