Crafting (FiD)

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All crafting (p 224) is done in downtime. Tinker is the best action for crafting and Study is best at researching Designs and Formulas. There are several different kinds of things you can craft, with different prerequisites. You must first make or find instructions known as Designs and Formulas and then you can craft an item. Anyone can craft with access to the proper Design or Formula, you do not need a special ability to do so. The exception is Magic Items that do require a special ability to craft.

Rituals are not items and not strictly crafted, but the rules are similar enough that they are covered here.

Item Types

  • Common items are not very special and can be used and created by anyone.
  • Special Equipment is tied to specific playbooks. It is harder to make and use but requires no special ability.
  • Armaments combine features of magic items and Gadgets and are made from Designs by Artificers, Occultists, Savants, Theurges, and Wizards. Basic and fine weapons can be made by anyone.
  • Gadgets are created from Designs created by Artificers and Savants based on well-known principles of arcana and natural philosophy. Any character can craft a Gadget from a Design they have access to.
  • Alchemy is created from Formula created by Artificers, Occultists, Savants, Theurges, and Wizards. Any character can use a Formula to make an Alchemical. This category include all kinds of magical potions, oils, powders and the like. Almost all alchemical items are Consumables.
  • Magic Items Preceded Gadgets, having more varied effects not based on modern theories. They can be very powerful, but are harder to craft. Artificers, Theurges, and Wizards make Designs for magic items, but in addition only such character can crate the items themselves.
  • Rituals Magical routines to achieve supernatural effects. Occultists, Theurges, and Wizards can create Protocols to perform rituals. Bards can use Protocols but cannot create them. This is a dangerous project that often attracts hostile attention. When you succeed at performing a ritual, it has a direct and usually immediate effect on the world.

Item Rules

Rulebook p 224 and forward.

Unless having the Consumable trait, inventions can be used again and again as long as they are not lost.

Manufacturing or acquiring Consumable item gives you a single dose. If the item is listed in your playbook, your tier matches the complexity of the alchemic item, or you made the alchemic item yourself, you gain a replacements for any used doses after each score. Otherwise you must make or acquire another Consumable to use it again.

These are recuring traits of inventions.

  • Artifact is an item that only exists in a few copies and more can only be made with extreme effort or not at all. More powerful artifacts have a destiny and cannot be destroyed unless that destiny is fulfilled.
  • Common. This formula is commonly available and need not be invented or sought out, and ready-made items are easier to find, +2d to Acquire Asset.
  • Complex. You'll have to craft it in multiple stages; the GM will tell you how many. A minimum of one downtime activity and crafting roll is needed per stage, but the complexity is reduced by one per additional stage required.
  • Conspicuous. This creation doesn't go unnoticed. Take +1 heat if it's used any number of times on an operation. Questionably legal.
  • Consumable. This creation has a limited number of uses. Reduces complexity by one. Alchemicals have this drawback and gain no reduction in Complexity.
  • Emergency Mainly applicable to improvised weapons, this is the opposite of Fine and reduces effect by one category.
  • Material. Mainly applicable to armor. This creation gains abilities from the materials it is made of. An item can only have one material.
  • Playbook. This item is only useable by those who have it on their playbook's inventory, it involves secrets only some people can use.
  • Rare. This creation requires a rare item or material when it is crafted. Requires a score or at least an Acquire Asset to find. Reduces complexity by one.
  • Unreliable. When you use the item, make a fortune roll (using its quality) to see how well it performs. Reduces complexity by one.
  • Volatile. The item produces a dangerous or troublesome side-effect for the user, specified by the GM (see examples on the sample creations, next page). This can be from given examples or invented by the GM. A side-effect is a consequence, and may be resisted. Reduces complexity by one.

The complexity modifications of the Complex and Rare drawbacks have not been included in each item's listed complexity, as this would not reduce the sale price and availability of the item. When actually manufacturing something with these drawbacks, reduce the complexity the creator has to contend with without changing the final complexity.

Inventions are sorted by complexity, the first number on each line.

Special Abilities

The following special abilities relate to crafting.

  • Artificer: Maker Armaments, Gadgets, Alchemy, Magic Items.
  • Cleric: Enchanter Armaments, Alchemy, Magic Items. Ritualist: Rituals.
  • Bard: Epic Can use but not create Rituals.
  • Occultist Enchanter: Armament, Alchemy, Magic Items. Ritualist: Rituals.
  • Sage: Apothecary Alchemy (medicines only), Rituals.
  • Savant: Inventor Armaments, Gadgets, Alchemy.
  • Wizard: Enchanter Armaments, Alchemy, Magic Items. Ritualist: Rituals.