[Feats] Craft: Alchemical Items / Mechanical Constructs / Mechanical Traps


Skills and Feats

Dark Archive

I've lately thought about the 'Craft X' -feats and Craft skills a lot, and I feel it's kind of weird that there are two different ways of creating items with in-game benefits. I can understand why Craft (Calligraphy) or Craft (Weaponsmithing) function better as skills, but Craft (Alchemy), Craft (Trapmaking) and Craft (Poisonmaking) have always felt a bit "odd" for me.

Personally, I think they would work a lot better as Feats, since (in my experience, at least) not too many PCs actually put ranks in them, and I don't see that changing in PF. Also, I think it would be more internally consistent (from the game mechanics POV) if they were actually Feats.

For example (I've omitted the 'Benefits'-section from each):

CRAFT ALCHEMICAL ITEM (Item Creation)

You can create alchemical items such as sunrods and poisons.
Prerequisites: INT 13, 1 rank in Profession (Herbalist) or Heal

CRAFT MECHANICAL TRAP (Item Creation)
You can create complex traps.

Prerequisites: INT 13, 1 rank in Knowledge (Dungeoneering)and 1 rank in Knowledge (Engineering) and 1 rank in Disable Device

CRAFT MECHANICAL CONSTRUCT (Item Creation)
You can create mechanical constructs such as golems.

Prerequisites: Caster level 12th, 1 rank in Craft (Armorsmithing) or 1 rank in Craft (Blacksmithing) or 1 rank in Craft (Weaponsmithing)

Any thoughts?

Community / Forums / Archive / Pathfinder / Playtests & Prerelease Discussions / Pathfinder Roleplaying Game / Design Forums / Skills and Feats / [Feats] Craft: Alchemical Items / Mechanical Constructs / Mechanical Traps All Messageboards
Recent threads in Skills and Feats