Craft skill check for Torches and Mundane Objects?

[matafuego]

Hi everybody:

My group lost its way in a cave and is now wandering in the dark.
They are under-equipped and most of them cannot see without a light source (only one has darkvision).
Last torch was used in our last game and no, they don't have access to magic for now (something that should be solved eventually, but not for a couple of sessions I think).
They were discussing about crafting torches and other mundane and not-so-mundane items, such as ropes and jugs.

Which craft skill should be used?
What should the DC be?
And what elements are "required" in order to do it?
I don't see them converting gold pieces into torches for example.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks a lot,

Lucas

[Claxon]

Crafting something to fashion as a torch? I wouldn't require a craft skill check. It's more like, do you have a stick, some cloth, and some oil? You make a torch. If not, no.

To make rope or jugs would require more specific items that they likely don't have access to. Jugs, I just strictly wouldn't allow without using craft(pottery, it's seriously listed in the craft description), but the good news is you can use it untrained. However, making such things would require clay and a kiln and other specific tools. So it's incredibly unlikely they have the materials to make such an item.

To make rope, there isn't a specific skill listed in the craft description. However, I'd probably have it fall under "cloth". Making rope would be possible, but you would still require specific materials. They would need long fibrous materials to craft a rope. Without having such materials already they would have to find plant fibers (vines) to do so. It is theoritically possible to cut down a very fibrous tree and use the wood to fashion rope by taking very small cross sections and weaving them together, but it requires the right kind of trees.

In short, you group probably can't make rope or jugs in the wilderness.

[ryric]

Torches I'd just call a DC5 Survival check to kitbash something together. They wouldn't be as good as "storebought" but they'd burn and emit some light.

I agree that pottery is its own Craft skill, probably DC10 for a basic pot if you have clay and some way to bake it.

Rope..hmm, I've made rope and it's kind of a pain even with the proper tools, and I started with twine not random plant fibers. Weaving rope by hand would be quite the undertaking, especially if the individual fibers being used aren't very long. I'd say craft(ropemaking) would probably be its own skill. I might let Profession (sailor) jury-rig something.

[Claxon]

ryric wrote:

Rope..hmm, I've made rope and it's kind of a pain even with the proper tools, and I started with twine not random plant fibers. Weaving rope by hand would be quite the undertaking, especially if the individual fibers being used aren't very long. I'd say craft(ropemaking) would probably be its own skill. I might let Profession (sailor) jury-rig something.

If you have a rope jig and twine it's not too bad. But doing it by hand, and with natural materials rather than twine is going to be a PITA. In the unlikely event they have a rope jig but no twine I'd make it a DC 10 to use natural materials to fashion lengths of rope. If they have twine, but no jig I'd say it's still a DC 10, but it tedious and time consuming. 30 mins per foot of rope (probably a severe underestimate). If they have neither a rope jig or twine and must do it by hand with natural materials, at least a DC 15. Probably a DC 20.

I might allow Survival to be used in the instance of making a rope out of natural materials without a jig as it's a common survival skill sort of thing to learn if the nessecity should arise in the wilderness. But it's still not easy to do well.

[matafuego]

Handn't thought of the survival skill. It makes perfect sense. I don't think they'll be able to craft torches then. At least not until they come into some kind of oil or fat.

So ropemaking is its own craft?
It seems to me that its very restrictive (at least when compared to other crafts). And I don't think the DC should change because of lack of materials, but that they should have penalties for it (such as it is with every other craft)

Thanks a lot everyone!

[ryric]

The only reason I'd make ropemaking its own Craft skill, is that historically, ropemaking was its own profession. There were dedicated buildings where all that was done is make rope. It also isn't really similar to other craftable things.

I don't think it's any more restrictive than "baskets" or "shoes" as a Craft subcategory.

Remember Craft can be used untrained so any character with average Int can make a DC10 check by taking 10, so matter what subskill is used.