Removing Item Creation feats? (without removing item creation?)

[L. A. DuBois]

I'm thinking that in my current campaign, I'd like to not require Item Creation feats in order to create magic items. Instead, they'd just use the Craft skill. My players won't have full access to just craft any item they want (and have the skill for), of course. Some will require going out to find rare materials and components, or learning/discovering how to make the item in question, but with that in mind... What might some of the repercussions and things I should account or watch out for be, if I decide to do this? Of course, I'm going to be quite clear and up-front about what a given Craft skill can and can't make, and there won't be a perfect 1:1 translation between skills and feats. For example, leatherworking, armorsmithing, and weaponsmithing will split up what used to be Craft Arms and Armor. On the other hand, what I think I'm just going to call "enchanting" will cover wands and rods. Oh, and since part of my reason for doing this is so non-casters can also make their own magic items, I'm not going to retain spell requirements for magic items (though I may grant a circumstance bonus or something for characters with access to a given spell).

[blahpers]

It gives wizards and other casters more feats to play with since they don't have to devote them to item creation. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.

[Dave Justus]

Biggest thing is, that since everyone can craft magic items you will be increasing their wealth. Depending on your crafting rules, this will either be a bit (crafting is hard) or a lot (crafting is about as easy as the current game, without feat requirements.)

Adjusting the treasure you give should be able to compensate.

[L. A. DuBois]

Dave Justus wrote:

Biggest thing is, that since everyone can craft magic items you will be increasing their wealth. Depending on your crafting rules, this will either be a bit (crafting is hard) or a lot (crafting is about as easy as the current game, without feat requirements.)

Adjusting the treasure you give should be able to compensate.

Crafting also takes time, though, and the campaign has various ways to keep players from spending too much time away from adventuring.

[L. A. DuBois]

blahpers wrote:

It gives wizards and other casters more feats to play with since they don't have to devote them to item creation. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.

Sorry, missed yours earlier. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it's an E8 campaign, and also that the wizard class doesn't exist (just arcanist and witch for arcane casters).

[OmniMage]

Does spellcraft still work as a universal magic item crafting skill?

[MageHunter]

You should be able to moderate their power level quite easily.

If they are squashing things too easily just up the CR of opponents.

[Meirril]

I'd require a combination of Spellcraft and other crafting skills. Also allow cooperative crafting so you don't need to know both skills.

Requiring magic ingredients is going to require a lot of work. Start off by converting some of the treasure the Players would normally get into crafting components. Treat magic crafting components like other magic items. Merchants buy for half, sell for full. Players get full benefit from using them to craft items.

Each item should be broken down into categories of what it can be used for, and how to harvest them. Let anyone with Survival, or an appropriate knowledge skill harvest components with a successful skill check against the DC of the monster. I'd only allow them for Magic Beasts, Magic Humanoids, and other more exotic monsters. Regular animals shouldn't really be sources of magic. But when a character makes survival checks to gather stuff, a critical success should result in like 1d6x10gp in usable plants. Targeted harvesting should be an adventure.

But talking about components, each kind should lend itself to certain kinds of items. Like Red Dragon Tooth should be good for any fire based magic, dragon type item, any sharp stabbing weapon, and maybe good for any potion when powdered.

Talking about powders, you might allow powdered claws and teeth to count as gem dust (diamond, ruby, ect). Warn the players if they "break" a component it becomes less valuable (same as if sold to a merchant, the dust is worth half the intact component) but has broader applications. Like spell component, magic inks, potions, and just generically allowed to "fill in" for up to half the value of a magic item.

Also, how long does a magic item take to make? 1,000gp/day? Or the crafting check method used to create normal items? Allow cooperative crafting to reduce the time needed? Limits on cooperative crafting?

[Loren Pechtel]

I have long disliked the item creation feats--they're obviously basically a tax on item creation and I really can't justify having a bunch of them. Either you can craft or you can't.

Something I have been thinking of along these lines: Up the DC of everything by 10. Item creation grants you a -5 on the DC. Improved item creation another -5. Anyone can craft, the feats allow you to do it better.