Crafting roleplay without the Crafting rollplay?

[Corvo Spiritwind]

I got curious on account of threads about crafting and a few about Lore. I've always been a fan of the Eberron's Artificer, and in general crafting, but it's not always a viable and balanced option. It's no secret that crafters in 3.5 could mess up power levels a lot, least I believe so from personal experience.

But then someone said something and my question kind of is: Is lore a viable skill for the crafter aesthetic without dipping into the Crafting skill itself?

My main goal for crafting has usually been: "I can make this weapon and armor look how I want." Could a Lore skill do that, a sort of gear stylist, buying ugly weapons and making them look amazing?

I was leaning towards Engineering from Tinker background but maybe another can fit better?

[Kyrone]

Custom background, gives Fashion lore.

[Saros Palanthios]

In practice, Lore can overlap with various skills, but the principle is that Lore is much more specific and narrow. So the Crafting skill covers all manner of crafting, from blacksmithing to tailoring to potion-brewing, whereas Blacksmithing Lore, Tailoring Lore, and Potion-brewing Lore would all be separate subcategories.

Per the CRB,

Quote:

If you have multiple subcategories of Lore that could

apply to a check or that would overlap with another skill
in the circumstances, you can use the skill with the better
skill modifer or the one you would prefer to use. If there’s
any doubt whether a Lore skill applies to a specifc topic
or action, the GM decides whether it can be used or not.

So ultimately it's a judgement call from your GM, but IMO it'd be perfectly reasonable to use something like Fashion Lore for re-styling existing items. But if you wanted to make a new sword or magic pendant out of raw materials I'd probably make you roll Crafting instead-- perhaps with an additional Fashion Lore check to determine how stylish the finished item ends up being.

[Gloom]

If anything, Lore Actor or Lore Entertainer might give you costuming skills, or something similar. Nothing enough for mechanical benefits but enough to give you a reason for your character's style.

[Corvo Spiritwind]

Good ideas all around, thanks.

@Saros: I don't plan on inventing new weapons or such, it'd mostly be say...getting a breastplate and then just having the skills to back up "It looks so and so." reskinning really. Engineering stood out since it was referenced to as inventing and tinkering, but there's probably better lore out there. Maybe something like Ornamental or Fashion or Aesthetician!

[Zwordsman]

Lore: Play costume designer

There is a more specific title for that job, I just don't remember it currently. Your background could be that you used to work in the theater troop as the costume /backgrounds aesthetic designer. But the troop fell apart when one of them turned out to be some criminal using the crew.
Ala the Mupppet's story style.

[Paradozen]

Grab additional lore (Fashion) and you don't need to worry about background as much and you auto-scale to being the best fashion designer in the world.