It is not important at all, 99 times out of 100.
Characters that have some ability to scribe scrolls, craft wands or brew portions will find it useful.
Players that want to take any of the more complex items will be informed that my games do not include a lot of down time and that such capabilities will probably pay off once or twice a game, but in a big way.
It just kills the pacing of a story to go "...and then three months pass, where you can hang or chill out or make stuff or go shopping or whatever".
On top of that, I usually make all of the magic items found from scratch, and take a lot of liberties with the price for such things, based on the abilities of the party, their level, etc.
I would say the factor above crafting is pretty important in my games. Technically this would make craft more of an enabler than truly the key component.
So the relevant part is: "Being able to get certain exact magic items".
Some builds depend more or less on certain items. Some benefit greatly, some would work with mostly whatever the GM drops. So this impact heavily on what is picked or not depending on the campaign and its expected rules.
Most of the times, assuming there is downtime, someone picks up crafting due to how 50% price is a insane power up with the bonus of being able to pick and chose your items.
Funny enough at my table, while we often use it and a vast majority likes it, I do believe we have 1 player who doesnt like how it increase the PCs power which in turn often increases the enemies... aka increases the rocket intensity, which could be delayed by players having mismatched gear.
I always try to make sure there's downtime and a city nearby big enough that if the party wants something crafted (within reason) they can either do it themselves or commission it made.
Apart from scrolls, not much. But my games are always quite low level.
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Whenever I play a caster, I build towards the eventuality of crafting and enjoy researching and coming up with exotic rituals and materials to give more "umph" and story to what others may consider boring or handwaving with a die roll.
One of the sandbox games I am GMing right now I have encouraged all manner of crafting. The party wizard has embraced weaving the themes of the ongoing story into the items he makes for the others. The Alchemist and he plan to make constructs when they get level-appropriate for the attempt, something neither player has had the opportunity to try in their combined 25+ years of RPG's.
Important only in that it enhances the fun for all at the table.
Not vital.
Important? Not so much. Highly encouraged and allowed? Very much so.
My friends and I still play like it's AD&D, where creating your own items was an obnoxious process with poor rules. You adventured, you got gear, and you worked with what was given you, and that was fine.
No one really bit at making items in 3rd edition either, so when I went full on with DMing during our full conversion to Pathfinder,I decided all the casters could have the Craft items feats for free-and it's never been abused.
My players continue to rely on garnered items. They enjoy adding an additional+1 to a weapon or armor as time during travel and rest allows. One player really likes making utility wands for longstrider, sleeping in armor without penalty; things like that.
So, it's a useful tool, but not necessary to succeed.
In our last campaign, we went to an NPC for any magical weapons, armor, and wondrous items. We did have one guy who had the craft wand feat and made a nice selection before he died. And later a druid that made potions. The potions were mostly resist energy and were good for quick pre-battle buffs when we knew one was coming up.
Most of the times, assuming there is downtime, someone picks up crafting due to how 50% price is a insane power up with the bonus of being able to pick and chose your items.
Note that, in practice, the "power up" is not really that much. Basically, the magic item crafting feats allow you to sell unwanted magic items at 50% market price to make wanted magic items at 50% market price (no net change to character wealth). You still come out a bit ahead - because art objects, coins, gems/jewelry, and trade goods can be sold/exchanged at full price - but it's not the "double WBL" that some think.
Most of the times, assuming there is downtime, someone picks up crafting due to how 50% price is a insane power up with the bonus of being able to pick and chose your items.Note that, in practice, the "power up" is not really that much. Basically, the magic item crafting feats allow you to sell unwanted magic items at 50% market price to make wanted magic items at 50% market price (no net change to character wealth). You still come out a bit ahead - because art objects, coins, gems/jewelry, and trade goods can be sold/exchanged at full price - but it's not the "double WBL" that some think.
Haha honestly it doesnt have to be for me to call it an insane power up.
Being able to "trade 1:1" magics items you didnt want for new ones you can pretty much hand pick is crazy powerful. All the "garbage", or even just sub-optimal, items we often get in adventures now "turns into" what you want gold wise. this is enough for me to call it insane.
I would say many consider it "double WBL" exactly because a huge loss is expected, one could say you often just sold everything at 50% and then bought what you needed instead of accepting worse choices, many times it is still worthy it even with this loss anyway. These feats makes you not have to face this.
In simple terms you are pretty much selling at 50% and always buying at 100%. Do this enough and you wouldnt be far from doubling your WBL from taking the feats.
Ofc, this all vary greatly on which gear the GM drops as well as how many levels the game goes on for. Cause ultimately many items will have to be exchanged for better versions or there is something better for the slots at higher levels... as the game goes on this stuff piles up.
I'm very near to telling my players that crafting isn't allowed as it's usually too much of a headache to deal with.
Either they want to make things all the time, which takes up more time than what should be passing in the story, or they constantly want to make custom items, or stack on as many different powers as possible.
Lately I've restricted it to items that are in the books, and we haven't had any crafters lately so it hasn't been an issue.
In my current campaign I've house-ruled that items that add to Saves, AC, and Stats (maybe some others? I don't remember, but everyone in the group understands the intention) can have one other magical property added to it.
This makes it so that you can have a Cloak of Resistance (because everyone should have one) as well as a Cloak of Something Neat without handicapping yourself.
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Imagine there's this game where you're an outlaw driving exotic cars, but every so often you are yanked out of the escapism to instead blow a whole day watching your mechanic slowly put new vehicles together from piles of parts strewn around his shop in which you're stuck patiently cooling your heels -- but there's so much customization that needs to be accounted for, and he needs to consult fifteen different manuals, and my god it's going to take *forever* to cram in everything everybody wants on the budget available. The job keeps expanding to fill every second of time allotted, and then some. And you're not the first customer in line....
~ ~ ~
I viscerally loathe in-game crafting of anything save cheap personal gear that can be made on-the-spot.
Imagine there's this game where you're an outlaw driving exotic cars, but every so often you are yanked out of the escapism to instead blow a whole day watching your mechanic...
Imagine playing in a game where you're only ever an adventurer and never have time to relax and do other things that don't involve going out and killing things and that killing things takes up the entirety of the 16 hours or so that you're awake during the day.
Seriously, there's rules that allow for crafting while still adventuring. The entire story doesn't have to stop for the XX days that it takes to craft something. And you can start to craft something then come back to it many days later if you really need to.
Crafting has never been a major part of past campaigns I’ve been a part of, though in one of the current campaigns I’m in it is playing a larger roll... and I’m the parties crafter in it too...
Especially if the GM thinks handing out a +2 weapon is 8,000gp in treasure instead of the 4,000gp in treasure the party can sell it for.
Honestly treasure value of items should be valued at 75% of the items cost. It creates a more honest evaluation by considering both options the party may take with that item.
Seriously, there's rules that allow for crafting while still adventuring. The entire story doesn't have to stop for the XX days that it takes to craft something.
I'm not referring to in-game time experienced by the PCs, but rather the real-world meat-space time of me gouging my eyes out while the OCD player running the wizard is pawing through a ten-inch pile of books tweaking crap for three freaking hours -- and this is happening because the GM is a dummy for allowing it instead of instructing the player to do it between sessions.
SJ;
That sounds like a Player/DM issue, not a Crafting issue.
How important is crafting magic items in your games? Does it enhance your games? Is it fun? Is it a big deal? Or is it something you can forget about?
I'm interest in knowing how much of an impact crafting has in your games, and whether or not you like it. I'll also accept information relating to mundane crafting.
I tend to play casters and usually take crafting feats and, while I could do without it, I enjoy making unique items. Just be sure to restrain your impulses to make broken items (most things with constant True Strike or free wishes, etc...).
Yeah, Slim Jim, that has nothing to do with crafting and everything to do with the GM not saying something and the rest of the players not.... encouraging the GM to continue with the game rather than indulging the rude behaviour of one player.