Plains of Sedia D20

Craftsmanship & Magic

Craftsmanship & Magic#

Two swords from the same bar of iron. One kills the man. The other just annoys him.

A guild assessor in Tharsis

Made well or badly

Craftsmanship runs in twelve grades, from trash to masterwork. Better work adds to a weapon’s damage and to an armor’s AC, and only average work or better can be magical. Condition is something else: how worn a thing is, however well it was made.

Twelve grades#

A weapon adds its grade’s bonus to the damage of every hit. Armor gains or loses AC against every kind of damage: trash takes 5 off each, adequate changes nothing, and flawless and masterwork add 5. A masterwork piece also shrugs off 1% of the critical blows aimed at it. AC never drops below zero.

Loot rolls its grade by the odds in the table. A crafter makes the grades their rank allows, shown in the chart below the table: a journeyman can’t make masterwork, however good the iron.

GradeDamageArmor classOddsWhat it means
Trash+0-59.7%Worthless refuse barely holding together, likely to break on first use.
Crude+1-49.7%Roughly fashioned with little skill, functional but ugly and unreliable.
Shoddy+2-39.7%Hastily made with cheap materials, showing obvious signs of poor workmanship.
Poor+3-29.7%Below average quality with visible flaws, but serviceable in a pinch.
Inferior+4-19.7%Substandard construction that falls short of acceptable quality standards.
Adequate+5011%Meets minimum requirements without distinction, neither good nor bad.
Acceptable+6+115%Satisfactory craftsmanship that performs its intended function reliably.
Average+7+211%Standard quality work representing typical craftsmanship found in most shops.
Fine+8+39.7%Above average quality showing skilled attention to detail and good materials.
Exceptional+9+42.2%Superior craftsmanship demonstrating mastery of technique and premium materials.
Flawless+10+52.2%Perfect construction without any defects, the pinnacle of a craftsman’s skill.
Masterwork+11+51.1%Legendary quality achieved only by the greatest artisans, worthy of kings and heroes.

Who makes each grade#

A crafter makes the grades from the worst their rank allows to the best, and the best is lit brightest. Tradesguilds has how a crafter rises.

GradeDamageInquirerHobbyistApprenticeJourneymanMasterArtisan
Trash+0
Crude+1
Shoddy+2
Poor+3
Inferior+4
Adequate+5
Acceptable+6
Average+7
Fine+8
Exceptional+9
Flawless+10
Masterwork+11

Magic#

An item of average craftsmanship or better rolls again to see whether it’s magical. Most aren’t. A magical item has a prefix, and a rare one a prefix and a suffix.

Masterwork goes further. A unique masterwork’s prefix counts twice, a legendary’s three times and an artifact’s four times, and each has a suffix as well. No item has more than one prefix or one suffix: a prefix that counts twice is the same prefix, doubled.

Roll the prefix and the suffix from the lists below, skipping any that don’t fit the item.

GradeStandardnoneMagicalprefixRareprefix + suffixUniqueprefix ×2 + suffixLegendaryprefix ×3 + suffixArtifactprefix ×4 + suffix
Average50%45%5%···
Fine50%45%5%···
Exceptional50%45%5%···
Flawless50%45%5%···
Masterwork50%45%4%0.1%0.01%0.0001%

Prefixes and suffixes#

A prefix goes before an item’s name and a suffix after it: a flaming longsword of the bear. Alchemists brew them into gear, and Alchemy has what each one takes.

On anything#

All 64, prefixes first
NameGoesBrewed byGives
AdeptPrefixJourneyman+5 max wp
AncestralPrefixJourneyman+1 wis
AvarieenPrefixJourneyman+5 max hp
CelestialPrefixJourneyman+1 int
DarkPrefixJourneyman-light 1
DwarvenPrefixJourneyman+1 str
ElvenPrefixJourneyman+1 dex
EtherealPrefixJourneymanEverlasting durability
FortifyingPrefixJourneyman+1 con
GlowingPrefixJourneyman+1 cha
IlluminatingPrefixJourneyman+light 1
MoonlitPrefixJourneyman+1 elemental resistance
OutlandishPrefixJourneyman+level req 5
ScoutsPrefixJourneyman+5 max sp
StargazerPrefixJourneyman+1 luc
ArcanePrefixMaster+2 elemental resistance
RadiantPrefixMaster+light 2
SimplePrefixMaster-level req 5
VoidPrefixMaster-light 2
RitualisticPrefixArtisan+3 elemental resistance
Of CharismaSuffixApprentice+2 cha
Of ConstitutionSuffixApprentice+2 con
Of DexteritySuffixApprentice+2 dex
Of IntelligenceSuffixApprentice+2 int
Of LuckSuffixApprentice+2 luc
Of StrengthSuffixApprentice+2 str
Of The BadgerSuffixApprentice+1 dex, +1 wis
Of The BatSuffixApprentice+1 str, +1 luc
Of The BearSuffixApprentice+1 str, +1 con
Of The CarefulSuffixApprentice+1 int, +1 luc
Of The CheetahSuffixApprentice+1 dex, +1 cha
Of The DaringSuffixApprentice+1 con, +1 luc
Of The EagleSuffixApprentice+1 str, +1 cha
Of The FalconSuffixApprentice+1 wis, +1 cha
Of The LeopardSuffixApprentice+1 con, +1 cha
Of The LionSuffixApprentice+1 str, +1 wis
Of The LynxSuffixApprentice+1 str, +1 int
Of The MoonSuffixApprentice+1 con, +1 int
Of The OwlSuffixApprentice+1 con, +1 wis
Of The PantherSuffixApprentice+1 dex, +1 int
Of The PoliticianSuffixApprentice+1 int, +1 cha
Of The SageSuffixApprentice+1 wis, +1 luc
Of The SpiderSuffixApprentice+1 dex, +1 luc
Of The SunSuffixApprentice+1 wis, +1 int
Of The TigerSuffixApprentice+1 str, +1 dex
Of The WolfSuffixApprentice+1 dex, +1 con
Of ThoughtlessnessSuffixApprentice-1int, +1str, dex & con
Of WisdomSuffixApprentice+2 wis
Of JudgementSuffixJourneyman-1 to enemy damroll
Of MisguidingSuffixJourneyman-1 to enemy hitroll
Of PurgerySuffixJourneyman-5 to enemy ac
Of The SoulstrungSuffixJourneyman+1 hp regen
Of The SwiftSuffixJourneyman+1 sp regen
Of ThoughtSuffixJourneyman+1 wp regen
Of DesolationSuffixMaster+2 melee damage
Of AngerSuffixArtisan+2 wp regen
Of AnnihilationSuffixArtisan+3 melee damage
Of PowerSuffixArtisan+1 damroll
Of PrecisionSuffixArtisan+1 hitroll
Of SolitudeSuffixArtisan+2 sp regen
Of StaminaSuffixArtisan+10 sp
Of The FaithfulSuffixArtisan+2 hp regen
Of VitalitySuffixArtisan+10 hp
Of WillpowerSuffixArtisan+10 wp

On weapons#

All 37, prefixes first
NameGoesBrewed byGives
ColdPrefixJourneyman+1 water damage
GrimPrefixJourneyman+1 spirit damage
HeatedPrefixJourneyman+1 fire damage
JoltingPrefixJourneyman+1 air damage
ParasiticPrefixJourneyman1 hp stolen on hit
ShakingPrefixJourneyman+1 earth damage
CorruptPrefixMaster+2 spirit damage
FlamingPrefixMaster+2 fire damage
FrozenPrefixMaster+2 water damage
PredatorialPrefixMaster2 hp stolen on hit
PulsingPrefixMaster+2 earth damage
ShockingPrefixMaster+2 air damage
BlizzardPrefixArtisan+3 water damage
FlamestormPrefixArtisan+3 fire damage
ThunderingPrefixArtisan+3 air damage
UprootingPrefixArtisan+3 earth damage
VampiricPrefixArtisan3 hp stolen on hit
VilePrefixArtisan+3 spirit damage
Of The GhostSuffixHobbyist1 wp stolen on hit
Of The SpecterSuffixApprentice2 wp stolen on hit
Of GriefSuffixJourneyman-1 to all enemy elemental resistance
Of The PhantomSuffixJourneyman3 wp stolen on hit
Of AfflictionSuffixMaster-2 to all enemy elemental resistance
Of CreciaSuffixMasterDc19 to mute
Of DecaySuffixMasterDc20 to add disease1
Of DreadSuffixMasterDc20 to fear
Of Ghost TouchSuffixMasterAble to strike ethereal enemies
Of InfectionSuffixMasterDc20 to add poison 1
Of JewallSuffixMasterDc20 to stun
Of NarsisSuffixMasterDc19 to disarm
Of New SaellemSuffixMasterDc19 to blind
Of ShadowstrikingSuffixMasterDc20 to doublestrike
Of TharsisSuffixMasterDc19 to trip
Of The BleakSuffixMaster-5 enemy sp on hit
Of The WraithSuffixMaster4 wp stolen on hit
Of The ArchonSuffixArtisan5 wp stolen on hit
Of The TempestSuffixArtisan-5 enemy wp on hit

On ranged weapons#

NameGoesBrewed byGives
Of FocusSuffixHobbyist+1 range damage
Of ReachSuffixApprentice+2 range damage
Of ProjectionSuffixMaster+4 range damage
Of FlightSuffixArtisan+5 range damage

On armor#

All 17, prefixes first
NameGoesBrewed byGives
BrawnyPrefixJourneyman+1 to the lowest AC type
DesertPrefixJourneyman+unarmed damage 1
GrasslandPrefixJourneyman+one-handed weapon damage 1
MountainPrefixJourneyman+two-handed weapon damage 1
QuietPrefixJourneyman+1 sneak
ShadowedPrefixJourneyman+1 hide
SwamplandPrefixJourneyman+one-handed range damage 1
WoodlandPrefixJourneyman+two-handed range damage 1
EnforcedPrefixMaster+2 to the lowest AC type
HuntersPrefixMasterExtra saving throw on poisons
NightwalkersPrefixMasterExtra dc20 to dodge
SteadfastPrefixMasterExtra stun saving throw
SwiftPrefixMasterExtra trip saving throw
TribalPrefixMasterExtra saving throw on diseases
PaddedPrefixArtisan+2 to highest AC
PristinePrefixArtisan+1 to physical resistance
ResilientPrefixArtisan+3 to the lowest AC type

On shields#

NameGoesBrewed byGives
Of ReversalSuffixApprenticeReflect 1 damage when hit
Of RepulsionSuffixJourneymanReflect 2 damage when hit
Of ProtectionSuffixMaster+1 to all shield AC above 0
Of VengeanceSuffixMasterReflect 3 damage when hit
Of ReinforcementSuffixArtisan+4 to lowest AC
Of RetributionSuffixArtisanReflect 4 damage when hit

Condition#

Condition is how worn an item is, as a share of its durability. Loot rolls its condition by the odds below, and a new piece from a crafter is mint. A smith, or a trade that works its material, can mend it back up, though not once it’s below 10, and at 0 it’s gone.

ConditionDurability leftOddsWhat it means
Broken0%3.2%Completely non-functional, shattered beyond any practical use.
Ruined0 to 18%6.5%Barely holding together, on the verge of complete failure.
Damaged18 to 36%13%Showing significant wear and damage, requiring major repairs.
Mediocre36 to 54%26%Worn but functional, showing obvious signs of heavy use.
Fair54 to 72%26%Reasonably maintained with moderate wear, still serviceable.
Excellent72 to 90%13%Well-preserved with only minor signs of use, nearly pristine.
Mint90 to 100%13%Perfect condition as if freshly made, showing no wear whatsoever.
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