Updating Tool Craft for 2024 Rules
The only constant in game design (besides that players are unpredictable) is that all editions must end. Last year, we released Tool Craft and Wizards of the Coast released their new Dungeons & Dragons edition… except they didn’t cause it was only an update (or something).
Which brings us to crossroads. Tool Craft was written for 2014 rules, the rules for 2024 weren’t even out, just a lot of playtests. Even as of the writing of this, the 2024 License is still not out (got a month to go!), so there was no opportunity to write Tool Craft for 2024. But, just as the world turns, so do editions change—So today, if you want to use Tool Craft in your 2024 game, I’m going to go through the rules and provide updates and adjustments you might need to integrate Tool Craft into your 2024 games.
Crafting in 2024
The biggest change we have to discuss is what you should do with the crafting rules in the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide. I’ve made my strong thoughts known on the rules presented there, so I won’t rehash them. But basically, if you want to make tools useful in your game, toss those rules out. You can use them, for like crafting magic items, if you want. But I also have a system for crafting magic items and a spreadsheet for pricing magic items, so maybe check that out instead.
Crafter Feat
I think this feat could be cool, but it doesn’t do much for me (and doesn’t really have a problem interacting with Tool Craft to begin with). Here is an alternate version that can help would-be crafters do a bit more with their feat than craft a basket that falls apart after a day (I’m still very mad about that).
Crafter
Origin Feat
You gain the following benefits.
Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with three Artisan’s Tools. Your choice of options are any of those found on page 5 in Tool Craft.
Discount. Whenever you use a tool you are proficient with to craft an item, you receive a percent discount on the materials to craft the item. This discount is equal to your Proficiency Bonus times 5. This discount does not affect the item’s sale price, if any.
Fast Crafting. When you finish a long rest, and you spent time that day making progress on crafting an item, you can make a check to see if you complete crafting the item early. The DC for your item increases based on the number of days left on your project for this check. A failed check does not cause your item to be ruined or destroyed, you can still finish working on that item, it just means you didn’t finish it early.
Look, I’m not saying the choices they provided are bad. But the Artisan Tools they provided don’t include Alchemist’s Supplies, Poisoner’s Kit, or Brewer’s Supplies, and I just won’t stand for that. So, instead, players can choose any three tools they want from Tool Craft (I’m very generous).
After that, players keep their discount, but I throw out the blanket 20% off on purchasing an already crafted item. Instead, they get a discount based on their Proficiency Bonus for the materials to craft an item. Again, you are a CRAFTER, not a SHOPPER. The discount should be on the materials for you to CRAFT an item. The discount shouldn’t be on BUYING a finished item.
The last one, just allows players to try and craft items faster. It actually is fast crafting, unlike the version in the Player’s Handbook where you are far too incompetent to build a basket in a single day and it not fall apart in your hands after 24 hours.
Other Feats
The following feats are tool related. Most interact fine with Tool Craft as-is, but some guidelines are provided.
Healer - No change needed for Healer’s Kit or the Healer feat. This does cause Check-Up to be a bit more niche, but it doesn’t require a hit die, so it is more useful at lower levels to keep squishy characters alive.
Musician - The Musical Instruments mechanics are all about being popular (hello Wicked fans), so no changes there.
Chef - I’d treat Replenishing Meal and Bolstering Treats almost as their own recipe (with no check required)—That said, players can’t attempt to also make a Signature Dish while getting a Replenishing Meal together and, if they gain the benefits of Replenishing Meal or Bolstering Treats, they can’t gain the benefits of a Signature Dish until they finish a short rest as described in the tool. Bolstering Treats does make Granola Bar more niche due to the amount of Temporary Hit Points Bolstering Treats gives.
Poisoner - I’d treat Brew Poison as another recipe that adventurers automatically know if they take this feat. It’s useful to have an ‘always available’ poison, but 50 gp for 2 to 6 doses is either high (25 gp per dose for low level adventurers) or very cheap (8.3 gp per dose for high level adventurers). It acts as a good back up plan for low level adventurers to use when they don’t have access to poisonous creatures, but high level adventurers will likely have far better poisons available to them than what Brew Poison offers. The biggest benefit from this feat is removing a creature’s resistance to Poison.
Weapon Masteries
Gunsmith’s Kit
Bayonet - Topple
Buckle Pistol - Sap
Blunderbuss (Dragon) - Graze
Four Barreled Pistol - Vex
Grenade Launcher - Topple
Matchlock Firearm - Slow
Palm Pistol - Light
Pistol - Vex
Rifled Musket - Push
Revolver - Sap
Shield Cannon - Topple (initial target of the attack only)
Smith’s Tools
Bagh Nakh (Tiger Claw) - Nick
Bayonet - Topple
Brass Knuckles - Slow
Butterfly Sword - Nick
Catchpole - Sap
Chakram - Vex
Cutlass - Cleave
Khopesh - Graze
Lumber Axe - Topple
Machete - Sap
Meteor Hammer - Topple
Rope Dart - Sap
Scythe - Topple
Shield Spike - Tople
Spadone - Push
Sword Cane - Vex
Tessen (War Fan) - Vex
Urumi - Graze
Yatagan - Cleave
Bastions
The bonuses between bastions and the structures in Tool Craft function differently from one another. In Tool Craft, you gain the benefits of your structure after spending a week of downtime in them, while bastions continue taking actions while you are gone.
Though, the two aren’t at odds. You could easily augment bastions to grant bonuses when the party are actually there, while still maintaining turns and the like. The only thing is that the bonuses for low level bastions are pretty… disappointing. Making a free arcane focus isn’t that exciting for me.
When your players get a bastion, select a structure that matches up with their bastion. They can choose to gain the benefits of their structure from Tool Craft as their action for that bastion turn. They must be at their bastion for an entire week to gain the benefit.
What Did I Miss?
There isn’t much in the 2024 rules that we have to adjust for Tool Craft to fit into you games, but maybe I’ve missed something! Is there a specific item I didn’t think about that needs to be adjusted? Please let me know in the comments and I’ll keep this article updated.
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