If you have the appropriate tool proficiencies and tools, can you get some of your starting gear for half price as if you crafted it? I can see an argument for both sides. Starting gold is an abstraction that could involve finding/stealing/inheriting/etc. your gear, so making it could just be another way of getting it and it counts as normal. On the other hand there aren't that many opportunities to craft in many cases, especially with things like armor making that takes a lot of downtime, and it's only a small amount of gold either way.
How do people rule on this? Does it vary by item, ie you can make cheaper armor but not a healing potion?
I'd say no at my table as it's your 'starting' gear. I'd make you start playing and THEN make gear (or at least try and then get derailed by your adventuring life). Level 1, you just walked away from your previously life with just the basics. If you want to avoid that, why not just start at level 2...heck, why not start at level 20? For me at least, half of the fun of level 1 is that you don't have much and you have to dumpster-dive for every little thing. It's only those first few levels that equipment can make a real difference, so why short cut it even further?
IMO, you're missing out on some of the fun if you start out with a pile of stuff.
The general idea is that your starting equipment is "source agnostic". Your stuff could be stolen, inherited, crafted, etc. How you got it doesn't matter; it's what you start with.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
As a "for instance" I had a dwarven character (sorcerer) who's background was as a blacksmith. Shop and everything, lived in the town. (Wild magic, so powers had just awakened.)
As a sorcerer, I can start with a simple weapon, but as a dwarf I'm proficient with warhammers. DM ruled I could start with a warhammer I had made as a smith. (As a sorcerer I wasn't going to be smashing too many things anyway - my STR was terrible - but the warhammer became my arcane focus and had ties into the backstory...)
So, clear it with your DM. There should be no reason you couldn't have crafted more ornate/personalized versions of standard starting gear. Starting with full plate is maybe a bit much...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
If you have the appropriate tool proficiencies and tools, can you get some of your starting gear for half price as if you crafted it? I can see an argument for both sides. Starting gold is an abstraction that could involve finding/stealing/inheriting/etc. your gear, so making it could just be another way of getting it and it counts as normal. On the other hand there aren't that many opportunities to craft in many cases, especially with things like armor making that takes a lot of downtime, and it's only a small amount of gold either way.
How do people rule on this? Does it vary by item, ie you can make cheaper armor but not a healing potion?
Up to DM. I might alow 1 or 2 items to be crafted depending on value (and therefore time required).
I'd say no at my table as it's your 'starting' gear. I'd make you start playing and THEN make gear (or at least try and then get derailed by your adventuring life). Level 1, you just walked away from your previously life with just the basics. If you want to avoid that, why not just start at level 2...heck, why not start at level 20? For me at least, half of the fun of level 1 is that you don't have much and you have to dumpster-dive for every little thing. It's only those first few levels that equipment can make a real difference, so why short cut it even further?
IMO, you're missing out on some of the fun if you start out with a pile of stuff.
But whatever works for your table.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
A rather comprehensive list of free WotC D&D resources
Deck of Decks
The general idea is that your starting equipment is "source agnostic". Your stuff could be stolen, inherited, crafted, etc. How you got it doesn't matter; it's what you start with.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
As a "for instance" I had a dwarven character (sorcerer) who's background was as a blacksmith. Shop and everything, lived in the town. (Wild magic, so powers had just awakened.)
As a sorcerer, I can start with a simple weapon, but as a dwarf I'm proficient with warhammers. DM ruled I could start with a warhammer I had made as a smith. (As a sorcerer I wasn't going to be smashing too many things anyway - my STR was terrible - but the warhammer became my arcane focus and had ties into the backstory...)
So, clear it with your DM. There should be no reason you couldn't have crafted more ornate/personalized versions of standard starting gear. Starting with full plate is maybe a bit much...