In fabricate’s spell description, it says if you are proficient in artistan tools you can use the spell to make objects you could with the tools. Iron costs 1sp per pound, and platemail weighs 65lb. Would this spell, if you’re proficient in smithing tools, save you 749.35 gp crafting armor?
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In fabricate’s spell description, it says if you are proficient in artistan tools you can use the spell to make objects you could with the tools. Iron costs 1sp per pound, and platemail weighs 65lb. Would this spell, if you’re proficient in smithing tools, save you 749.35 gp crafting armor?
Absolutely. I don't see any reason why that shouldn't work. You could argue that you also need coal to produce steel but that makes it even cheaper.
I think it gets really interesting if you find iron of excellent quality, since the spell states:
"The quality of objects made by the spell is commensurate with the quality of the raw materials."
It's a 4th level spell, in the case you're describing it would practically only save you time, since you could make that raw iron into a piece of armor. That's hardly an exploit or questionable.
In fabricate’s spell description, it says if you are proficient in artistan tools you can use the spell to make objects you could with the tools. Iron costs 1sp per pound, and platemail weighs 65lb. Would this spell, if you’re proficient in smithing tools, save you 749.35 gp crafting armor?
Absolutely. I don't see any reason why that shouldn't work. You could argue that you also need coal to produce steel but that makes it even cheaper.
I think it gets really interesting if you find iron of excellent quality, since the spell states:
"The quality of objects made by the spell is commensurate with the quality of the raw materials."
I would actually argue that this means that OP's "1sp per pound iron" must be of insufficient quality, because the PHB clearly states it take 750gp worth of raw materials to make a plate armor. This means there must be more expensive materials involved.
Granted, some of that might be consumables, but I don't think that 749.35gp of the crafting cost is consumable materials.
First the pedant in me is going to say that the cost of the iron would be 65 sp, or 6.5 gp, not 0.65 gp.
Second, there is more to plate armor than just the metal; the description indicates leather boots as well as padding, buckles, and straps. That would require additional proficiencies beyond smiths tools, and more materials. I'd say at least leatherworkers tools (for the boots) and tinkers tools (for the buckles)
Ultimately as a DM I will just assume that you would have to pay the 750 gp required for materials, but then I'd allow you to use the spell to save the time (which is substantial)
The crafting rules tend to strongly indicate the material cost for crafting something is half its price + time. So, no, you'd need more than just a few gold worth of iron. You'd need the 'crafting materials' for the armor, which is 750gp of materials.
But... what if you wanted to craft the 'crafting material'? Those materials would each cost half that price(now down to 375gp) plus even more time. And, if you wanted to craft the materials that are used to craft the materials fullplate is crafted from?? Again, half the cost (now 187.5gp) plus more time. There is no actual limit to this half cost plus time recursion, aside from DM lenience.
Fabricate helps remove only the time from the equation. So if you can cast it a few times you can get these costs down to just raw goods costs probably. But each further step away from fullplate is saving you less and less gold, too. And probably takes extra casting because the 'crafting materials' for fullplate isn't a single object, it is many, and each would need their own fabricate casting to make.
You'd have to work pretty hand in hand with your DM for this one, because there isn't any specific listed 'list' of materials needed to craft full plate. But, each item on that 'list' would need its own fabricate spell to be made at half cost, and again for every item on it's 'list' of materials would be another.
I think if it were me, I'd estimate and standardize it and says something like each additional halving of cost takes 10x castings more than the previous sub-component level of detail because of increasingly smaller and more numerous sub-components that each need their own fabricate. So 1 fabricate-fullplate costs 750gp, a 10x fabricate fullplate costs 375gp, and a 100x fabricate costs 187.5gp with a 1000x Fabricate running you only 93.75gp. But, you know, that is a lot of fabricating.
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I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The crafting rules tend to strongly indicate the material cost for crafting something is half its price + time. So, no, you'd need more than just a few gold worth of iron. You'd need the 'crafting materials' for the armor, which is 750gp of materials.
But... what if you wanted to craft the 'crafting material'? Those materials would each cost half that price(now down to 375gp) plus even more time. And, if you wanted to craft the materials that are used to craft the materials fullplate is crafted from?? Again, half the cost (now 187.5gp) plus more time. There is no actual limit to this half cost plus time recursion, aside from DM lenience.
Fabricate helps remove only the time from the equation. So if you can cast it a few times you can get these costs down to just raw goods costs probably. But each further step away from fullplate is saving you less and less gold, too. And probably takes extra casting because the 'crafting materials' for fullplate isn't a single object, it is many, and each would need their own fabricate casting to make.
You'd have to work pretty hand in hand with your DM for this one, because there isn't any specific listed 'list' of materials needed to craft full plate. But, each item on that 'list' would need its own fabricate spell to be made at half cost, and again for every item on it's 'list' of materials would be another.
I think if it were me, I'd estimate and standardize it and says something like each additional halving of cost takes 10x castings more than the previous sub-component level of detail because of increasingly smaller and more numerous sub-components that each need their own fabricate. So 1 fabricate-fullplate costs 750gp, a 10x fabricate fullplate costs 375gp, and a 100x fabricate costs 187.5gp with a 1000x Fabricate running you only 93.75gp. But, you know, that is a lot of fabricating.
That sounds fabricated
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Id say the fabricate spell actually bypasses crafting rules all together except for the required proficiencies for whatever is being created.
it creates what you want, which I think is different than crafting. You’re not even working on the materials. You spend 10 minutes casting the spell with vocal and somatic components, waving your hand around while saying arcane words. Then after casting, the effect instantaneously takes place. You don’t even need the tools, just the proficiency and raw materials.
the spell even has a range of 120ft. You could turn a pile of raw material into an object from so far away without even touching it at all.
But... what if you wanted to craft the 'crafting material'? Those materials would each cost half that price(now down to 375gp) plus even more time. And, if you wanted to craft the materials that are used to craft the materials fullplate is crafted from?? Again, half the cost (now 187.5gp) plus more time. There is no actual limit to this half cost plus time recursion, aside from DM lenience.
I would argue that this would most certainly require different proficiencies, though. Proficiency with "smith tools" according to XGtE means you are able to craft armor. I can accept that this means you know how to attach a leather belt to a piece of metal armor, but that doesn't mean you know how to craft leather belts from raw hide.
Based on what Dan Dillon is saying I think you still need the required gp of materials and applying XgtE crafting rules Full Plate would be 750gp in materials.
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In fabricate’s spell description, it says if you are proficient in artistan tools you can use the spell to make objects you could with the tools. Iron costs 1sp per pound, and platemail weighs 65lb. Would this spell, if you’re proficient in smithing tools, save you 749.35 gp crafting armor?
Lets summon archdevils
Platymaster of the Church (Cult) of the Platypus
Arachnapriest of the Guild of Spiders
Disclaimer: Underfan8 is not to be held responsible for any of the following events happening as a result of talking to Underfan8, touching Underfan8, or even just seeing Underfan8: The rise of Tiamat, resurrection of vecna, pissed of genies, a complete and udder power change in the blood war, or a fate worse than a fate worse than total annihilation. Exist with Underfan8 at you own risk.
Absolutely. I don't see any reason why that shouldn't work. You could argue that you also need coal to produce steel but that makes it even cheaper.
I think it gets really interesting if you find iron of excellent quality, since the spell states:
"The quality of objects made by the spell is commensurate with the quality of the raw materials."
It's a 4th level spell, in the case you're describing it would practically only save you time, since you could make that raw iron into a piece of armor. That's hardly an exploit or questionable.
I would actually argue that this means that OP's "1sp per pound iron" must be of insufficient quality, because the PHB clearly states it take 750gp worth of raw materials to make a plate armor. This means there must be more expensive materials involved.
Granted, some of that might be consumables, but I don't think that 749.35gp of the crafting cost is consumable materials.
First the pedant in me is going to say that the cost of the iron would be 65 sp, or 6.5 gp, not 0.65 gp.
Second, there is more to plate armor than just the metal; the description indicates leather boots as well as padding, buckles, and straps. That would require additional proficiencies beyond smiths tools, and more materials. I'd say at least leatherworkers tools (for the boots) and tinkers tools (for the buckles)
Ultimately as a DM I will just assume that you would have to pay the 750 gp required for materials, but then I'd allow you to use the spell to save the time (which is substantial)
The crafting rules tend to strongly indicate the material cost for crafting something is half its price + time. So, no, you'd need more than just a few gold worth of iron. You'd need the 'crafting materials' for the armor, which is 750gp of materials.
But... what if you wanted to craft the 'crafting material'? Those materials would each cost half that price(now down to 375gp) plus even more time. And, if you wanted to craft the materials that are used to craft the materials fullplate is crafted from?? Again, half the cost (now 187.5gp) plus more time. There is no actual limit to this half cost plus time recursion, aside from DM lenience.
Fabricate helps remove only the time from the equation. So if you can cast it a few times you can get these costs down to just raw goods costs probably. But each further step away from fullplate is saving you less and less gold, too. And probably takes extra casting because the 'crafting materials' for fullplate isn't a single object, it is many, and each would need their own fabricate casting to make.
You'd have to work pretty hand in hand with your DM for this one, because there isn't any specific listed 'list' of materials needed to craft full plate. But, each item on that 'list' would need its own fabricate spell to be made at half cost, and again for every item on it's 'list' of materials would be another.
I think if it were me, I'd estimate and standardize it and says something like each additional halving of cost takes 10x castings more than the previous sub-component level of detail because of increasingly smaller and more numerous sub-components that each need their own fabricate. So 1 fabricate-fullplate costs 750gp, a 10x fabricate fullplate costs 375gp, and a 100x fabricate costs 187.5gp with a 1000x Fabricate running you only 93.75gp. But, you know, that is a lot of fabricating.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
That sounds fabricated
Lets summon archdevils
Platymaster of the Church (Cult) of the Platypus
Arachnapriest of the Guild of Spiders
Disclaimer: Underfan8 is not to be held responsible for any of the following events happening as a result of talking to Underfan8, touching Underfan8, or even just seeing Underfan8: The rise of Tiamat, resurrection of vecna, pissed of genies, a complete and udder power change in the blood war, or a fate worse than a fate worse than total annihilation. Exist with Underfan8 at you own risk.
Id say the fabricate spell actually bypasses crafting rules all together except for the required proficiencies for whatever is being created.
it creates what you want, which I think is different than crafting. You’re not even working on the materials. You spend 10 minutes casting the spell with vocal and somatic components, waving your hand around while saying arcane words. Then after casting, the effect instantaneously takes place. You don’t even need the tools, just the proficiency and raw materials.
the spell even has a range of 120ft. You could turn a pile of raw material into an object from so far away without even touching it at all.
I would argue that this would most certainly require different proficiencies, though. Proficiency with "smith tools" according to XGtE means you are able to craft armor. I can accept that this means you know how to attach a leather belt to a piece of metal armor, but that doesn't mean you know how to craft leather belts from raw hide.
For what it's worth...
There is a sage advice question that is similar to what the OP is asking
https://www.sageadvice.eu/the-fabricate-spell-is-there-a-rule-of-thumb-for-whats-intended-to-be-expected-of-it/
Based on what Dan Dillon is saying I think you still need the required gp of materials and applying XgtE crafting rules Full Plate would be 750gp in materials.