### A Complete D&D 5e-Compatible System These rules expand weapon customisation while preserving **5e balance, folklore logic, and bounded accuracy**. These rules apply to **weapons and ammunition** unless stated otherwise. ## 1. Weapon Structure (Core Framework) Every weapon is defined by **four independent layers**: 1. **Core Material** – what the weapon is made of 2. **Permanent Tempering** – how the weapon is treated 3. **Temporary Coating** – short-term consumable effects 4. **Weapon State** – mundane or magical If an option does not clearly belong to one of these layers, it **does not stack**. --- ## 2. Weapon State (Overrides All Other Rules) A weapon is always in **one** state. |State|Effect| |---|---| |**Mundane**|Uses all material, tempering, and coating rules| |**Magical**|Counts as magical; bypasses resistance to nonmagical attacks| ### Material Supersession Rule If a weapon becomes **magical**, it **no longer benefits from material-based resistance bypass**, except where a creature explicitly cares about a specific material (such as silver). **Still applies on magical weapons:** - Flat damage bonuses (Fire-Forged, Frost-Tempered) - Critical effects (Obsidian) - Structural effects (Adamantine vs objects) --- ## 3. Core Materials (Choose ONE) A core material is **permanent** and **nonmagical** unless stated otherwise. |Material|Mechanical Effect| |---|---| |**Silvered**|Counts as silver for creatures that require silvered weapons| |**Cold Iron**|Ignores resistance to nonmagical damage vs Fey| |**Adamantine**|Attacks against objects are critical hits; optional: ignores construct resistance| |**Mithral**|Removes the Heavy property; weapon weighs half as much| |**Obsidian**|On a critical hit, add +1 weapon damage die; fragile on a natural 1| |**Dragonbone**|Deals +1d6 elemental damage (chosen at creation)| **Rules** - Only **one** core material per weapon - Core materials are **permanent** - Core materials are **not magical** ## 4. Permanent Tempering (Choose ONE or NONE) Permanent tempering represents post-forge treatment. |Tempering|Effect| |---|---| |**Fire-Forged**|+1 nonmagical fire damage| |**Frost-Tempered**|+1 nonmagical cold damage| **Rules** - Only **one** permanent tempering - Fire-Forged and Frost-Tempered are mutually exclusive - Some materials restrict tempering (see Compatibility Rules) ## 5. Temporary Coatings (Separate Slot) Temporary coatings are **consumable** and never count as materials or tempering. |Coating|Effect|Duration| |---|---|---| |**Alchemical Silver**|Weapon counts as silvered|1 hour| **Rules** - One coating may be active at a time - Applying or removing a coating takes **1 minute** - Coatings do not permanently alter the weapon - Coatings cannot be applied to magical weapons (recommended) ## 6. Compatibility Rules (Mix & Match Logic) ### Allowed Combinations |Core Material|Allowed Tempering| |---|---| |Silvered|Fire-Forged, Frost-Tempered| |Cold Iron|None| |Adamantine|Fire-Forged, Frost-Tempered| |Mithral|Fire-Forged, Frost-Tempered| |Obsidian|Frost-Tempered| |Dragonbone|None| ### Forbidden Combinations |Combination|Reason| |---|---| |Fire-Forged + Frost-Tempered|Opposing processes| |Cold Iron + Any Tempering|Reprocessing ruins cold iron| |Cold Iron + Silvered|Conflicting folklore counters| |Obsidian + Fire-Forged|Heat shatters glass| |Dragonbone + Fire/Frost|Elemental overload| |Dragonbone + Silvered|Silver disrupts draconic essence| ## 7. Forge Levels Forge level determines **what can be crafted safely**. |Forge Level|Cost (gp)| |---|--:| |Standard Forge|500| |Enhanced Forge (+1)|2,000| |Advanced Forge (+2)|6,000| |Masterwork Forge (+3)|18,000| |Legendary Forge (Unique)|54,000| ### Crafting Access by Forge |Property|Required Forge| |---|---| |Mundane weapons & repairs|Standard| |Silvered, Fire/Frost|Enhanced| |Cold Iron, Mithral|Advanced| |Adamantine, Obsidian|Masterwork| |Blessed, Dragonbone|Legendary| ## 8. Costs (Added to Base Weapon Price) |Property|Cost (gp)|Materials Consumed| |---|--:|---| |Silvered|100|Silver| |Fire-Forged|150|Rare fuels| |Frost-Tempered|150|Cryo agents| |Cold Iron|300|Cold iron| |Mithral|400|Mithral| |Obsidian|400|Volcanic glass| |Adamantine|750|Adamantine| |Blessed|550|200 gp ritual components| |Dragonbone|1,000|Dragon remains (quest-only)| ## 9. Crafting Time (Downtime) |Tier|Examples|Time| |---|---|---| |Mundane|Normal weapon|1–3 days| |Minor|Silvered, Fire/Frost|5 days| |Major|Cold Iron, Mithral|10 days| |Superior|Adamantine, Obsidian|20 days| |Relic|Blessed, Dragonbone|Quest-based| Multiple workers reduce time by **25%** (minimum 50%). ## 10. Who Can Craft To craft directly, a character needs: - **Smith’s Tools proficiency** - **Access to the required forge** - **Downtime** Alchemical Silver also requires **Alchemist’s Supplies** If these conditions are not met, the work must be **commissioned**. ## 11. Crafting Procedure (Step-by-Step) 1. Choose base weapon 2. Choose **one** core material (optional) 3. Choose **one** permanent tempering (optional) 4. Pay all costs 5. Make a crafting check ### Crafting Checks - Tool: **Smith’s Tools** - DC by Tier: |Tier|DC| |---|--:| |Minor|12| |Major|15| |Superior|17| |Relic|20+| ### Results - **Success:** Item completed - **Fail by 1–4:** +25% time - **Fail by 5+:** Item gains a flaw - **Natural 1:** Flaw + requires repair after first combat ### Flaw Table (d6) 1. Needs maintenance each long rest 2. Noisy draw (disadvantage on first Stealth check after drawing) 3. Hairline crack (breaks on second natural 1) 4. Poor balance (–1 damage; fixable) 5. Cosmetic flaw only 6. Coatings do not adhere ## 12. Commissioning Items When hiring an NPC smith: - Pay full cost upfront - Time as normal - Smith rolls the check **NPC Bonuses** - Village smith: +4 - Skilled smith: +6 - Master smith: +8 - Legendary smith: +10 ## 13. Identification & Discovery ### Identification by Inspection 10 minutes of examination, then one check: |Item Type|Check|DC| |---|---|--:| |Silvered / Fire / Frost|Investigation|12| |Cold Iron / Mithral|Arcana or Nature|15| |Adamantine / Obsidian|Smith’s Tools or Investigation|17| |Blessed / Dragonbone|Religion or Arcana|20| ### Research (Downtime) - 1 workweek + 25 gp - Same DCs as above - Success reveals properties and sources ## 14. Power Ceiling > No crafted weapon may exceed the effective power of a **+3 magic weapon** unless it is a **unique artefact** created through a Legendary Forge and a quest. --- ## 15. Final Safety Rule > **If a combination does not make physical, folkloric, or narrative sense, it cannot be crafted — regardless of gold or forge level.** --- ## 16. Quick Reference Summary |Property|Damage|Resistance Interaction|Magical| |---|--:|---|---| |Silvered|—|Silver-specific only|No| |Cold Iron|—|Fey only|No| |Adamantine|Crit vs objects|Optional constructs|No| |Mithral|—|None|No| |Obsidian|+1 die on crit|None|No| |Fire-Forged|+1 fire|None|No| |Frost-Tempered|+1 cold|None|No| |Blessed|—|As magic|Yes| |Dragonbone|+1d6 element|None|No|