Crafting

Purpose

This extension defines rules for crafting items from recipes in TDGS.

It establishes:

• Two-phase resolution (success, then quality)
• Quality tiers from Volatile to Masterwork
• Skill-based quality pools
• Material, tool, and time modifiers
• Batch crafting
• Failure and critical failure consequences

This extension builds upon Document 1 (Dice), Document 3 (Resolution), Document 7 (Abilities), and Document 12 (Progression). It does not redefine core rules - it applies them to a new context.

The Core Mechanic

Crafting uses two separate rolls: Resolution and Quality.

First, you roll to see if you can complete the process at all. Then, if successful, you roll to see how well you did.

Resolution determines success or failure. Quality determines the tier of the result. These are always separate.

"Two questions, two rolls, two entirely separate probability spaces that I have calculated extensively in a treatise I seem to have misplaced. The point - and I did have one, give me a moment - ah yes! Completion and quality. Different axes."

Resolution Roll (Phase 1)

The first roll determines success or failure.

The Roll

• Crafter Stat: The relevant stat for this type of crafting
• Recipe Target: The difficulty value specified in the recipe
• Skill Bonus: From relevant crafting skill (per Doc 7)
• Modifiers: From tools, workspace, circumstances

This uses standard TDGS resolution (Doc 3). The recipe target acts as the opposing force.

Results

Natural 1 always fails critically. Natural 20 succeeds and grants +2d12 to quality pool.

"I once critically failed a potion and created something that technically still exists but also somehow doesn't. The cleanup took three weeks and a theologian."

Quality Roll (Phase 2)

If you succeed at crafting, roll for quality tier.

Quality Tiers

The d12 maps directly to tiers. Roll a 7, get Sound quality.

"Twelve tiers on a d12! Each number has a home. Unlike some people I could mention who keep trying to make d7 tiers work."

Skill and Quality Pool

Your crafting skill determines your quality pool size.

Base Quality Pool

Higher skill doesn't guarantee masterwork - but it makes poor results increasingly rare.

Quality Pool Modifiers

Several factors can add or remove dice from your quality pool.

Adding Dice

Removing Dice (minimum 1d12)

Quality pool cannot go below 1d12. If penalties would reduce it below 1, you simply roll 1d12.

"I once forged a blade using only a campfire and a rock as an anvil. The result was... technically a blade. Technically."

Assistance

Others can help with crafting in two ways.

Skilled Assistance

An assistant with at least 1 rank in the relevant skill can contribute:

• +1d12 to quality pool per assistant
• Maximum +3d12 from assistants total
• Assistant must be present for full crafting time

Unskilled Labor

Helpers without the skill can still assist:

• Reduces crafting time by 10-25%
• No quality pool bonus
• Useful for batch crafting

Too many assistants create confusion. The +3d12 cap represents this limit.

Batch Crafting

Creating multiple items at once.

Batch Size by Recipe Target

Batch Rules

• One Resolution roll for the entire batch
• One Quality roll applies to all items
• Materials required for all items in batch
• Time is 150% of single item time for full batch

If Resolution fails, all materials for the batch are affected by failure rules.

"Efficiency through parallelization! You can forge ten horseshoes in not-much-more time than one, assuming they're all the same horseshoe and you don't mind them all being the same quality."

Failure and Consequences

What happens when crafting goes wrong.

Standard Failure (Roll 2-10)

• Crafting does not complete
• 50% of materials are lost/consumed
• Remaining materials can be reused
• No item produced

Critical Failure (Natural 1)

• All materials are lost/destroyed
• Possible damage to tools (GM discretion)
• Possible collateral damage for dangerous recipes
• No item produced

Recipe Structure

Each recipe defines what you can craft and how.

Recipe Components

Example Recipe

Experience and Crafting

How crafting interacts with character progression.

Standard Crafting

No XP awarded. Crafting is production, not challenge. Using known recipes with available materials is work, not adventure.

When Crafting Awards XP

• First successful craft of a new recipe: Small XP (discovery)
• Creating something unprecedented: XP based on significance
• Crafting under dramatic pressure: XP for the situation, not the craft

The GM determines when crafting contributes to story advancement worthy of experience.

"You don't get better at adventuring by making your fortieth health potion. You get better at adventuring by making that potion while the dungeon is flooding and something with too many teeth is swimming toward you."

Summary

Status

This extension builds on core TDGS rules. It does not redefine them.

Core documents referenced: Document 1, Document 3, Document 7, Document 12