MSRD:Craft (Skill)

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Craft (Int)

This skill encompasses several categories, each of them treated as a separate skill: Craft (chemical), Craft (electronic), Craft (mechanical), Craft (pharmaceutical), Craft (structural), Craft (visual arts), and Craft (writing).

Craft skills are specifically focused on creating objects. To use a Craft skill effectively, a character must have a kit or some other set of basic tools. The purchase DC of this equipment varies according to the particular Craft skill.

To use Craft, first decide what the character is trying to make and consult the category descriptions below. Make a Wealth check against the given purchase DC for the object to see if the character succeeds in acquiring the raw materials. If the character succeeds at that check, make the Craft check against the given DC for the object in question. If the character fails the check, he or she does not make the object, and the raw materials are wasted (unless otherwise noted).

Generally, a character can take 10 when using a Craft skill to construct an object, but can’t take 20 (since doing so represents multiple attempts, and the character uses up the raw materials after the first attempt). The exception is Craft (writing); a character can take 20 because the character does not use up any raw materials (and thus no Wealth check is required to use the skill).

Craft (chemical) (Int) Trained Only

This skill allows a character to mix chemicals to create acids, bases, explosives, and poisonous substances.

Acids and Bases: Acids are corrosives substances. Bases neutralize acids but do not deal damage. A base of a certain type counteracts an acid of the same type or a less potent type.

		Craft DCs
Type of Acid	Purchase DC	Acid	Base	Time
Mild (1d6/1d10)^1	8	15	10	1 min.
Potent (2d6/2d10)	12	20	15	30 min.
Concentrated (3d6/3d10)	16	30	20	1 hr.
The dice rolls in parentheses are typical contact damage/immersion damage caused per round of immersion.

Explosives: Building an explosive from scratch is dangerous. If the Craft (chemical) check fails, the raw materials are wasted. If the check fails by 5 or more, the explosive compound detonates as it is being made, dealing half of its intended damage to the builder and anyone else in the burst radius.

If the check succeeds, the final product is a solid material, about the size of a brick. An explosive compound does not include a fuse or detonator. Connecting a fuse or detonator requires a Demolitions check.

Type of Scratch-Built Explosive	Purchase DC	Craft DC	Reflex DC (save for half damage)	Time
Improvised (1d6/5 feet)^1	6	10	10	1 round
Simple (2d6/5 feet)	12	15	12	10 min.
Moderate (4d6/10 feet)	16	20	12	1 hr.
Complex (6d6/15 feet)	20	25	15	3 hr.
Powerful (8d6/20 feet)	25	30	15	12 hr.
Devastating (10d6/25 feet)	30	35	18	24 hr.
The figures in parentheses are typical damage/burst radius for each type of explosive.

Scratch built explosives deal concussion damage.

Poisonous Substances: Solid poisons are usually ingested. Liquid poisons are most effective when injected directly into the bloodstream. Gaseous poisons must be inhaled to be effective. The table below summarizes the characteristics of various poisons.

Save DC: The Difficulty Class of the Fortitude save to negate the effects of the poison.

Initial Damage: The damage a character takes immediately upon failing his or her Fortitude save.

Secondary Damage: The damage a character takes after 1 minute of exposure to the poison if the character fails a second saving throw. Ability score damage is temporary, unless marked with an asterisk, in which case the damage is permanent ability drain. Unconsciousness lasts for 1d3 hours, and paralysis lasts 2d6 minutes.

Purchase DC: The DC for the Wealth check necessary to obtain the raw materials to craft the poison, or to purchase one bottle of solid or liquid poison or one high-pressure cylinder of gaseous poison. A bottle holds four doses, while a cylinder holds enough gas to fill a 10-foot-radius area.

Restriction: The restriction rating for the poison, if any, and the appropriate black market purchase DC modifier. Remember to apply this modifier to the purchase DC when making a Wealth check to acquire the poison on the black market.

Craft DC: The DC of the Craft check to create a quantity of the poison.

Time: The amount of time required for the Craft check.

If the Craft check succeeds, the final product is a synthesized solid or liquid poison stored in a bottle (containing 4 doses) or a gas stored in a pressurized cylinder. When released, the gas is sufficient to fill a 10-foot-radius area and takes 1 round to fill the area.

Table: Poisons

Poison	Type	Save DC	Initial Damage	Secondary Damage	Purchase DC	Restriction	Craft DC	Time
Arsenic	Ingested	15	1d4 Str	2d4 Con	9	Res (+2)	24	4 hr.
Atropine	Injury	13	1d6 Dex	1d6 Str	3	Res (+2)	14	1 hr.
Belladonna (plant)	Injury	18	1d6 Str	2d6 Str	14	Lic (+1)	n/a	n/a
Blue vitriol	Injury	12	1d2 Con	1d2 Con	3	Res (+2)	9	1 hr.
Blue-ringed octopus venom	Injury	15	1d4 Con	1d4 Con	14	Lic (+1)	n/a	n/a
Chloral hydrate	Ingested	18	1d6 Dex	Unconsciousness 1d3 hours	12	Res (+2)	28	8 hr.
Chloroform^1	Inhaled	17	Unconsciousness 1d3 hours	—	9	Res (+2)	24	4 hr.
Curare (plant)	Injury	18	2d4 Dex	2d4 Wis	15	Res (+2)	n/a	n/a
Cyanide	Injury	16	1d6 Con	2d6 Con	15	Mil (+3)	31	15 hr.
Cyanogen	Inhaled	19	1d4 Dex	2d4 Con	12	Mil (+3)	28	8 hr.
DDT	Inhaled	17	1d2 Str	1d4 Str	9	Lic (+1)	20	4 hr.
Knockout gas	Inhaled	18	1d3 Dex	Unconsciousness 1d3 hours	12	Res (+2)	26	8 hr.
Lead arsenate (gas)	Inhaled	12	1d2 Str	1d4 Con	6	Res (+2)	17	2 hr.
Lead arsenate (solid)	Ingested	12	1d2 Con	1d4 Con	6	Res (+2)	18	2 hr.
Mustard gas	Inhaled	17	1d4 Con	2d4 Con	12	Mil (+3)	26	8 hr.
Paris green (gas)	Inhaled	14	1d2 Con	1d4 Con	9	Res (+2)	20	4 hr.
Paris green (solid)	Ingested	14	1d4 Con	1d4 Con	9	Res (+2)	24	4 hr.
Puffer poison (fish)	Injury	13	1d6 Str	Paralysis 2d6 minutes	13	Lic (+1)	n/a	n/a
Rattlesnake venom	Injury	12	1d6 Con	1d6 Con	12	Lic (+1)	n/a	n/a
Sarin nerve gas	Inhaled	18	1d4 Con	2d4 Con	15	Illegal (+4)	30	15 hr.
Scorpion/tarantula venom	Injury	11	1d2 Str	1d2 Str	12	Lic (+1)	n/a	n/a
Strychnine	Injury	19	1d3 Dex	2d4 Con	9	Res (+2)	23	4 hr.
Tear gas	Inhaled	15	Nauseated 1d6 rounds	—	9	Res (+2)	21	4 hr.
VX nerve gas	Inhaled	22	1d6 Con	2d6 Con	21	Illegal (+4)	42	48 hr.
Chloroform gives off vapor that causes unconsciousness. Applying chloroform to an unwilling subject requires a successful grapple check and pin.
n/a: Certain poisons can’t be made with the Craft skill. Instead, such a poison must be obtained by extracting it from the creature in question.

Special: A character without a chemical kit takes a –4 penalty on Craft (chemical) checks.

A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (chemical) checks.

Craft (electronic) (Int) Trained Only

This skill allows a character to build electronic equipment from scratch, such as audio and video equipment, timers and listening devices, or radios and communication devices.

When building an electronic device from scratch, the character describes the kind of device he or she wants to construct; then the Gamemaster decides whether the device is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced com­pared to current technology.

Type of Scratch-Built Electronics (Examples)	Purchase DC	Craft DC	Time
Simple (timer or detonator)	8	15	1 hr.
Moderate (radio direction finder, electronic lock)	12	20	12 hr.
Complex (cell phone)	16	25	24 hr.
Advanced (computer)	22	30	60 hr.

Special: A character without an electrical tool kit takes a –4 penalty on Craft (electronic) checks.

A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (electronic) checks.

Craft (mechanical) (Int) Trained Only

This skill allows a character to build mechanical devices from scratch, including engines and engine parts, weapons, armor, and other gadgets. When building a mechanical device from scratch, the character describes the kind of device he or she wants to construct; then the Gamemaster decides if the device is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced compared to current technology.

Type of Scratch-Built Mechanical Device (Examples)	Purchase DC	Craft DC	Time
Simple (tripwire trap)	5	15	1 hr
Moderate (engine component, light armor)	12	20	12 hr.
Complex (automobile engine, 9mm autoloader handgun)	16	25	24 hr.
Advanced (jet engine)	20	30	60 hr.

Special: A character without a mechanical tool kit takes a –4 penalty on Craft (mechanical) checks.

A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (mechanical) checks.

Craft (pharmaceutical) (Int) Trained Only

This skill allows a character to compound medicinal drugs to aid in recovery from treatable illnesses. A medicinal drug gives a +2 circumstance bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of a disease.

The Craft (pharmaceutical) check is based on the severity of the disease to be countered as measured by the DC of the Fortitude save needed to resist it.

Disease Fortitude Save DC	Purchase DC	Craft DC	Time
14 or lower	5	15	1 hr.
15–18	10	20	3 hr.
19–22	15	25	6 hr.
23 or higher	20	30	12 hr.

Special: A character without a pharmacist kit takes a –4 penalty on Craft (pharmaceutical) checks.

A character with the Medical Expert feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (pharmaceutical) checks.

Craft (structural) (Int)

This skill allows a character to build wooden, concrete, or metal structures from scratch, including bookcases, desks, walls, houses, and so forth, and includes such handyman skills as plumbing, house painting, drywall, laying cement, and building cabinets.

Type of Scratch-Built Structure (Examples)	Purchase DC	Craft DC	Time
Simple (bookcase, false wall)	5	15	12 hr.
Moderate (catapult, shed, house deck)	10	20	24 hr.
Complex (bunker, domed ceiling)	15	25	60 hr.
Advanced (house)	20	30	600 hr.

When building a structure from scratch, the character describes the kind of structure he or she wants to construct; then the Gamemaster decides if the structure is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced in scope and difficulty.

Special: A character without a mechanical tool kit takes a –4 penalty on Craft (structural) checks.

A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (structural) checks.

Craft (visual art) (Int)

This skill allows a character to create paintings or drawings, take photographs, use a video camera, or in some other way create a work of visual art.

When attempting to create a work of visual art, the character simply makes a Craft (visual art) check, the result of which determines the quality of the work.

Unless the effort is particularly elaborate or the character must acquire an expensive piece of equipment, the basic components have a purchase DC of 5.

Skill Check Result	Effort Achieved
9 or lower	Untalented amateur
10–19	Talented amateur
20–24	Professional
25–30	Expert
31 or higher	Master

Creating a work of visual art requires at least a full-round action, but usually takes an hour, a day, or more, depending on the scope of the project.

Special: A character with the Creative feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (visual art) checks.

Craft (writing) (Int)

This skill allows a character to create short stories, novels, scripts and screenplays, newspaper articles and columns, and similar works of writing.

When creating a work of writing, the player simply makes a Craft (writing) check, the result of which determines the quality of the work.

No Wealth check is necessary to use this Craft skill.

Skill Check Result	Effort Achieved
9 or lower	Untalented amateur
10–19	Talented amateur
20–24	Professional
25–30	Expert
31 or higher	Master

Creating a work of writing requires at least 1 hour, but usually takes a day, a week, or more, depending on the scope of the project.

Special: A character with the Creative feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (writing) checks.

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MSRD -> Skills

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