Everything revealed about the new crafting rules for D&D 2024
Crafting has always felt a bit tacked on in D&D 5e with clunky rules that weren’t ever really fleshed out. These often left a lot for a DM to determine themselves.
Thankfully, D&D 2024 seeks to remedy this with some simple, straightforward and clear rules around how crafting should work. Below I’ve put together everything that’s been revealed so far on crafting in D&D 2024.
If you want to see the original reveal, you can check out the video below:
How will crafting work in D&D 2024?
Tools rules for crafting
The new crafting rules hinge on the changes being made to tools in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. While tools had some usage in the 2014 PHB, this was often unclear and was rarely directly linked to what tools were needed for crafting each type of item.
Now, tools have a clear purpose. Every tool has something it can do with the utilise action in regular play. You don’t need proficiency with a tool to use it in regular play, you just don’t add your proficiency bonus to your score. Though you do need the relevant tool proficiency to use a tool to craft items.
When it comes to crafting, artisan’s tools are the key here with utilisation to craft different things. For example, a potion kit will enable you to create potions, smiths tools will enable you to create weapons and armor, cartography tools will enable you to craft maps and so on. You can craft spell scrolls (which are now on the adventuring gear list) as well as other magic items found in the DMG.
You can simply follow these rules when crafting items now:
- Each tool will have a crafting list. You can craft anything from that list if you have the relevant tool and proficiency
- The cost of crafting a non-magical item is half the cost of the item in raw materials rounded down
- It will take you 1 day of downtime activity per 10gp that the item is worth (instead of the previous 5) to craft the item. This is halfed if you work together with a friend
What can each tool do
We don’t have all the details just yet, but we do know a lot of what different tools can do which I’ve included in the table below. As we find out more, I’ll add.more details below:
Artisan’s tools
| Tool | Ability | Cost | Crafting options | Utilise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alchemist’s supplies | Intelligence | 50gp | Acid, alchemist’s fire, component pouch, oil, paper, perfume | Identify a substance (DC 15), start a fire (DC 15) |
| Brewer’s supplies | Intelligence | 20gp | Antitoxin | Detect poisoned drink (DC 15), identify alcohol (DC 10) |
| Calligrapher’s supplies | Dexterity | 10gp | Spell scrolls, ink | Write text that guards against forgery (DC 15) |
| Carpenter’s tools | Strength | 8gp | Club, great club, quarterstaff, barrel, chest, ladder, pole, portable ram, torch | Seal or pry open a door or container (DC 20) |
| Cartographer’s tools | Wisdom | 15gp | Maps | Draft a map of a small area (DC 15) |
| Cobbler’s tools | Dexterity | 5gp | Climber’s kit | Modify footwear to give advantage on the wearer’s next acrobatics check (DC 10) |
| Cook’s utensils | Wisdom | 1gp | Rations | Improve food’s flavour (DC 10), detect spoiled or poisoned food (DC 15) |
| Glassblower’s tools | Intelligence | 30gp | Glass bottle, magnifying glass, spyglass, vial | Discern what a glass object held in the last 24hrs (DC 15) |
| Jeweller’s tools | Intelligence | 25gp | Arcane focus, holy symbol | Discern a gem’s value (DC 15) |
| Leatherworker’s tools | Dexterity | 5gp | Sling, whip, hide armor, leather armor, studded leather armor, backpack, crossbow bolt case, map or scroll case, parchment, pouch, quiver, waterskin | Add a design to a leather item (DC 10) |
| Mason’s tools | Strength | 10gp | Block and tackle | Chisel a symbol or hole in stone (DC 10) |
| Painter’s supplies | Wisdom | 10gp | Druidic focus, holy symbol | Paint a recognisable image of something you’ve seen (DC 10) |
| Potter’s tools | Intelligence | 10gp | Jug, lamp | Discern what a ceramic object held in the past 24hrs (DC 15) |
| Smith’s tools | Strength | 20gp | Weapons, armor, ball bearings, bucket, caltrops, chain, crowbar, firearm bullets, grappling hook, iron pot, iron spikes, sling bullets | Pry open a door or container (DC 20) |
| Tinker’s tools | Dexterity | 50gp | Musket, pistol, bell, bullseye lantern, flask, hooded lantern, hunting trap, lock, manacles, mirror, shovel, signal whistle, tinderbox | Assemble a tiny item from scrap that falls apart in a minute (DC 20) |
| Weaver’s tools | Dexterity | 1gp | Padded armor, basket, bedroll, blanket, fine clothes, net, robe, sack, string, tent, traveler’s clothes | Mend a tear in clothing (DC 10), sew a tiny design (DC 10) |
| Woodcarver’s tools | Dexterity | 1gp | Club, great club, quarterstaff, ranged weapons (except guns and slings), arcane focus, arrows, bolts, druidic focus, ink pen, needles | Carve a pattern in wood (DC 10) |
Other tools
| Tool | Ability | Cost | Crafting options | In play uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disguise kit | Charisma | 25gp | Costume | Apply makeup (DC 10) |
| Forgery kit | Dexterity | 15gp | N/A | Mimic 10 or fewer words of someone else’s handwriting (DC 15), duplicate a wax seal (DC 20) |
| Gaming set | Wisdom | Varies | N/A | Discern whether someone is cheating (DC 10), win the game (DC 20) |
| Herbalism kit | Intelligence | 5gp | Antitoxon, candles, healer’s kits, potions of healing | Identify a plant (DC 10) |
| Musical instrument | Charisma | Varies | N/A | Play a known tune 9DC 10), improvise a tune (DC 15) |
| Navigator’s tools | Wisdom | 25gp | N/A | Plot a course (DC 10), determine position by stargazing (DC 15) |
| Poisoner’s kit | Intelligence | 50gp | Basic poison | Detect a poisoned object (DC 10) |
| Thieves’ tools | Dexterity | 25gp | N/A | Pick a lock (DC 15), disarm a trap (DC 15) |
Clarity on ability checks with tools
You’ll also find a lot more clarity on what ability score should be used when making a check with various tools. Previously, there was no clarity on this and again, this came entirely down to the DM’s discretion.
Now, not only is each tool tied to a certain ability score, but there are also suggestions on how different tools could be used in play. For example, cobblers tools can be used to track shoe prints.
Even better, if you have both proficiency in the tool being used and the skill required for a check, you now gain advantage on the check. The most obvious use case for this is when picking a lock. Proficiency in both sleight of hand and thieves tools will now grant you advantage on your check.
Adventuring gear for the things your tools can make
In the 2014 PHB, the adventuring gear table was incomplete. It was not only missing information about what you can do with the adventuring gear, but it was also missing some crucial gear you might want to make. For example, the cartographer’s tools are used to create maps, but there’s no entry for maps.
The 2024 PHB rectifies these issues by providing a more complete list of gear as well as explaining clearly what each piece of gear is for. The great thing is, you can not only craft these things, but also purchase them (though crafting obviously means they’ll be cheaper).
It’s now much clearer how to make things like magic scrolls too, allowing you with enough time and resources, to backup your spells lots with a large repertoire of one use spell scrolls to use.
Proficiency in calligraphers tools will allow you to do this and proficiency in arcana will help. The costs have been cheapened too. Before, Xanathar’s Guide had a 2nd level spell scroll costing 250gp, that’s now been reduced to 100gp.
Something interesting to note is that the spell save DC of a spell is linked to the crafter, not the caster. This means that a thief rogue (who can use spell scrolls despite a lack of natural spellcasting ability) can use the crafter’s spell save DC instead of their own. A powerful way to add more spellcasting to your party!
Its also easy for other spellcasters to add to the wizard’s spell book with their own spells known (as long as they crossover with the wizard’s spell list).
Personally, I’ve never been a big fan of crafting (in TTRPGs or video games), the mechanics have always felt dull and monotonous to me.
D&D 5e though has always had particularly half-baked mechanics for crafting that have left a lot to interpret for the DM. There was also little clear guidance on why any one would bother with tools proficiency for most artisan tools. Thankfully for those less grumpy about crafting than me, it seems WOTC has given this under-utilised set of rules a simple and clear way to craft if you want it?
What do you think of the new crafting rules? Let me know in the comments below.
Spotlight on the D&D 2024 revision
All the latest updates on what’s changing with the 2024 rules revision.
