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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Chapter 5: Treasure Trove

Crafting Items

Source GM Core pg. 223
In addition to anything special noted in the Craft Requirements entry, every item has default requirements. These are as follows, including anything listed in the Craft activity (Player Core 236).
  • The crafter's level must be equal to or higher than the item's.
  • If the item is 9th level or higher, the crafter must be a master in Crafting, and if it's 16th or higher, the crafter must be legendary.
  • The crafter must have the formula for uncommon or rarer items.
  • The crafter must have an appropriate set of tools and, in many cases, a workshop.
  • The crafter must supply raw materials worth at least half of the item's Price.
  • For an alchemical item, the crafter must have the Alchemical Crafting feat (Player Core 252).
  • For a magic item, the crafter must have the Magical Crafting feat (Player Core 258).

Runes

Source GM Core pg. 223
Etching a rune largely follows the same process as Crafting items, though runes can be transferred and follow some other special rules detailed on page 225.

Multiple Types

Source GM Core pg. 223
Some items with multiple type entries get special treatment when it comes to formulas and upgrades. The existing knowledge you have about the item means you don't need to start from scratch with these items.

If you have the formula for an item, you don't need a different formula to Craft a different type of that item that's just a higher-level upgrade. For example, if you have the formula for a +1 weapon potency rune, you don't need to secure a new formula to etch a +2 weapon potency rune. This works similarly with items such as a spacious pouch with its multiple types or doubling rings with a base version and greater version.

You can also upgrade an item or rune to a stronger version. This essentially means you Craft a permanent item from a lower-level version of the same item. For example, you might upgrade +1 weapon potency rune to a +2 weapon potency rune or upgrade a spacious pouch type I to a spacious pouch type II. The cost for this upgrade is the full difference in Price between the items, and the Crafting check uses a DC for the item's new level. You don't have to upgrade step by step either! You could upgrade a spacious pouch type I directly to type III or type IV.

If the different types in an item entry are wildly different, such as with aeon stones or marvelous miniatures, you need separate formulas and can't directly upgrade the items. If a type of the item has a higher rarity, that type requires its own formula. The GM will make the determination if it's unclear and might bypass these rules in special circumstances or if it suits the theme of their game.

Disrupting Activations

Some abilities and effects can disrupt the process of Activating an Item. If something disrupts your item activation, you fail to Activate the Item and lose the actions you committed. If the item can be activated only a certain number of times per day, the failed activation still counts against that limit. If an item requires you to spend actions to Sustain an Activation, and one of those actions is disrupted, the item’s effect ends.

Item Rarity

Like many other aspects of the rules, items have rarities. Player characters might find uncommon magic items for sale, but only infrequently and often by private sellers or in clandestine markets. Their formulas are often guarded and not readily available. Unless the GM decides otherwise, a character cannot purchase rare items, and their formulas are lost to time.

Rarities for uncommon and rare treasures are indicated by the first trait in the stat block (or by the items' level if only some types of the item have a different rarity). Unique items are indicated in the same way, though there are none in this book.