Crafting

Crafting is available to every character, whether it is part of their profession, an established skill, a hobby, or simply something they know how to do. Most everyday crafting is entirely freeform. Characters may cook, sew, carve, repair, build, paint, make jewelry, or create other ordinary items without using the mechanical crafting system, as long as the finished item does not provide a gameplay benefit.

The crafting system comes into play when a character creates something with a mechanical effect. Any character may craft consumable items such as potions, poisons, salves, poultices, and similar single-use creations. Permanent or reusable magic items are the exception: these may only be crafted by characters with Thaumaturgy, and follow additional rules and approval requirements explained later in this guide.

Any item with a mechanical effect must be created through a crafting thread. All ingredients required by the recipe must be present and used in the thread, and at least one full page must be dedicated to actively working through the steps needed to create the item.

Any post that contains active crafting should be marked crafting post at the bottom. This makes it easy for both players and staff to see which posts count toward the crafting process.

Crafting should be written step by step rather than completed all at once. Whenever a character completes all the steps that combines the components, tag staff on Discord in the #tag-staff channel, and we will roll to determine your success.

If a character uses a magic item or magic that grants an advantage or otherwise affects the crafting attempt, that item must also be listed at the bottom of the relevant post along with its effect.

If all required crafting steps succeed, the item is successfully created. Add the finished consumable to your character’s inventory and remove all components used to make it.

If the crafting attempt fails, all components used in the recipe are consumed and must be removed from the character’s inventory. To attempt the recipe again, the required components must be obtained through Exploration again before beginning a new crafting attempt.

Official Recipes are staff-approved consumables with established ingredients, effects, and crafting instructions. Each recipe lists everything your character needs to create the item and any special requirements involved. Unless a recipe specifically says otherwise, its listed components and mechanical effect should be followed as written.

To craft an Official Recipe:

Gather every required component. All ingredients must already be listed in your character’s inventory before the crafting attempt begins.

Start a crafting thread. At least one full page of the thread must be dedicated to actively creating the item and working through the recipe’s individual steps.

Mark active crafting posts. Any post that actively works toward completing the recipe should have crafting post written at the bottom.

Work through the recipe step by step. Do not complete the entire item in a single post. Tag staff for a roll after all the steps have been completes.

List any mechanical bonuses being used. If your character uses a magic item that grants an advantage or otherwise affects the crafting attempt, list the item and its effect at the bottom of the relevant post.

Resolve the finished craft. If every required step succeeds, add the completed consumable to your character’s inventory and remove all components used in the recipe. If the attempt fails, all required components are still consumed and must be removed from the inventory. Your character will need to obtain the ingredients again before attempting the recipe a second time.

Cosmetic details may be personalized freely as long as they do not alter the recipe’s mechanics. If you want to change an ingredient, effect, or other mechanical part of an Official Recipe, contact staff before beginning the crafting thread.
Official Recipe List

Players are welcome to experiment with their own custom recipes. Any custom creation requires a minimum of three components, though you may use more if the recipe calls for it. In general, the rarity of the components should reflect the strength of the finished item: recipes using rarer and more difficult-to-obtain materials are capable of producing stronger effects.

For custom consumables, experimentation is part of the crafting process. Characters may combine components they have obtained and test different recipes to discover what they are able to create. These attempts follow the same crafting thread, inventory, success, and failure rules as Official Recipes.

For custom magic items, contact staff before beginning the crafting process. Staff will work with you to determine which components are required for the intended item and effect. This applies whether your character is a Thaumaturgy mage creating the item themselves or another character is having the item created for them. Magic items still require at least three components, with stronger items generally requiring rarer materials.

Once your character has successfully created a new custom consumable, you may submit the recipe to staff via your private admin chat on Discord to be added to the Official Recipe List. Failed experiments do not need to be submitted.

When you submit a recipe, include the recipe name, what type of consumable it is, all required components, the finished effect, a brief explanation of how the components are prepared and combined, a link to the successful crafting thread, and the name of the character who created or discovered it.

Once approved, the recipe will be added to the Official Recipe List with OOC credit to its creator and may then be crafted by other characters who gather the required components.

Recipes submitted through this process should already have been successfully created in-character. If you would like to propose a magic item rather than a consumable, use the Magic Item Approval process instead.

Common components do not require an Exploration thread, but they should still be obtained in-character before being used for crafting. They may be gathered, purchased, traded for, or otherwise acquired through normal roleplay.

Common components may also be used in custom recipes and experiments. While they will not produce the strongest effects on their own, a successful combination of common materials can still create a consumable with a minor mechanical effect.

Characters with Thaumaturgy may use their magic to create permanent magic items. Unlike ordinary crafting, which is limited to consumables, Thaumaturgy allows a character to combine magical components and imbue the resulting object with a lasting magical effect.

A Thaumaturgy mage must first acquire the magical components required for the item they intend to create. These components must be present in their inventory before crafting begins. Custom magic items should be discussed with staff beforehand so the intended effect, required materials, and appropriate item tier can be established before the character begins gathering components.

The rarity and quality of the components influence the quality and strength of the finished item. More powerful items will generally require rarer or more difficult-to-obtain materials. However, components cannot allow a Thaumaturgy mage to exceed the tier of magic they currently possess. A Tier One Thaumaturgy mage may only create Tier One magic items, even if they have access to extremely rare components. Tier Two and Tier Three items require the corresponding tier of Thaumaturgy.

In-character, Thaumaturgy works by drawing the magical components directly into the object being created. As the mage channels their magic, the components slowly begin to break apart and dissolve into mist, which is then pulled into the item and absorbed into its structure. Once the materials have been fully incorporated, their magical properties become part of the object, allowing the Thaumaturgy mage to imbue it with its intended permanent effect.

The exact appearance of the mist and the way the process manifests may vary slightly between components and individual mages, but the basic process remains the same: the magical materials themselves are physically consumed and drawn into the item as part of its creation. It takes hours of concentration to create a magic item, and cannot be done during quests. All magic items should be prepared before a quest.

Magic-item crafting follows the same basic thread rules as other mechanical crafting. Characters should work through the creation process in-character, marking active posts with crafting post. When the magical components are combined and the item reaches the stage where its enchantment is being completed, tag staff for a roll to determine whether the attempt succeeds.

On a successful roll, the finished object becomes a permanent magic item and may be added to the appropriate character’s inventory. On a failed attempt, any consumable components used in the craft are lost and must be removed from the character’s inventory. They must be obtained again before another attempt can be made unless the character possesses a magic ability or item that specifically allows a component to be preserved.

Full Magic System

Characters who cannot create a magic item through Thaumaturgy may instead petition the Loom for one in-character.

To make a request, the character must visit a temple and weave a single metallic thread into one of the Loom’s ever-growing tapestries. As they add their thread, they should offer a prayer explaining what they are seeking and ask the Loom for its aid.

If the Loom answers, it enters the character’s mind in much the same way it does during Determination Day. For a willing supplicant, this is normally a pleasant sensation, similar to a mild high, as the Loom moves through their thoughts and understands both the request and the person making it.

The Loom does not simply place the requested magic item into their hands. Instead, it leaves behind knowledge or instructions showing the character what they must do to earn, find, or create it. Mechanically, receiving this answer begins a Loom Quest [LQ] built around obtaining the requested item.

The exact path may vary depending on the character, the requested item, and the Loom’s judgment. The quest may require gathering rare materials, completing specific tasks, seeking particular people or places, making difficult choices, or overcoming other trials before the item can be obtained.

Loom Quests

Use the links below to find crafting components, purchase available materials or items, manage your character’s inventory, and reference any related systems while planning a recipe or magic item.

Flora & Fauna Shadow Market Inventory & Tracker