The Artifex Order

The members of this guild are artisans specialized in the creation of all kinds of magical items, but especially magical weapons and armor. Founded by the dwarves of Highdelve (in Brevoy), most members are wizard-smiths, but spell casters of all varieties are welcome to join their ranks.

Location: Highdelve, plus smaller chapters elsewhere in Brevoy.

REQUIREMENTS

Entrance Fee 500 gp (waived if apprenticing with existing member)

Entrance Exam DC 15 Craft (any) AND DC 15 Spellcraft or Kn (Arcana).

Tuition 300gp/semester (see below)

EDUCATION

Education Check Special (see below)

Semester 4 months

Flunk 3 consecutive failed Education checks (but see below)

EXTRACURRICULAR TASKS

Material Emancipation (+1 Fame) By securing the guild regular access to a source of rare materials, such as a mithral mine or a grove of darkwood, your Fame score increases by +1.

AWARDS

Maker’s Touch (1 PP) Your close familiarity with crafting magical items gives you insight into their use. You become specialized in Use Magic Device.

Guild Training (5 PP) You gain the feat Cooperative Crafting (APG) as a bonus feat. You must meet the prerequisites for Cooperative Crafting before purchasing this award.

Deep Craft (5 PP) You gain the feat Prodigy (from Ultimate Magic) as a bonus feat.

Early Graduation (10 Fame, 10 PP) By spending ten Prestige Points, a member may seek permission to establish an independent business before reaching 15 Fame. Requires DC 20 Craft (Any) and DC 20 Spellcraft checks as a final exam. Members who succeed must continue making Education checks until their Fame reaches 15, and cannot recruit apprentices before then.

GUILD NOTES

An item-crafting guild is much less like a school than any of the other types, because skill in crafting items is gained primarily from hands-on experience rather than “classes” as such. There’s definitely an element of instruction (especially at lower levels), but once you’ve learned the basics, the process of education consists mostly of practicing and refining your abilities. So, there are several changes:

1. Instead of tuition per semester, members pay guild dues — 300 gp, payable every 4 months. This otherwise functions exactly as tuition. There is a 500 gp entrance fee, which may be waived if the applicant is recruited as an apprentice by an existing member.
2. There is an entrance exam, consisting of two checks. First, to demonstrate crafting ability the applicant must make a DC 15 Craft (Any) check, without benefit of magical aid (such as Crafter’s Fortune). Second, the applicant must make a DC 15 check to demonstrate basic magical competence. This can be satisfied with either Spellcraft or Knowledge (Arcana).
3. Education checks are handled differently based on the guild member’s Fame score.

• Fame 5 or lower: Education check may be satisfied by:
  • A Spellcraft or Knowledge (Arcana) check (DC 15 + member’s current ranks).
  • Crafting an item (or items) with a total market price of not less than 50 gp.
• Fame 6-10: Education check may be satisfied by:
  • A Spellcraft or Knowledge (Arcana) check (DC 18 + member’s current ranks).
  • Crafting a masterwork item (or items) with a total market price of not less than 300 gp.
  • Creating potions, wands, or scrolls with a combined market price of not less than 300 gp; the CL of items submitted in this way must be equal to the member’s highest Caster Level.
• Fame 11-15: Education check may be satisfied by:
  • Crafting a Wondrous Item with a CL equal to the member’s CL.
  • Crafting an enchanted weapon or set of armor (CL = member’s CL/3).
  • Recruiting an apprentice (Fame 15 or higher, see notes).
• Fame 16-20: Education check may be satisfied by:
  • Any of the level 11-15 options.
  • Crafting another item of equivalent difficulty (e.g. ring, rod, staff).
  • An apprentice reaching 5 Fame.
• Fame 21-29: Education check may be satisfied by:
  • Crafting a construct.
  • Devising and creating a new Wondrous Item, CL = member’s highest CL.
  • An apprentice reaching 10 Fame.
• Fame 30 and up: Education check may be satisfied by:
  • An apprentice reaches 15, 20, or 25 Fame.
  • A group of five apprentices each earn 1 Fame point.

Apprentices

Recruiting an apprentice requires paying their entrance fee of 500 gp. It is assumed that the apprentice will pay their own tuition to the guild as normal.

Apprentices should be treated as low level NPCs (typically 4 or more levels behind their master). They are members of the guild, and accumulate Fame in exactly the same way as any other guild member. An apprentice who reaches 15 Fame is assumed to be a competent crafter, and may either remain to assist the master (including instructing lower-ranked apprentices), or may move out and establish their own business. An apprentice who moves out is no longer an apprentice. Former apprentices do not count towards the master’s maximum number of apprentices. A master cannot count the accomplishments of former apprentices towards meeting her own Education checks.

Flunking out: A guild member may flunk out by failing three consecutive Education checks, UNTIL they reach 15 fame. After reaching 15 fame, it is assumed that they are a member in good standing as long as they pay their dues and produce work of acceptable quality.