ALFA: Waterdeep supports custom crafting and skill systems that are based on source material, but implemented using a custom system that provides balances between various classes of characters.
Crafting
Brewing
- Feat Required: Brewing
To brew a character must be able to take the Brewing feat, which requires three levels of a spell casting class. Once you have the feat, you can use a brewing station to combine ingredients into potions. There is an experience loss per potion crafted this way that is dependent on the potion.
Bombs can also be brewed using this system, but can only be brewed using a gnomish bomb-making kit. The gnomes who can produce this kit guard it carefully, only allowing access to those who they trust.
Characters can create simple potions such as holy water, alchemist’s fire, or healing potions; or more advanced creations such as potions of stoneskin, improved invisibility, dispel bombs, or even the fabled holy hand grenade.
A full listing of recipes can be found in the player guide.
Trap Crafting
- Skill required: Craft Trap
To craft traps a character needs to invest in trap crafting skill points. You can craft traps by combining ingredients at a trap crafting station. Once you do so, you will roll for success (1d20 + skill). If you fail, a mishap will occur and you will take some sort of damage and lose your ingredients. There is no xp loss associated with trap crafting.
Scribing Scrolls
- Feat Required: Scribe Scroll
Scrolls can be scribed once per day by casting a prepared spell on blank scrolls (which can be purchased at the Watchful Order tower) or by casting a spell directly on your spellbook if you are a wizard. The cost is 5xp and 25 gold per spell level.
Construct Creation
- Feat Required: Craft Wand (used as Craft Wondrous Item)
- Skills required (Constructs): Spellcraft & Lore
Only the most knowledgable spell casters are able to master the weave to produce constructs to command. The cost is very high, however, and requires access to a golem crafting bench and a tome detailing the instructions.
To create a construct one must first acquire the book with the recipe, which will tell you how many points of spellcraft and lore are required, what ingredients are required to craft it, and the cost in experience and gold. These books have charges, can only be used a limited number of times, and are very expensive. To craft a construct, gather the required gold, place the required ingredients into the workbench, then use the book as an item on the workbench. You may have up to 5 constructs in play at any one time, though be careful, because once destroyed a construct is lost forever. And keeping an eye on five minions on a busy battlefield can prove to be a dangerous distraction.
Enchanting
- Feat Required: Craft Wand (used as Craft Wondrous Item)
- Skill required: Spellcraft
To enchant an item you must place an equipable item and an ingot of metal onto an enchanting table along with a scroll of the spell you wish to enchant the item with. You may also cast a desired spell directly on the table.
Weapon Crafting
- Skill used: Craft Weapon
To craft weapons you must acquire a metal ingot and work it on an anvil. The ingot itself determines what sort of enhancement the weapon receives (for example, iron provides no bonus, but darksteel will create a +2 weapon). As well, you can add various ingredients and gems to a weapon to add elemental damage. The better the weapon you attempt to make, the higher the DC required to create it.
Armor Crafting
- Skill used: Craft Armor
To craft armor you must acquire a metal ingot and work it on an armor crafting stand. The ingot itself determines what sort of protection bonus the armor receives (for example, iron provides no bonus, but darksteel will add a +2 bonus). As well, you can add various ingredients and gems to armor to add elemental protection. The better the armor you attempt to make, the higher the DC required to create it.
Skills
Climbing, Jumping, and Flying
Climbing, jumping, and flying are available via the radial menu and are listed under class animations. To use one of these skills, right click and use the radial menu in the location you wish to go to. If you can reach it using one of these skills, your character will move there with an appropriate animation.
Healing
Healing is used to determine success for using herbs and medical equipment to heal HP and status effects, such as those that can be bought from the apothecary or tools that can be bought from the medicinal supply shop in Waterdeep’s Market. Players can use surgical kits to patch up companions between fights or use leeches to remove status effects. Take caution though, as errors can cause damage. Player characters can die from malpractice.
Swimming
Characters can even swim in certain locations. To swim, simply walk into the water. The higher your swim skill, the faster you can move. Swimming and holding your breath can be augmented by items for sale at the temple of Umberlee south of the Waterdeep or by using custom spells or potions. Keep an eye on your logs though, as they will let you know when you are swimming and how many rounds you have until you begin to drown.
Intimidate
Putting points into intimidate will cause some of your enemies to flee from your fearsome presence. There is a bonus to this effect for being crazy enough to run into battle while wearing little to no armor.
