Blacksmith

“The only joy greater than winning a prize with your own two hands, is forging it.”

Blacksmiths are craftsman who forge the tools they need by hand. Blacksmiths are masters of equipment, both in its use on the battlefield as well as destroying the tools of their foes. While not all blacksmiths will go adventuring, those who do find their allies are more than grateful to have someone on board who can help them make the most of the tools of their trade.

Starting Wealth: 4d6 x 10 gp (average 140 gp). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Role: Blacksmiths support their party by crafting and maintaining potent weapons and armor, and wade into battle leveling powerful blows.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d10

Class Skills

The blacksmith’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: Blacksmith
Class Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Special Combat Talents
1 +1 +2 +0 +2 Combat training, equipment specialist, maintenance, thunderous blows +1d6 1
2 +2 +3 +0 +3 Skilled craftsman, smithing insight 2
3 +3 +3 +1 +3 Artisan savant (Craft Wondrous Item), reforge, thunderous blows +2d6 3
4 +4 +4 +1 +4 Smithing insight 4
5 +5 +4 +1 +4 Artisan Savant (Craft Magic Arms and Armor), thunderous blows +3d6 5
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +5 Smithing insight 6
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +5 Thunderous blows +4d6 7
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +6 Smithing insight 8
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +6 Rapid maintenance, thunderous blows +5d6 9
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +7 Smithing insight 10
11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +7 Thunderous blows +6d6 11
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +8 Smithing insight 12
13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +8 Rapid maintenance, thunderous blows +7d6 13
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +9 Smithing insight 14
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +9 Thunderous blows +8d6 15
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +10 Smithing insight 16
17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Rapid maintenance, thunderous blows +9d6 17
18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Smithing insight 18
19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Thunderous blows +10d6 19
20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Smith’s masterpiece, smithing insight 20

Class Features

Armor and Weapon Proficiencies

Blacksmiths are proficient with simple weapons, as well as light armor and bucklers. In addition, if this is this character’s first level in any class, they may select a martial tradition of their choice.

Combat Training

A blacksmith may combine combat spheres and talents to create powerful martial techniques. Blacksmiths are considered Expert combatants and use Constitution as their practitioner modifier.

Equipment Specialist

The blacksmith gains one talent from the Equipment sphere as a bonus talent at 1st level.

Maintenance (Ex)

Starting at 1st level, the blacksmith learns how to maintain and optimize his equipment and that of his party members by sharpening weapons, tightening armor straps, replacing padding, and performing other tasks that allow him and his companions to get the most out of their gear each day. Whenever the party has at least 8 consecutive hours of rest time (or the equivalent of 8 hour’s rest, such as 2 hour’s rest with a ring of sustenance or similar ability), the blacksmith can set aside a small period of time to perform these maintenance tasks without interfering with his normal rest to give him and a number of allies equal to 1 + his Constitution modifier (minimum 1) one of the following benefits for 24 hours, or until their next 8 hour or longer rest, whichever comes first. The blacksmith may select a different maintenance for each ally to be affected.

Armor Maintenance

The blacksmith and his allies reduce the armor check penalty of all armor they wear by 1 (minimum 0), and increase the armor bonus of their worn armor (but not shields) by +1. The armor bonus increases by +1 and the armor check penalty is reduced by an additional 1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. For the purposes of this ability, a standard set of clothing or similar equivalent (such as a wizard’s robes) is treated as light armor with an armor bonus and armor check penalty of 0.

Clarifying Reinforcements

The blacksmith hammers thin lead linings into helmets and head gear, sews small packets of smelling salts into glove linings, and performs other tasks that give his allies an advantage in resisting harmful mental effects; all creatures affected by this maintenance gain a +1 competence bonus to Will saves, plus an additional +1 for every 5 class levels the blacksmith possesses.

Cobbling

The blacksmith reinforces his allies’ footwear, giving them a firmer tread and providing sturdier protection; the blacksmith and his allies ignore the first square of difficult terrain they enter each round; at 5th level and every five levels thereafter, they may ignore one additional square of difficult terrain each round.

Fortifying Reinforcements

The blacksmith adds special herbal packets and additional temporary reinforcements to his and his allies armor making them heartier and more resistant; all creatures affected by this maintenance gain a +1 competence bonus to Fortitude saves, plus an additional +1 for every 5 class levels the blacksmith possesses.

Heavy-Duty Reinforcement

The blacksmith adds temporary reinforcements to his and his allies’ equipment, increasing the hardness and hit points of all affected creatures’ weapons and armor by an amount equal to his class level. In addition, weapons affected by this maintenance ignore an amount of hardness when used to sunder or damage objects equal to 1/2 the blacksmith’s class level (minimum 1).

Pack Straps

By optimizing the straps and buckles of his allies packs and pouches, the blacksmith and his allies may treat their Strength score as though it were 2 points higher when determining their carrying capacity, plus an additional 2 points for every 5 class levels the blacksmith possesses.

Polish

The blacksmith polishes his allies metal armor, weapons, and shields, giving them a clean polish that can even deflect magical attacks. Once per day, when an affected ally would normally be hit by a ray attack, they may deflect it as a free action that can be taken even when it is not their turn so that they take no damage and are unaffected by it. The ally must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. The blacksmith and his affected allies may reflect one additional ray per day at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

Quickening Reinforcements

The blacksmith oils the joints and treats the leather of his and his allies’ gear, granting them a +1 competence bonus to Reflex saves, plus an additional +1 for every 5 class levels the blacksmith possesses.

Sharpen Weapons

The blacksmith and his allies gain a +2 bonus to all damage rolls made with manufactured weapons. This bonus increases by +2 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

Thunderous Blows (Ex)

Starting at 1st level, the blacksmith becomes particularly adept at striking crafted creations in exactly the right place and manner to damage them most effectively. When the blacksmith makes an attack action or attack of opportunity, he deals an additional 1d6 damage if making a successful sunder attempt or if attacking a construct or object (including animated objects). This damage increases by 1d6 at 3rd level and every two levels thereafter. The blacksmith never provokes attacks of opportunity for attempting the sunder combat maneuver, and whenever the blacksmith chooses to destroy an item held or worn by a creature with a sunder attempt any excess damage is applied to the item’s wielder. The blacksmith counts as having the Improved Sunder feat for determining prerequisites.

At 3rd level, the blacksmith has learned how to swing his weapons in a way that shatters scales and claws as easily as manufactured armor and weapons. The blacksmith may make a special sunder attempt as an attack action, targeting a creature’s natural armor or natural weapons. If the blacksmith chooses to sunder the creature’s natural armor, on a successful check he deals damage to the creature equal to his normal weapon damage (bonus damage from thunderous blows is not applied when using sunder in this manner) and it takes a penalty to its natural armor bonus equal to the number of bonus damage dice granted by his thunderous blows class feature; a creature’s natural armor bonus cannot be reduced below 0 in this manner. Any amount of magical healing removes this penalty, as does a DC 15 Heal check, which can be made as a standard action.

If the blacksmith chooses to sunder the creature’s natural weapon, on a successful check he deals damage to the creature equal to his normal weapon damage and it takes a penalty to attack rolls with that natural weapon equal to the number of bonus damage dice granted by his thunderous blows class feature for 1 round.

Skilled Craftsman (Ex)

Starting at 2nd level, the blacksmith may use Profession (blacksmith) in place of all Craft and Spellcraft skill checks made to create, modify, repair, and enchant weapons, armor, and shields, and he gains a competence bonus equal to 1/2 his class level (minimum 1) on all Profession (blacksmith) checks. In addition, the smith learns to quickly repair damaged objects, restoring 2 hit points per class level he possesses to an object as a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. If the object has the broken condition, this condition is removed if the object is restored to at least half its original hit points. All of the pieces of an object must be present for this ability to function. Magic items can be repaired by this ability, but the blacksmith’s class level must be equal to or higher than the caster level of the object. This ability does not affect creatures (including constructs). This ability has no effect on objects that have been warped or otherwise transmuted, but it can still repair damage done to such items. This ability can be used to repair non-magical weapons, armor, and shields that have been destroyed, as long as all the pieces are together in an accessible location. At 5th level, the blacksmith no longer provokes an attack of opportunity for using this ability.

Smithing Insight (Ex)

The blacksmith’s expertise in crafting and maintaining weapons and equipment has given him a broader and deeper insight into the strengths and weaknesses of all kinds of equipment. Unless otherwise noted, a blacksmith cannot select an individual smithing insight more than once. At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter the blacksmith gains one smithing insight from the following list:

Double-Edged Sword

Whenever the blacksmith uses the sunder combat maneuver or a similar ability while using the attack action to cause a creature’s wielded weapon to gain the broken condition, he can damage the weapon in such a way that any attempt to make an attack with it inflicts 1d6 damage against the wielder, +1d6 per 5 class levels the blacksmith possesses. Repairing the equipment so that it no longer has the broken condition removes this effect.

Durable

The blacksmith’s time working over an anvil has forged not only weapons and armor, but also his very body. The blacksmith gains Endurance and Toughness as bonus feats.

Economic Crafting

The blacksmith learns to craft with virtually no material waste. The raw material cost to create a non-magical item is reduced from 1/3rd the market price to 1/4, and all magical items and equipment have their raw material cost reduced by 10%.

Gunsmith

The blacksmith gains proficiency with all firearms, gains the Gunsmithing feat as a bonus feat, and may make sunder attempts at range when using a firearm, using his Dexterity in place of his Strength modifier when determining his combat maneuver bonus.

Hammer Down

When the blacksmith succeeds at a bull rush combat maneuver, he can make a trip combat maneuver at the end of the bull rush as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Even if he does not move with the target, the force of his attack may still trip his foe, but he takes a –5 penalty on the combat maneuver check to trip.

Hampering Dents

Whenever the blacksmith successfully deals damage to a creature’s armor with the sunder combat maneuver or a similar ability while using the attack action, that creature takes a -1 penalty to Acrobatics, Climb, and Swim checks, as well as to all melee damage rolls. This penalty increases by an additional -1 for every 5 levels the blacksmith possesses. Restoring at least 1 hit point to the damaged armor removes this effect.

Heat Forged

The blacksmith’s time spent working over a scorching forge has inured him to the effects of heat. The blacksmith becomes immune to nonlethal damage caused by heat, and gains fire resistance 10. This fire resistance increases by 5 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

Hobbling Strikes

Whenever the blacksmith successfully deals damage to a creature’s armor with the sunder combat maneuver or a similar ability while using the attack action, the creature’s base speed is lowered by 5 ft. + 5 ft. per 5 class levels the blacksmith possesses; this ability cannot lower a target’s speed below 5 ft. Restoring at least 1 hit point to the damaged armor removes this effect.

Master Shieldsmith (Requires Shieldsmith)

The blacksmith’s shieldcraft has reached its pinnacle, allowing him to craft shields whose intricate details are too refined for anyone but him to truly master. The blacksmith does not lose his shield bonus to AC when attacking with a weapon wielded with his shield arm, and does not take two-weapon fighting penalties for his off-hand attacks when using a shield bash as one of his weapons when two-weapon fighting.

Penetrating Blows

The blacksmith’s time spent pounding iron and steel has translated into an ability to strike with such force that the impact of his blows punches through his opponent’s defenses with ease. The blacksmith ignores 2 points of damage reduction his target possesses when attacking with a melee weapon using the attack action, plus an additional point at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

Practiced Power

Regardless of his actual physical might, the blacksmith’s time working at a forge has enabled him to strike with power beyond what his frame should allow. The blacksmith gains a +1 competence bonus to his combat maneuver bonus and damage rolls made with hammers when using an attack action to sunder, plus an additional +1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

Satisfying Crunch

Whenever the blacksmith destroys or inflicts the broken condition on a weapon, item, or other piece of equipment with a sunder attempt, he gains a +2 morale bonus to attack rolls, and to combat maneuver checks made to perform a sunder, until the end of his next turn and may regain his martial focus as an immediate action. For every 6 class levels the blacksmith possesses, this morale bonus increases by an additional +1.

Siegesmith

The blacksmith’s skill and knowledge of engineering make him particularly good at working on siege equipment. The blacksmith becomes proficient with all siege engines, lowers the costs to craft, enchant, or repair them by 25%, and no longer needs to pay any additional cost to craft a siege engine of masterwork quality (this reduction stacks with that granted by the economic crafting insight). In addition, the blacksmith gains a +2 bonus to Disable Device checks made to disable a siege engine and decreases the amount of time necessary to disable a siege engine by one round (minimum 1); at 5th level and every five levels thereafter the bonus to Disable Device checks increases by +2 and the number of rounds necessary to disable a siege engine decreases by an additional one round.

Shieldsmith

The blacksmith learns how to position the straps and clasps on a shield in such a way that he can wield it without hampering the use of an arm; the blacksmith may wear a light or heavy shield as a buckler, and does not suffer a penalty to attack rolls when using his shield arm to wield a weapon or when using a tower shield.

Stunning Strikes

The blacksmith’s time at the forge has taught him how to put every iota of his mighty frame into each swing of his weapon, resulting in truly devastating attacks. When the blacksmith successfully deals damage to a creature with a bludgeoning melee weapon while using the attack action, the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the blacksmith’s class level + his Constitution modifier) or be stunned for 1 round. The blacksmith must be at least 12th level to learn this insight. Regardless of whether a creature passes or fails its save against this effect, it cannot be affected by this ability again for 1d4 rounds.

Tangling Wreckage

Whenever the blacksmith uses the sunder combat maneuver or a similar ability while using the attack action to cause a creature’s worn armor to gain the broken condition, he can damage the equipment in such a way that it causes the target to become entangled as long as they are wearing the equipment. Repairing the equipment so that it no longer has the broken condition removes this effect.

Toolsmith

The blacksmith’s training and practice with tools increases the bonus he gets from using masterwork tool kits, such as a set of masterwork thieves’ tools; the circumstance bonus granted to the blacksmith by such masterwork tools increases by +2, plus an additional +2 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter (so a 5th level blacksmith using a set of masterwork thieves’ tools would receive a +6 circumstance bonus on associated checks).

Artisan Savant

Starting at 3rd level, the blacksmith becomes proficient in creating powerful magic equipment, treating his class level as his caster level for crafting feats and abilities and using the appropriate Craft skill (weapons, armor, bows, etc.) for the check to complete the item. In addition, the blacksmith gains Craft Wondrous Item as a bonus feat at 3rd level, and Craft Magic Arms and Armor at 5th level.

Reforge (Ex)

From 3rd level on, the blacksmith’s experience with crafting excellent equipment allows him to manipulate and rework magical equipment without damaging or sacrificing its magical potency. The blacksmith can spend 1 hour per total effective bonus (minimum 1 hour) of an enchanted armor, weapon, or shield (enhancement bonus plus permanent special ability bonus equivalents) at an operational forge to reforge the equipment into another equivalent item at no additional cost; weapons into weapons of another type, armor into a separate type of armor, and shields into weapons, armor, or other types of shields; a heavy shield can be converted into a light shield or vice versa, and a tower shield can be converted into any other type of shield, but bucklers, light shields and heavy shields cannot be converted into tower shields. When reforging, the blacksmith cannot exchange one piece of equipment for another that is not predominantly made out of the same dominant material; a greatclub can be reforged into a quarterstaff or spear, but not into a bastard sword, and a suit of platemail could be reforged into a breastplate or chain shirt, but not into a suit of leather armor. The new weapon or armor must be the same size or smaller as the original.

In addition, the blacksmith can restore a magic weapon, armor, or shield that has been destroyed by a sunder attack or similar ability; if the blacksmith can acquire all the broken pieces of the equipment, he may restore it to its original complete condition, including all enchantments, with 8 hours of work at an operational forge.

Rapid Maintenance (Ex)

The blacksmith’s skill at performing maintenance improves and he may now perform multiple maintenances at once. At 9th, 13th, and 17th level, the blacksmith may perform 1 additional maintenance during an 8 hour rest (for a total of 4 maintenances per affected creature at 17th level).

Smith’s Masterpiece

At 20th level the blacksmith reaches the pinnacle of his craft. Throughout his career, the blacksmith has collected and hoarded special materials, crafting secrets, and scraps of ancient rituals, all in preparation for his ultimate life’s work. The blacksmith crafts a single magic armor, weapon, or shield of his choice, imbuing it with power beyond what any normal piece of equipment can contain. The crafted item has a +5 enhancement bonus, and the smith may choose up to +8 effective enhancement bonus’ worth of special abilities to apply to this piece of equipment; once chosen, these enhancements cannot be changed. This ability supersedes the normal restriction preventing equipment from exceeding a total enhancement bonus of +10 including class abilities. As long as the blacksmith and his masterpiece are on the same plane, the blacksmith can recall the masterpiece to himself with 1 minute of concentration, even if it is currently in another creature’s possession.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Spheres of Might, © 2017, Drop Dead Studios LLC; Authors: Adam Meyers, Michael Sayre, Andrew Stoeckle, N. Jolly

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