Tool Kit tables use broad resource-group labels such as Organic, Beast, Mineral, Mechanical, Essence, Thread and Environmental. The Materials table names the specific working media, such as Metals, Wood, Fibers and Leather. Record the Tool Kit and the actual Material together on the sheet. The broader labels are descriptive groupings, not extra proficiencies, bonuses or automatic permission to use every substance in that group. Exotic or supernatural media require the relevant existing rules and WorldKeeper agreement.
Every Craft Begins with Its Medium Copy link
Every craft is shaped by the materials from which it is born.
A blacksmith learns how metal bends beneath heat. A mason studies the weight and grain of stone. A tailor understands how fabric stretches, folds, and wears with time. Long before mastery is achieved, every artisan develops an intimate understanding of the materials they work with.
Each Tool Set is paired with a Material, representing the broad category of substances your Hero has learned to shape, repair, and understand through years of experience.
These Materials are intentionally broad. Rather than limiting a Hero to working with a single substance, they represent entire families of related materials that share similar techniques, tools, and traditions. As your Hero's Skill grows, they may learn to work with additional Materials, greatly expanding the kinds of projects they can undertake.
Together, your Tool Sets and Materials define not only what your Hero can create, but how they approach craftsmanship itself.
Material Categories Copy link
Material | Includes | Example Tool Sets |
|---|---|---|
Metals | Iron, steel, bronze, copper, brass, silver, gold, alloys, exotic metals | Blacksmithing, Armoring, Weaponsmithing, Jewelry |
Stone | Granite, marble, slate, crystal, gems, masonry, mineral ores | Masonry, Stonecarving, Gemcutting, Mining |
Wood | Timber, bark, reeds, bamboo, cork, hardwoods | Carpentry, Bowmaking, Fletcher, Shipwright |
Fibers | Cloth, wool, linen, silk, cotton, rope, thread | Tailoring, Weaving, Embroidery, Rope Making |
Leather | Leather, hides, pelts, fur, scales | Leatherworking, Cobbler, Saddlery, Tanner |
Glass | Glass, lenses, mirrors, stained glass | Glassblowing, Lenscraft, Mirrorcraft |
Clay | Clay, ceramics, porcelain, brick | Pottery, Ceramics, Brickmaking |
Organic | Bone, horn, ivory, shell, chitin, wax | Bonecarving, Instrument Making, Ornamentation |
Plants | Herbs, flowers, fungi, spices, dyes, resins | Herbalism, Apothecary, Brewing, Gardening |
Liquids | Oils, inks, paints, potions, perfumes, acids | Alchemy, Brewing, Painting, Calligraphy |
Paper | Paper, parchment, vellum, books, scrolls | Scribing, Cartography, Bookbinding, Illumination |
Choosing Materials Copy link
Your chosen Material should naturally complement your Tool Set.
A blacksmith may specialize in Metals, while a jeweler might work primarily with Metals or Stone. A cartographer relies upon Paper, while an herbalist understands the properties of Plants.
Many crafts naturally overlap multiple Materials. The Material recorded on your Hero Sheet simply represents the one with which your Hero has the greatest familiarity and expertise.
The WorldKeeper may allow additional Materials to become relevant as your Hero's skills expand, collaborate with others, or pursue ambitious projects.
Materials During Play Copy link
Materials help define the kinds of projects your Hero can confidently undertake.
When crafting, repairing, identifying workmanship, or evaluating an object's quality, the WorldKeeper may consider whether your Hero possesses experience with the Material involved.
A Hero familiar with Stone may recognize the weaknesses within a fortress wall.
Someone trained in Metals might identify the maker of a blade from its forging techniques.
An herbalist versed in Plants may distinguish medicinal herbs from poisonous lookalikes.
Understanding a Material often reveals opportunities long before a tool is ever lifted.