Jump to content

Leatherworking & Armoring - Shared Crafting Skills


Erol of Backford

Recommended Posts

Sorry if this was posted already somewhere but I wasn't able to find it directly. If there is a better location to post please move it?!

I looked at several leatherworking posts but none actually covered "shared crafting skills". I assume a leatherworker is able to make soft, stiff or even cuirbouilli leather?

What if a leatherworker has say an 80% skill could they not sew metal rings (made by another) onto the leather they fabricated at a 40%, skill/half their leatherworking ability? Just curious if others have allowed this in their campaigns?

Or possibly they had the PC get some minor training as to how to do it by an armorer and so learn how to in a shorter amount of time than starting from 00%? It seems logical to me but am unsure how others have addressed it if they have?

 

image.png.5ba0e9eafb8a4b1f11b0b7ba3331a336.png

Edited by Erol of Backford
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A person who is a leather worker knows how to work and sew leather into usable items.  As these items invariably include other materials, they are rolled into the leatherworking without penalty.  To suggest that a leatherworker can't make boots at full skill because they include metal tacks is absurd.  The finished metal item is being incorporated into the leather, not crafted independently by the leatherworker and is an integral part of the skill.  Now a leatherworker may not know how to make studs, nails, eyelets (wooo, high tech!), rings, and scales, but they have an integral working knowledge of how to sew existing metal items into their leatherwork and can do so without penalty.  Now your local redsmith likely has an apprentice going slowly blind in meeting the orders for small metal items for the leatherworker, but that is a different issue.  Craft skills are described very generally in RQG, but we must make the assumption that a Journeyman (50% skill) who takes their time (+bonus), and has the requisite tools and materials can complete goods worth full market value and capable of being sold as such.  In the case of the ringmail, the leatherworker is not making the ring, they are sewing it into the leather, ergo, full skill.  I would even go so far as to suggest that a leatherworker would know how to incorporate wood and metal fittings into a scabbard at no penalty.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simply put Leatherworkers can sew leather (you usually punch a hole first and sew through it) and attach bone, metal, cloth, wood, feathers, etc. whatever to it.

Armourers are either leatherworkers, redsmiths or ironsmiths.  There's no specific armourer craft.

It's likely that some smiths know some leather crafting at above base value (10%+bonus), given the ubiquity of leather. But it's likely they will have a family member who does the leather work.

For example, scale and ring mail armour is effectively leather armour with metal sewn on. A leatherworker would tailor the armour piece and sew on the metal (rings or scales), while the metal would have been made by the appropriate smith. The scale would be prepunched for attachment.

Adventurers have Craft (leather) starting at 10% plus manipulation bonus. 

  • Like 1

-----

Search the Glorantha Resource Site: https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com. Search the Glorantha mailing list archives: https://glorantha.steff.in/digests/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would even assume that it’s part of Redsmithing (or at least inherited at half chance) to know how to make handles (in wood, bone, horn and/or leather) for swords, as well as to socket a spearhead with a wooden shaft (although that shaft itself is likely Woodworking).

Edited by Akhôrahil
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Akhôrahil said:

I would even assume that it’s part of Redsmithing (or at least inherited at half chance) to know how to make handles (in wood, bone, horn and/or leather) for swords, as well as to socket a spearhead with a wooden shaft (although that shaft itself is likely Woodworking).

Agreed, with the addition that a redsmith would know how to make a wooden haft for axes, spears, etc. and wooden grips for swords. The redsmith could alternately purchase the hafts, especially for more decorative ones, from woodworkers if one was available. My limited understanding is it is a 'haft' until the tool/weapon is attached, then some of them become 'shaft' (longer ones). 

They would need Craft/Woodworking to know how to make tongue and groove, mortise and tenon, or dovetail joints. So Woodworking for furniture or anything other than a haft or grip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dragon said:

Agreed, with the addition that a redsmith would know how to make a wooden haft for axes, spears, etc. and wooden grips for swords. The redsmith could alternately purchase the hafts, especially for more decorative ones, from woodworkers if one was available. My limited understanding is it is a 'haft' until the tool/weapon is attached, then some of them become 'shaft' (longer ones). 

This is part of something I have been thinking about a lot recently - that RQ skills need to be a little wider than they first appear. If you have Read/Write, you know how to create and maintain your writing utensils. If you have Ride (Horse), you can also take care of horses, evaluate a horse, maintain (and maybe even emergency repair) saddle and tackle, train the horse, and so on. With any craft, you can take care of your tools and probably do some adjacent things (like with the Redsmithing discussion here). Farm can evaluate land values.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Incidentally shoes used to be made with wooden pegs instead of nails until fairly recently, mid 1800s.  No, it doesn't take a carpenter to make those little pegs.  Some specialized shoemakers still make them for reenacting authenticity.  My point is that many items you might assume to have metal components now, would not have them in a bronze age world.  Or an iron age world.  Or would have fewer metal components.  

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

if I had to manage it, I would consider that there is one skill for one armor type

In my perception, leatherworker for cuir bouilli , shoes, etc, redsmith for chainmail, etc.. even if there are part of metal and leather in the same piece.

the point then would be to allow the other skill to augment the main one:

your leatherworker wants to create a very good leather armor and looks for a good smith (or herself) to obtain the "best" metal pieces --> roll the smith's skill to check if the leatherworker can get some bonus

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...