Draw Steel skill
Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing is a skill in Draw Steel: Forging, repairing, and judging metal weapons, armor, tools, and hardware at a forge.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Characteristic
- Might
Overview
Blacksmithing covers work with hot metal: hammering out a blade, patching a dented breastplate, reforging a broken hinge, telling good steel from brittle iron. It sits in the Might group because the job is heavy labor with hammer and bellows. It comes up between fights: repairing gear ruined by acid or rust, judging a weapon before buying it, recognizing a smith's mark on a captured blade, or producing a needed piece in downtime.
How it works
Characteristic: Might. Skill group: Might skills. Test: 2d10 + Might; 11 or lower is tier 1, 12 to 16 tier 2, 17 or higher tier 3. Training grants a benefit and unlocks attempts untrained heroes cannot make. How it is used: Tests come when a repair is time-limited, the metal unfamiliar, or the standard high. Tier 3 is flawless work, tier 2 serviceable, tier 1 flawed or wasted stock. Edges and banes: A proper forge and good tools grant an edge (+2). Improvised heat, poor material, or exhaustion imposes a bane (-2).
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Heroes who maintain the party's arms, and anyone from a smithing family or guild. Character concepts: Artisan career smith, dwarf clan forgemaster, Gladiator who repaired arena gear. Synergies: Lift for hauling stock, Craft and Engineering for mixed builds, Fury builds that already run high Might.
Frequently asked questions
Can I forge a weapon during an adventure?
Only with a forge, fuel, stock, and time. In the field you sharpen, straighten, and patch.
Why is Blacksmithing Might rather than Reason?
The bottleneck is hours of hammer work on heavy hot metal. Design knowledge falls under Craft or Engineering.