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One of my players is a Mountain Dwarf (proficient with blacksmith tools, of course), and he would like to practice forging tools, weapons and armor. For this, he would like to build his own forge near the party's headquarters.

How much gold would the forge cost ? (anvil, hammer, tools, hearth, tuyere, bellows, coal coke, etc)

Bonus question: how long would it take to build it ? (there are nearby blacksmiths that could help. And yes, he could "borrow"/use the other forges, but he wants his own)

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There was a supplement for 3rd edition D&D called the Stronghold Builder's Guidebook which provided costings for player-built dungeons. Facilities such as stables, libraries and forges featured prominently. It could easily be adapted for 5th edition. There are two specific options from that source you might use:

  • A Basic Smithy costs 500gp, and occupies 400 square feet.
  • A Fancy Smithy costs 2000gp, occupies 400 square feet, and grants +2 to relevant crafting checks.

Note that for routine smithing, no ability check is required, merely proficiency, a forge, and one day per 5 gp value of the created item (PHB p.187 / SRD p.88, "Crafting"). The bonus granted by the Fancy Smithy becomes relevant only in the case of particularly fine work (PHB p.172 / SRD p.80, "Other Dexterity Checks"):

Other Dexterity Checks. The GM might call for a Dexterity check when you try to accomplish tasks like the following:

[...]

  • Craft a small or detailed object

Construction time

Given the value of the smithy, you can use the "Building a Stronghold" table (DMG p.128) as a guide to how long it should take to construct. I'd estimate a week for the basic smithy, and a month for the fancy one.

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    \$\begingroup\$ how does the gold translate from 3rd to 5th? \$\endgroup\$
    – daze413
    Jan 5, 2016 at 8:16
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    \$\begingroup\$ @daze413 Back-compatibility to the earlier editions was an explicit design goal for the 5th edition, so the prices for non-magical items are close or identical to 3rd edition. The entries in the "Building a Stronghold" table are all right in the ballpark for what you'd build using the 3e SBG. \$\endgroup\$
    – Sebkha
    Jan 5, 2016 at 9:12
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    \$\begingroup\$ I notice you didn't comment on converting the +2 into 5e terms. Any thoughts on that? Do you think the static bonus is appropriate and should just be used as-is? \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Jan 5, 2016 at 15:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ It should probably be a new question on its own, but what does advantage/+2 bring to crafting items ? When are rolls required when crafting items ? \$\endgroup\$
    – Yotus
    Jan 7, 2016 at 8:17
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Yotus Found support for the use of ability checks for crafting in "Other Dexterity Checks"; added that to the answer. \$\endgroup\$
    – Sebkha
    Feb 3, 2016 at 12:45

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