New DnD 5e Crafting Rules Are Finally Here

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In Dungeons & Dragons, players’ actions are limited only by their imaginations and the stats on their character sheet. Yet one one overlooked area of the rules is how crafting works in DnD 5e. In fact, over the past decade Wizards of the Coast has provided only a loose framework to govern how players can make their own unique items. It’s a somewhat glaring oversight given the popularity of crafting mechanics in video games and other TTRPGs.

Fortunately, it’s an issue that’s been addressed in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, which has introduced new crafting rules that allow players to create their own weapons, armor, potions and even magic items.

So just how does crafting work in the new DnD 5e rules? Below, we gather up our supplies and hammer out all the details.

What are the New Crafting Rules in DnD 5e?

The new DnD 5e crafting rules featured in the 2024 Core Rules are designed to simplify and enhance the crafting process, making it more accessible and rewarding for players. Each tool now has a specific function known as a “Utilize Action” which tells how it can be used in the crafting process.

Artisan’s tools have also been overhauled to fit into this new crafting system. Each set of tools now comes with a list of items that can be crafted using those tools. If you have proficiency with a particular set of tools, you can then create items on that tool’s list using the new rules. This interlocking system ensures that crafting is designed to be both straightforward and fully integrated into the game mechanics.

As part of the new DnD 5e crafting system, every single item featured in the Adventure Gear table in the 2024 Player’s Handbook now tells you the price and what it can be used for as a crafting item, including what ability scores are required to successfully create an item. For example, players proficient with cartographers tools can now create maps that have valuable in-game benefits.

What are the new rules for crafting magic items in DnD 5e?

While the 2024 Player’s Handbook includes only the creation of healing potions and spell scrolls, the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide will provide more information on how players can create enchanted items, including uncommon magic items and rarer, more powerful items at higher levels. These rules will follow the same basic outline of standard crafting, providing information on the specific components and proficiencies/abilities that characters will need to be able to make specific magic items.

These new magic items crafting rules open up a ton of possibility for roleplaying, combat and exploration, and you could see entire adventures focused on players trying to get the necessary components needed to forge their own magic items.

Final Thoughts

The new crafting rules seek to fill a much-needed gap in the DnD 5e rules, letting players find more users for their hard-earned gold and offering more agency over the types of items they can use. It remains to be seen, however, if these rules will be widely adopted by the larger DnD 5e community and how they translate onto the table.

Full details on the new DnD 5e crafting rules can be found in the new 2024 Player’s Handbook, which you can pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.

In the meantime, below is also a video from the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel that features an interview with lead designer Jeremy Crawford who discusses the new crafting mechanics in greater detail.

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