The art of making weapons and armor is the most honorable of all crafts and one of the few crafts honorable enough to be undertaken by a samurai. Most clans have at least one family that takes great pride in the skill of their smiths. The armor crafted by the Kaiu is said to fit its wearers like a second skin and deflect the most powerful blows. The legendary Kakita blades are weapons unlike any other Empire. The Tamori family possesses great mastery over the processes which bind elements together and puts this expertise to use in fashioning weapons and tools. Their rivals in the Agasha family left many of these secrets behind when they left the Dragon, through their diminished expertise is now supplemented by powerful Phoenix magic.

A master smith is a craftsman whose mastery over steel is so great that the spirit of the metal sings to his own. He nurtures the elemental spirits within the metal, encouraging them to awaken through rituals as sacred as those practiced by any shugenja. Master smiths sometimes venture outside their forges and strike out into the world, seeking experiences to awaken their own soul so that may leap into their art with greater fervor. Nearly all master smiths are samurai, though monks and inkyo have occasionally experimented with this art, seeking enlightenment through creation. Shugenja rarely become master smiths, but those shugenja who have embarked on this path have crafted some truly extraordinary weapons.

Role: Utility

Characteristics: Crafters dedicated to making exquisite weapons and armors

Source: Magic of Rokugan

Game Rule Information

The Master Smith has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence for Craft checks and other abilities, Strength or Dexterity to use the items you create.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Master Smith's class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Magical Device (Cha)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Master Smith.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Master Smith is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and light and medium armor.

Fine Craftsman Ex: At 1st level, a master smith with access to a forge, masterwork tools, and an abundant supply of metals can craft weapons, armor, tools and other items out of fine Rokugani steel. The master smith's rate of production is also greatly increased. With a successful skill check of the appropriate Craft type (DC 15), once per day he can craft up to 250 gp worth of materials per day, and otherwise follows the rules for magic items. The master smith must spend at least 8 hours of every 24 working on the item and cannot take a day off. He cannot perform any other physically or mentally demanding tasks while crafting an item at this accelerated rate. He cannot craft more than one item per day at this enhanced rate, regardless of its total cost. No experience points are expended when a master smith crafts non-magical items, but he must provide raw materials worth half the item's market price.

Exceptional Craftsman Ex: At 2nd level, the smith can create weapons of exceptional Rokugani steel. The master smith's rate of production is greatly increased. With a successful Craft (Weaponsmith) check (DC 20) he can craft up to 500 gp worth of material per day, this ability is otherwise identical to the Fine Craftsman ability.

Superior Craftsman Ex: At 3rd level, the smith can create weapons of superior Rokugani steel. The master smith's rate of production is greatly increased. With a successful Craft (Weaponsmith) check (DC 25) he can craft up to 750 gp worth of material per day, this ability is otherwise identical to the Fine Craftsman ability.

Legendary Craftsman Ex: At 3rd level, the smith can create weapons of legendary Rokugani steel. The master smith's rate of production is greatly increased. With a successful Craft (Weaponsmith) check (DC 30) he can craft up to 1000 gp worth of material per day, this ability is otherwise identical to the Fine Craftsman ability.

Craft Magic Arms and Armor: At 5th level the master smith gains this feat for free even if he has no spellcaster levels. He is considered a caster of twice his master smith level for the purposes of craft magic weapons and armor. These effective levels stack with any spellcaster levels for this purpose. Note that unless the master smith has spellcasting abilities, he will require the presence of a spellcaster to supply the necessary spells to create certain types of weapons or armor.

Temper the Blade Ex: At 6th level, a master smith can improve upon earlier weapons and armor, enhancing their quality dramatically. A normal weapon or armor can be reforged as a masterwork weapon or armor. A masterwork item can be improved to the quality of fine Rokugani steel. Items whatever higher level of quality the smith can normally produce. The smith must expend raw materials equal to half the difference between the item's original market price and the market price of the final product.

Awakened Soul Ex: At 7th level, the smith gains the ability to instill certain enhancements into weapons without the presence of a shugenja. The master smith may select a number of weapon or armor special abilities equal to his Intelligence modifier, none of which may have an enhancement bonus higher than +1 (such as frost, returning, or blinding). Thereafter he can create items with these abilities without the requisite spells and feats.

Powerful Soul Ex: At 8th level, the smith may select a number of weapon or armor special abilities equal to his Intelligence modifier, none of which may have an enhancement bonus higher than +3 (such as cold resistance, disruption, or thundering). Thereafter he can create items with these abilities without the requisite spells and feats.

Master's Soul Ex: At 9th level, the smith may select a number of weapon or armor special abilities equal to his Intelligence modifier, none of which may have an enhancement bonus higher than +5 (such as dancing, reflection, or speed). Thereafter he can create items with these abilities without the requisite spells and feats.

True Master Ex: At 10th level the master smith is a true master of his art. When determining the cost in XP and materials for creating magic weapons or armor, multiply the base price by 75%. If the character also has the Magical Artisan feat and has applied it toward Craft Arms and Armor, then the base price is multiplied by 50%.