Tools

Proficiency with a tool allows you to add your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make using that tool, and use any special functions of a tool provided in its description. Proficiency also implies knowledge of the trade or profession involved in the tool’s marketable products.

Tool checks are not tied to a specific ability; the DM can, for example, call for a Dexterity (woodcarver’s tools) check to carve a fine detail or a Strength (woodcarver’s tools) check to make something out of a particularly hard wood.

Some skills have overlapping functionality with tools. Sometimes, using both can provide advantages. This requires the character to be proficient with the skill and the tool.

Each tool below indicates one or more skills that lore, coaction, or synergy may apply to, sometimes with examples. Even when not specified, some of these pairings given in the tool descriptions only overlap in certain circumstances or applications. The Dungeon Master is the arbitrator of when these advantages apply.

When deriving Lore from a paring, character need not possess or make use of the tool to claim the added knowledge. This is not true of coaction or synergy between skills and tool.

If a check could be performed with either a skill or a tool, the Dungeon Master may choose to apply advantage to the roll.

For example, harvesting poison from a creature may be done with either an Intelligence (Nature) or Intelligence (poisoner’s kit) check. Proficiency with both (and use of the tools) gives the check advantage. There are myriad other ways that skills and tools can overlap in function, thus granting advantage, subject only to the (reasonable) imagination of the player and the moderation of the Dungeon Master.

When the abilities called upon for a skill or tool use in this overlapping area are not the same, the player determines which ability to use, unless the Dungeon Master asserts that a specific ability is needed for the circumstances.

Often, a successful check that applies to both a skill and a tool can yield exceptional results. Specific synergy benefits go beyond just applying advantage to a check. These are entirely at the Dungeon Master’s discretion.

For example, a character using Charisma (Persuasion) to sway a crowd to a certain viewpoint could synergize the attempt by playing a musical instrument with proficiency. A patriotic background tune really jazzes up an inspiring speech. In this case, the Dungeon Master might decide that the crowd’s starting attitude is shifted one category before the Charisma check is rolled.

For another example, proficiency with cobbler’s tools might let a character roll Wisdom (Survival) to track a specific person across a busy area like a dirt road through the center of town, doing so when it would not be possible for other characters to differentiate the similar footwear.

Synergistic benefits might make tests easier or provide better results for successful tests; the Dungeon Master chooses whether they are the sort that applies before or after rolling. Many synergy situations also benefit from a coaction advantage to their rolls. Some synergistic benefits have no effect on die rolls whatsoever. Many of these are described in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, starting on page 80.

Any time proficiency with a tool would provide additional information to the user of a skill, or vice versa, the information derived is specific to the tool or skill brought in on the check.

For example, an Intelligence (History) check to determine the origin of a painting might gain additional insight into the value and age if the investigator is proficient with painter’s tools. This is due to familiarity with the appearance of such crafts when exposed to the ravages of time.

Xanathar’s Guide to Everything lists a variety of lore opportunities for specific skills, starting on page 80.

Any artisan’s tools or miscellaneous tools can be purchased as a masterwork version for an additional cost of 150 gp.

The only function of masterwork tools is to negate disadvantage imposed by the complexity of a subject, project, or product, if it could be offset by higher precision tools or by a wider-than-normal array of supplies. This effect applies at the DM’s discretion; not every situation that imposes disadvantage can be offset by masterwork tools.

For example, as part of a forgery attempt, a character is trying to imitate a precise shade of ink used in military documents. The purpose of this ink, with its odd mixture of pigments, is to deter just this sort of forgery! Normally, the DM would impose disadvantage, but she decides that the wider array of inks available in the character’s masterwork forger’s kit is sufficient to offset the penalty.

Any type of tools can be acquired in a low-quality form at a reduced price. These are usually poorly crafted second-hand items, ill cared for or with missing components. Shoddy tools cost one-fifth the standard market value and apply disadvantage to any attack or check made to use them or made in any way connected with their use.

For example, the cost of a shoddy lyre is only 6 gp. The item is probably cracked so that its sound is never quite right. A user applies disadvantage to any Charisma (Performance) checks made to play the shoddy lyre. This does not apply to rolls other than ability checks; if a bard were to use the shoddy lyre as a spellcasting focus, spell attack rolls would not be impeded.

Proficiency with a set of artisan’s tools lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make using the tools of your craft. Each type requires a different proficiency.

During downtime periods, artisan’s tools also let you craft items for yourself or others, or earn a living.

When used in the field, each set of artisan’s tools is assumed to contain a small quantity of important components useful for repairing and upkeeping equipment without additional cost. For example, your smith’s tools might contain extra rings to replace lost bits of your chainmail armor.

Normally, this means that repairing an item requires only time, not additional costly materials. (Repair components are periodically restocked as incidental, untracked expenses.) The damaged parts of the gear itself counts as the materials needed for the project of crafting the item back to its completed form.

In the case of particularly-ruinous breakage, as suffered by armaments with the ersatz property, additional materials might need to be purchased, usually costing 5% of the item’s normal price.

Artisan’s tools are described below. Unless otherwise noted, artisan’s tools come in a satchel.

Alchemist’s Supplies. A collection of crucibles and glass vials, mortar and pestle, an alcohol-burning lamp, and other supplies. These come in a box with velvet-lined cut-outs designed to hold the delicate instruments safely in place.

Use alchemist’s supplies to produce a thick puff of smoke (DC 10), identify poison (DC 10) or another substance (DC 15), start a fire (DC 15), or neutralize acid (DC 20).

Brewer’s Supplies. Measuring bowls, scales, hops bags made of muslin, spices, hoses, a funnel, and other equipment suitable for brewing alcoholic beverages. Depending on the type of beverage crafted, kegs, casks, pitchers or other liquid storage devices may also be required for practicing this trade. You can use your tools to purify up to 6 gallons of water as part of a long rest, or 1 gallon of water as part of a short rest.

Use brewer’s supplies to detect poisons or impurities in a drink (DC 10), identify alcohol (DC 15), or ignore the effects of alcohol (DC 20). This last roll is a Constitution (brewer’s supplies) check.

Calligrapher’s Supplies. A set of fine pens, colorful inks, and fancy sheets of parchment. Also included are sealing waxes of various colors and qualities and an array of wax stamps. These supplies frequently include a specialized subset of tools used with more durable mediums, like the long-handled wood-burning styluses or fine paintbrushes used for sign-making.

Use these tools to identify the writer of nonmagical script (DC 10), determine a writer’s state of mind (DC 15), spot forged text (DC 15), or forge a signature (DC 20).

Carpenter’s Tools. Mallets, nails, measuring cords, cutting templates or triangles, smoothing planes, and a small saw. Carpenter’s tools are used to shape wood on a large scale, crafting furniture, buildings, large agricultural tools, and the like.

With 1 minute of work and raw materials, you can make a door or window harder to open, increasing the DC to do so by 5. As part of a long rest, you can construct a basic shelter that will last for 1d3 days. Until the shelter collapses, it will keep up to six small or medium humanoids dry. Prevailing temperatures within the shelter are 10 degrees more favorable.

Use these tools to build a simple structure of wood (DC 10), design a complex structure of wood (DC 15), find weaknesses in wooden constructions like siege weapons or walls (DC 15), or pry apart a door (DC 20).

Cartographer’s Tools. This satchel contains templates of maps and large, blank parchments suitable for map-making. It includes special inks and writing tools, particularly tools for drawing objects to scale relative to one another. Cartographer’s tools also include collapsible surveying rods, the measuring tools used to calculate overland distances and geographic features.

These tools let you map your journeys without slowing your speed of travel.

Use cartographer’s tools to determine a map’s age or origin (DC 10), estimate direction and distance to a landmark (DC 15), determine whether a map is fake (DC 15), or fill in missing terrain on a partial map (DC 20).

Cobbler’s Tools. These tools come in a box, the lid of which is reversible and supports a cobbler’s “last.” The tools include a mallet and nails, sturdy sewing needles and thread, rolls of soft leather, stamped pieces of hard leather, molding implements, and other devices that aid in the construction and repair of footwear.

As part of a long rest, you can maintain up to six pairs of shoes, allowing the wearers to travel 10 hours in the following day before starting forced march checks.

You can create a hidden compartment in a piece of footwear for no cost, taking 8 hours for the construction. You can use an Intelligence (cobbler’s tools) check in the place of Investigation to find hidden compartments in shoes.

Use cobbler’s tools to determine a shoe’s age or origin (DC 10) or find a hidden compartment in a boot heel (DC 15).

Cook’s Utensils. Pans, knives, bottles of assorted seasonings, a journal of recipes, and tools used to produce food.

During a short rest, you can “prepare” up to 5 rations with cook’s utensils to make them more nutritious and rejuvenating. Anyone who eats one of these rations during the same short rest may regain 1 extra hit point per Hit Die spent.

Use cook’s utensils to create a typical meal or duplicate a particular meal (DC 10), spot poison or impurities in food (DC 15), or create a gourmet meal (DC 15).

Glassblower’s Tools. This kit contains crimps and clamps, a pouring block, shears, and a blowpipe, items used to manipulate glass with a kiln or another source of high heat. It also contains rods of glass in various colors.

With one minute of study, you can identify weak points in glass objects such that your successful attacks, or the successful attacks of others that you direct, are automatically critical hits.

Use glassblower’s tools to identify a source of glass (DC 10) or determine what a glass object once held (DC 20).

Jeweler’s Tools. This kit contains chisels, brushes, polish, and other tools used to prepare or enhance gemstones, plus small-scale metalworking tools used to shape precious metals into jewelry of various kinds. A small jeweler’s loupe is included for examining jewelry and gemstones.

You can identify and appraise the value of gemstones at a glance, applying your proficiency modifier to any such checks.

Turning a raw gem into a standard one is a crafting project that requires 1 day of work per 5 gp of value added, up to (the missing) half of the standard value of the gemstone. This is not the same as modifying a gem’s appearance; that task requires a Dexterity (jeweler’s tools) check and turns a gemstone of one shape or cut into a gemstone of another.

Use jeweler’s tools to modify a gem’s appearance (DC 15) or determine a gem’s history (DC 20).

Leatherworker’s Tools. This kit contains cutting and edging tools, grommet setters and punches, a mallet, needles and awls, and other miscellaneous tools used to craft processed leather into clothing and accessories.

You can automatically determine what animal a hide came from and whether any special techniques were used to treat it.

Use leatherworking tools to modify a leather item’s appearance (DC 10) or determine its history (DC 20).

Mason’s Tools. This satchel contains the tools used to craft masonry. In addition to the trowels and joint molders, used to apply mortar, the kit includes telescoping pole braces and measuring blocks used to measure and precisely align stone and brickwork of various kinds.

With one minute of study, you can identify weak points in masonry such that your successful attacks, or the successful attacks of others that you direct, are automatically critical hits.

Use mason’s tools to chisel a small hole in a stone wall (DC 10) or find a weak point in a stone wall (DC 15).

Painter’s Supplies. Small pots of paints in various colors, alchemical mixtures for paint thinning, a painter’s palette, and an array of paintbrushes. This set of tools typically includes brushes sized for the sort of work the painter intends, from artistic to functional. These include the small, intricate brushes used to put paint on canvas, or the larger type of brushes suitable to painting buildings or murals.

As part of a short or long rest, you can produce a painting that accurately portrays or illustrates an object or landscape you have seen that day.

Use painter’s supplies to paint an accurate portrait (DC 10) or create a painting with a hidden message (DC 20).

Potter’s Tools. These tools are used to craft and repair pottery. They include molds, knives, sponges, and styluses for decorating pottery, alchemical glues for repairing shattered pottery pieces, and the dyes and glazes for finishing or resurfacing them. Examining two or more shards of a piece of pottery allows you to automatically identify its original shape.

With one minute of study, you can identify weak points in ceramic objects such that your successful attacks, or the successful attacks of others that you direct, are automatically critical hits.

Use potter’s tools to determine what a vessel once held (DC 10), create a serviceable pot (DC 15), or find a weak point in a ceramic object (DC 20).

Sculptor’s Tools. This satchel contains chisels, mallets, files, and finishing polishes for sculpting statutes out of minerals (typically stone or clay), or applying decorative engraving to the mineral surfaces of walls, doors, and other edifices.

With one minute of study, you can identify weak points in inanimate sculptures such that your successful attacks, or the successful attacks of others that you direct, are automatically critical hits.

Use sculptor’s tools to modify a statute (DC 10) or detect hidden messages in the designs engraved into a wall or similar surface (DC 20).

Smith’s Tools. Hammers, dollies, and tongs of various kinds used to shape metal, as well as the crimps used for creating rivets or repairing links of chain.

With access to a hot enough flame, you can make metal pliable; you can repair up to 10 hp of damage to a metal object per hour of work.

Use smith’s tools to sharpen a dull blade (DC 10), make an item repairable if it was previously too broken to have hit points restored (DC 15), or sunder a nonmagical metal object (DC 15).

Tattoo Artist’s Tools. This set of tools includes a variety of needles and inks as well as ointments and various treatments used to create tattoos on the skin of animals and humanoids.

You, or another spellcaster you are working with, can use these tools to inscribe a spell scroll into the skin of a living creature. Each limb and the torso of a humanoid is large enough for a single spell scroll. The costs and time needed for inscription are the same as for an equivalent spell scroll. A humanoid can read her own spell scrolls on her body, causing them to disappear, so long as they are uncovered. Another spellcaster can read uncovered spell scroll tattoos if the decorated creature is cooperative, restrained, or unconscious.

Use tattoo artist’s tools to identify tattooing techniques or origins (DC 10) or create tattoos with hidden meanings or messages (DC 20).

Tinker’s Tools. Various tools for used for crafting or repairing intricate machines. These look like smith’s tools or thieves’ tools, but in a tiny scale. The hammers, chisels, picks, and other implements are typically suitable for application to small projects like clockwork devices. Most tool sets also include an array of mundane materials to repair almost any simple object.

These tools can be used to repair most portable items made of metal, leather, or cloth, regardless of the artisan’s tools needed to craft such things. You can restore 10 hit points to a damaged object per hour of work. You need access to the appropriate materials for this task, and a hot enough flame if you are repairing metal objects.

Use tinker’s tools to temporarily repair a disabled device (DC 10), repair an item in half the time (DC 15), or improvise a simple temporary item using scraps (DC 20).

Weaver’s Tools. A small, collapsible loom and shuttle used for weaving, plus various dies and tools used to treat and store wool and other types of thread. These materials are suitable to the creation of clothbased of clothing. You can repair a single damaged garment as part of a short rest.

Use weaver’s tools to repurpose cloth (DC 10), mend a hole in a piece of cloth (DC 10), or tailor an outfit (DC 15).

Woodcarver’s Tools. A set of chisels, files, carving knives, small lathes, and other instruments for making fine impressions on wooden pieces.

Use woodcarver’s tools to craft a small figurine (DC 10) or carve an intricate pattern in wood (DC 15).

If you are proficient with a gaming set, you can add your proficiency bonus to ability checks you make to play a game with that set. Each type of gaming set requires a separate proficiency.

Some gaming sets, like dice and cards, belong to a great many games. Others are designed for use with a single, specific game in mind. But even these single game sets have myriad modifications and regional variations. Particularly where betting is involved, new uses for old gaming sets are sure to develop. All this means is that nine men’s morris is not played here like it is over in that neighboring duchy. It pays to ask the rules before you lay your wagers!

Sometimes very complex games catch on in a community, introducing factors from multiple game types. DMs are encouraged to introduce a single game (perhaps with its own game rules) that is incredibly popular, something that all the locals are playing. This adds one more facet to a memorable game world.

Wizards of the Coast has previously published card games including Three-Dragon Ante, Rock-Paper-Wizard, and Prophet’s Gambit (using the Tarokka deck). These make wonderful props for a DM looking to have a signature game in her campaign.

Characters can use gaming set ability checks to gain insight into an opponent’s personality (DC 15), or catch a player cheating (DC 15) if not using the Fixing the Game variant rule below.

This variant rule introduces complexity into the playing of games, using gaming sets or otherwise. Before a game is played, the DM must make several determinations.

Gaming Set. The first factor is the gaming set involved, if any. This is important because it is unlikely that a character is proficient in more than one gaming set. And often, a character lacks the charisma to convince his new drinking buddies to switch from their favorite game to something new. The use of a proficiency bonus is often the difference between winning and losing.

Number of Rounds. The next factor is the number of rounds to be played (the number of ability checks to be rolled). The number should be an odd one, typically three or five rounds, but some games are played on a single roll of the dice. The overall winner is the player who wins the most rounds, with ties broken in favor of the one who had the highest total result across all rounds. Players and bystanders can bet on the winners of each game, or they can place bets applicable to each round.

Type of Game. Generally, there are three kinds of games: games of intellect, games of physicality, and games of chance.

Games of intellect call for Intelligence (gaming set) checks each round. These games are the type enjoyed by intellectuals and scholars. Typical examples are card games, board games, and other contests of strategy.

Games of physicality call for checks of Dexterity (gaming set), Strength (gaming set) or, rarely, Constitution (gaming set). Games of this nature are popular in warrior-dominated cultures. Games of physicality include such examples as dart-throwing, log-lifting, and drinking games.

Games of chance are truly random. The DM determines the percentage chance for successful rounds and the player rolls percentile dice to see the outcome. While all games include some random probability, games of chance have no element of skill to them. (Proficiency bonuses do not factor in.) Coin flips, dice throws, and high-card draws are all examples of games of chance.

Bluffing. Many games are made more enjoyable by the ability to bluff. If a game allows such dynamics, at the outset, each player first rolls a Charisma (Deception) check and a Wisdom (Insight). These results determine the potential for bluffing. A character can only bluff someone if her Charisma (Deception) check at the start of the game was higher than the bluffed person’s Wisdom (Insight) check. Once during the entire game, each player can reroll her gaming ability check for a round, but only if the highest check for that round comes from someone the player can bluff.

Cheating. Most games have room for cheating; a game that seems cheat-proof just hasn’t yet run afoul of the right con artist. Cheating is mechanically like bluffing but very different morally. It is a choice made at the outset of each round. The cheater gets advantage on the appropriate gaming set check, but might get caught. After the round is played, the cheater must attempt a Charisma (Deception) check or a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, whichever the DM determines is appropriate to conceal the type of cheating used. This is opposed by the other players’ individual Wisdom (Insight) or Wisdom (Perception) checks, respectively. Anyone whose roll is higher than the cheater’s check has noticed the foul play.

For an additional expense, most gaming sets can be crafted to produce biased results. Cards can be manufactured with subtle, hidden indicators on their backs, identifying each. Dice can be constructed with varied densities to produce biased results. A dart set could be built in such a way that one set of colored darts flies much truer than the other set of colored darts.

Whatever the method, using a “fixed” game set allows a cheater to claim advantage on any check to avoid other players noticing the cheating. A fixed game set costs an additional 15 gp to acquire. Card-marking and similar alterations can be accomplished for a much cheaper price (or without cost), but these alterations are not good enough to grant advantage to the user’s checks to avoid detection.

This is a good rule to use in combination with the Playing Games variant rule, described above.

Game sets are described below.

Dice Set. These polyhedral objects are most commonly found in cube form, carved from wood or bone. The various faces are marked with numbers or other symbols. Many games are played with dice, too many to count.

Dragonchess Set. This game consists of three checkered boards, arranged in three layers, with a variety of carved playing pieces that move between squares and boards. [This game was invented by Gary Gygax and featured in Dragon Magazine in 1985.]

Hnefatafl Set. A strategy game played on a checkered or latticed board between two unevenly-matched armies of carved figures.

Kubb Set. Kubb is an outdoor game of skill where players try to toss wooden batons to knock over a series of blocks.

Nine Men’s Morris Set. This simple strategy game is played with two colors of chits on a small latticed board.

Playing Card Set. These squares of very thick paper are each painted with a letter, symbol, or numerical marker on one side. The back sides of all the cards are identical, whether blank or patterned. Many games are played with cards, including games of chance.

Prophet’s Gambit (Tarokka) Set. This card game is played with a Tarokka deck. [Wizards of the Coast publishes the Tarokka deck, which includes a pamphlet for playing the game.]

Three-Dragon Ante Set. This card game is played with a Three-Dragon Ante deck. [Wizards of the Coast publishes the Three-Dragon Ante deck, which includes rules for playing the game.]

Trictrac Set. Each of two players must advance their own set of 15 chits across various positions on a board using a combination of luck (dice rolls) and strategy.

Each type of musical instrument requires a separate proficiency. If you have proficiency with a given musical instrument, you can add your proficiency bonus to ability checks to play the instrument.

A bard can use a musical instrument as a spellcasting focus. Spellcasting this way, even without verbal components, creates sound; a musical instrument cannot be used as a spellcasting focus within a zone of silence.

Proficiency also allows you to compose original music pieces, with or without lyrics. Use a musical instrument proficiency to identify a tune (DC 10) or improvise a tune (DC 20).

Musical instruments are described below.

Bagpipes. A wind instrument constituting multiple reed pipes fed by squeezing an air bag. The air reservoir is replenished periodically by the musician blowing into it through another pipe.

Birdpipes. Sometimes called pan pipes, satyr pipes, or the shalm, this set of parallel pipes is a musical instrument popular with creatures that are close to nature.

Drum. A cylindrical instrument with a flat hide stretched taught over each end. The hide produces a hollow resonance when struck.

Dulcimer. A dulcimer is a flat, trapezoidal soundboard across which strings of descending lengths are strung. The strings can be plucked or can be struck with a tiny hammer.

Flute. This tubular reedless wind instrument produces sound when air is blown across the hole at one end. The other end of the tube has a series of holes that can be covered or left uncovered by the fingers to produce different notes.

Glaur. This short, curved horn resembles a cornucopia. If played using its set of valves, the instrument produces a brassy sound like a trumpet. Some versions, called gloons, don’t have valves and produce a more mournful sound.

Hand Drum. A double-headed skin drum fitted with handles along its side.

Harp. A harp has many parallel strings attached within a frame. The frame has an angled soundboard that facilitates shorter strings as it tapers, varying the notes produced when the instrument is strummed.

Horn. A horn is typically a brassy pipe with a conical opening at one end and a mouthpiece at the other. Horns produce loud, far-reaching notes and so are used for signaling as well musical purposes.

Lute. This plucked stringed instrument has a long neck and a deep, round back. The hollow portion of the body has a circular opening under the part of the strings that get strummed.

Lyre. A lyre resembles a harp, but is smaller. Its strings are plucked with a pick.

Longhorn. A flute of very sophisticated make, found only in large cities or areas with skilled artisans.

Pan Flute. This instrument consists of multiple closed-pipe flutes of ascending length, attached in a row.

Shawm. A double-reed instrument like an oboe or a bassoon. Some versions use attached bellows.

Songhorn. A simple type of flute, like a recorder, usually carved from wood.

Tantan. An instrument like a tambourine affixed to a tight drum.

Thelarr. A simple and wind instrument cut from a reed, sometimes called a whistecane.

Tocken. This resonating instrument is comprised of carved oval bells hung parallel on a frame and played by light strikes with a small mallet or with the open hand.

Viol. A small, six-stringed instrument held vertically and played with a bow.

Wargong. War gongs are like traditional gongs, but usually made from the shield of an enemy.

Yarting. This tightly-strung instrument resembles a shallow-bodied lute.

Zulkoon. This complex pump organ has a dramatic, sinister sound.

Miscellaneous tools differ from artisan’s tools in that they tend to create no product and they are usually not suitable for generating a stable income.

Each type of tool allows a proficient user to add her proficiency bonus to uses of that tool. Where a tool’s use might be ambiguous, some clarity is provided in the descriptions below.

Miscellaneous tools are described below.

Appraiser’s Tools. A satchel containing a multitiered scale with a set of weights, a jeweler’s loupe, vials of substances for identifying minerals through alchemical reactions, and a set of thick manuals to classify materials and index market values.

If proficient, your bonus applies to Intelligence checks to appraise valuables.

Use appraiser’s tools to identify the techniques used to refine a gemstone (convert it from a raw state) and determine the technique’s origin (DC 10) or spot costume jewelry or costume adornments to clothing armor, or weapons (DC 15).

Disguise Kit. A box containing cosmetics, hair dies, and adhesive-mounted facial prosthetics used to create a variety of disguises.

If proficient, your bonus applies to ability checks to disguise yourself or others.

You can use a long rest or one day of downtime to create a disguise. Each disguise weights 1 pound and takes one minute to put on or take off. This ready-made disguise uses quite a few of your disguise kit components; you can only keep one disguise together at a time. When composing and applying a disguise not previously-created, you must use 10 minutes for one that involves moderate changes to your appearance, or 30 minutes for one that involves more extensive changes.

Use a disguise kit to cover distinguishing marks or injuries (DC 10), spot a disguise in use by someone else (DC 15), or copy a specific humanoid’s appearance (DC 20).

Forgery Kit. A forgery kit is a satchel that has many of the same components as calligrapher’s supplies, including a variety of pens and inks. It also boasts a variety of styluses used to impersonate signet marks in wax seals.

You can produce a forged document that is up to 1 page long or up to 4 pages long, using a short rest or long rest, respectively. Your Intelligence (forgery kit) check result sets the DC for an Intelligence (Investigation) check to spot the fake.

Use a forgery kit to mimic handwriting (DC 15) or duplicate a wax seal (DC 20).

Fortune Teller’s Kit. This kit comes in a box. It includes a crystal ball, fortune telling cards, and other tools of the trade.

If proficient, your bonus applies to ability checks to tell fortunes convincingly. A fortune teller’s kit can be used to generate an income like artisan’s tools, provided they are used in a large enough area and in a society suitably tolerant of fortune tellers.

Use a fortune teller’s kit to understand someone you are telling a fortune to, determining a characteristic or ideal (DC 15), or determining a bond or flaw (DC 20).

Healer's Kit. This kit is a leather pouch containing bandages, salves, and splints. The kit has enough medical supplies for ten uses. As an action, you can expend one use of the kit to stabilize a creature that has 0 hit points, without needing to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Herbalism Kit. This kit comes in a satchel compartmentalized for storing myriad herbs. It includes various tools for safely harvesting plants as well as the grinding tools, mixing tools, and additives needed to make potions, salves, and similar curative products.

Proficiency allows you to identify all common plants automatically and to add your bonus to checks to identify rare ones. Herbalism kits are used to craft several curative products, including potions of healing.

Use an herbalism kit to find uncommon plants (DC 15) or identify herbal poisons (DC 20).

Harvester's Kit. This kit contains everything the average harvester needs to prepare and harvest a carcass for usable parts including a skinning knife, a bonesaw, 2 glass vials, pouches of salt, and tweezers. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency to any check made to harvest a creature.

Appraising what you can salvage from a monster requires skill relevant to the monster type, as follows:

In order to harvest a creature, a character must make a Dexterity ability check using the same skill proficiency as listed in the above appraising table. For example, a character attempting a harvest check on an Aberrant would receive a bonus equal to their Dexterity modifier and their proficiency in Arcana (if they have any).

This check reflects a character’s ability to not only properly remove the intended item without damaging it, it also involves any ancillary requirements of the harvest such as proper preservation and storage techniques. If a player is harvesting a certain creature, or harvesting a creature of a certain type of material, the DM may allow them to use a relevant tool proficiency rather than a skill proficiency. For example, the DM may allow a player to add their proficiency with Tinker’s Tools to their attempt to harvest a mechanical golem or use their proficiency with leatherworking tools when attempting to harvest a creature for its hide. Alternatively, all creature type proficiencies may be replaced by proficiency with the harvesting kit.

Navigator’s Tools. This satchel holds sounding lines, a sand glass, an astrolabe or telescoping back staff, a ring dial, or similar instruments needed for navigation. It also contains a number of relevant sea charts.

Proficiency with these tools allows you to chart a ship’s course and follow navigation charts. It also allows you to add your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make to avoid getting lost at sea. It can also be used in some limited cases of overland navigation.

Use navigator’s tools to plot a course (DC 10) or discover your position on a nautical chart (DC 15).

Poisoner’s Kit. A poisoner’s kit blends some of the components of alchemist’s supplies and an herbalism kit, the tools needed to create poisons using alchemical and herbal techniques. It also includes tools for collecting poisons from live (or recently slain) monster specimens.

You may use your proficiency bonus for uses of poison (poisoning food, weapons, etc.) and checks to collect or craft poisons. You need not worry about poisoning yourself merely by handling or applying poisons.

Use a poisoner’s kit to spot a poisoned object (DC 10) or determine the effect of a discovered poison (DC 20).

Surgeon’s Tools. This set of instruments includes the blades, saws, and sutures needed to remove shrapnel or stitch up wounds. Proficiency with these tools lets you add your proficiency bonus to any checks you make to stabilize a creature or perform other surgery.

Use a surgeon's kit to remove shrapnel (DC 10) or perform complex surgery (DC 20).

Thieves’ Tools. A complex set of picks and tools used to disable locks and traps, rolled into a leather satchel. These tools resemble a highly specialized segment of tinker’s tools and can be disguised as such.

These tools let you create a trap using parts you have on hand. The result of your Dexterity (thieves’ tools) check sets the DC to discover or disable the trap. A new-made trap deals damage appropriate to the materials used to create it, or half the total of your check, whichever the DM determines fitting.

Additives like poisons, ball bearings, or bells can add additional functionality or warning to these makeshift traps.

You can also reset a disabled trap if your check meets the original DC to disable it. Reset traps use their original DCs to discover or disable, along with their original damage (unless a vital component is missing, like poison for the spikes).

Use thieves’ tools to disarm traps or open locks, rolling against variable difficulties (DC 5 - 30).

Modern tools are unlikely to be found in most campaigns, but Arcydea has a wide array of inventive contraptions, crafts, and skills to choose from.

Engineering kit. 50 gp, 8 lb. This kit includes a soldering gun, wires, clips, wire cutters and various diagnostic tools. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make to repair electrical devices and to disarm planted explosives.

Forensics kit. 50 gp, 8 lb. This kit includes bindle paper, sterile swabs, distilled water, evidence seals/tape, footwear casting materials, personal protective equipment, test tubes and various other tools for collecting evidence at crime scenes without contaminating it. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make to investigate any area or body considered as a crime scene.

Gunsmith's kit. 50 gp, 10 lb. Gunsmith's Kit include a variety of small hand tools, a rotary tool, metal files, a vial of oil, and a hammer. With your kit, you have the ability to craft weapons out of raw materials and to push your creations out into the world, as well as to assemble more modern firearms out of premanufactured parts.

Hacking tools. 80 gp, 6 lb. This kit contains the hardware and software necessary to allow access into most computer systems and electronic devices such as automatic port scanning, banner grabbing, footprinting, SQL Injection, web application vulnerability search, DDoS tools and data sniffing. Proficiency with hacking tools lets you add your proficiency bonus to any Intelligence checks you make to connect to or make use of a computer system or electronic device. The kit fits snugly in a backpack or toolbox. You might need a computer, a smartphone or a tablet to use some elements of this kit.

Mechanic tools. 50 gp. 8 lb. This kit includes basic tools for repairing cars and motorcycles.

Spy kit. 100 gp. 12 lb. This kit includes items such as camera detectors, sound amplifier, small cameras and microphones, noise generators, frequency and cell phone detectors and tracers. You might need a computer, a smartphone or a tablet to use some elements of this kit.