Blacksmithing (sage ability)

Blacksmithing is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Metalsmithing, primarily involving repair, maintenance and basic forging, focusing on reshaping and reinforcing existing metal objects rather than creating complex items from raw materials. Blacksmiths are essential to villages and towns, repairing tools, horseshoes, weaponry and household implements, often working with iron and low-grade steel using a simple forge, hammer and anvil.

Blacksmiths can forge and install iron components essential for everyday life — hinges, nails, wagon fittings, tool heads, chain links, spikes, pitons and tool heads. Axle repair is well within their capabilities, as are hinges, brackets and bands for doors and chests. Their work is largely practical and immediate, ensuring that existing metal objects remain functional and properly secured in place. In this sense, blacksmithing is less about creating intricate metalworks and more about keeping the infrastructure of daily life intact. A blacksmith can function to some degree as a farrier, but the two roles are not identical. Many blacksmiths have the skill to forge, fit and emplace horseshoes, as shoeing horses is a common and necessary task in rural and urban communities alike. However, a dedicated farrier has additional knowledge of horse anatomy, hoof care and basic veterinary treatment, which a general blacksmith lacks.

The forge itself is the heart of the operation, requiring a steady supply of fuel, bellows to control airflow and space to move freely around the anvil. A blacksmith's hammer and tongs are essential, allowing the smith to grasp and strike metal as it glows red-hot, shaping it into useful forms. While some blacksmiths travel with portable setups — allowing for crude repairs in the field — true work is always best done in a stable location, where heat and air can be controlled, and tools can be properly maintained.

Engaging a Blacksmith

A blacksmith in a D&D world would find themselves frequently engaged by adventurers. Weapon and armour repair is a common request, but at an amateur level, a smith's work is limited to fixing simple damage — dents hammered out, cracked plates reinforced and broken hinges or bands reforged. More delicate work, such as restoring fine edges to weapons or crafting intricate fittings, is beyond the scope of their training. Even so, the ability to keep metal in working condition is invaluable, particularly in small settlements where a dedicated weaponsmith or armourer may not be available.

Output

A blacksmith working at an amateur level can heat, hammer and shape iron at a rate of one pound per hour, with basic tasks such as reforging broken tools or making nails taking less time, while more complex repairs require additional precision and effort. The process relies on a simple forge, anvil, hammer, tongs and a bellows, all of which must be maintained regularly to ensure effective work. The workspace requires at least 100 square feet of covered area, typically an open-sided or well-ventilated structure to prevent excessive smoke buildup while maintaining enough heat to keep the forge operational.

The act of heating iron to a workable temperature alone can take the better part of an hour, and once a piece is hot enough, it must be shaped before cooling robs it of its pliability. A smith with only amateur knowledge is limited in both speed and efficiency, able to work a single pound of metal in an hour's time, though smaller, simpler tasks — such as shaping nails or bending links back into place — can be completed more quickly.

Limitations

Those with this ability cannot refine ore, produce steel or craft complex mechanisms such as locks, delicate fittings or finely balanced weapons. Repairs are often functional but crude, lacking the precision of a trained metalsmith's work. While the blacksmith can forge and install basic iron components, they lack the skill for advanced shaping, decorative elements or intricate joinery, limiting their ability to create anything beyond simple, sturdy goods.

Blacksmithing is a trade built on patience and repetition, not speed. A smith cannot simply make metal conform to their will — it must be heated, struck, cooled and tested before it can be trusted. For an adventurer, knowing a blacksmith means having a lifeline when equipment wears down or when strong metalwork is needed on short notice. For a character practicing the trade, it means long hours at the forge, slow and steady work, and a constant struggle against the limitations of skill and material.

See also,
Bartering (sage ability)
Blacksmith
Hammer (symbol)
Metalwork (sage field)