An Artisan of the Arms

## **Makers of the Tools of Mayhem**

### The Commonwealth Weapons Market

By 1489, there are 62 independent, Marquisate-licensed magical laboratories. 10 of those are combined civilian weaponsmiths that research, develop and produce arms. Call them armorers, bladesmiths, gunsmiths, wandsmiths, or weaponeers (for the really large ordnance), all of them sell to the noble Houses of the Marquisate and licensed private military contractors (henceforth referred to as "adventurers").
There are provisos and restrictions, like "Don’t sell to Zhents" (much less Thayvians), and don’t sell to cutouts that would resell to those groups. Export and sales restrictions are an adventure by itself, but to be crystal clear: the production and sale of primal-related munitions is a *very lucrative business*.

The 10 Marquisate arms manufacturers, as well as their subcontractors, have certain commonalities in their construction and enchantment capacities – though even those are closely guarded secrets. Certain damage-dealing enchants are trade secrets, known to the marquisate itself but otherwise protected.

### Contextfor an Artisan of the Arms

The Arms of Stonehearth are famous through Western Faerûn – but the SMC does not sell to outside parties. Rather, it is an at-cost affair in sales to the Stonehearth Arms. This sets the bar – an impossibly high comparison, to be sure, with a reputation that cuts both ways. Other noble Houses within the Marquisate are expected to mount a worthy defense, even if there's an Arms garrison stationed nearby.
This leaved those other Houses requiring weapons that are comparable to those of the SMC. Where do they turn? To the Artisans of the Arms.

The production process has been specialized to allow high output, with parts of assembly automated, but there are key elements that remain in the hands of people – including truing the barrel, the enchantments, the assembly of the arcane crystal and ammunition receivers and so on. Here are the Guild Artisans from the character background possibilities.

### Building an Artisan of the Arms

The primaries of a shop-laboratory aren’t usually the type to leave their place of employment, especially in Stonehearth territory – where the money flows like water. This opens the door for artisan PCs to have a solid backup between-adventures profession that can also provide handy in-game repair or crafting skills. Their adventures may also be their proof-of-concept field testing laboratory missions.

Take a blunderbuss maker based in North Point. The Arms doesn't use powder or bead-based propellants any more, but *has* authorized sales to trusted military contractors (adventurers).

* In order to work on building the mechanisms of the rifles, they need a proficiency with *Tinker’s Tools* at the very least.

* If they can construct or repair a weapon from end-to-end, and many can, these exceptional craftsman will likely also have proficiency with *Smith’s Tools*, *Alchemist’s Supplies* and *Woodcarver's Tools*.

* Finally, if they're in the Commonwealth, their production methods are likely enchanced by Primal Magic. This is true for the manufacture, even if the creations themselves don't use Primal Magic, and is represented by a Primal Magic-flavor of the Arcana Skill (available only in Stonehearth-controlled areas).

Artisans of the Arms will also have a working knowledge of how to operate the rifles, though probably not a combat mastery. Many will be experienced as former marquisate soldiers (there’s no such thing as an “ex” Stonehearth soldier), but if they've gone from professional adventuring to becoming a full-time civilian, it's unlikely they'll go back to adventuring. There are those, however, who get reeled back in for *one more run*...

## Where to From Here?

* Go back to the **Guild Artisans page**...

* Go back to the **Background page**...

* Go back to the **Character Creation page**...