Homebrew Class: The Elvish Bladecrafter

This is not official D&D 3.5 material, and isn't even something available in the Sol Povos campaign, but it's roughly what I had in mind as a career for Ruin's old friend Amaranth and it would be one of those resources that the Duendewood elves guarded jealously since it gives them an edge against other races.

Elvish Bladecrafter
(Specialty Class for DnD 3.5)

Elvish Bladecrafters must be True Elves, Elves, or (rarely) half-elves. Theirs is an ancient tradition of martial smithing, which allows them to forge (or reforge) the magical arms and armor that the elves and their allies rely on. They are more artisans than adventurers, but despite their limitations they can be formidable and do sometimes venture out in search of rare ores or other special materials.

Abilities: Intelligence is key, both for learning arcane magics and for mastering the Craft skills required. Dexterity is almost as important (since a Bladecrafter must learn to use the weapons she creates), and Strength and Constitution help also. Wisdom and Charisma are least important.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: D8.

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Max
1	+0	+2	+2	+2	Bladecrafting +1, Craft Skills, spellcasting	0					1
2	+1	+3	+3	+3		0					1
3	+2	+3	+3	+3	Bladecrafting +2	0					2
4	+3	+4	+4	+4		1					2
5	+3	+4	+4	+4	Bladecrafting +3, Skilled Crafting -10%	1					3
6	+4	+5	+5	+5	Weapon Care	1	0				3
7	+5	+5	+5	+5	Bladecrafting +4	1	0				4
8	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6		1	1				4
9	+6/+1	+6	+6	+6	Bladecrafting +5	1	1				5
10	+7/+2	+7	+7	+7	Skilled Crafting -20%	1	1				5
11	+8/+3	+7	+7	+7	Bladecrafting +6	1	1	0			6
12	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Mended Armor	1	1	0			6
13	+9/+4	+8	+8	+8	Bladecrafting +7	1	1	1			7
14	+10/+5	+9	+9	+9		2	1	1	0		7
15	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+9	Bladecrafting +8, Skilled Crafting -30%	2	2	1	0		8
16	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10		2	2	1	1		8
17	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+10	Bladecrafting +9	2	2	1	1	0	9
18	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+11		3	2	2	1	0	9
19	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+11	Bladecrafting +10	3	3	2	2	1	9
20	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+12	Skilled Crafting -40%, Exceptional Items	3	3	2	2	1	9

Class Skills: The class skills for an Elvish Bladecrafter (and their associated abilities) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int)*, Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge:Arcana (Int), Knowledge: Dungeoneering (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
*Elvish Bladecrafters must always have points in Craft: Armorsmithing, Craft: Bowmaking, and Craft: Weaponsmithing, and must always have the maximum possible points for their level in at least one of these skills.
Skill Points at 1st level: (6 + Int Modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int Modifier.

Feats: While weapons and armor are their primary focus, many Elvish Bladecrafters will branch out to learn metamagic or other item creation feats, and so expand their repertoire.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Bladecrafter is (of necessity) proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all armor, and all shields.

Bladecrafting: Elvish Bladecrafters learn to create magic weapons in the course of their apprenticeship; even at first level, they can craft +1 weapons, armor, and ammunition as if they had the Craft Magical Arms and Armor feat. Every two levels thereafter, they gain the skill needed to add an additional +1 enchantment or the equivalent. (e.g. A third level Elvish Bladecrafter could craft +2 chainmail armor, or a +1 Ghost Touch mace.) Costs and crafting times remain normal, and a proper setup for smithing is required in order to enchant items. This exception to the usual magic item creation rules only applies to weapons and armor with which the Bladecrafter is proficient, and some bladecrafters choose to specialize by becoming proficient with specific exotic weapons.

Craft Skills: Bladecrafters begin their careers with a +5 class bonus to Craft: Armorsmith, Craft: Bowmaker, and Craft: Weaponsmith skills.

Spellcasting: Bladecrafters learn spells and maintain spellbooks just as Wizards do, but their relationship to magic is very different. Where a Wizard studies to use magic directly, an Elvish Bladecrafter studies it to incorporate it into magical weapons or armor. As a result, casting a spell outside of the enchantment process requires a complete shift in thinking, and Bladecrafters can only memorize a very limited number of spells to cast in the more traditional fashion. A Bladecrafter may add spells to her spellbook just as a wizard does, and may employ those spells in creating items (up to the spell level indicated by the Max column in the Bladecrafter advancement table) but can only memorize and cast spells as indicated in the columns for each spell level.

Skilled Crafting: Beginning at level five, an Elvish Bladecrafter’s dedication to her craft allows her to create magical items at a reduced Experience Point cost. (Costs for time and materials are not reduced, nor are any Exp costs for spells cast normally. However, if the Bladecrafter has acquired any other Item Creation Feats, Exp cost for creating those items is likewise reduced.) At level five, the Bladecrafter sacrifices 10% less Exp, and that reduction increases by another 10% every five levels.

Weapon Care: Beginning at level six, an Elvish Bladecrafter with a minimal set of tools can polish blades, sharpen points, tighten bindings, and generally tend weapons to get them into their best possible shape. This treatment takes about ten minutes, and doubles the critical threat range for any given melee weapon for its first attack the next time it is used. Missile weapons cannot be touched up this way, but ammunition can; caring for ammunition requires one minute per missile.

Mended Armor: Beginning at level twelve, the Bladecrafter can care for a set of armor, touching it up and adding minor reinforcement. The next time an attack would have hit the person wearing that armor, roll 1d6 and add the results to the target’s AC; if the attack would miss the new armor class, it fails.

Exceptional Items: At twentieth level, there is a small chance that an Elvish Bladecrafter may produce something truly exceptional. If the character rolls a natural twenty for their Craft check, and they are using a Craft skill in which they have invested the maximum possible skill points, the item will have some unusual ability and may even be a newly-formed Artifact. Exact details should be negotiated between the DM and the player.