Are you looking for offense or defense?

There is a smithy in nearly every community in Faerûn, and players only need to listen to the siren call of the heavy hammer strikes to know when one is near. Whether a small town or a sprawling city, nearly every resident will have some need for a blacksmith's wares. Innkeepers may need cooking vessels and utensils, the Townmaster may require sprawling gates or prison doors, and almost every adventurer will need their unique tools and weaponry.

In a world fraught with danger, any thrill-seeking entrepreneur knows the value of a well-fitted breastplate and a sharp blade. However, while most blacksmiths can create nearly any standard weaponry or armor, it takes a unique set of skills to create something rare and exciting. Though completing something extraordinary and arcane may require an artificer or mage's talent, a highly skilled smith should be able to provide numerous compelling items to boost a player's damage output and defensive capability.

A blacksmith can create many great things, but their hard work and skills often come at a steep price. The cost of any item will undoubtedly include the labor and materials for whatever is requested, but players frequently forget that a smith's craft can take considerable time as well. However, while the GM may be the only one at the table with power enough to argue with father time, there is more than one way to haggle with a grizzled, steel-hardened smith. Sourcing the required materials, offering trade or favors, or negotiating an endorsement could all help to lower costs. It merely depends on the willingness of the individual holding the hammer and tongs and a good roll of the dice.

What else does a blacksmith sell?

While most new players see a blacksmith as a supplier of battle gear, a seasoned veteran will know that there's much more beyond the basic instruments of death. As long as the item you seek is metallic, and you have the means to pay, a player's imagination is the only limit to what a smith can create.

Need an enormous frying pan for that Hill Giant the party befriended? Perhaps a full suit of armor for that new giant serpent pet? Is it finally time to get that 20-foot-tall sculpture that immortalizes the moment the party's barbarian beat that Ogre in a drinking contest? Or maybe, the rouge you picked up on the last adventure can't stop buying a commemorative dagger from every city they visit. Whatever the need or plan, there's no limit to what a skilled smith with a heavy hammer can create for the party.

However, blacksmiths may have more for sale than skillfully sculpted steel and iron. Because of their invaluable skill and indispensable wares, smiths interact with many different patrons and can become privy to information from customers too loose-lipped for their own good. It is not only well-mannered do-gooders who need weapons and protection. A clever bounty hunter may wish to visit the local smithy when looking for information regarding a strange and mysterious fellow with a propensity for new blades.

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