Blacksmith

It's crafting time!

I'd like to thank Petrizani Martina for the cover art. She has a world anvil account if you want to view more of her work.

Blacksmiths, as you expect, focus on making armor, weapons, and pretty much anything that requires a forge. However, they set themselves apart from the other specialists since they can function as damage dealers or tanks. While they are not instantly good with whatever they make, blacksmiths do, however, get bonuses from using what they forge. So it isn't too surprising to find a blacksmith deck out in heavy armor and weapons or one that has nothing but freshly made guns.
Despite this, blacksmiths also have one the roughest starts out the classes mainly because there's no forge on the first floor and nowhere to collect metal besides specific skill quests. While not a death sentence, those who want to forge things right after creating their character will be disappointed. However, once they access the second floor, they can start their forging adventure.
Blacksmiths fit well in almost any club. For the other players, they repair and make them better weapons and armor and become a tank for them for magic users. In specific cases, they combo well with engineers, make armor and weapons for a summon, and make bullets for a gunner. What a blacksmith can do and what they do is widely dependant on those around them and the ores they've gathered.
Just about everyone covets Blacksmiths. Getting high-quality weapons from players without paying as much custom weapons and armor is always wanted. However, make sure your blacksmith doesn't run out of metal; you pay them and use what they give you. If you do all that there won't be any trouble.

Career

Qualifications

Beyond just picking the class, blacksmiths go through years of training to hone their craft. After they finish said training, they can go out into the world to start crafting and making money.

Career Progression

Like all classes, Blacksmiths can rank up into advanced versions of themselves. However, blacksmiths have one advanced class and three master classes like all specialists.
The advanced class is Master Blacksmith. A direct upgrade to the blacksmith, they create better armaments and gear for those around them. Ignoring outside forces, this is where you can get the best weapons and armor.

1. The first master class is Warsmith. Warsmiths use the armor and weapons they create to wreak havoc on the battlefield. Besides being a good option for those who want to focus on combat, they learn to use aura to boost their combat abilities.
2. The second master class is Magismith. Magismith focuses on the magical side of crafting. They specialize in using their mana to create constructs while learning to craft items that can channel magic through them.
3. The third master class is Runesmith. Runesmiths learn to use runic magic and rapidly apply runes to their items during combat. They also gain access to runestones. The Runesmith can tap into these strange stones and morph to make weapons and armor.

		Warsmith
Blacksmith	Master Blacksmith	Magismith
		Runesmith

Payment & Reimbursement

Like most adventurers, they get paid by completing their quest. Typically in XP, GP, and items. However, blacksmiths can make money by selling what they make to NPCs or selling things to players.

Other Benefits

The key benefit of being a blacksmith is breaking the cap on their blacksmithing skill. Meaning they can forge higher quality items that no one else can. Another thing is being able to make extra money by selling items.

Perception

Purpose

Blacksmiths are utility in nature by can provide damage or be a tank if needed. Have damaged weapons and armor? Have your friendly neighborhood blacksmith to have them repair it. Need to protect yourself, have the blacksmith make a couple of shields for everyone or have them start fighting themselves. The role of a blacksmith changes on what their focus is.

Social Status

Almost everyone loves blacksmiths. Having high-quality weapons and armor is excellent and being expertly made is better. This demand happens with most specialist classes. The only time a blacksmith gets backlash is when the armor/weapon the player ordered doesn't help them as much as they expected. However, this may be because the person isn't supposed to use the item. Or the item could be truly bad the customer was ripped off.

Demographics

There are two ways to answer this question. First, the number of people who have the blacksmith skill is at an all-time high, while those who dedicate themselves to nothing but blacksmithing are at an all-time low. Most people prefer not to focus on blacksmithing and instead have it as a hobby.

Operations

Tools

The tools a blacksmith uses vary between which smith you go to and what they are making at the time. The tools blacksmith includes but is not limited to hammers, chisels, sets, hardies, tongs, punches, drifts, fullers, and anvils. There are many more tools than this; but, they are in a local blacksmithing area or the blacksmithing guild upgrade. A blacksmith could also make their tools.

Materials

The material a blacksmith uses depends on what the blacksmith has available to them. Typically, they use ore and ingots to create whatever they want.

Workplace

Blacksmiths work in forges. What the forge looks like depends on where you go. The forge has the bare minimum on the second floor, but the higher up you go, the better the forges will be. If you buy a forge for your guild and upgrade it, the place would look more advance and be able to smelt more ores.

Dangers & Hazards

Besides not being safe around the forge, there aren't many hazards of being a blacksmith. As long as a blacksmith uses the proper equipment and pays attention, everything will be fine.

CREATION OF THE CLASS

I always thought blacksmithing was very interesting. The idea of forging weapons and armor to use in battle never failed to catch my attention. Combining that with the different portrayals of blacksmiths in media, we have a recipe for a class. Designing the master versions of Blacksmith proved a little tricky because it was hard to separate each one and make them unique. However, through research and ingenuity, the Blacksmith was finally completed.

Alternative Names

Sometimes blacksmiths are referred to as craftsmen or artisans.

Type

Artisan

Demand

With amount of weapons and armor players buy and the desire for custom stuff, the demand for blacksmiths are at a all time high.

Legality

Being a blacksmith is a legal profession.