Goldsmith Skill and gems
by Pol GinésEverybody loves gems: easy to carry, easy to convert to cash, useful to bribe some dangerous monsters. Sometimes, players simply carry them to town and sell them to obtain cash. Yesterday, after many years playing, our Dwarf took Goldsmith as a Skill and we quickly designed an easy rule about it.
PCs had lots of time (8 months) in Ierendi City while resting, learning new spells and training masteries with weapons. So instead of selling the gems, he made some jewels with those beautiful stones. He even sold a great diamond collar to Queen Marianne for 12.500 gp [from a 10.000 gp diamond and some minor gems].
Our simple rule was that if you have time (3 weeks for jewel), the Goldsmith Skill, and the tools (a Guild or Dwarven Brotherhood in a capital city can let you use their facilities) you simply make a jewel from the gems you choose and now the jewel is 10% more valuable than the gems.
You can also ask for a Goldsmith Skill Check (remember, d20, lower is better):
1-2-3: real great craft, you can sell it for 20% more than the gem value.
4-5-6: good work; you can sell it for 15% more than the gem value.
20: Critical fail; you spend 3 weeks and 15% the value of the gems (in gold or silver) in a bad piece that you have to remake again and again. You can try again for 3 more weeks.
All other results give you the +10% extra money over the nominal value of the gems.
This way: the Dwarf or Goldsmith tends to buy gems to other PCs and NPCs, specially from a tematic group (blue gems, diamonds, rubies). Gems are not simply "cash", they become jewelry, useful as special presents, or simply to give the Goldsmith more cash when they arrive to a big city or a goldsmith workshop.
[The Goldsmith needs Appraisal Skill as a different Skill to know the value of gems he buys or finds in dungeons and adventuring].
