Since the design and approval process for each item might require a fairly long conversation, it’s often a good idea to take care of forging during the downtime between sessions. However, it’s important that the group is in a situation that lets them rest between the end of a session and the start of the next (irrespective of when you decided to play the corresponding rest scene).

Continuing from the previous example: the group wants to use the titan carapace to craft a heavy weapon with the same profile as the Beowulf (see Core Rulebook, page 276), but capable of dealing air damage. The total cost is 660 zenit, well within the limit of 720 zenit derived from the group’s level of 12. The Game Master has no objections, so the item can be crafted by expending the material (worth 1000 zenit – 340 are wasted) and paying 66 zenit to a local weaponsmith. The Brynhild will be ready in a few hours!

Going strictly by the numbers, this process is far less convenient than a standard in-game reward, but it provides the group with the freedom to choose which item they create and gain access to. Moreover, finding a true rare item, instead of a simple raw material, becomes a very special moment, since its value will be slightly higher than anything the group might forge on their own.

9 INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER RULES

Like most optional rules tied to equipment, forging might raise a few questions. Here is a list of answers to the most common ones:

• Custom Weapons. The group can take advantage of the forging rules to create any kind of equipment, including custom weapons (see page 112). They just need to use the base version of a custom weapon in the draft, instead of an item from the basic equipment lists, and then apply the rules from page 266 of the Core Rulebook as usual.
• Technospheres. Weapons, armor and shields intended for technospheres (see Techno Fantasy Atlas, page 130) follow the standard rules for forging, but the only Qualities available are slots α, β, γ and δ.
• Pilot’s Modules. Weapon, armor and support modules (see Techno Fantasy Atlas, page 160) can be forged using these rules. Keep in mind that the base version of weapon and armor modules are worth about 500 zenit each (any modifications increase their cost in the same way as for rare items), while support modules are worth about 1000 zenit.