In most MMOs, crafting is just another grind—harvesting the same node respawns for hours, repeating recipes, and waiting until endgame to make anything meaningful. We want to build something different. The crafting and gathering system in our game is (as with most other aspects) delightfully simple to understand and get into, but with layers of complexity and development that make it very difficult to master and increasingly more interesting and engaging—designed not for repetitive grinding, but for meaningful progression, collaboration, and creativity.

Skill grows through time, not repetition.
Most profession advancement comes from offline progression—characters can “work” at their craft when logged out. This rewards dedication over mindless recipe spamming and makes mastery a long-term journey.

Five tiers: Novice, Adept, Expert, Master, Legendary.
Each tier unlocks new capabilities, but crucially, even Novices remain relevant. A Novice woodworker’s bow stave can become part of a Master Weaponsmith’s legendary longbow—any skill level can contribute meaningfully.

Crafting isn’t mandatory—but it’s deeply rewarding.
Players don’t need to craft to succeed. Great gear and wealth are achievable through other paths. This system exists for those who love creation and customization, not as a forced economy gate.

No ‘everything’ profession options.
Most players may choose one gathering and one crafting profession. With experience and rebirths, they may take on a second—and potentially pursue a rare Specialist Crafting Profession, the pinnacle of crafting mastery. But such dedication comes at a cost: characters focused on excelling in crafting will struggle to also be the best martial combatants or magic-users.

Items are made by many hands.
A single axe involves miners, foresters, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and potentially more. Crafting is inherently collaborative—no one character does it all… And it doesn’t stop at just basic, functional items. Materials can be enhanced: alchemists transmute metals, enchanters imbue runes, artisans socket gems… The same base axe can become a fiery enchanted war axe or a precision-crafted hunting tool—diverging in power, purpose, and potential based on choices and contributions.

Quality matters—but nothing is obsolete.
Materials come in five quality tiers (Poor to Exceptional), and higher skill increases the chance of harvesting better yields. But no material is “trash”: ash wood isn’t weaker than yew—it’s different. Ash bows favor speed; yew favors power. Choice > hierarchy. Skilled crafters can even combine lower-quality tiers into superior results, and failed creations can be salvaged—preserving much of the materials for another attempt.

Engaging Gathering.
No glowing ore nodes in flat fields, instead resources are found where they make sense: precious metal veins in mountain tunnels, rare wood from trees in ancient groves, certain mushrooms only during seasonal blooms… Harvesting should be an adventure, not a chore.

Miners extract ores, gemstones and minerals from exposed surface veins, shallow underground deposits, caves, and deeper subterranean environments. Different resources commonly occur at different depths and in different geological conditions, with more valuable deposits generally requiring greater skill, better tools and travel into more dangerous areas.

Ores

Ores are the primary resource gathered through mining and are refined into metal ingots for use in crafting. Blacksmiths use these metals to forge equipment, components and other metal parts, while some ores may also be combined into alloys such as bronze and steel.

There are eight primary ore types: Copper, Tin, Iron, Coal, Silver, Gold, Mithril and Adamantite. 

Gems

Gemstones are secondary resources that can occasionally be uncovered while mining ore veins. They can occur in deposits of many types, though deeper and more valuable veins generally provide greater chances of yielding rarer and higher quality gemstones.

Gems are used primarily by artisans, enchanters and alchemists for jewelry, enchantments, magical components, powders and other crafting purposes.

There are also eight distinct varieties of gemstones: Amethyst, Onyx, Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond and Opal.

Minerals

Minerals are secondary resources often gained while mining ores. They are used by a wide range of crafting professions for alloys, alchemy, cooking, smithing, treatments, compounds and other specialized purposes.

There are eight types of minerals as well: Salt, Zinc, Sulphur, Lead, Graphite, Niter, Fluorite and Celestite.

Vein Types

Mining deposits are broadly divided by the depth and geological conditions in which they occur. These categories determine the types of resources that are most commonly  found within them.

Surface Veins — Copper, Tin, Amethyst, Salt and Zinc
Shallow Veins — Iron, Coal, Onyx, Topaz, Sulphur and Lead
Deep Veins — Silver, Gold, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Graphite and Niter
Core Veins — Mithril, Adamantite, Diamond, Opal, Fluorite and Celestite

Foresters harvest wood, sap, amber, bark and other resources from trees found throughout the game world. While young trees and newer growth are relatively easy to find, they generally provide smaller yields and fewer useful materials. More experienced foresters typically seek mature and old-growth forests where larger and more valuable trees can be found, often requiring travel farther into wild and dangerous areas.

Different tree species favor different environments and stages of forest growth, and the age and condition of an individual tree can also affect the amount and quality of resources that can be harvested from it.

Wood

Wood is the primary resource harvested through forestry. Logs are hewn into rough planks and other basic materials before being further shaped and worked by woodcrafters into components used for weapons, shields, tools, furniture and numerous other items.

Different wood species have their own properties, strengths and weaknesses rather than simply representing progressively better materials. Most recipes will call for a ‘class’ of wood, such as a hardwood or exotic wood, rather than a specific type such as ash or ebony, and the material chosen for the recipe may give different bonus potentials vs. a different material of the same class. Wood is categorized into four classes: Softwoods, Hardwoods, Precious Woods, and Exotic Woods.

Softwoods — known for their lightness, flexibility and ease of shaping; commonly used for arrow and bolt shafts, containers, fittings, lighter components, artisan work, and utility crafting. Types of softwoods include: Pine, Fir, Cedar, and Redwood.

Hardwoods — strong, durable, load-bearing woods; favored for bows, crossbows, weapon hafts, shields, heavy tool handles, structural components, and hard-use equipment. Types of hardwoods include: Ash, Oak, Yew, and Maple.

Precious Woods — valued for natural properties such as aroma, magical affinity, appearance, resistance, reagent value, or alchemical stability; favored by artisans, apothecaries, woodcrafters, and alchemists. Types of precious woods include: Teak, Sandalwood, Walnut, and Mahogany.

Exotic Woods — wood types with unusual or extreme properties, capable of supporting the most advanced equipment, magical crafting, or specialized recipes. They include: Dragonwood, Ebony, Rosewood, and Ironoak.

Sap

Sap is a secondary resource harvested from trees and is used by professions such as alchemists, apothecaries, artisans and enchanters for compounds, treatments, adhesives, reagents and other crafting purposes.

Saps are grouped by the wood class from which they are harvested: Softwood Sap, Hardwood Sap, Precious Wood Sap, and Exotic Wood Sap.

Amber

Amber is a resource that can be found when harvesting any wood class or type, but generally is more common in older growths of precious and exotic classes. It is used by a number of professions including artisans, apothecaries, alchemists, artificers, and more.

Forest Types

Forestry resources are strongly influenced by the age and maturity of the forests in which they grow. Older forests generally contain larger trees, greater yields and greater opportunities to find uncommon or rare species, though individual tree types may occur across more than one forest category.

Young Forests — Pine, Ash, Fir, and Maple.
Mature Forests — Cedar, Yew, Redwood, and Oak.
Aged Forests — Teak, Redwood, Oak, Walnut, Yew, Sandalwood, Cedar, and Mahogany. 
Ancient Forests — Walnut, Dragonwood, Mahogany, Rosewood, Teak, Ironoak, Sandalwood, and Ebony.

Hunters harvest hides, scales, meat, bone, horn, sinew and other biological resources from beasts and similar creatures found throughout the game world. The resources available depend on the type of creature being harvested, while the amount and quality recovered are influenced by the hunter’s skill.

Most common beast resources are grouped into standardized classes for crafting, while unusual creatures may yield distinctive materials that retain their own identity because of exceptional physical or magical properties.

Beasts and creatures of all shapes and sizes are found in numerous different environments throughout the game world. More exotic and unusual creatures are typically found only in specific locations or lairs however.

Hides

Hides are one of the primary resources harvested through hunting and are refined into leather by hunters before being used by leatherworkers and other crafting professions.

Most normal beast hides are grouped into three classes based on thickness, weight and durability:

Light Hide — thin, flexible hides generally harvested from smaller or lighter beasts; refined into Light Leather.

Medium Hide — moderately thick and durable hides harvested from many common beasts; refined into Medium Leather.

Heavy Hide — thick, dense hides generally harvested from larger or heavily built beasts; refined into Heavy Leather.

Exotic Hide — certain unusual beasts may produce distinctive hides with properties significant enough to remain separate from the normal classes. These are refined into corresponding unique leathers rather than generic light, medium or heavy leather. Examples include hides harvested from dragons and shadow beasts. Not every exotic beast produces a unique hide; some may produce only unique scales, others only unique hides, some both, and some neither.

Scales

Scales are another major resource harvested from reptiles, draconic creatures and other naturally armored beasts. Standard scales are grouped by their weight, thickness and protective properties in a similar manner to hides:

Light Scales — thin and flexible scales suited to lighter protective equipment, reagents, and components.

Medium Scales — balanced protection and flexibility suited to general scale armor and reinforced equipment.

Heavy Scales — thick, rigid scales suited to heavier armor, shields and protective components.

Exotic Scales — as with hides, some exotic creatures produce scales that retain unique characteristics because of unusual physical or magical properties. These include scales from creatures such as leviathans and dragons.

Meat

Meat is a primary resource harvested from beasts as well and is used mostly by the cooking and apothecary professions for consumable-related crafting.

Like the other hunting related resources, meat comes in several broad classifications: light, medium, and heavy, with exotic meats being tied to specific creature types it is harvested from, such as dragon meat or basilisk meat.

Secondary Resources

Most beasts have a number of secondary biological components that can be harvested, such as: bone, sinew, claws, feathers, and similar items. These resources are used across almost all professions for things like: weapon components, tools, jewelry, bowstrings, alchemical ingredients, stitching cord, enchanting components, and other specialized crafting purposes.

These resources generally are classified in the same manner as the primary resources: light bone, heavy sinew, medium tooth, etc. The more exotic ones with unique properties remain tied to the creature type that produced them, such as dragon claw, basilisk tooth, gryphon feather, etc.

Foragers gather herbs, mushrooms, roots, flowers, berries, seeds, moss and other naturally occurring resources from environments throughout the game world. The resources that can be harvested by a skilled forager are spread across an especially wide range of biomes and conditions, with some found in common forests or plains and others restricted to remote mountaintops, wetlands, deserts, subterranean caverns, or similarly specialized environments.

The rarity of a foraging resource is generally tied to how difficult or specific the conditions required to find it are. Common resources may grow across broad and easily accessible areas, while rarer resources are more likely to require travel into remote or dangerous regions, occur only within particular biomes or elevations, or appear under specific environmental or seasonal conditions.

Herbs

Herbs are one of the primary resources gathered through foraging and are typically used by apothecaries, alchemists, cooks, and artisans, as well as by other professions.

Herbs are found in nearly every biome, though individual species may favor specific temperatures, elevations, soil conditions, moisture levels or other environmental factors.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are the other primary foraging resource and are used for cooking, potions, alchemy, poisons, reagents and other specialized crafting purposes.

They are particularly common in damp forests, wetlands, caves and subterranean environments, though some species may grow only under very specific ecological or environmental conditions.

Secondary Foraging Resources

Roots, flowers, berries, seeds, moss, lichens and similar resources are harvested by foragers and found across nearly all environments. These items are used across numerous professions for things like: medicines, potions, poisons, dyes, oils, reagents, foods, and more.

Resource Environments

Foraging resources are distributed according to the environments and conditions in which they grow rather than through a single standardized progression of gathering locations. Relevant factors may include biome, elevation, moisture, temperature, season, light exposure, terrain and local environmental conditions.

As a general rule, increasing rarity corresponds with increasing environmental specificity or difficulty of access. Common resources are usually widespread and easy to reach, while rare, fabled and legendary resources are increasingly likely to be found in remote, dangerous or highly specialized environments.

This makes knowledge of the game world particularly important to foragers, as finding valuable resources depends as much on knowing where and when to search as it does on the character’s skill in harvesting it.

Harvesting the various types of resources, as well as refining them, follows the standard philosophy: simple to begin and understand, but shaped by choice, preparation, and skill rather than repetition.

Resources are found where they naturally occur in the world. Metal veins run through mountains and deep caverns. Certain trees grow only in specific climates. Rare herbs bloom seasonally or in dangerous territory. Animals must be tracked, hunted, and properly harvested. Gathering is not built around endlessly respawning nodes in safe, open fields, but around location, timing, and risk. Preparation matters—bringing the right tools, knowing the terrain, and understanding what you are looking for.

Any adventurer can attempt basic gathering in many cases, providing they have the tools to do so. A fallen beast with softer, thinner hide can be skinned with a simple knife. A fishing rod can be baited and cast, and some fish will bite. A visible vein of softer ore can be mined with a basic pick. However, trained gatherers consistently obtain better yields, higher quality materials, and develop the skills to harvest rarer and more difficult resource types. Skill increases reliability and efficiency, not just quantity. A skilled miner extracts larger amounts of ore with fewer impurities. A practiced Hunter recovers more and higher quality of usable hide and bone from the same creature. A knowledgeable Forager can distinguish a valuable herb from a similar looking but useless plant.

Quality affects outcome, but lower tiers are not obsolete. Common materials may be easier to work with, lighter, or suited to specific purposes. Higher-quality materials tend to be stronger, more durable, or more stable for enhancement—but they are also rarer and often harder to refine successfully. Crafting decisions begin at the gathering stage.

Refining transforms raw resources into usable materials. Ore becomes ingots. Logs become planks. Raw hides become leather. Herbs are dried, distilled, or processed. This step is not automatic. Refining requires knowledge, tools, and sometimes cooperation with other professions. Impurities can be removed. Alloys can be formed. Materials can be stabilized, strengthened, or prepared for enchantment.

Skill affects refining outcomes as much as gathering. Higher proficiency improves material yield, reduces waste, and increases the chance of producing higher-grade results. Failed attempts do not necessarily destroy everything; portions of the material can often be recovered and reworked, reinforcing experimentation over punishment.

Refining also creates meaningful interdependence. A Miner harvests ore and refines it into metal ingots, but a Blacksmith may further refine it into alloys (and an Alchemist may modify it yet again). A Hunter takes hides and turns them into leather, but a Leatherworker transforms them to armor. A Forager gathers rare herbs and may process them, but an Apothecary makes them into potions, oils and reagents. Gathering supplies potential; refining unlocks usability.

Because materials differ in properties rather than existing in a strict hierarchy, the gathering stage influences the entire production chain. Choosing to harvest ash instead of yew, iron instead of copper, or a lighter hide instead of a thicker one is not simply a matter of power scaling. It shapes the identity and function of whatever is eventually created.

Gathering and refining are therefore not background tasks performed passively while focusing elsewhere. They are deliberate activities that reward knowledge of the game world, awareness of risk, and long-term investment in a profession. The quality of the finished item begins with the quality of the material—and the care taken in bringing it from the wild into usable form.

Foraging is the skill of finding, gathering and processing naturally occurring resources and items found in the wilderness such as: herbs, roots, mushrooms, moss, berries, seeds, and similar things. Once the raw resources are properly harvested and prepared, they are used by many professions including tailors, artisans, alchemists and apothecaries. 

Mining is the process of extracting stone, ores, minerals and precious gems from the earth. Ores are refined into metal ingots which are used by Blacksmiths, while Gems are cut, ground and polished by Artisans to create jewels and gemstone dust. Minerals are used by many other professions, and basic stone is utilized commonly as a building material.

Production of complete items, components, and materials begins with learning a recipe, design, template, pattern, etc.—much like learning a skill or ability. This learned knowledge can come from a trainer or mentor, from books and schematics, through magical means, or other methods of discovery in the game world. Learning a recipe or design will require a certain skill level in the associated profession—more advanced designs and patterns will require higher skill. Once learned, a character can attempt to produce that item, provided they have the required materials, components, and necessary tools and nearby stations such as smithing tools, an anvil and a forge.

Recipes and designs represent item types, not fixed end results.

A Longsword, for example, is a single template. It is not divided into separate recipes for bronze longswords, iron longswords, steel longswords, or enchanted variants thereof. A novice Blacksmith who has learned the Longsword template may only be capable of forging it from bronze. As their skill improves, that same Longsword template allows them to work with iron, steel, or rarer metals. Advancement expands what the recipe can do; it does not replace it with a nearly identical entry.

Skill and materials determine overall quality.

A novice level blacksmith will struggle to produce an ‘above average’ quality bronze sword, even if they are using bronze metal of exceptional quality, however a ‘standard’ quality bronze sword is a perfectly capable weapon. As the smith’s skill grows, they will be able to consistently produce higher quality items, components and materials. Higher quality components and materials used in recipes work with the crafters skill to determine the overall quality of the finished products. There is a level of chance involved of course, but the system supports salvaging attempts that did not achieve the desired quality and trying again. Additionally, special items and components can be utilized to increase the quality levels of crafted products during their production. 

Complete items are often built from components that are crafted first and then assembled.

A Longsword requires a blade and a hilt. The blade is forged separately and can be made from different metals, shaped in different styles, engraved, enchanted, enhanced, and/or socketed with gemstones. The hilt is itself assembled from multiple parts: a guard, a grip, and a pommel. The guard might be iron, horn, or steel, plain, socketed, or rune engraved. The grip is typically shaped from wood by a Woodcrafter, and wrapped in leather prepared by a Leatherworker. The pommel can alter balance, might be composed of bone or horn from a Hunter, and may also hold a enchanted gemstone or be imbued with magical runes. These pieces are combined into a complete hilt, which is then joined with the blade by the blacksmith to produce the finished weapon.

Each decision affects the outcome. Quality and materials changes weight, durability, and other base parameters. Design modifies things like balance, speed, damage, and handling. Enhancements alter or enhance function and provide specialization. The final item reflects the cumulative choices made during its creation.

Different design styles for the same base recipe type are learned separately from the base template and often reflect culture and training. A Blacksmith who apprenticed in a Norse settlement may begin with several broader, heavier blade patterns and sturdier guards that favor durability and impact. Later, after traveling and learning from an Elven smith, that same character will now be able to incorporate thinner, lighter blade designs that favor speed and precision. Both are crafted using the same Longsword template, but the form and performance differ based on design and material choice.

This approach avoids the common pattern of unlocking a long list of nearly identical recipes—”Bronze Dagger”, “Iron Dagger,” “Iron Dagger of Frost,” “Iron Dagger of Vampirism,” and so on. Instead, a core template defines the item. Components define its structure. Materials determine its physical properties. Designs shape how it performs. Enhancements and enchantments refine its purpose and capabilities.

A single Longsword template can produce a heavy iron battlefield weapon, a light steel dueling blade, or a rune-etched adamantite sword with Elven blade styles but Norse inspired hilt design, providing unique advantages and trade-offs—without requiring separate recipes for each variation. Crafting becomes less about collecting incremental recipe upgrades and more about material options, learning new designs and modifications, and making deliberate choices about how an item should function.

Woodcrafters take rough hewn lumber and use it to create things like weapon hafts and parts, bow staves, arrow shafts, shields, etc. These parts are also used by other professions including Blacksmiths Artisans and Weaponcrafters. Woodworkers utilize many different parts and items from Blacksmiths, Apothecaries and Leatherworkers.

Leatherworkers utilize leather materials, scales and sinew from Hunters and various parts and items from Blacksmiths as well as oils from Apothecaries, and turn them into things like light armor, pouches, sinew thread, leather cord, etc. These products are also used by other professions as well such as the  Tailor, Blacksmith, Artisan and Outfitter.

Enchanters specialize in empowering items and objects with magic; typically utilizing gemstone dust, special inks and other materials to imbue clothing, armor, weapons, scrolls, jewels, tomes, and other items with various magical properties to serve numerous purposes. They are knowledgeable magic users, and use items from many other professions, but particularly Artisans.

Outfitters are expert tailors and leatherworkers who craft the finest and most elaborate light armor, bags, packs, pouches and clothing from leather and cloth materials. They utilize items from Alchemists, Artificers, Blacksmiths, Leatherworkers, Tailors and Artisans.

Weaponcrafters are masters at creating various types of weapons such as swords, bows, spears and axes as well as light and medium shields. They need to be master Blacksmiths and Woodworkers, normally requiring items from several other professions such as Leatherworkers, Alchemists, Artisans and Artificers.

Fishing is the art of catching and processing different types of marine and aquatic wildlife, typically with a fishing rod. Fish meat is used in cooking, and fish oils and scales are used by Apothecaries and Artisans.