In a scenario I was DMing recently, one
of the characters strolled into the local
blacksmith shop to have a little repair work
done. To his surprise, he became the object
of a seemingly unprovoked attack by the
owner of the establishment. Luckily for
him, his opponent was not very bright and
he was able to escape in one piece. Luckily
for me, he did not decide to stand his
ground and fight with whatever was available.
I had little idea of what was inside the
shop other than a forge, a hammer and an
anvil. To avoid being caught in a similar
situation in the future, I did some research
on four kinds of shops likely to be frequented
by adventurers. Before examining
any individual establishments, however, we
should first go over a few points that may be
so obvious that they are overlooked during
the construction and stocking of a workshop
or store.

Any business requires a certain population
from which to draw its clientele. Those 
customers must also be willing and able to
pay for the service the craftsman is offering.
There is the possibility of exporting, but not
always at prices competitive with those of
local craftsmen. As a rule (to which there
are always exceptions), shops located in
larger centers of population will have a
greater stock on hand, will produce higherquality
goods, and will tend to be more
specialized. In cities and sometimes even on
a regional basis, craft guilds maintain certain
quality standards and price levels. A
guild member found guilty of either manufacturing
substandard products or of overor
under-pricing could be stripped of his
guild membership. He would then be unable
to practice his craft within the area
encompassed by that guild without risking
the guild?s retaliation.

Most shops have some features in common.
If the shop is actually a structure, and
not a booth in a bazaar (a possibility not to
be overlooked), there will be items found in 
any household: lamps, candles, oil, a sharpening
stone, rags, etc. Some material components
for spells may also be found in
places other than those specializing in such
items. A craftsman may unknowingly have
a much-needed component on hand which
can be acquired at little or no expense.

However, the craftsman?s workshop is not
a supermarket. If a smith caters to the
farmers in his area, he is not likely to carry
a large selection of swords. Near a castle a
smithy would be occupied with the manufacture
and repair of weapons or hardware
for the castle. Wealthy residents of a city
would demand ornate items that were less
utilitarian.

All but the richest craftsmen live behind,
above, or at best next door to their shops.
This is partly a matter of convenience, since
they often put in long hours and usually
work six days a week. Some or all of their
apprentices also live either in the shop or in
their master's home. On the whole, the
craftsman is a hard-working, respected
member of the community.

Remember, the existence and features of
any business must be dictated by the economic,
political and cultural environment in
order to maintain a believable campaign. In
the following sections we will browse four
shops, seeing them through the eyes of an
elven adventurer named Retgar. As we
travel from one shop to another, put yourself
alongside Retgar. Take in the atmosphere.
What do you see, hear, smell, and
feel? Keep these impressions in mind when
designing shops of your own. Following
each description is a short passage listing
accessory items that are typically found in
that kind of shop. (Keep in mind, though,
that not every shop will contain every item
listed.) Items denoted by an "S" can be
used as material components for spells. It
should be possible for an adventurer, stripped
of virtually all his wealth and possessions,
to reoutfit himself in a rudimentary
fashion by visiting shops such as these.

The anvil's ring
The Sun had not yet set as Retgar
reached the last ridge. Clinging to the base
of the foothills was the harbor city of Stonepoint.
Here he would find a smith to put a
new edge on his sword. But he decided that
the task could wait until morning, since he
had no desire to spend the night in a city
controlled by the overlord Zagus, who had
put a price-on Retgar's head.

At sunrise the next morning, Retgar
entered the dusty, winding streets. He fol
lowed the ringing of iron on iron until his
eyes picked out a weathered wood-frame
building at the far end of the street, adorned
with a faded sign in the shape of an anvil.
Smoke drifted up from the rough stone
chimney and settled around the shop. His
horse snorted at the smell of burning charcoal
as they reached the open double doors.
Sunlight streamed past them, quickly losing
its intensity in the hazy interior. Each strike
of the hammer bounced tiny bits of fiery
metal off the heavy leather apron worn by
the muscular smith. Retgar hailed him
during a momentary lapse in the rhythmic
clanging on the anvil and showed him his
badly notched sword. The smith examined
the blade, quickly determining that a new
edge was needed, and slid it into the hot
coals of the forge.

"We have few enough of you elves in
town. So I?m sure you?re not from these
parts. What news have you from lands
beyond?? As Retgar recounted some recent
events of which he had knowledge, he let his
eyes become accustomed to the dim light in
the room and examined his surroundings.

Opposite the door was a stone forge in
which charcoal glowed like a red sunset.
Through an open back door a young boy
entered carrying a bucket of charcoal he
had taken from a pile visible just outside.
He added a shovelful to the forge, carefully
arranging it with a long poker. Once satislied,
he pulled down on the handle of the
leather bellows, sending sparks dancing up
the chimney. Retgar felt the sweat beading
on his forehead as the smith interruped the
elf's discourse.

?Wesson, do not make it breathe as a
dragon or you will destroy the temper.?
While the smith explained the boy?s mistake,
Retgar leaned against the heavy
planked workbench and surveyed the implements
scattered across the surface. There
were punches and chisels of various sizes 
and swages to mold the iron into shapes
such as rods and spikes. The square shaft
on the base of a swage was made to fit into
a square hole in the face of the anvil. As the
hot iron was held on the swage, it was hammered
into whatever shape was cut into the
surface. What?s the name of that hole in the
anvil, thought Retgar. . . . Of course ? a
hardie hole. And somewhere there had to be
a wide chisel with a square shank. The
chisel, or hardie, was inverted with its
handle in the hole. Then, heated iron was
cut by laying it across the upturned edge
and striking it with a hammer.

And there was certainly no shortage of
hammers in the shop. Nearly two dozen,
each weighing anywhere from a couple of
pounds to over thirty pounds, lay on and
around the workbench. Several of these
were unusual in that the handles were more
crude; the heads were flatter and not as well
balanced. One of them, lying next to the
hardie (chisel) that he had located, had a
corrugated face. This was not a hammer
but a fuller. It was struck with a hammer to
help flatten a piece of metal. The other
?hammers? were called flatters and were
used in much the same way. Retgar lifted
one of the flatters. Noting that it had a
concave face, he looked about for the armorer
?s anvil with which this was used. He
spotted the large, convex-faced anvil across
the room. A loud hissing brought his attention
back to the smith, who had just placed
a piece of hot metal into a half-barrel filled
with brine. This slack tub was used to cool
and temper the metal that was being
worked.

"Excuse the interruption. You were saying
something of the trouble Duke Earlin
was having with his half-brother," said the
smith.

As Retgar resumed his monologue, the
smith's hammer started clanging on the
anvil again, this time to put a new edge on 
Retgar's sword. As the elf talked between
hammer-blows, he wandered across the
rough stone floor and poked about in a
rusting pile of broken weapons and farm
tools. From these, the resourceful smith
would craft new items. No one would have
guessed that the tools and weapons hanging
on the wall had once been pieces of scrap
from this pile.

Retgar finished his discourse at about the
same time as the refurbished sword made its
final dip in the slack tub. The elf examined
the blade?s new edge, noting that it would
need an hour or so with the sharpening
stone, and returned the sword to the sheath
at his side. As he paid the smith for his
services, Retgar decided that his purse was
much too light for his future needs. Perhaps
he would make a stop at the silversmith?s
shop before he left town.
 
 
 
 

Any small town would have its blacksmith
shop. If two or more shops are
present in a large town, each of them would
probably specialize in some aspect(s) of
smith work. These special occupations
include farrier (horses), wireworker (chainmail),
cutler (edged implements), and armorer
(only a few of whom are also able to
make barding). 

Items of interest for game purposes:
charcoal (S), hammer (½ to 40 lbs.; depending
on weight, some may be usable as
warhammers at -1) long tongs (adds three
feet to reach), chisel (useful on locks in lieu
of thief), anvil (50 to 200 lbs. weight),
shovel, hole punch, file, sharpening stone,
any fabricated items in stock (90% of items
in scrap pile are useless), small pieces of
iron (S), soot (S), powdered iron (S), powdered
brass (only if the smith is specialized
in ornate work; S), small nails (S), sheet
iron (S), iron filings (S), pieces of steel (S),
brazier (used as a portable forge in a market;
S), and pieces of tin (S).

Bent for leather
The wooden, saddle-shaped sign that
hung above the door to the two-story woodframe
building indicated even to the illiterate
that this was a saddle shop. For Retgar,
the sign was unnecessary; from three doors
away he had been beckoned by the smell of
freshly cut leather. He stood in the open
doorway for a moment, taking in the
aroma. The shop was well lighted from the
many windows on all four walls of the spacious
room. To the left of the door stood a
large worktable. Here an apprentice was
using a curved knife to cut out the pieces of
a saddle previously marked on the leather.
There were knives, hammers and charcoal
pencils along the back of the bench as well
as half a dozen small bins. These contained
rings, buckles and rivets needed for saddles
and harnesses. Another young man at the
far end of the bench was stitching a ring
onto a bridle.

In the center of the hard-packed earthen
floor an older man bent over a saddle that
was resting on a wooden sawhorse. The
man, whom Retgar assumed to be the
master of the shop, was fastening a silver
buckle on the elaborate saddle. More saddles
in various stages of completion were
stacked on other sawhorses. Along the back
wall hung bridles, harnesses, and other tack
as well as saddlebags. In one of the far 
corners were large shelves well-stocked with
uncut pieces of leather. A neat pile of
wooden saddletrees used as the framework
for saddles was on the floor beside the
shelves.

Retgar selected the largest set of saddlebags
he could see and slung them over his
shoulder. Turning, he noticed a worktable at
one end of the room. It was not until Retgar
took an interest in this worktable that
the saddler approached him.

?I can-see that you appreciate good
craftsmanship,? said the softspoken man as
Retgar picked up one of the boots on the
table. The inside was lined with doeskin.
The outside had an intricate design tooled
just below the rabbitskin that formed the
upper edge. ?The saddles I make to earn a
living. These I make for the pleasure it
gives me.?

Spread out on the table were knives,
needles, heavy linen thread, beeswax and a
small hammer, all laid within easy reach of
the lasting jack mounted to the workbench.
A little wooden box on the back of the
bench held tiny nails that were used to
fasten heels on boots. To hold the pieces of
other shoes together, linen thread or leather
strips were used.

Across the back of the bench were half a
dozen wooden foot molds in various sizes. If
you didn?t have the money for custom-fitted 
shoes (and most people did not), then the
smallest of these sizes that fit comfortably
would have to do. Small pieces of soft
leather, rabbitskin, doeskin, and fleece were
kept in a bin below the bench to be used for
linings in boots and shoes.

Trying on a good-looking pair of boots,
Retgar was pleased to find that they fit.
After paying for his purchases, he slid his
old boots into the saddlebags and tossed
them up behind his saddle. Now, it was on
to replenish his nearly empty purse.
 
 

Leather workers in a city will be specialized
as saddlers, harnessmakers, bootmakers,
armorers, and cobblers. Small towns
will probably not have a leather worker or
will share one with a neighboring village.

Items of interest for game purposes:
lasting jack (small anvil weighing about live
lbs.), leather, skins, finished leather goods,
hammers (too small to be effective weapons),
hole punches, knives (most are usable
as a dagger at -1), rivets, small nails (particularly
treacherous to barefoot opponents;
S), metal rings and buckles, beeswax (adds
body to ointments), fish oils (or other oils
for waterproofing, also good as a base for
ointments and as a lubricant), needles (S)
and heavy thread (emergency first aid),
metal studs (many uses, mainly for studded
leather armor).

The silver chalice
Retgar had no difficulty finding the silversmith
?s shop. The two-story building was
constructed of grey cut stone. In the wall
facing the street was a single barred window
that could be shuttered and an iron-bound
oak door. Over the door hung a silvercolored
sign shaped like a goblet at the base
of which was printed, ?The Silver Chalice.?
The mark and initials on the sign were
identical to those on the base of the chalice
he carried in his pack. Retgar stepped from
the busy street and opened the heavy
wooden door.

Inside was a small, tidy room sparsely
furnished to display the items for sale.
Across the back wall were shelves lined with
cups, candlesticks, pitchers, vases, bowls,
platters, and various utensils. Most of the
items were made of silver, although a few
were gold or had gilded edges. A finely
crafted wooden table stood in front of the
shelves. At the table sat a young man etching
a design on a bowl. Retgar showed him
the chalice he had brought and was directed
through a door in the side wall.

The pleasant coolness of the front room
disappeared as soon as Retgar entered the
workshop, which seemed to take up the rest
of the building. Sunlight shone through the
barred windows, forming banded patterns
of light on the flagstone floor. Despite the
open windows, the room was uncomfortably
warm and smelled of hot metal. The source
of the heat was a small forge or furnace with
an open hearth next to it. Both were attached
to a bellows on which a young boy
pulled in a slow, even rhythm. A tarnished
metal hood channeled the smoke from the
open hearth into the brick chimney. The
furnace was also made of brick and had cast
iron doors. A tall man sweating heavily took
an urn from the furnace with a pair of longhandled
tongs and placed it on a grate
under the metal hood. He then slid another
urn into the furnace and closed the door.
With a long-handled ladle he dipped the
hot, shimmering liquid from the first crock
and poured it into a wooden mold which
was set on the workbench behind him.

The workbench was one of many, each of
which had a lit oil lamp suspended over it.
All of the benches were cluttered with tools.
There were nearly a dozen men of various
ages etching, engraving or hammering
designs into articles made of silver. The
noise of this activity was exceeded only by
the din of the blacksmith?s hammer and the
hawkers in the bazaar. Over the noise Retgar
heard a deep voice ask, ?Can I be of
some assistance?? The question came from
a slightly plump middle-aged man seated at
a workbench at the far side of the room. He
appeared to be the man in charge of the
numerous artisans.

Retgar wove his way between the tables
and workers. As he reached the master?s
table, the silversmith was dipping the goblet
he had been engraving into a weak solution
of sulfuric acid or ?pickle? to give it a final
cleaning. The goblet had the same hallmark
and initials on the base as the chalice that
Retgar unwrapped and set before his host.
The almost imperceptible twinkle in the
smith?s eyes told Retgar he would get a
higher price here than at any other shop.

They finished their transaction, and
Retgar stepped back into the busy street,
tucking his now-full purse beneath his tunic.
He had one more stop to make outside
of town, and he wanted to hurry because
the sun would be setting soon.

The value of most silver items was in the
silver itself, so items were often melted
down and recrafted. A whitesmith (one who
works any metal other than iron) could
normally work with any of the precious
metals but would usually concentrate on
one. Smiths often would specialize in chasing,
engraving or embossing. A whitesmith
would seldom be found outside a city.

Items of interest for game purposes: small
hammers (most under ½ lb.), acid (one vial
will do one point of damage to exposed flesh
or will corrode cloth and similar materials),
charcoal (improvised blackface; S), soot (S),
powdered brass (S), powdered silver (S),
brazier (S), small engraving tools (might
double as crude thieves? tools), shovel, longhandled
dipper (useful for testing unknown
liquids at arm?s length), scraps or sheets of
precious metals, and finished items. Some
specific spell components that can be manufactured
by a silversmith include; a small
silver horn, a tiny silver whistle, a small
silver rod, and a miniature platinum sword.

The tanner's hide
Retgar stepped easily from stone to stone
as he crossed the stream. Plants growing at
the water?s edge dangled their brown, withered
leaves in its bubbling surface, which
was poisoned by tanning wastes from up-
stream. He paused long enough to assure
himself that no surprises awaited him at the
grey stone building cradled in the side of the
hill. The skins and hides stretched on
frames beside the door revealed this as the
home of Sandler the tanner. The salted
hides had been brought out from the back
room deep within the hillside, where they
had been stored since last fall. As Retgar
pushed open the low wooden door, a cool
rush of air assaulted his face, bearing with it
an overpowering smell of leather and vinegar.
After crossing the threshold, he waited
for his eyes to adjust to the dimness.

The tanner was nowhere to be seen, but
Retgar knew he wouldn?t be far away. Then
he heard the sounds of movement outside
the shop, and realized that Sandler was
nearby. Keeping one eye on the outside
door, Retgar moved around the interior of
the room and took note of what he saw.

Scattered around the room were barrels
and tubs of tanning solutions. Some hides
were soaked for months, being shifted to
progressively stronger solutions until the
process was complete. Retgar crossed to the
long table at one end of the room. He poked
around curiously at the strangely shaped
knives with his dagger. Most were toothed
or had dulled edges to avoid cutting the
hide when scraping off hair or flesh. Some
were even made of wood for more tender
skins like those of rabbits. Above the table
was a shelf of jars holding crushed herbs to
dye the leather. On the floor at the far end
of the table was a barrel of vinegar, a neutralizer
for the lime used to remove hair.
Salt spilled on the dirt floor from a large
sack propped against the vinegar.

Picking up one of many long-handled
stirring paddles, Retgar raised a piece of
leather from the tannic acid and let it slip
back into the dark bath. Turning, he
brushed against a group of leather flasks
hanging on the wall. He didn?t need to
uncork them to know that at least one of the
flasks held fish oil used to waterproof
leather. Undoubtedly there were other oils
in the remaining skins that were less aromatic.
Stepping around the smooth horizontal
beam over which leather was draped
while being worked, he pushed open the
door to the back room. The air was cool
and heavy with the stench of salt-cured
hides that had been stored here awaiting
tanning. Retgar slipped inside, closed the
door, and glanced quickly about the room.
Just then, the sound of approaching horses
caused Retgar to flatten against the wall
and strain his ears to catch any conversation
from outside. He heard enough to know
that the troops were employed by Zagus,
and they were questioning Sandler the
tanner to find out if he had seen Retgar
traveling toward the city. In fact, Retgar
had entered the city and already left it; by
arriving in the area one day earlier than he
had been expected to, Retgar had helped to
insure his own continued safety.

When the sound of the men and horses
had again faded into the distance, the tanner
came inside and resumed working on
the leather hung over the wooden beam.
Retgar slipped out of the back room, silently
stepped up behind Sandler, and
pressed his dagger against the tanner?s
throat. He whispered, ?You would have
sold me to Zagus just as if I were one of
your skins. But now, I want the bulette hide
that you have concealed here. I paid for that
hide with my own blood ? and unless you
want the captain of the guard to find you
stretched and curing on one of your own
racks, I suggest you. deliver what is mine.?

?Zagus will be most displeased,? said the
tanner weakly.

"His emotions are not my concern,?
growled Retgar. ?I can guarantee your fate
if you do not do as I tell you.?

A little more pressure with the sharpened
steel soon had the tanner outside digging
through the pile of leaves and bark he had
collected to make tannic acid. He finally
unearthed a package wrapped in leather. As
Retgar opened the bundle, the grayish-blue
scales glistened in the now fading sunlight.

?The workmanship is as fine as you had
promised, although the service is less than
desirable. Since I am a man of honor, unlike
some of those you deal with, here is the
payment I promised,? said Retgar.

He tossed a bag of coins at the tanner?s
feet, turned, and was soon lost in the growing
darkness. He was one step closer to an
armored vest that would be the envy of
every other adventurer he knew ? and he
was still one step ahead of the revenge of
Zagus.
.
.
.
.
.
Tanneries are located near water and
outside of town due to the foul odors they
produce. A cool storage area is usually
necessary to hold skins until a sufficient
quantity is obtained to begin tanning.

Items of interest for game purposes:
coarse salt (application to an open wound
loosens a prisoner?s tongue; S), barrels,
brushes, fish oil (masks scents), other oils
and fats (good base for ointments), dyes
(can darken or lighten hair or skin; S),
beeswax (good lubricant), vinegar (astringent),
lime (helps neutralize acids; S),
knives (only a few useful as weapons), tannic
acid (not strong enough to do damage,
but will discolor skin), pitch (S), grain
alcohol (S), bark chips (S), and pieces of
uncut leather and skins.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The preceding descriptions are intended
as a guide for fleshing out similar shops in
your campaign. Each establishment is
unique and reflects not only its political,
cultural, and economic environment, but
also the tastes and habits of the owner. 

The services offered by a craftsman need
not be handed to player characters on a
silver platter. Shopping can be as much an
adventure as any other part of a campaign

JUNE 1985