Weaponsmithing Failure

When constructing a weapon, at the end of the weapon-making process, the weaponsmith makes his Weaponsmithing proficiency ability check. He'll use the Proficiency Modifier based on the weapon and the weapon quality he's trying to achieve; see the chart below, under "Weapon Quality," for that modifier.

If he successfully makes his check, he's created the weapon he wanted to create.

If he fails by 1, 2, 3, or 4, he's created a weapon that looks like what he intended to make. . . but he knows it has a serious structural flaw. In a real combat, if the wielder rolls a natural 5 or less on his attack roll, the weapon breaks and is useless. (For some reason, it just won't break in practice combats. . . only in the real thing.) He can still sell the weapon, of course, but eventually, after he's done this sort of thing a few times, his reputation as a craftsman will be utterly ruined. It's better just to break the item, sell it as a wall-hanger, etc.

If he fails by 5 or more, the weapon breaks and is ruined during the last stages of the creation process (for example, when it's being cooled after heat-tempering).

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