Trail of Embers  ·  the craft pillar

Crafting and practice

Six practice trees, 42 recipes, 32 materials and an imbuing table that can destroy what you just made. Read out of data/skills/ and data/items/materials.json.

Two currencies, and neither buys the other

Rank is 0–10 and is raised by doing the thing; it gates which tier of recipe you may attempt and sets how good the output is. Practice points buy branch nodes and say what kind of practitioner you are. Nothing here may be bought with ability or talent points, and nothing on the mastery trees may be bought with practice points.

6practice trees, 5 Craft and one Parley
61branch nodes, costing 111 points in total
26practice points a character will ever hold
42recipes
19known from the start, no teacher needed
32materials to gather

Every branch node in the game costs 111 points and every hybrid 3 more, against a budget of 26. One character sees roughly a sixth of this page. That is the point: a party of four holds about a hundred points between them, which is what makes team composition an economic decision rather than a taste one.

The six trees

Ranks are granted automatically on reaching them — never bought. Branch nodes are the only thing practice points pay for, and branches are not locked against each other: a branch is a direction, not a class.

Apothecary Craft · Wits / Spirit

Keeping people alive between here and the mountain -- and, on the second branch, deciding who does not stay that way.

RankGranted at that rankWhat it opens
0BandagingPack a wound with moss and bind it; everyone of age has been shown once
1SteepingDraw a herb's virtue out over heat rather than chewing it
2Poultice-workBasic restoratives
4AntiveninCure and resist venom, disease, bleed
6Ward TonicsRestore WardArmor -- the layer nothing else refills in the field
8Field SurgeryStabilise a downed companion outside combat; treat road injuries
10Physic's HandDoubled output; Prime results from Sound inputs

Physic

4 nodes

Restoratives, revival, and the long walk home with wounded people.

  • Efficient Dosing 1 pt · rank 2
    Recipe input reduction: Family Herbal, Amount 1, Floor 1
  • Triage 1 pt · rank 4
    Counter cap bonus: Party.medicine 2 · Field dressing bonus 0.5
  • Bitter Draught 2 pt · rank 6
    Restoratives clear statuses 1
  • Last Rites 3 pt · rank 8
    Revive in combat per fight 1

Toxicology

4 nodes

The same knowledge, aimed outward. The branch that makes an apothecary frightening.

  • Reading Symptoms 1 pt · rank 2
    Reveals target resistances
  • Tailored Venom 2 pt · rank 4
    Coating matches lowest resistance
  • Soporific 2 pt · rank 6
    Nonlethal incapacitate
  • Physician's Leverage 3 pt · rank 8
    Poison shreds ward 6

Distillation

3 nodes

Throughput. Turning a bad harvest into enough.

  • Preserve Potency 1 pt · rank 4
    Treat tier as: From Poor, To Sound
  • Double Batch 2 pt · rank 6
    Extra output chance 0.25
  • Reduction 2 pt · rank 8
    Convert materials: From Poor, Ratio 3, To Sound

Reagentry Craft · Wits / Finesse

Volatiles, coatings and the surface layer. Does not out-damage anyone; redraws the battlefield.

RankGranted at that rankWhat it opens
0Tinder & PitchGet a fire out of wet country; pitch burns where wood will not
1RenderingCook resin and pitch down to something that pours
2Flask-workOil and water flasks; surface placement on demand
4IgnitionEmber pots and pitch charges; fire without a caster
6Salt & RimeStormsalt and frost volatiles; conductive and slippery ground
8CoatingsWeapon coatings with an element rider for one fight
10Chain ReactionDeployables trigger the reaction table at full strength, as though cast

Incendiary

3 nodes

Fire, oil and pitch. The Ashwood branch.

  • Field Flasks 1 pt · rank 2
    Field craft supply cost 0
  • Long Burn 2 pt · rank 6
    Surface lifetime multiplier 1.5
  • Backdraft 2 pt · rank 8
    Ignition spread cells 1

Delivery

4 nodes

Getting the volatile where you meant it to go, and not onto yourself.

  • Stable Mix 1 pt · rank 4
    Self harm from volatiles
  • Long Throw 1 pt · rank 4
    Thrown range bonus 4
  • Wide Pour 2 pt · rank 6
    Surface radius bonus 1
  • Scavenged Powder 2 pt · rank 6
    Substitute: For mat_goblin_firepowder, With mat_pitch, Count 3, Potency 0.6

Coatings

3 nodes

Putting the element on the weapon instead of the ground.

  • Lasting Coat 1 pt · rank 6
    Coating fights 2
  • Twin Charge 2 pt · rank 8
    Coating targets 2
  • Reactive Edge 3 pt · rank 10
    Coated hit places surface

Blacksmithing Craft · Might / Wits

The reason crafted can beat found: the player picks the material where a found item rolls one.

RankGranted at that rankWhat it opens
0Bellows-handHold a fire at heat and tell hot from working-hot by the colour
1Haft & BindingRe-seat a head, bind a split shaft, keep a tool in the hand
2WhetstoneRepair weapon and armour condition at camp
4ForgeForge base weapons from ore and scrap
6Plating & RefitCraft armour; upgrade an existing item's quality one step
8AlloyingTwo materials in one item -- a grave-iron edge on an iron core
10MastercraftOne item per run at maximum quality, with a guaranteed imbue socket

Edge

3 nodes

Weapons. The branch that makes forging worth the ore you carried.

  • Balance 2 pt · rank 4
    Crafted weapon ap reduction 1
  • Deep Fuller 2 pt · rank 6
    Crafted weapon physical shred 5
  • Maker's Mark 2 pt · rank 8
    Uniqueness bonus 1.4

Plate

3 nodes

Armour, and the only field source of PhysicalArmor that is not a potion.

  • Edge-keeper 1 pt · rank 2
    Repair duration multiplier 2
  • Field Plating 2 pt · rank 6
    Restore physical armor at camp
  • Layered Plate 2 pt · rank 8
    Crafted armor layer bonus 0.15

Wayside

6 nodes

Working without a workshop. There is no forge on a mountain road.

  • Salvage 1 pt · rank 4
    Unlocks source Salvage
  • Cold Work 2 pt · rank 4
    Forge without station · Quality penalty steps 1
  • Bloomery 2 pt · rank 4
    Unlocks recipe rcp_field_furnace · Unlocks station furnace
  • Hot Short 2 pt · rank 6
    Smelt margin bonus 2
  • Scrapper 1 pt · rank 6
    Salvage yield multiplier 1.5
  • Warglass Work 3 pt · rank 8
    Can work: mat_warglass

Imbuing Craft · Wits / Spirit

Gems, multipliers and risk. Learned on the road -- nobody in Coldharrow starts with a rank.

RankGranted at that rankWhat it opens
0HandlingCarry, sort and clean a stone without spoiling what is in it
1SeatingSit a stone in a socket and have it stay there, which is not yet binding it
2SettingOne imbuement into an item that has a socket
4Reading & BindingSee the likely result before committing; reduce failure chance
6SocketingAdd a socket to an item you forged
8CompoundingTwo imbuements per item, with interactions
10NamingAn item you imbue can cross into Unique -- it takes a name and is logged

Setting

3 nodes

Making it work every time. The branch that removes the gamble.

  • Steady Hand 2 pt · rank 2
    Failure chance delta -0.15
  • True Reading 1 pt · rank 4
    Shows exact odds
  • Stabilise 3 pt · rank 6
    Removes outcomes: Mar, Shatter

Resonance

3 nodes

Making it work harder. Power through matching the setting to the material.

  • Deep Socket 2 pt · rank 6
    Imbuement potency multiplier 1.25
  • Attunement 2 pt · rank 8
    Scales with wielder attributes
  • Resonance 2 pt · rank 8
    Matched material multiplier 1.5

Awakening

3 nodes

Making it strange. The gambler's branch -- higher ceiling, no floor.

  • Wild Setting 2 pt · rank 6
    Failure chance delta 0.15 · Success potency multiplier 1.8
  • Draw the Setting 2 pt · rank 6
    Recover imbuement on removal 0.6
  • Awakening 3 pt · rank 10
    Second random property

Woodcraft Craft · Finesse / Resolve

The survival layer. Decides whether nine days of provisions covers a fifteen-day route.

RankGranted at that rankWhat it opens
0Sedge & WaterEat and drink off the valley floor; nobody in Coldharrow needs telling twice
1Making CampRaise a shelter and hold a fire through a wet night
2ForagerHigher gather yield; material nodes visible at range
4PreservingRaw food into rations; rations stop spoiling
6Snares & TrapsDeployable pre-combat traps; passive food at camp
8CampcraftBetter rest, less road attrition, camps that are harder to find
10Read the CountryRoute preview a leg ahead; ambush warning before the encounter resolves

Forager

4 nodes

What the country gives you, and how much of it you can carry.

  • Keen Eye 1 pt · rank 2
    Prime tier weight bonus 8
  • Forage on the March 2 pt · rank 4
    Gather without halting
  • Prospecting 2 pt · rank 4
    Reveals veins · Reads vein richness · Vein yield bonus 1
  • Deep Stores 1 pt · rank 6
    Material stack limit multiplier 1.5

Trapper

3 nodes

Winning the fight before initiative. The Setup-phase branch.

  • Bait 1 pt · rank 6
    Setup phase enemy placement 1
  • Trapline 2 pt · rank 6
    Setup phase traps bonus 1
  • Deadfall 2 pt · rank 8
    Trap applies knockdown

Pathfinder

3 nodes

Days. The branch that buys back the gap between nine days packed and fifteen days walked.

  • Light Pack 1 pt · rank 4
    Carry capacity bonus 15
  • Quiet Camp 2 pt · rank 6
    Night encounter chance multiplier 0.5
  • Pathfinder 2 pt · rank 8
    Crossing half day reduction 1

Parley Parley · Wits / Resolve

The trust problem as a skill. Its payoff is that the fight does not happen.

RankGranted at that rankWhat it opens
0MannersCome up on a stranger's fire without it going badly
1HagglingArgue a price at a stall and know when you have been taken
2ReadSee the intent band -- genuine / opportunist / ambush -- as confidence, never certainty
4Barter & Draw OutBetter rates; extract recipes, lore and route knowledge
6Persuade & CoerceTalk an encounter down before it becomes combat
8Split & TrucePeel defectors off a hostile group; end a fight already in progress
10TestimonyAt the Reckoning, you can make Coldharrow believe you

Merchant

3 nodes

Contact as a supply line. The branch that feeds the crafting trees.

  • Hard Bargain 1 pt · rank 4
    Trade rate bonus 0.25
  • Draw Out 2 pt · rank 4
    Extra recipe chance from friendlies 0.35
  • Standing Offer 2 pt · rank 6
    Contacts restock · Contacts remember you

Diplomat

3 nodes

Reading people, and ending things without a fight.

  • Tells 1 pt · rank 2
    Intent confidence bonus 0.2
  • Common Ground 2 pt · rank 6
    Persuade bonus against: rival_proofing_team
  • Reputation 2 pt · rank 8
    Encounter start attitude from record

Old Ways

3 nodes

Leverage, and the language nobody has needed for two hundred years.

  • Unshaken 2 pt · rank 6
    Coercion backfire on opportunists
  • The Old Tongue 3 pt · rank 8
    Can speak with: goblin, orc
  • Names of the Dead 2 pt · rank 8
    Leverage from cairnfield knowledge

Hybrids

Each needs rank 6 in two trees and costs 3 further points. All fifteen pairs are covered on purpose: whichever two trees a player leaned into, something is waiting for them.

HybridWantsWhat it grants
Vapour-workApothecary + ReagentryRestoratives and toxins delivered as air-layer clouds: heal everyone in a cell, or fill it with venom.
Plate & FleshApothecary + BlacksmithingTreat a body and its armour as one job -- restore Vitality and PhysicalArmor in a single camp action.
QuickeningApothecary + ImbuingImbue a living thing rather than an object: a one-fight setting worked into a person.
Green PhysicApothecary + WoodcraftMedicine straight off the land -- the medicine counter refills at camp from foraged stock, with no recipe.
Mercy TradeApothecary + ParleyTreating a stranger's wounds shifts their intent one band toward genuine. Healing a rival team member ends that encounter.
QuenchingReagentry + BlacksmithingQuench a blade in a volatile at the forge: a permanent element rider on a crafted weapon, no imbuement spent.
Charged WorkReagentry + ImbuingSettings that write to the surface grid -- the only route besides warglass to a weapon that places ground.
Salted GroundReagentry + WoodcraftTraps that place a surface when they trigger, laid during the Setup phase.
DemonstrationReagentry + ParleyA controlled detonation as an argument. Coercion that works on people who have just watched you do that.
Bound WorkBlacksmithing + ImbuingForge and set in one operation: the item is built around the setting, so it can never Mar or Shatter the host.
Wayside ForgeBlacksmithing + WoodcraftA real forge at any camp, built from what the country provides. No Cold Work penalty.
TributeBlacksmithing + ParleyYour work as currency. Gifting a crafted weapon can end a hostile encounter outright.
WardstonesImbuing + WoodcraftSet stones around a camp: it cannot be found at night, and the party wakes rested through weather.
OathbindingImbuing + ParleySet a token of a pact. The holder keeps their word -- and you know the moment they do not.
WayfindingWoodcraft + ParleyRead the country and the people in it: contacts mark routes, ambush chance halves, and you can find the other Proofing teams.

Every recipe

42 of them across Apothecary 14, Blacksmithing 12, Reagentry 10, Woodcraft 6. Tier gates access — reaching Apothecary 4 lets you use rank-4 recipes, it does not hand them to you; the learned recipe is separate knowledge. Smelting is the one operation here that can fail on its own: 4 recipes carry a difficulty and run against the smelt model rather than simply succeeding.

RecipeTreeTierStationMakesFromLearnedRank XP
Rough DraughtApothecary0campMarrow Draught ×1Marrow ×2, Bittern Moss ×3start6
Clay SalveApothecary1campPlate Salve ×1Ochre Clay ×3, Green Hide ×2start7
Marrow DraughtApothecary2campMarrow Draught ×1Marrow ×1, Bittern Moss ×2start8
Plate SalveApothecary2campPlate Salve ×1Ochre Clay ×2, Green Hide ×1, Bone & Horn ×1start, taught (Wyn Cairnwright)10
Ward TonicApothecary2campWard Tonic ×1Frostvein Lichen ×1, Bittern Moss ×2, Ochre Clay ×1taught, traded (Tace Ordwin)12
Greater Marrow DraughtApothecary4campGreater Marrow Draught ×1Marrow ×2, Bittern Moss ×3, Beast-heart ×1taught, found (Tace Ordwin)20
Greater Plate SalveApothecary4forgeGreater Plate Salve ×1Ochre Clay ×3, Iron Scrap ×1, Green Hide ×2taught, found (Wyn Cairnwright)20
Greater Ward TonicApothecary4campGreater Ward Tonic ×1Frostvein Lichen ×2, Bittern Moss ×3, Riverglass ×1traded, found22
Marshroot AntivenomApothecary4campMarshroot Antivenom ×1Ashcap Fungus ×2, Bittern Moss ×1start, taught (Tace Ordwin)14
Smelling SaltsApothecary4fieldSmelling Salts ×2Stormsalt ×2, Ashcap Fungus ×1taught, traded (Ossian Sill)16
Stride TonicApothecary4campStride Tonic ×1Sedge-root ×3, Marrow ×1, Sinew ×1found, traded16
Superior Marrow DraughtApothecary6campSuperior Marrow Draught ×1Marrow ×3, Beast-heart ×1, Cairnbloom ×1taught, found (Ardis Quell)30
Superior Plate SalveApothecary6forgeSuperior Plate Salve ×1Iron Scrap ×3, Ochre Clay ×3, Orc Grave-iron ×1found, traded30
Superior Ward TonicApothecary6campSuperior Ward Tonic ×1Frostvein Lichen ×3, Riverglass ×1, Cairnbloom ×1taught (Ardis Quell)32
Smelt Bog IronBlacksmithing2furnaceIron Bloom ×1Bog Iron ×4, fuel, heat 1, Clay Crucible (held)start10
Whetstone WorkBlacksmithing2campRepair Condition — 40Whetstone Grit ×1start6
Forge a WeaponBlacksmithing4forgegenerated Weapon (?)any component material ×3, Whetstone Grit ×1, Sinew ×1taught, found (Wyn Cairnwright)26
Raise a Field FurnaceBlacksmithing4campRaise Station — furnace, 1 evening(s)Ochre Clay ×3, Whetstone Grit ×1, Field Bellows (held)taught, found (Wyn Cairnwright, Smith Dorren)18
SalvageBlacksmithing4campSalvage Itemstart, taught (Wyn Cairnwright)12
Smelt CopperBlacksmithing4furnaceCopper Ingot ×1Copper Ore ×3, fuel, heat 2, Clay Crucible (held)taught, found (Smith Dorren)24
Smelt IronBlacksmithing4furnaceIron Bloom ×1Iron Ore ×3, fuel, heat 2, Clay Crucible (held)start, taught (Wyn Cairnwright)22
Forge ArmourBlacksmithing6forgegenerated Armor (?)any component material ×4, Sinew ×2taught, found (Wyn Cairnwright)30
Forge a Quarry PickBlacksmithing6forgeQuarry Pick ×1Iron Bloom ×2, Whetstone Grit ×1, Sinew ×1taught, found (Smith Dorren, Wyn Cairnwright)20
RefitBlacksmithing6forgeUpgrade QualityIron Scrap ×2, Whetstone Grit ×2found, traded30
AlloyingBlacksmithing8forgeAlloy Itemany component material ×2, Orc Grave-iron ×1taught (Ardis Quell)45
Smelt Black IronBlacksmithing8furnaceBlack Iron ×1Black Iron Ore ×3, fuel, heat 4, Clay Crucible (held)found60
Pitch FlaskReagentry0fieldFlask of Oil ×1Pitch ×2, Ochre Clay ×1start6
Water-BladderReagentry1campRain-Skin ×1Green Hide ×1, Ochre Clay ×2start7
Flask of OilReagentry2fieldFlask of Oil ×2Ironbark Resin ×1, Ochre Clay ×1start8
Rain-SkinReagentry2fieldRain-Skin ×2Green Hide ×1, Ochre Clay ×1start8
Cinder BombReagentry4campCinder Bomb ×1Pitch ×2, Ironbark Resin ×1, Ochre Clay ×1taught, found (Ivo Pell)16
Resin GripReagentry4fieldResin Grip ×2Ironbark Resin ×2, Sinew ×1start, taught (Halder Quist)12
Rime ShellReagentry4campRime Shell ×1Frostvein Lichen ×2, Ochre Clay ×1traded, found18
StormflaskReagentry4campStormflask ×1Stormsalt ×2, Ochre Clay ×1, Sinew ×1found, traded20
Venom VialReagentry4campVenom Vial ×1Venom Sac ×2, Ochre Clay ×1found, traded16
Firepowder ChargeReagentry6campgenerated Consumable (thrown_fire)Goblin Firepowder ×1, Pitch ×2, Ochre Clay ×1traded (Goblin Scrapper)34
Sedge MashWoodcraft0campTrail Rations ×1Sedge-root ×5start5
Salt and DryWoodcraft1campTrail Rations ×2Sedge-root ×3, Stormsalt ×1start6
Field DressingWoodcraft2fieldparty.medicine +1Bittern Moss ×2, Green Hide ×1start6
Burn a Charcoal PitWoodcraft4campCharcoal ×[2, 4]Pitch ×1, standing in the Ashwoodstart, taught (Rook)8
Preserved RationsWoodcraft4campparty.provisions +2Sedge-root ×3, Stormsalt ×1start, taught (Rook)10
SnareWoodcraft6campgenerated Deployable (trap_snare)Sinew ×2, Bone & Horn ×1, Ironbark Resin ×1taught, found (Rook)24

Materials

What the ground gives up, where it gives it up, and which tree wants it. Biome numbers are gather weights, not amounts — a 1.4 on the Sedge Plains against a 0.2 on the Broken Hills is where you go looking.

MaterialFamilyRarity wtStackFound byYieldWhere it growsUsed by
Bone & HornAnimal130Corpse, Salvage1–3Sedgeplains 0.8, Ashwood 0.9, Brokenhills 1, Cairnfield 0.5Blacksmithing, Woodcraft
Green HideAnimal1.3020Corpse, Salvage1–2Sedgeplains 0.9, Ashwood 1.1, Brokenhills 0.7, Cairnfield 0.1Blacksmithing, Woodcraft
MarrowAnimal1.5020Corpse1–2Sedgeplains 0.6, Ashwood 0.9, Brokenhills 0.9, Cairnfield 0.1Apothecary
SinewAnimal130Corpse, Salvage1–3Sedgeplains 0.8, Ashwood 1, Brokenhills 0.8, Cairnfield 0.2Blacksmithing, Woodcraft
Venom SacAnimal1.8015Corpse1–2Sedgeplains 0.7, Ashwood 1.2, Brokenhills 0.5, Cairnfield 0.2Reagentry, Apothecary
Ashcap FungusHerbal1.6020Forage1–2Sedgeplains 0.1, Ashwood 1.6, Brokenhills 0.3, Cairnfield 0.2Apothecary, Reagentry
Bittern MossHerbal1.2030Forage1–3Sedgeplains 1.2, Ashwood 0.9, Brokenhills 0.3, Cairnfield 0.5Apothecary
Frostvein LichenHerbal2.2020Forage1–2Sedgeplains 0, Ashwood 0.2, Brokenhills 1.4, Cairnfield 0.6Reagentry, Apothecary
Ironbark ResinHerbal1.4020Forage1–3Sedgeplains 0.2, Ashwood 1.5, Brokenhills 0.4, Cairnfield 0.2Reagentry, Blacksmithing
Sedge-rootHerbal130Forage2–4Sedgeplains 1.4, Ashwood 0.5, Brokenhills 0.2, Cairnfield 0.4Woodcraft, Apothecary
Beast-heartImbuement3.608Corpse1–1Sedgeplains 0.4, Ashwood 0.7, Brokenhills 0.7Imbuing, Apothecary
BloodstoneImbuement310Container, Forage, Trade1–1Brokenhills 0.8, Cairnfield 0.3, Ashwood 0.2Imbuing
DuskquartzImbuement3.4010Container, WarSite, Trade1–1Brokenhills 0.9, Cairnfield 0.4Imbuing
RiverglassImbuement310Container, Forage, Trade1–1Sedgeplains 0.6, Brokenhills 0.6, Ashwood 0.3Imbuing
Bog IronMineral1.1030Vein, Forage2–4Sedgeplains 0.5Blacksmithing
CharcoalMineral140Container, Trade1–3Ashwood 0.3Blacksmithing
CoalMineral1.4040Vein3–6Blacksmithing, Reagentry
Copper IngotMineral2.8020Trade, Salvage1–1Blacksmithing, Imbuing
Copper OreMineral230Vein2–4Blacksmithing, Reagentry
Iron BloomMineral2.4020Trade, Salvage1–1Blacksmithing
Iron OreMineral1.5030Vein2–5Blacksmithing
Iron ScrapMineral1.6030Container, Salvage, WarSite1–3Sedgeplains 0.4, Ashwood 0.6, Brokenhills 1.3, Cairnfield 0.7Blacksmithing
Ochre ClayMineral130Forage2–4Sedgeplains 1.1, Ashwood 0.7, Brokenhills 0.8, Cairnfield 0.4Reagentry, Blacksmithing
PitchMineral1.3025Forage, Container1–3Sedgeplains 0.4, Ashwood 1.3, Brokenhills 0.7, Cairnfield 0.3Reagentry, Woodcraft
StormsaltMineral1.7025Forage, Container1–3Sedgeplains 0.6, Ashwood 0.2, Brokenhills 1.4, Cairnfield 0.4Reagentry, Woodcraft
Whetstone GritMineral1.2030Forage1–3Sedgeplains 0.3, Ashwood 0.3, Brokenhills 1.5, Cairnfield 0.5Blacksmithing
Black IronRare610Trade1–1Blacksmithing, Imbuing
Black Iron OreRare512Vein1–2Blacksmithing, Imbuing
CairnbloomRare840Forage1–2Cairnfield 2Apothecary, Reagentry, Imbuing
Goblin FirepowderRare4.5010Trade, Corpse1–2Reagentry
Orc Grave-ironRare5.5010Corpse, Salvage, Trade1–2Brokenhills 0.3, Cairnfield 0.2Blacksmithing, Imbuing
WarglassRare78WarSite, Trade1–1Brokenhills 0.4, Cairnfield 0.2Blacksmithing, Imbuing, Reagentry

Gathered tiers

Rolled per gather, and the roll is weighted by Woodcraft rank. Potency multiplies what a recipe puts out; uniqueness feeds item scoring.

TierPotencyUniqueness
Poor0.750.85
Sound11
Prime1.351.30

Imbuing

The Imbuing operation: setting a found material into an item, and what comes out. This is NOT a recipe. A recipe is inputs -> output. An imbue is a WAGER against an item you already care about, and the outcome table below is the whole reason the skill is interesting. docs/SKILLS.md section 2, docs/MATERIALS_AND_LOOT.md section 3. Lives in data/skills/ rather than data/items/ because ContentDatabase scans data/items recursively and parses everything there as an equippable. Only curves.json and materials.json are on the skip list. Imbuement materials are declared in data/items/materials.json by

What can be set into what

FamilyMaterialSlotsStrength by material tier
BloodworkBloodstoneWeaponPoor 0.06, Sound 0.10, Prime 0.15
RiverbindingRiverglassArmor, TrinketPoor 8, Sound 14, Prime 20
DuskbindingDuskquartzWeapon, TrinketPoor 1, Sound 2, Prime 3
HeartsettingBeast-heartArmor, TrinketPoor 10, Sound 18, Prime 28
SaltworkStormsaltWeaponPoor 3, Sound 5, Prime 8
Grave-settingOrc Grave-ironWeaponPoor 3, Sound 5, Prime 8
PowderworkGoblin FirepowderWeaponPoor 4, Sound 7, Prime 11
Warglass-settingWarglassWeaponPoor 0.80, Sound 1.20, Prime 1.80
Bloom-settingCairnbloomWeapon, Armor, TrinketPoor 1.15, Sound 1.30, Prime 1.50

The gamble

Weights are rolled at rank gap zero — the imbuer's Imbuing rank against the rank the material wants. Each point of gap moves weight out of the failure rows into Success, so rank is what stops a master gambling with bloodstone.

VolatilityWants rankSuccessPartialInertMarShatter
Low27018831
Medium450221594
High63222201610

And what each outcome costs you

OutcomePotencyRank XPWhat happens
Success130Full effect, socket filled.
Partial0.5018It took, weakly. The socket is filled and cannot be retried without Draw the Setting.
Inert010Material wasted, item unharmed, socket still open. The cheapest failure.
Mar012The item drops a quality step. Removed by Stabilise.
Shatter015The item is gone. Pays the most rank XP of any outcome, because losing a good sword should at least buy the lesson -- otherwise the correct play is never to imbue anything you care about, and the system dies.

Sockets

How many settings an item can hold, by its quality. Socketing adds 1, bound work adds 1, and the hard ceiling is 3. A second socket does nothing until Compounding at Imbuing tier 8.

Item qualitySockets
Crude0
Sound1
Fine1
Master2