The Craftsman is an artisan, a specialist in crafts and arts. He is the backbone of civilization.

An artisan can collect base materials, raw ores and wood and transform them into objects of art and function, masterpieces to please the eye and tools that make the whole concept of society possible. His hands build the houses, cities and roads we all depend on.

His power lays in his skills. Everybody depends on him for clothing, weapons, armour, the arrows that they spend to bring down a monster and the tools that make their life bearable. It is easy for a craftsman to separate people and their money, without need of any violence whatsoever.

Even the most arrogant fighters hesitate before snubbing an Artisan, as they never know when they will next need their services. Craftsmen are also known to group together, and to offend one sometimes means offending all. There have been cases of people who have had to change city, simply due to being unable to make deals with Artisans- they would not sell to them, or buy from them, and their friends and associates lost favour and discounts. Under such circumstances, life can become very uncomfortable.

Craftsmen wield great social power, sometimes very real in a political sense- others through the power of coin and favour, both eagerly sought after by adventurers.

A Craftsman is not a fighter, so when he is seen to strap on a weapon and face a foe one knows that desperate times are ahead. And yet your merchant can be quite successful as an adventurer. He has excellent healing skills along with passable weapon skills, plus he can be as strong and dextrous as any warrior. Carrying little armour, the adventurer artisan can build himself into an essential part of any party- the uncommitted healer, the fleet-footed brave who carries the loot or flees with it to safety while the warriors struggle, the steady hand with the bandage who holds the balance of the fight and sometimes the tactical brain who keeps a cool head.