There seems to be some interest in pottery making from the few people I’ve spoken to about it, so … here’s a suggestion regarding all things pottery, including a suggested ability tree. For a skill that’s been around for such a long time, it’s largely underutilized in games which is a shame since it’s such a fantastically useful skill. From making simple household items to much more involved molds, there’s a huge opportunity in the skill that’s unrealized. I understand that, in Cogg, with skills being locked by levels, it’s usefulness was limited, but in Clok - Whew. It could be something phenomenal, in time. Not all these suggestions are my own; I’ve scoured the BBS (Both Clok’s and Cogg’s) and asked around. Credit due will be given to those individuals whose ideas I’ve used here.
The Proposed Ability Tree:
Basic Pottery (0 to 100) ⇒ Advanced Pottery Methods (100-500) ⇒ Lost Wax Casting (500+)
A simple three ability tree, I think, should suffice to make a large variety of things. I think that this is acceptable, in my own opinion, as the skill is deceptively simple with advanced techniques getting outside of the realm of simply molding wet clay.
For Basic Pottery recipes, the stuff that anyone can do to train the skill up, we have the following:
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Stoppers, caps, or jar lids 0 skill needed x1 tempered clay
Buttons (x10) 0 skill needed x1 tempered clay
Beads (x10) 0 skill needed x1 tempered clay
Brick 15 skill points x1 tempered clay
Cup 20 skill points x1 tempered clay
Plate 30 skill points x1 tempered clay
Bowl 50 skill points x3 tempered clay
Sling bullet 75 skill points x1 tempered clay
Bangle (bracelet) 80 skill points x1 tempered clay
Ring 90 skill points x1 tempered clay For Advanced Pottery Recipes, I’d like the ability to include some sort of modification command that gives basic adjectives and suffixes to crafted goods. I’m not sure how that would look; perhaps a pre-selected table of adjectives? A 50 character, free-form modification? I’m just not sure how it could work. Or, would it be better to have a selection of adjectives AND the ability to paint and/or stamp the works? Or?
Regardless, here are some advanced recipes for the skill:
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Mug 100 skill points x1 tempered clay
Ashtray (For Uncle Z) 100 skill points x2 tempered clay
Charms (jewelry) 115 skill points x1 tempered clay
Jug 125 skill points x3 tempered clay
Small Jar 125 skill points x2 tempered clay
Teacup 175 skill points x1 tempered clay
Large Jar 200 skill points x10 tempered clay
Pipe Bowl* 250 skill points x1 tempered clay
Pipe Stem* 275 skill points x1 tempered clay
Ocarina 300 skill points x2 tempered clay
Small Mold 350 skill points x1 tempered clay
Teapot 400 skill points x3 tempered clay
Lamp 450 skill points x2 tempered clayAnd so, we’ve come to the end of the Advanced Recipes for now. I’m sure there are more out there that I’m not thinking of, but it’s a start. And it also brings us to the premier ability for potters, Lost Wax Casting, otherwise known as investment casting. For this final ability for pottery, I don’t think it really needs to have any additional recipes. I’m sure any capable potter at this point can make just about anything that comes to mind.
Lexx, over in the Cogg BBS suggested this(https://cogg.contrarium.net/bbs/viewtop ... tery#p3584), and I think at this point in the potter’s career, it would be very feasible for them to have a skilled hand at making intricate wax figurines, totems, sculptures, weapon parts, intricate jewelry, etc, to have them as a target for [molds], with additional modifiers. Due to the intrinsic detail which can be done through investment casting, I could see it being very feasible for a potter of this caliber to be able to make quality molds, which, in turn, have the possibility of producing quality products when cast. I think the only real addition to this would need a fire source or a kiln to melt the wax. Being molds, I think these should also be limited resources - personally, I’m of the opinion these should be one or two use items only. On second thought, I think the ability to make large molds would fit in pretty well with this area … so:
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Large Mold 550 skill points x10 tempered clayHeight Modifiers:
low
squat
Tall
Shape Modifiers:
narrow
round
skinny
crooked
square
boxy
bulbous
oblique
tapered
Warped
Texture Modifiers:
smooth
rough
bumpy
glazed
Pre-Set Suffix Modifiers:
with a fluted edge
edged in trefoils
edged in quatrefoils
emblazoned with a vast sun
impressed with a coydog silhouette
sporting grim tentacles in relief
boasting a cartouche with a woman in a narrow rowboat
with palmettes framing a blazing torch
To make this beginning article, I had a ton of help from the one and only, Queen of (lima) Beans, Zombilicious herself. Lexx had some great articles from previously that I’ve added and a post by Alila was also used for inspiration. From Discord, I want to thank Chariot, Spidercat, Zeldryn and Northpaw for their additions as well.
If anyone has any other suggestions for adjectives, suffix modifiers, anything! POST! If we take all the hard work of coming up with stuff, maybe Rias and Team can put it in faster! WHOO!
A few additional notes that I’d like to add that … sort of apply. Flatware plates, unlike bowls, cannot fit a single item on them or inside them. It would be kind of strange to put things IN them, but I’d like to request that they, and all plates, can put up to three things of small size in/on them. For RP purposes (I want to have picnics). Secondly, I’d like to also request that brass and red-brass be included as weapon-part castable materials. Being a copper alloy, much as bronze is, it is far stronger than copper itself and should avail itself in much the same applications. Perhaps not forgeable, to give some distinction, but it’d be nice to be able to make things out of the stuff instead of it only (mostly) being market fodder. And since red-brass is also called gunmetal in some parts of the world … well, I’m sure you can see where this is going. Please bring back firearm crafting and casting firearms parts (out of brass and red-brass!).
Edited for formatting.