Overview
Plans for commonplace objects and structures are very different from plans gleaned from the ruins of the dead civilizations that came before. They are not inspired by fragments of knowledge etched into telepathic substrates, trapped in the memory of an integrated machine, embedded in a local universal constant, or stored in some other magical fashion. Instructions for commonplace objects and structures are born from the lore and practical knowledge developed by the people of the Ninth World. Crafting something commonplace is similar in some ways to crafting a numenera device, but it’s also far easier—so much easier, in fact, that many artisans, crafters, builders, and smiths don’t use plans at all but instead rely on oral explanations, their own intuition and experience, or trial and error. This means that the plans provided in this chapter are not actually required for an artisan to build the indicated object or structure. However, these plans have several important aspects:
Commonplace Plans as Guides. Commonplace plans serve as guides to a range of creations that a crafter can choose from when they head to the workbench and begin a new project. As PCs look over the lists of things they can craft, they might be inspired to build a bridge across a gorge, fashion an inn, or lay the groundwork for a castle.
Commonplace Plans as Contributions to Community Stats. If your character wants to establish settlements that use the community stats and the layout guidelines, then commonplace plans are important. Each time a structure is built using one of these plans, it directly contributes to a settlement’s physical footprint on the landscape. It can also serve as an element that contributes to the community’s stats. For instance, if you build a level 5 or higher structure, it likely contributes to the community’s infrastructure stat.
Commonplace Plans to Ease Crafting. Although plans are not strictly necessary, having a plan that spells out issues and provides specific directions is still preferred. If a builder or artisan has a plan for a commonplace object or structure, the assessed difficulty of the crafting task is eased. (The same is not true for plans for numenera objects or structures. Having a plan for such items doesn’t ease those tasks; it makes them possible.)
UNDERSTANDING COMMONPLACE PLANS
A commonplace plan is usually obvious and self-explanatory. Such plans often come in the form of one or more sheets of paper describing a method to create a particular thing. Helpful diagrams are also common as part of commonplace plans. Commonplace plans include the following parameters.
Level: This number indicates the level of the final object or structure created and the assessed difficulty of the crafting task to make it. A crafter can try to craft an item at 1 level higher than the basic level of its kind, but doing so increases the assessed crafting difficulty by two steps. The limitations of mundane materials make it difficult to raise the level of a basic object or structure by more than 1 level without adding special components. However, a character could attempt to further raise the level of a basic object or structure by one or even two steps by using iotum in commonplace crafting.
Kind: Commonplace plans are for either objects or structures.
Materials: Whereas numenera objects require iotum, commonplace structures require lots of basic materials like stone, wood, scrap synth, iron, and so on. To build a stone wall, for instance, requires a lot of stone. Rather than keep track of exactly what kind of material they have, the character can just track the units of material. One unit: Between 9 and 90 lbs. (4–40 kg).
Acquiring Materials: Acquiring basic materials isn’t too difficult for crafters. The easiest way is by cutting, mining, or smelting the material themselves, which takes about two hours per unit of material acquired (assuming a material source is accessible). Crafters in a community can also hire a trader, miner, logger, or other NPC to gather materials on their behalf. The average price an NPC might ask for gathering about 100 units of material is about 50 shins, a cypher, or the payment of some kind of favor.
Specifications: A short description of the object or structure created by the plan.
Depletion: For the most part, commonplace objects and structures do not have a depletion. Unless specifically designed to be used up, such as a torch or an arrow, a commonplace object or structure remains until it is destroyed or falls into disrepair due to age or poor care. Generally, a well-crafted commonplace item can last many decades.
USING IOTUM IN COMMONPLACE CRAFTING
Iotum might be used in commonplace crafting. For instance, a crafter might try to line their palisade wall with synthsteel struts, make a rowboat out of responsive synth, craft a whip with azure-steel braiding, or weave armor with bio-circuitry. Doing so increases the assessed crafting difficulty by one step. A GM can decide if incorporating a particular kind of iotum provides a specific benefit on a case-by-case basis. A good rule of thumb is to increase the level of the resultant item by one or two steps. For instance, using responsive synth or pliable metal to create special light armor increases the level of the light armor created by 1 and 2, respectively.
USING PARTS IN COMMONPLACE CRAFTING
If a commonplace item requires parts, the number of units required is called out in parentheses under the materials listing.
BUILDING MULTIPLE STRUCTURAL SECTIONS
The general time to build any given structure depends on the structure size. If a crafter wishes to build something larger in any one dimension, they can do so by doubling the components and time required for each additional structural unit. For example, crafting a 30-foot (9 m) long bridge requires three weeks, so crafting a 60-foot (18 m) long bridge of the same type requires six weeks. (Note that this assumes the terrain allows for structural bridge supports; commonplace bridges can’t be extended indefinitely, and an installation would be required to span distances longer than a short distance without support.)
DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES
| Structure | Level | Materials | Specifications |
| Wood gate | 2 | 8 units | Defensive gate up to 20 feet by 20 feet (6 m by 6 m) that can be closed to control access |
| Gravel road | 2 | 100 units | 10-foot (3 m) wide course extending a long distance, allows movement at normal speed through wild or uneven terrain |
| Wooden bridge | 3 | 20 units | 30 feet (9 m) long, 10 feet (3 m) wide, wooden supports |
| Defensive ditch (moat) | 3 | 20 units | 6 feet (2 m) deep, 10 feet (3 m) wide, 30 feet (9 m) long |
| Wooden keep | 3 | 40 units | Fortified tower 30 feet (9 m) to a side with wooden gate |
| Wooden wall (palisade) | 3 | 20 units | 10 feet (3 m) tall, 2 feet (60 cm) thick, 30 feet (9 m) long |
| Wooden watchtower | 3 | 15 units | 30 feet (9 m) tall, enclosed-and-roofed chamber with openings for watching or making ranged attacks |
| Stone arch bridge | 4 | 20 units | 30 feet (9 m) long, 10 feet (3 m) wide, stone arch support |
| Drawbridge | 4 | 15 units (parts: 5 units) | 30 feet (9 m) long, 10 feet (3 m) wide, can be raised |
| Cobbled road | 4 | 200 units | 15 feet (5 m) wide, 200 feet (60 m) long, allows movement at normal speed through wild or uneven terrain |
| Stone watchtower | 4 | 60 units | 30 feet (9 m) tall, enclosed-and-roofed chamber with openings for watching or making ranged attacks |
| Gatehouse | 5 | 40 units (parts: 10 units) | Defensive gate up to 20 feet by 20 feet (6 m by 6 m), can be lowered to control access, includes two flanking stone watchtowers |
| Stone wall (rampart) | 5 | 55 units | 25 feet (8 m) tall, 3 feet (1 m) thick, 50 feet (15 m) long with a walkway along the top protected by a parapet |
| Stone keep | 6 | 100 units (parts: 20 units) | Fortified tower 50 feet (15 m) to a side with gatehouse |
| Castle | 7 | 400 units (parts: 30 units) | Includes keep, courtyard (bailey), surrounding stone wall with gatehouse, moat, and 5 additional structures of up to level 5, fills area up to 200 feet (60 m) across |
BATTLEMENTS AND DEFENSIVE WALLS
Walls, watchtowers, and even bridges built with defense in mind usually have battlements, which are narrow shield walls built to protect defenders who are on the structure. Battlements ease defense tasks against ranged attacks if a character takes cover behind one. Many battlements include crenellations, which are narrow notches in the protective wall through which arrows or other ranged attacks can be made. Defensive structures are built with an eye toward sturdiness and resisting damage. Unless otherwise noted, tasks relating to breaking through a defensive wall, tower, or gate, or to collapse a watchtower or bridge, are hindered.
UTILITY OBJECTS
| Object | Level | Materials | Specifications |
| Short ladder | 1 | 3 units | 6 feet (2 m) tall |
| Wheelbarrow | 1 | 4 units (parts: 2 units) | Eases task for transporting heavy objects |
| Tall ladder | 2 | 6 units | 15 feet (5 m) tall |
| Crafting tools | 3 | 15 units | Enable tasks to craft commonplace objects and structures |
| Extension ladder | 3 | 12 units (parts: 2 units) | 30 feet (9 m) tall |
CIVIC STRUCTURES
| Structure | Level | Materials | Specifications |
| Hut | 1 | 5 units | Single small room an immediate distance across |
| Pier | 2 | 12 units | Basic wood platform extending from shore into a body of water, eases tasks related to mooring, loading, and unloading water craft by two steps |
| Residence, cottage | 2 | 15 units | Two main rooms each about 15 feet (5 m) on a side with only one or two small window openings |
| Shrine | 2 | 12 units | Sacred area, idol, or holy site for believers to gather, meditate, and hold services |
| Stables | 2 | 12 units | Simple covered structure to stable up to ten mounts |
| Amphitheatre, wood | 3 | 25 units | Open-air area with raised seating for performances |
| Barracks or orphanage | 3 | 45 units | House up to twenty people in close quarters, including basic bunks and bedding |
| Granary, wood | 3 | 25 units | Raised structure about 30 feet (9 m) on a side, ideal for storing grain and other food |
| Healer’s hall | 3 | 50 units | One 30-foot (9 m) wide public sickroom and several smaller ancillary chambers for the sick and dying, plus a chamber for one dedicated healer |
| Residence, small | 3 | 30 units | Three main rooms each about 15 feet (5 m) on a side, or more smaller rooms fitting the same area, with two or three glass windows |
| Mill | 3 | 40 units (parts: 10 units) | Wooden structure with equipment for cutting lumber or grinding grain, 40 feet (12 m) on a side |
| Mortuary | 3 | 25 units | Stone structure where dead can be prepared for burial, cremation, or respectful disposal |
| Shop | 3 | 40 units | Wooden structure with a counter, a 30-foot (9 m) square area for displaying goods, three tiny back rooms for stock (reinforced to hinder entry attempts by two steps), an office, and residence for shopkeeper |
| Storehouse | 3 | 50 units | Wooden structure 50 feet (15 m) on a side for storing goods in a concentrated or stacked fashion, reinforced to hinder entry attempts by two steps |
| Tavern | 3 | 45 units | One 50-foot (15 m) wide public room with a bar, a kitchen, a pantry, and one room for the proprietor |
| Winery | 3 | 45 units | Wooden structure with up to four rooms about 15 feet (5 m) on a side, plus basic equipment for making wine, distilling spirits, or brewing ale |
| Workshop, simple | 3 | 45 units (parts: 1 unit) | Structure 20 feet (6 m) to a side that includes tools, work surfaces, and other aids ideal for crafting; eases commonplace crafting tasks |
| Arena, stone | 4 | 10 units | Open-air area with raised seating for competitions, includes up to five rooms underneath for various uses, including barred cells |
| City hall | 4 | 50 units | One 50-foot (15 m) wide public room and several smaller ancillary chambers for offices and meeting rooms |
| City watch | 4 | 55 units | A large structure for community patrol, watch, or other deputized source to meet, receive instructions from leaders, plan strategies to deal with issues, and so on, often situated near a jail |
| Inn | 4 | 60 units | One 20-foot (6 m) wide public room, a kitchen, several small ancillary chambers for guests, and one room for the proprietor on the upper floor(s) |
| Jail | 4 | 55 units | Entry lobby, office, and dozens of 10-foot (3 m) wide barred cells that hinder attempts to break or unlock |
| Moneylender | 4 | 60 units (parts: 3 units) | Secure stone structure with large lobby, up to four side rooms each about 15 feet (5 m) on a side, and a vault that hinders attempts to break or pick it by two steps |
| Monument, grand | 4 | 30 units | Sculpture of an important person as art or to celebrate or memorialize them for their leadership |
| Residence, large | 4 | 50 units | Ten main rooms each about 15 feet (5 m) on a side or more smaller rooms fitting the same area, ten or more glass windows |
| Academy | 5 | 150 units | Twenty main rooms each about 20 feet (6 m) on a side, or more smaller rooms fitting the same area, includes courtyard, observatory, and simple workshop |
| Bazaar or public square | 5 | 80 units | Paved central area a very long distance across with central well, statues, or other pleasant features and space for setting up temporary shops or for public gatherings |
| Caravanserai | 5 | 85 units | Defensive walls surround up to twenty 15-foot (5 m) square private rooms, a stable, a central courtyard, and a central well; could also serve as a market bazaar |
| Mansion | 5 | 90 units | Thirty main rooms each about 15 feet (5 m) on a side, or more smaller rooms fitting the same area, dozens of glass windows, includes furnishings |
| Temple | 5 | 90 units | Sacred building containing idol or other sacred material where many believers can gather, meditate, and hold services; contains a few small chambers for those who minister to the believers; fills an area up to a long distance across |
| Base | 6 | 300 units (parts: 4 units) | Includes defensive wooden wall (palisade), workshop, two wagons, and up to five level 3 structures or two level 4 structures; fills an area up to a long distance across |
| Workshop, specialty | 6 | 100 units (parts: 5 units) | Structure 20 feet (6 m) to a side that includes tools, work surfaces, furnace, and other items ideal for (choose one): smithing, tanning, tailoring, cobbling, or similar trades; eases commonplace and numenera crafting tasks |
| Grand palace | 7 | 300 units (parts: 10 units) | Amazing edifice that is designed both to impress and be defended; includes nearly fifty interior rooms, external grounds protected by defensive stone walls, a workshop, and many other appurtenances; fills an area up to 300 feet (90 m) across |
| Settlement | 7 | 1,000 units (parts: 12 units) | Five wagons and up to fifteen level 3 structures, six level 4 structures, or five level 3 structures plus one level 5 structure; fills an area up to a quarter mile (400 m) across |