Crafting is one of the artisan classes in Ashes of Creation, and it plays a significant role in the game's economy. To craft items, players must acquire recipes and use crafting stations, which can be found on freeholds or within nodes. As nodes progress, higher tier crafting stations become available, and artisan gear can be used to craft stronger items. Crafting times may vary among professions, with the majority of time spent in the processing branch. The developers are considering adding a gameplay layer to crafting that will affect the outcome based on the player's performance. It is unlikely that players will be able to obtain all the materials needed for crafting exclusively from farming open-world dungeons, and organized parties may also struggle to obtain all necessary materials in this way. In Ashes of Creation, players will be able to craft a wide range of items, including ships, siege engines, weapons, and armor. There is no labor or energy system in the game, but crafting is still intended to be challenging and rewarding. There are several crafting professions available, including Arcane Engineering, Armor smithing, Carpentry, Jewel cutting, Leatherworking, Scribing, Tailoring, and Weapon smithing. The crafting mechanics may be inspired by those in Star Wars Galaxies and may include a skill-based element, although repetitive mini-games are not intended to be part of the crafting experience. Players can specialize in specific crafting branches, and crafting stations are related to specific nodes, areas, or buildings. Higher tier crafting stations allow for the creation of higher quality items, and there are also legendary crafting benches available in certain locations.

Acquisition and Customization Crafting in Ashes of Creation is recipe (blueprint, schematic) based, not RNG based. There will definitely be rare recipes that can be obtained in various ways, including drops from monsters, completing quest lines, treasure hunting, repeating specific activities, becoming Mayor of a node, progressing within a social organization, defeating legendary bosses, gaining titles, constructing certain buildings on a freehold, and through trading or buying from other players. Recipes can be traded or sold before they are committed to a player's recipe book, but once they are added to the book, they are "consumed." Within a crafting recipe, there are dials (based on artisan specialization) that are used to customize crafted items, such as increasing one stat at the expense of another or making an item more magical versus more physical. The ability for players to create original recipes will not be present in the game at launch, but may be included at some point in the future.

Obtainment and Quality Materials (also known as processed goods and crafting materials) are obtained in various ways, including processing raw materials, world boss drops, and item deconstruction. The quality of crafting materials will influence the quality of the crafted item. Players drop materials and other items upon death, based on their applicable death penalties. High-level materials for crafting high-level items can be obtained from world bosses and by deconstructing other high-level items.

Best-in-Slot Gear and Customization In Ashes of Creation, crafted items (crafted gear) are intended to be the best-in-slot gear, and crafters will be able to customize the skills, abilities, and stats on gear. Previously, it was stated that crafted items would be on-par with boss-dropped items, but this has since changed. Master crafters will be able to influence the outcome of crafts in unique ways, and there will be a variety of crafting-related achievements.

Specialized Crafting and Influence on Outcomes Master crafters are players who have specialized in a particular crafting branch and have reached the highest level of proficiency in that branch. They will have unique abilities and will be able to influence the outcome of crafts in ways that other crafters cannot. For example, a master blacksmith might be able to imbue a weapon with additional strength or durability. The specifics of how master crafters will function are not yet fully determined, as the developers are still seeking feedback and testing different ideas.

Ashes of Creation, players will be able to repair their own gear or pay other players or NPCs to do so. The repair cost will depend on the quality and level of the item being repaired. It is not yet clear how the repair process will work in detail, but the developers are considering various options, such as mini-games or skill checks.

Based on Player Actions and Game World State The crafting system in Ashes of Creation is intended to be dynamic and will change based on player actions and the state of the game world. For example, if a particular resource becomes scarce due to player actions, this may affect the availability or cost of crafting materials or the types of items that can be crafted. Similarly, if a node progresses to a higher stage, this may unlock new crafting stations or recipes. The exact mechanics of how the crafting system will change over time are not yet fully determined, but the developers are considering various options and will be seeking feedback and testing to fine-tune the system.