Does "The Boy" have a name?
How does this relate to my physical strength? You said that the blacksmith was probably the strongest man in the area. I'm sure that would happen to me as well. Does this count as weight training or any such thing? I had about 90 days into a weight regimen in Pearl Harbor. Does this count towards that?
Here is the plan I propose. I'll work for Mr. Smith Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Sundays if it is an emergency. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, set up a heavy bag and speed bag in my campsite, mentioned later. On blacksmithing days, learn blacksmithing. Use TK pulse right before the impact with the hammer, to propel it harder and faster. That should be a new use.
On the other days, continue training in boxing, and 1@2 Chow En Lai B7@1 attack multiplier 2, fast aggressive, weapon-dependent, +20 offensive modifier, no defensive modifier, hand & arm. I'm sure I could fashion a suitable staff weapon for that. Stretches, jogging, whatever else will get my physical strength up. (Again, I had about 90 days into this at Pearl Harbor, does that count?) If Mr. Smith questions me, tell him that I need to be in good shape to see the princesses.
Sundays, go to church with Mr. Smith, and pray (religion mentioned!!!!) unless he has work to do.
Find a clearing in the surrounding woods and set up a campsite out in the woods to sleep. I have the sleeping bag, but no tent. Buy 2 of whatever passes for a tent in this world, and set up a campsite. One tent to sleep in, one for my gear, unless one is big enough for that. Build a few spring traps, and try to teach myself trapping. (I've read books on how to do it, 1@2 probably) Eat what I trap when I can, and fish with the pocket fisherman. Try to teach myself friction method of lighting fires. I've read about how to do it. When that doesn't work, use the magnesium fire starter. It wouldn't last forever, so I need to learn an alternate method. If no food caught, eat at the inn. Does that count as practice fishing and trapping?
Start going week to week I guess for now. That would be 6 shillings a week, minus food. Live like a creature of the forest. Find a clearing close to a river or stream, and camp out.
How much $$$$$$ do you have down that I have spent, how much do I currently have? I've lost track, so I hope you haven't. I'll go through it again if you've lost track as well. Let me know when any of my skills increase.
Damn, if only psionics was working, I'd try to build a log cabin out there. I guess the tent will have to do for now.
It occurs to me that Wilderness Survival might count as a skill in this game. Perhaps I'm teaching myself that.
Yes, the boy has a name, and I would bet that it's already in this thread somewhere--I just didn't want to take the time to hunt it down. I'm betting it's William, but I could be completely wrong. I might be wrong about it being in the thread, but I'm pretty sure when you first spoke of being his apprentice he introduced his apprentice.
Yes, I will count this as continuing your weight training program; and yes, I expect that working with the blacksmith is going to increase your strength slowly over time, if you stay with it. The regimen you propose will benefit you.
The first TK pulse attempt on the hammer sends it slightly off course instead of down. The second sends it off course so badly that you hit your leg, bruising it badly but not breaking anything. You have to get off it for a while, but get back to work before the end of the day.
The church is very like Catholicism, although it is all conducted in a language you don't understand. However, it is easy enough to pick up what's being done in terms of praying, singing, and the priest delivers a message in English. The first one you hear is about living holy lives as the chosen of God.
You'll have to shop for tents somewhere. There was the leatherworker and the dry goods in the other village; there's no leatherworker here, but there is a weaver. His blankets are not water resistant.
I have not been tracking your expenditures.
Yes, you now have skill in Survival, in a Temperate Forest environment.
--M. J. Young
I don't think you ever mentioned the name of the apprentice. Of course, I'm terrible with names, so it's entirely possible that you did.
As far as expenditures, I have an idea. Let's just say that I have 4 gold, 2 half crowns, 40 shillings, 200 pence 10 silver and 6 rings. That's more silver than I remember spending, but I can't really figure out this system anyway. A few here, a few there, some change that didn't get marked, and I don't feel like going through the whole thing to count it out. I can live with that if you can. I'm probably losing a pence here or there, but I probably spent a pence here or there that didn't get marked, so it's all good. If it is that important to you to be accurate, I'll go through it, but if that works for you, it's fine with me. That means I have spent 9 silver since I've been here. I only remember spending 7 silver, but there were a few other things I spent other coins on.
Man, I had a tent too. Kyler must have taken it off. I'll just give him a wedgie when he comes for Origins (kidding)
You must have been really tired. You missed the GE roll on finding a clearing in the woods near a stream to camp out in. Ah no problem.
Here's another GE roll. "Mr. Smith, do you have a tent that I could buy off of you? I can't afford to stay at the inn, so I'm going to be camping out."
Let's hope he does. Those army sleeping bags are waterproof, so that will work for right now. If he doesn't, then on Tuesday ask Mr. Smith where I can get a tent, and take a walk to go get one. Just hope it doesn't rain before then. Actually, I would get 2 tents, one for myself, and one for my gear.
Once I have the tents, get into my routine, and start going week to week. Does that work for you?
I'm fine with the money. Keep track of it from here.
Sometimes I don't use a GE roll if I know the answer already.
"A tent? One o' them things trappers and hunters use, or maybe one of the big ones cavaliers set up at the battlefield? Why would I have one of them? I suppose if you want such a thing, you should ask a tanner, or check at the dry goods, or ask someone who owns one where he got it."
This idea that you think he would own a tent seems to confuse him completely, and probably an hour later he says, for no apparent reason, "I can't believe you thought I would have a tent," and these sporadic puzzled expressions about a tent pop out of him periodically through the day.
A tent will require traveling back to the other village and finding out if someone has one, or if someone can make one for you, and how long that would take. Blacksmiths don't make tents.
--M. J. Young
"Mr. Smith, why are you so surprised that I want a tent? Where I come from, people go camping out, and they need tents to do it. Why does that surprise you so much?"
I'll go back there on Tuesday. I've got work to do right now. I guess it's Monday today, what are we doing in the blacksmith shop?
Did I ever find that clearing out in the woods to camp out in?
Note to self. Don't forget to ask Mr. Smith if he knows how to make a crossbow.
The woods are several miles outside town. The town exists, really, as a central point to support the farms, fields, and pastures that surround it. You'd have to take a trip out toward another town to find those few patches of woods that separate one area from the next. So I'd say it isn't that you haven't found one so much as that as yet you've not had the opportunity to take the day off to look for one.
"Yours must be a very war-like people, if they set up camps for fun. Trappers and hunters carry portable shelters, sometimes, if they're particularly rich and feel like throwing money away on something of that sort; most of them just build something in the woods they can use while they're there. Tents? They're used by soldiers going to war who have lots of money to spend on the deal, so they can try to bring some of the comforts of the castle with them to the field. I don't think I know anyone who owns a tent."
You'll be doing the usual blacksmithing stuff in the blacksmith shop. That "usual stuff" sometimes includes shoeing horses or repairing wagon hitches, and fills in the rest of the time with making iron objects such as farm implements which can later be sold to locals who need them. It also involves moving around heavy loads of iron, coal for the forge, and other materials, working the bellows to force air into the fire, sweating worth a lake, drinking plenty of meade and ale to replenish the fluids, and wearing yourself out before the day is over. However, you feel like this is going to benefit you in the long term, if you keep it up.
--M. J. Young
(OOC)Why didn't you tell me that about the woods when I first mentioned it? I guess we have two very different mental pictures of what this place looks like. I was expecting a clearing in the woods which is the village, and walking 100 yards away would put you in the middle of a forest. Describe this place some more if you would, since it seems I have a very wrong idea of what it looks like.
After work, go ask at the inn what their weekly and monthly rates for the rooms are. If I cannot camp out, then I'll be staying there. Just for consistency, Kyler said that it was 4 of my silver coins for a week of room and food when I got here. I believe that you said one of my silvers was treated as a little more than a shilling, so tell me what the rates are. Since it seems that camping out is not an option, I guess I'll be working for the blacksmith 5 days a week instead of 3. Or does he work 6 days a week? Whatever the blacksmith works is what I'll be working.
I made 2 shillings today right? Is that paid at the end of the day, end of the week, how?
"Mr. Smith, do you know what a crossbow is? If so, can you show me how to make one? If you don't know what that is, I can describe it. I'm positive that this is something that you can make. I'd like to have one, and some decent arrows (for a crossbow, I believe they are called bolts though) It's something I'll be needing."
Note to self. Don't forget to try the TK pulse on the hammer again. I'll need all the new uses I can get out of that.
I believe you first arrived in the woods, but moved out of them into civilized areas. The civilized areas of the kingdom are almost entirely farmland--fields and gardens and pasture, put to the task of feeding the population. The majority of peasants are farmers of one sort or another. There are some patches of woods, even some rather substantial ones, but these are fairly far from the villages, which are placed within the farmland at convenient points for farmers to congregate at the end of the day, trade or sell their wares, and acquire what they need.
You probably have to walk twelve to fifteen miles to reach the woods, since the outlying pastures would extend fairly far from the village. There would be patches of woods between the villages, mostly dividing pasture from pasture, but the real forests are out toward the edges of the kingdom. It's about thirty miles from one village to the next.
The confusion over the currency is one reason why I don't like to switch referees in the middle of a world. I have no idea what value Kyler was giving to your silver. My assessment, based on weight, is that they are roughly a quarter of a crown, but that you're being low-balled because there is no such coin in the realm. You would have done better to convert them to crowns or half crowns based on their weight before spending them. A private room with dinner and breakfast is four pence, which is one pence less than a shilling, so if you're staying in a private room it costs twenty-eight pence a week, and if you work six days at two shillings a day that's twelve-shillings, or sixty pence, so you're clear by thirty-two pence a week after room and board.
Yes, John the Smith knows what a crossbow is, and he knows how to make the metal parts for it--but it takes a good bowyer to construct it with the wooden frame and bow, and that's not his line.
You get paid at the end of the day.
--M. J. Young
I guess I'm staying at the inn then.
Sorry for the confusion over the currency. What can you do? So I would get 32 pence a week, in a manner of speaking. That would be what.... 6 shillings and 2 pence? I like it better that way. I'm saving up to buy a horse to go to the castle. How many shillings are in a crown? I've marked down 2 shillings for today. 42 shillings is what I have marked. I'll try to post it everyday.
"Well, Mr. Smith, you can make the bow and bowstring out of metal. (I've seen it done before) It's just a spring and wire after all. Let's see what we can do here. I bet between the two of us, we could put together a decent crossbow. I think we could do the woodwork ourselves. You have all the tools we would need. I've got a hatchet and a saw to do the initial cutting, but everything else, I bet you have. What do you think? If we can get started on it Tuesday, (tomorrow, I think) I'll even work the day free."
What does he think about that?
Yes, six shillings and tuppence. Since there are five shillings to the crown, that's a crown, a shilling, and tuppence, if you trade all your pence for larger coins.
"Make our own crossbow? Well, you'd need a wooden stock and housing, I think; that's carpenter's work. I can see trying to use something like a wagon spring, made small, for the bow, although mounting it would take some doing. I'm not at all sure how you would make the string, though. I've drawn wire from time to time, but I think it would snap pulling against a wagon spring like that. What have you got in mind?"
--M. J. Young
"What do I have in mind? Well, you can braid the wire to make it more sturdy. I don't know much about woodworking, but I bet we could figure something out. We are a couple of smart guys. If you think we can't do it, that's fine. I'll be back tomorrow to work. If we don't build the crossbow tomorrow, you need to pay me though (laughter) Where could I go to find a carpenter that could build the wooden stock? If there's not one in the village, let's just scrap the whole thing."
There's a retired wagon and carriage maker in town who might be persuaded to do a bit of work for a bit of money. You'd have to talk to him. He's in the inn every night, white rim of hair around a bald top, full beard, spills almost as much as he drinks, name is George.
"You talk to him, and if he'll do the wooden parts to your satisfaction, we'll work on the metal parts. As to braiding the wire, you'll have to show me how."
--M. J. Young
I shake Mr. Smith's hand, tell him "I'll be back, bright tailed and bushy eyed tomorrow. As far as braiding the wire, this is a time when that solder will come in handy. We can solder the wire to the crossbow mainspring. I'll show you how it's done." and head towards the inn. Ask around for George, and when I find him, ask him if he can make a stock for a crossbow, how much will it cost, etc.
Then get some dinner and sack out. Should be starting Tuesday now.
You find George. His hearing's not so good, so he talks rather loudly, but it's not so noticeable in the din of the evening crowd. It takes a couple tries to convey to him what it is you want, but he suggests that you probably want maple or oak for something like that, and he'll do it for a crown, take about a week to get it right.
--M. J. Young
Now I'm starting to wonder if I could modify the stock from that 30-06 into a crossbow stock. I did give it to Mr. Smith though, so I imagine he might have something to say about that. I bet it could be done, but I'm not going to try. I don't know how.
I can get pretty loud when I need to, so George will hear this.
"I'll make you a deal. A half crown now, a half crown on delivery. Do we have a deal?"
Then tell him where I will be, and all of that. What does he say?
I'm not going to mark down the money until I hear back from him. Assuming he takes it, skip ahead in time a week to when the crossbow stock is delivered. Then Mr. Smith and I can start working on the metal parts. How much do I earn working with Mr. Smith in that time, minus working a day free to cover making the crossbow? Skip ahead in time until the stock is finished.
Dumb question. All indicators are that this world is completely different than our earth, so why do they have the same names for trees? Or is that just so I know what kind it is?
Mr. Young, I just had a thought. Unless you have any objections, or planned action, I think I'd like to start skipping ahead. We should figure out how much my body, and blacksmithing skills increase. Also how my money adds up. I am saving up to take a trip to the main castle. I'd like to get my blacksmithing to 1@5 at least before I go. Preferably to 1@10, but we will see. I could easily see a skill in blacksmithing coming in handy.
Mr. Young, oh shit. I owe you a huge apology. You're letting me build up skills in other areas. Not just psionics. First world, psionics, other worlds, other skills. Man, I am so sorry I doubted you.
Mr. Young, what are the coins made out of? I'd like to keep the money in gold and silver coins if at all possible. Are the pence made of copper? I'd like to try to melt the pence coins, and try to teach myself copper working as well. This would be an application for the solder I introduced.
The post on coinage is here:
The biggest coin is a four-ounce silver disk with the imprint of the crown on it, called, appropriately, a crown. There is also a half-crown, half that size. The smaller coins turn out not to be copper but bronze, called pennies or pence, and there is also a coin made of nickel called a shilling. There are also half pennies, or ha'pennies, and a yet smaller coin called a farthing that is half of that--four hundred makes the equivalent value of a pound of silver.
They do not use gold coins, but by weight most merchants (and probably all banks) would give you twice the weight in silver, that is, two ounces of silver for an ounce of gold. That makes your gold coins worth about half a crown each, assuming they are accepted as real gold. Also, it does not seem that the nickel or bronze is actually worth anything itself, but that the King is willing to trade his silver for the coins he has issued.
There are eight half-crowns to the pound (weight and value), twenty shillings to the pound (value, not weight).
Your silver coins have been treated as being "about a shilling", although in truth they're worth about a penny (plus a farthing) more than that; they weigh half as much as half a crown. This is based on the fact that the weight in hand feels like about half a half a crown.
Crown: 4 oz. silver, four to a pound
Half-Crown: 2 oz. silver, eight to a pound
Shilling: made of nickel; twenty shillings exchange for a pound of silver (but the metal isn't worth that much)
Pence: made of bronze; a hundred pence exchange for a pound of silver (but again, the metal isn't worth that), five for a shilling
Your silver coins: 1 oz. silver; worth "about a shilling" (really a little more)
Your gold coins: 1 oz. gold; worth about 2 oz. silver (half a crown), assuming they accept it as real gold
How come they speak English? It happens that in this universe everyone speaks English and they have the same kind of trees. Dan O'Malley would say that proves these aren't really real worlds at all, but the realms of human fantasy, because only in human stories would the people of other worlds speak English. Pete Adams would say that it proves that given an infinite number of worlds, the most improbable ones are also possible. The Architect would say that God made sure this time to send you to a world where you would understand what they are saying.Dumb question. All indicators are that this world is completely different than our earth, so why do they have the same names for trees? Or is that just so I know what kind it is?
In any case, given that they speak the same language and have the same trees, it's not surprising that they have the same names for those trees. Of course, it's entirely possible that they would have the same names for different trees, but in this case your expectations are correct, they are describing the same trees with those names.
"I'll make you a deal. A half crown now, a half crown on delivery. Do we have a deal?""Sure. 'S'more'n fair. Ye trus' me wi' half the money afore the job's done, an' I trus' you te come through wi' the rest after I do the work. I'll make your crossbow stock. Ye want the bow pieces too?"
I am assuming the answer is no (because you're making them of metal), and so a week later the stock will be delivered for the second half of the money.
Of course, in order for a week to pass, there's that day off for church. You'll make six day's wages and not work the seventh day, whether or not you go to church; everyone else in town will be there.
--M. J. Young
How much is 6 days wages, minus the inn? 2 shillings a day wages, minus the inn, I checked, that would be 6 shillings and 2 pence. Or a crown, a shilling, and tuppence. What day are we on? Tuesday I believe. Skip ahead to Monday next week. I'll go to church, work for Mr. Smith, and turn my wages into crowns. So, in that week's time, I'll have a crown, a shilling, and tuppence earned. (tuppence is 2 pence right?) Skip ahead the week. Work, go to church. That's my week. When you're here again, it will be next week, the stock is finished, and I have my week's wages, minus the room and food at the inn. I've already marked it down, so if you don't skip ahead, it will mess up my records.
Also, I wanted to add that I am going to be training in boxing for the week. Set up a speed bag and heavy bag in my room at the inn, and train in boxing after work. I would be worn out, but if you cannot fight when you are tired, when can you fight? Do me a favor and skip the GE roll. I'm very ingenuity minded, and I could make at least a heavy bag. I'd hang my rolled-up sleeping bag from the ceiling if I had to. So, skip the GE roll on that, and just let me have it.
After we get the crossbow made up, I'd like to start skipping ahead. Skipping ahead to attribute increases. I'd like to get to 1@10 with my blacksmithing before I even think about going to see the princesses. If that means I miss my shot, and someone solves it first, so be it. I'm going to be worrying about this. Start skipping ahead to attribute increases, we can worry about what attributes later.
Note to self: Waterwheel.
Do me a favor and don't suggest what rolls I shouldn't make. Thanks.
You use your sleeping bag to make a heavy punching bag; what do you stuff inside it?
The Catholic church service is conducted mostly in Latin, which the locals appear to know only well enough to pronounce their parts on cue. However, the sermon is in English, and is an encouragment to good works and care for each other.
It is a week later and you have the wooden stock; don't forget to deduct the other half of the cost.
--M. J. Young
RE: suggesting what rolls you shouldn't make. Is there a reason for that, or is it just bad etiquette and annoying to you? Either way, I'll try to keep it in mind, but I was just wondering what the reason was. It was more of a joke, really.
When I said make a punching bag out of the sleeping bag, I meant roll the sleeping bag up, wrap rope around it, and hang it from the rafters. I guess there would be a roll for whether or not there are rafters to hang it from, wouldn't there? I've got rope, so that's not the issue.
Can TK pulsing the hammer in time with using it to increase its power count as practice, or do I need a new use for that? I do want to get good at TK pulsing my own body, in time with my movements. I could think of numerous applications for that, including in boxing. Throw pulse with punch. Pulse might disorient my opponent for a moment, adding to the effect.
Going to see Mr. Smith "I got the stock for the crossbow, let's see what we can do here."
1 week ahead boxing
1 week ahead blacksmithing
Speaking to Mr. Smith: "Ya know what Mr. Smith? When you told me that there was a lot of gold in trying to help the princesses, I was all for it. Then you told me that the penalty for failure was death. Then you told me that the castle was over 100 miles from here. Not to mention the fact that saying I wanted to chain the king's daughters to the bed like common criminals would probably get me killed in the first place. That settles it. I'm not going. I've given it a lot of thought, and I think I'm just going to scrap that idea completely. Seems like a lot of hassle just to get killed, or worse. I think I'm just going to give you back the manacles, and just stay here. Too much work, too much risk, not enough reward. What's wrong with just being a blacksmith anyway???"
Waterwheel!!!!!
You might be wondering why I keep typing "Waterwheel" at the end of these. Once we get the crossbow finished, I want to start skipping ahead. Months if need be. Start skipping ahead to my attribute increases. Please note that I have 90 days in my physical fitness routine from Pearl Harbor. Start skipping ahead to every attribute increase. Increase in blacksmithing, increase in strength, stamina, boxing, skill with the crossbow (I'm going to teach myself that when we finish it.) It might take a year or two in game time, but I want my blacksmithing to be 1@10. Then, I'll have a pile of $$$$$$ saved up, and Mr. Smith and I can build a waterwheel. Kyler kept talking about lots of rivers and streams around here. Where better to put a waterwheel? You can turn pumps with it, and bring in water from the rivers. How would these people feel about having running water in their homes? Or having a machine that will grind their flour for them. Or hell, if I can find some natural magnets, I could even build an electric generator out of it. I've got copper for the wire, all I need are some large magnets in the waterwheel, and we have an electric generator. Screw the princesses (Their problem I mean) I've got bigger fish to fry here.
The main reason for suggesting I not make a particular roll is it creates the suggestion that you think I should make that roll and are hoping that I won't. At that point, it puts me in the bind that not making the roll would appear to be cheating in your favor, even though I might not even have thought to make the roll otherwise--particularly if it is the kind of roll that I do make in similar situations. So if you ask me not to make it, I sort of have to make it even if I thought it unnecessary or had not considered it.
You can TK pulse the hammer (as practice) even while you are holding it, but you cannot TK pulse your own body. For the boxing, you could possibly TK pulse the target toward the punch, but not the punch toward the target.
On this crossbow, explain the "works" to me. Is it using a rachet system and a crank to draw the string? What metals are you using for the string, the gears, and the bow?
"I can't blame you for not rescuing the princesses. After all, it takes a hero to do something like that, and the king wouldn't take kindly to some ordinary guy like us thinking he was a hero. Anyway, like as not whoever rescues them will marry Margaret and become the next king, and who wants that kind of pressure? Stick to blacksmithing, son; no point in trying to reach beyond yourself."
--M. J. Young
I'll keep that in mind about the rolls. I had considered exactly what you just said, but not quite in that context. I'll keep it in mind.
What I was thinking for the crossbow is a metal strap on the front where you put your foot in to hold it down. To draw back the string, there's a U shaped handle with 2 hooks on the ends, one on each side of the stock. You put your foot into the strap, and pull that handle back. The two hooks pull the string back so you don't cut your fingers on the string. Then you push the hook handle forward, load the bolt, and you're ready to rock and roll. I've seen crossbows that had a similar configuration.
As far as what metals, I was hoping Mr. Smith would know that. Let's call it NetFlixium, a metal native to this planet, and this planet only. Something light, strong, and flexible, perfect for this. Mr. Smith will know what to do, feel free to fudge facts as you need. You could also make the bolts out of metal. I've seen metal crossbow bolts before. (bolt in this context means arrow, should I just call them arrows to avoid confusion?)
One last thing. Describe to Mr. Smith the waterwheel I was talking about. The house with the paddle wheel on the side that is turned by river current. Do you know what I'm talking about? I hope Mr. Smith doesn't know what I'm talking about, cuz I'm hoping to invent it here.
RE: the rolls again. Telling you to keep rolling until it happens does the same thing you said doesn't it? If I really do make the roll, it looks like you're cheating in my favor, like when I said I wanted the blacksmith's apprentice to run into a bully. The thing there is that I wanted to show you how I would react to something like that, because you would find it interesting to my character.
Right, I have seen that sort of crossbow, and it is simpler. You manage to design it (new skill).
John tells you that you're describing mithril. It's very rare, very expensive, and very hard to work with, but it is light, strong, with good flexibility, if you can get it. He was going to use simple steel for the parts, but if you think you can get mithril for it, knock yourself out.
Millers use waterwheels to grind grain, and in some communities they're used to ladle water into irrigation troughs for the fields. John has heard of them, but never seen one, since he doesn't really travel farther than a couple of local villages.
--M. J. Young
Steel will work just fine for the crossbow. I was hoping perhaps Mr. Smith might have some of that exotic mithril, but I guess not. I just knew that iron wouldn't work.
You said designing the crossbow was a new skill. I'm not quite certain, does that mean a new use for blacksmithing, or is it an entirely different skill altogether? I was hoping for a new use with blacksmithing.
DAMN!!!!!!!! I was really hoping waterwheels had not been invented yet. Oh well, just my luck. Back to the old drawing board.
Well, let's build the crossbow. Is that a new use for blacksmithing, or is it practice?
On a more personal note MJ, would it be possible for you to refer to the blacksmith as Mr. Smith instead of John? Just with the two names being the same, it gets a bit confusing sometimes. Thanks.
Weaponsmithing skills traditionally are distinct from blacksmithing or goldsmithing skills; weaponsmiths tended to specialize, and crossbows were usually made by bowyers or by artillery machinists. Thus your ability to build a crossbow makes you an amateur bowyer, and when you make the arrows you will add fletching to your skills.
This is particularly the case because a crossbow is only partly metal, critical parts being made of other materials.
You manage to build the crossbow to your own specifications. It's no weapon of quality, but it's a functional weapon.
I would feel uncomfortable calling John Mr. Smith, since it's not his name. He's John, the smith, sometimes John, the blacksmith, not John Smith. Every time you call him "Mr. Smith" he gives you an odd look, as if you don't know his name.
--M. J. Young
With all due respect, it sounds like you're worried about offending a fictional character. Isn't that a bit like me spazzing out over 80,000 imaginary dollars?
"Well Mr. Smith, do you have any clue how to make the arrows for this thing? I had a crossbow a long time ago, so I know what the arrows are supposed to look like, but not how to make them. Those were made out of plastic. It's a very, very rare type of metal. I doubt you ever see it in your lifetime."
If Mr. Smith knows how to make them, get him to show me. If not, see if we can figure it out. How does that go?
The smith makes heads for quarrels (or bolts, the proper names for these) and for arrows. The thinks that a metal shank would be terribly heavy and difficult to make straight. He also knows nothing about fletching, and doesn't know how you would fletch (add the feathers to) a metal shank.
What thoughts have you on that?
--M. J. Young
"Mr. Smith, is there a woodworker who makes wooden spoons for use in kitchens anywhere that you know of? What is an arrow, if not a wooden spoon with a point on it? Cut the spoon part off, put a head and feathers on it, and we have arrows. Where would I go to get wooden spoons? I used to shoot pencils out of the one I had."
He looks at you with that single raised eyebrow. "You can get wooden spoons from a carpenter or woodworker, easy enough; and we can make the heads and attach them. But fletching isn't just sticking feathers on shafts, you know. There's more to it than that. If you want the arrow to fly straight for any distance, the fletching's got to be done right."
--M. J. Young
"Well, ya know what Mr. Smith? I'd be willing to bet that the carpenter that makes the spoons could also make decent arrows. The crossbow that I had before was a toy compared to this one, and I bet the arrows didn't need to be made as well. The proverbial ball is in your court. You seem to know more about this than I do, why don't you see if you can make the arrows? The spoon maker could make the shafts, and you see if you can do the fletching. I'm sure we could come to some kind of arrangement about that. I guess I don't know as much about this as I thought I did, but I'm more than willing to take advice from you."
What does he say?