Automatically effective, Strain.

A skilled smith can exploit the subtle strengths of things he knows very well, i.e. has forged himself.

When using a tool he has forged himself, increase the effective dextrerity of the smith by his rank in Self-Tailoring.  He must still have points in the skill to avoid default penalties.

For example:  Sharam the Weaponsmith has a dexterity of 12, 4 ranks of Self-Tailoring, and one point in the physical-average skill "Quarterstaff."  When using a quarterstaff he bought off the market, he has an effective skill of 11.  If he makes a quarterstaff himself, he will be able to use it with an effective skill of 15.  If he makes a sword, he can use it at its default of DX - 5, or 11 (which would have been only 7 if he had not made the blade himself).

This talent explains why most smiths go to great lengths to forge their own weapons and tools.
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Use of this tallent causes one strain per second in combat, one strain per minute outside of combat.  It may be used multiple times in succession.

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I'd really prefer to avoid a difference in Strain between in combat and out.  --bts

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I'd really prefer to avoid a difference in Strain between in combat and out.  --bts

OK...I'm trying to make this so it's useful outside of combat, and not hideously pumped in combat.
Other ideas were to require a second's readying time before each use, and have it last rank seconds, or to give it two different durations, one based on strain and the other on (fatigue or karma).

I want to give a smith incentive for forging his own tools, not just his own weapons, and tools rarely get used in situations where seconds are the unit of measure.  If you think it's better, that should perhaps be divided into two talents...that avoids the difficulty of multiple costs, although it does make a distinction between "weapon" and "nonweapon"...what, for example, is a forging hammer?  It's used to deal blows to metal, and is also quite effective dealing blows to people.  Eh.  I think too much.  Feel free to make some kind of call. --zebediah.

Or...just make it one strain per action, an action being something you roll for (a meta-demarkaction, but a metademarcation that already exists).  You roll for every attack and parry.  You roll for each attempt to pick a lock.  You roll for each hour of smithing.  So it does make it useful, just very draining in something like combat, which is what I wanted. --zebediah

That last is the best of the bunch, I think.  So sure, one strain per use. --bts