That's what the new outfit system is for............ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP_SgtZh95Q

Just out of curiosity though, is it possible to craft your own version of items that would create a set and have the benefits of existing sets available through enemy/chest drops (e.g., gaining passives by wearing an increasing number of the same set)?

Good to know; thanks for the quick response and helpful info!

The other important thing to note is that dropped sets can include amulets and rings. You cannot make items for those slots as part of crafted sets. Most players therefore use a combo of one crafted set and one dropped set - five items each - for maximum goodness.

Hi everyone, a few more rookie crafting questions. In working to improve my characters, I have seen in various places to craft armor sets that are not available to me. I have been researching traits for a while, and from the list below, it looks like I need to have a certain number of traits researched for specific armor sets:

http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Set+Bonus+Crafting+Locations

So, let's take the Nightmother's Gaze set for example, for which 6 traits seem to be required. How do I know which 6 traits I need to have researched? I have researched far more than 6 total at this point, but I am guessing it needs to be specific traits researched? Thanks!

Just wanted to add that jewelry crafting will be coming with Summerset (you have to own the chapter in order to craft jewelry), so we will be getting more options to help us customize our gear. It will now be possible, though perhaps not desirable, to use two crafted sets.

Also, welcome to ESO and to crafting! It takes a lot of time to get everything researched, so without research scrolls (which can be obtained from Rolis Hlaalu for writ vouchers or from the Crown Store) it will take you over a year to get all traits researched (there are 9 traits on each piece of gear to learn). So, be sure to pick up the passives that reduce research times when you reach the appropriate skill level to unlock them. Researching more than one piece at a time is essential.

You can also get guildmates to craft them for you, this tend to be cheap to free for new players at least if you have the materials.

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but your sub-CP150 provisioning writ requirements were dependent on what alliance you belonged to. (I.E. An Aldmeri Dominion character doing level 1 writs would be required to make different food/drink than a Daggerfall Covenant character doing level 1 writs)

With this in mind, the NPC merchant chef/brewer only sold the recipes specific to the zone/alliance they were located in. (So a chef in Marbruk, Greenshade would be selling AD-specific recipes, and a chef in Daggerfall, Glenumbra would be selling DC-specific recipes.)

Not sure if this ever got updated, but if you're struggling to find a chef/brewer selling the recipes you need, make sure you're shopping in a zone that matches that character's alliance.

Edit for redundancy.

Here is my General Purpose Crafting Leveling Spiel with the most effecient way to level the various crafts and approach trait research with a plan:


Equipment Crafting

Decon all mob loot other than what you are using to research traits. Research traits, learn two on all items you would use, then learn 3, etc. Focus on Divines, Infused and Training for your first three for Armor, Sharpened, Precise and Training for your Weapons. Then go for the other ones. Nirn is expensive, and a lot of people suggest putting a priority on that, I can't see why. The Trait is all but useless for Armor or Weapons. Best place to find Mob Loot is Public Dungeons, then over land grind spots. Grind on mobs until your bags are full, then go on a decon fest. Remembering to save the ones you need or want to research. Use the Lock Function and or an Inventory Mule to hang on to those. Only invest Skill points while leveling it into the Research and Extraction Passive, the last really only needing one point.

Enchanting

Ignore all the "advice" on the web about using an enchanting partner. First, use Mob Loot decon to raise this up to a point. Later on as you approach end game have some some gold, then start making Green, Blue or Purple Glyphs on one character and decon them on an Alt. You will level Enchanting faster than trading the glyphs with another player, which is tedious by the way. (like pull out your hair and make a doily tedious). Use Green up to about L15 in the Enchanting Skill, Blue up to about L30/35 and Purple up to about L46/47. Then learn the runes you don't know, you should be at or near 50, if not, make/decon some more Purples.

Provisioning and Alchemy

Don't worry about these, you can level these professions in about an 20 minutes, for both. Just collect the Various Solvents and Reagents and Provisioning Ingredients/Recipes as you go along. Once end game, then you can level it. Use Mushrooms to level Alchemy, or Flowers that make potions you won't use. Make sure you grab solvents (waters) as your leveling as they can be rare to find in the guild stores. For Provisioning, make the highest level Green Recipes you can make. Blue or Purples do not give any more inspiration than Greens, so save those for character use.

Yes, use Drop Sets for now, and Yes, level your crafting skills and do the Trait Research. Traits are why you craft as they allow you to make Special Crafted Sets. There are two sets in the game that your going to want to make, Julianos for your Magic Characters, and Hundings Rage for your Stamina Characters. There are no better sets in the game to have 5 pieces of. Period. Well, Twice Born Star is great to, but your a year out from making that. But you need to start learning your traits now.

While it takes 6 traits known to be able to make Hundings or Julianos, 9 Traits for Twice Born Star. You don't need to know learn all of these traits on everything before you craft anything. In fact, there are nice sets that you only need to know 2 or 3 or 4 traits to make. So, learn 2 traits first, then 3 etc. This way you can be making set items in just a few days. So, start learning those traits. Focus on the gear you will use first, then fill in the rest later. This means:

Casters
Heavy Chest/Legs
Light Feet/Hands/Waist
Shoulders and Heads are good to, but there are 2 Piece Monster sets that can take up those slots. So learn the traits on these pieces, but prioritize the ones above.
Staves (all 4 of them)

Stamina
All Medium Armors
Daggers, Swords, Axes, Bow and Shield if your going to Tank.

Learn Training, Divines and Infused on the Armors first, Sharpened, Precise, Infused and Training on the Weapons. Powered is good for the Healing Staff, Defending is good for Sword or other one handed Melee. Then fill in the rest until you have 6 traits on each piece of gear you will use. Eventually you will learn all 9 traits. Some people recommend Nirn as an early trait to learn. Unless they change it, don't listen to them. You might use it on a Shield or a Weapon but that is about it. You need it someday, but it's expensive and you need your gold for other things.

Invest the skill points into the Research Passives. I can't stress enough how much of a time sink Trait Research is. Be able to learn more than one at a time, and reduce the time needed. Get an addon for Trait Research Tracking, I recommend Craft Store. If your on the Consoles, find one of the spreadsheets out there or make one to track this. Have I mentioned you need to learn your traits?

Doing this you will be ready to invest skill points into Crafting when it matters and not have to spend months getting ready. Did I mention Trait Research and how much a time sink it is? The last two traits will take you a month each to learn, on each item you learn them on. Get started now, yesterday would have been better.