Quick answer
What to do first
Read the selected recipe's unmet requirements before collecting more of the same item. B42 crafting can require recipe knowledge, a skill level, a specific tool or workstation, and valid selected inputs. Search by the intended output, confirm the exact recipe, then satisfy the missing requirement one at a time.
Check your game conditions
- Current Stable
- 42.20.4 Stable
- Play mode
- Singleplayer / Multiplayer
- Vanilla / Mods
- Vanilla baseline; mods may replace rules
- Sandbox / server settings
- Recipe knowledge, skill, tools, surfaces and selected inputs must all match; mod recipes differ.
Which requirement is missing?
The recipe is not listed
- Possible cause
- Search/filter, knowledge or different output name
- Check
- Search the output and review filters and learned recipes
- Fix
- Clear an incorrect filter; obtain the required knowledge if the recipe is locked.
Materials seem present but remain red
- Possible cause
- Wrong item variant, amount, state or input selection
- Check
- The chosen recipe's actual inputs
- Fix
- Select a valid alternative or bring the required material into usable reach.
The tool requirement is red
- Possible cause
- Missing or unsuitable tool
- Check
- Tool type and usable condition
- Fix
- Use the specified tool, not a visually similar item.
Workstation requirement is unmet
- Possible cause
- Wrong surface or inaccessible station
- Check
- Required workstation and where the character can stand
- Fix
- Move to a suitable accessible station.
Everything appears satisfied but action fails
- Possible cause
- Skill, access or mod behavior differs
- Check
- Remaining conditions and the exact error
- Fix
- Check the character and active recipe mod; stop repeating destructive work.
Verify the recipe before the supply run
Two recipes can produce related objects but use different inputs or knowledge. Read the recipe you intend to execute, then make a short list of the missing requirements. This avoids returning with another stack of material that the selected recipe cannot use.
B42 lets you choose inputs in supported recipes. Inspect that selection if an acceptable item seems to be ignored. Workstations are separate prerequisites: having a tool in a backpack does not replace a required surface.
Narrow a failure instead of rebuilding the workshop
Check a simpler known recipe at the same location when you need to distinguish general access from one recipe's requirements. This is a diagnostic comparison, not a reason to consume rare materials repeatedly.
For third-party recipes, read the author's required version and dependencies. If the vanilla case works but the added recipe does not, preserve the exact recipe name and error for the mod author. Do not remove content mods from the only copy of an established world to experiment.
Version notes & limits
B42 added selectable inputs and workstations. Legacy B41 recipes and early-B42 chains are not assumed interchangeable; the current selected recipe determines its requirements.
Generic crafting prerequisites and failure diagnosis, not a complete blacksmithing chain, recipe database or promise that a mod recipe works.
Last verified means the linked documentation was reviewed, not that this guide was tested in-game. PZwiki is maintained by community contributors.
Version & sources
Sources & what may change
- Applies to
- 42.20.4 Stable; Singleplayer / Multiplayer; Vanilla baseline; mods may replace rules
- Last verified
- 2026-09-04
- When to check again
- A relevant Stable patch, changed world setting, mod update or correction to the cited instructions.