If you’ve spent any time browsing Doom Dark Ages community forums or watching gameplay clips, you’ve almost certainly seen other players showing off the glowing, handheld forge toy that lets them repair gear on the go and add fire damage to their weapons. For new players, though, figuring out how to doom dark ages get to the forge toy can feel like an impossible task, especially when most guides online skip over basic steps that veteran players take for granted. I’ve run this path at least a dozen times across multiple playthroughs, and I’ve put together this no-fluff guide to help you get the item in under 20 minutes, no unnecessary grinding required.
Pre-Requisites You Need Before You Attempt to Get the Forge Toy
You don’t need endgame gear or a max-level character to grab the forge toy, but there are a few non-negotiable requirements you have to meet first. Skip these, and you’ll end up wasting time running back and forth from the cave like I did on my first attempt. You only need to complete a few quick, low-effort tasks to check all these boxes, even if you’re only a couple hours into your first playthrough.
- Minimum character level 12: You won’t be able to interact with the forge’s activation rune if you’re under level 12, no matter how many items you bring. You can hit level 12 easily by completing the first three main story quests and a handful of side quests in the starting village.
- 3 smelted iron ingots: You can smelt these at any base camp forge using raw iron ore you collect from low-level mining nodes around the starting area. You don’t need any rare crafting skills to smelt iron, so even new players can make these in five minutes or less.
- Unlocked Northern Border fast travel point: You can unlock this by completing the “Border Patrol” side quest from the village blacksmith, which takes roughly 15 minutes to finish for new players. The quest only asks you to clear three goblin camps along the border, so you won’t have to fight any high-level enemies to complete it.
You don’t need any rare weapons or armor for this run, but I recommend bringing at least two health potions just in case you accidentally pull a low-level raider patrolling the edge of the path. You can also bring a companion if you’re playing with friends, but it’s totally doable solo as long as you stick to the correct route.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough to Doom Dark Ages Get to the Forge Toy
Once you’ve checked off all the pre-requisites, you’re ready to head to the cave. Start by fast traveling to the Northern Border point, and make sure you have your torch and iron ingots equipped to your quick access slot so you don’t have to fumble through your inventory mid-run. The entire route only takes about 10 minutes to complete if you don’t run into any unexpected detours.
First, turn west as soon as you spawn at the fast travel point, and stick to the narrow dirt path that runs along the cliff edge. Avoid the level 30 raider patrols that roam the eastern open field at all costs—they can one-shot most level 12 characters, and you don’t get any useful loot for fighting them this early in the game. You’ll see a small cluster of pine trees after roughly two minutes of walking, and the cave entrance is hidden behind thick, tangled vines right behind those trees.
Pull out your torch and hold it up to the vines for three seconds to burn them away. You’ll see a short, narrow tunnel leading into the mountain, and there are only two low-level goblins inside that you can take out with a couple of basic attacks. Keep walking until you reach the large, open forge room with the glowing stone altar in the center.
You’ll see three runes on the floor in front of the altar: fire, iron, and stone. Step on them in that exact order to disable the trap that would otherwise drop half your health bar. Place the 3 smelted iron ingots on the altar once the trap is disabled, and wait 10 seconds for the forge toy to spawn in the small slot below the altar. Grab it, and it’ll automatically be added to your quick access menu. Once you’ve completed all these steps, you’ll have successfully followed the steps to doom dark ages get to the forge toy without any extra hassle.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hunting for the Forge Toy
Even with a clear guide, it’s easy to make small mistakes that add extra time to your run. I’ve made almost all of these myself, so I’m breaking them down to help you skip the frustration. Most of these errors are caused by vague or incomplete information shared in old forum threads, so you won’t find these warnings in most other beginner guides.
First, never take the eastern path to the cave. A lot of new players assume the wider, clearer path is the right one, but it leads straight into the raider camp, and you’ll have to either fight your way out or respawn back at the fast travel point. Stick to the narrow cliff path, and you won’t run into any high-level enemies. The path is a little rocky in spots, but it’s totally passable even for low-mobility character builds.
Second, double-check that you have all three iron ingots before you leave your base. I forgot one ingot on my first run, and I had to run all the way back to the starting village to smelt another one, which added 30 minutes of unnecessary travel time. You can check how many ingots you have in the resources tab of your inventory at any time. If you’re playing on a multiplayer server, you can also ask a teammate to bring an extra ingot if you forget, but it’s easier to just double-check before you leave.
Third, don’t leave the cave right after you grab the forge toy. There’s a small hidden chest in the corner of the forge room, behind the broken anvil, that has a rare fire enchantment scroll you can use on your primary weapon. This chest only spawns the first time you enter the cave, so you won’t be able to come back for it later. The scroll adds 10 extra fire damage to any melee weapon, which makes early boss fights far easier.
Cool Perks of Owning the Forge Toy for Your Playthrough
The forge toy isn’t just a fun collectible to show off to your friends—it has real, practical uses that make the rest of your playthrough far easier, especially if you’re playing on harder difficulty settings. A lot of new players write it off as a useless novelty item, but I use mine almost every time I log on, even on my max-level playthroughs.
First, you can use it to add temporary fire damage to all melee weapons for 10 minutes at a time. This is a game-changer for early-game boss fights, as most of the first three main bosses are weak to fire damage, and you won’t have access to permanent fire enchantments until you’re at least level 20. The buff has a 30-minute cooldown, so save it for boss fights or large groups of enemies instead of wasting it on random goblins.
Second, you can use the forge toy to repair all your gear on the go, no need to travel back to a base camp or find a village blacksmith. This is super useful for long exploration runs, as you won’t have to cut your trip short because your armor is about to break. The repair only costs one raw iron ore per item, which is far cheaper than paying a blacksmith to fix your gear for you. I’ve saved thousands of gold over multiple playthroughs just by using the forge toy for repairs instead of visiting NPCs.
Third, if you place the forge toy in your base camp, it’ll attract a friendly wandering blacksmith NPC that visits once every in-game day. This NPC sells rare crafting materials and enchants, and you get a 20% discount on all blacksmith purchases as long as the forge toy is placed in your camp. That adds up to a ton of saved gold over the course of a full playthrough, especially if you craft a lot of your own gear. The blacksmith also sells exclusive forge toy skins that you can’t get anywhere else, so you can customize the item to match your character’s aesthetic.
At the end of the day, the forge toy is one of the most useful early-game items you can get in Doom Dark Ages, and it’s well worth taking 20 minutes out of your main quest line to grab it. Whether you’re a completionist who wants to collect every in-game item or a new player looking for an edge to make early boss fights easier, taking the time to doom dark ages get to the forge toy is a decision you won’t regret. Just follow the steps in this guide, avoid the common mistakes, and you’ll have the item in your inventory before you know it.
