diff --git a/internal/pipeline/build.go b/internal/pipeline/build.go
index b99604d..e1ec38b 100644
--- a/internal/pipeline/build.go
+++ b/internal/pipeline/build.go
@@ -661,11 +661,17 @@ func collectAssetResources(p *project.Project, requireContent bool, allowed map[
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	assetsRelPath, err := filepath.Rel(p.Root, p.AssetsDir())
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolve assets dir relative path: %w", err)
+	// A module-only project (consumes prebuilt HAKs, has no paths.assets) has no
+	// asset files to collect — AssetFiles is empty and AssetsDir() is "". Skip the
+	// relative-path resolve, which would otherwise fail with `Rel: can't make ""`.
+	assetsRelPath := ""
+	if p.AssetsDir() != "" {
+		assetsRelPath, err = filepath.Rel(p.Root, p.AssetsDir())
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("resolve assets dir relative path: %w", err)
+		}
+		assetsRelPath = filepath.ToSlash(assetsRelPath)
 	}
-	assetsRelPath = filepath.ToSlash(assetsRelPath)
 
 	for _, rel := range p.Inventory.AssetFiles {
 		if musicAssets != nil {
diff --git a/internal/pipeline/music.go b/internal/pipeline/music.go
index d16b1f4..7b6e47a 100644
--- a/internal/pipeline/music.go
+++ b/internal/pipeline/music.go
@@ -435,33 +435,38 @@ func writeCreditsArtifacts(p *project.Project, generated []musicCreditGroup) (cr
 		}
 	}
 
-	err := filepath.WalkDir(p.AssetsDir(), func(path string, d os.DirEntry, walkErr error) error {
-		if walkErr != nil {
-			return walkErr
-		}
-		if d.IsDir() {
+	// Authored credits.md files live under the assets tree. A project with no
+	// configured assets dir (e.g. a module that consumes prebuilt HAKs) has none
+	// to collect — walking "" would fail with `lstat : no such file or directory`.
+	if assetsDir := p.AssetsDir(); assetsDir != "" {
+		err := filepath.WalkDir(assetsDir, func(path string, d os.DirEntry, walkErr error) error {
+			if walkErr != nil {
+				return walkErr
+			}
+			if d.IsDir() {
+				return nil
+			}
+			if strings.ToLower(d.Name()) != "credits.md" {
+				return nil
+			}
+			entries, err := music.ParseCreditsMarkdown(path)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("parse credits %s: %w", path, err)
+			}
+			rel, err := filepath.Rel(p.Root, path)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			sources = append(sources, music.CreditsSource{
+				Path:    filepath.ToSlash(rel),
+				Kind:    "authored",
+				Entries: entries,
+			})
 			return nil
-		}
-		if strings.ToLower(d.Name()) != "credits.md" {
-			return nil
-		}
-		entries, err := music.ParseCreditsMarkdown(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("parse credits %s: %w", path, err)
-		}
-		rel, err := filepath.Rel(p.Root, path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		sources = append(sources, music.CreditsSource{
-			Path:    filepath.ToSlash(rel),
-			Kind:    "authored",
-			Entries: entries,
 		})
-		return nil
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		return creditsArtifactWriteResult{}, err
+		if err != nil {
+			return creditsArtifactWriteResult{}, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	sort.Slice(sources, func(i, j int) bool { return sources[i].Path < sources[j].Path })
diff --git a/internal/pipeline/pipeline_test.go b/internal/pipeline/pipeline_test.go
index 3ca8c0a..b9259a2 100644
--- a/internal/pipeline/pipeline_test.go
+++ b/internal/pipeline/pipeline_test.go
@@ -4084,3 +4084,62 @@ haks:
 		t.Fatalf("plan-only should not stage music, stat err=%v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// A module-only project (consumes prebuilt HAKs, no paths.assets) must build via
+// the full `crucible module build` (pipeline.Build) without an assets tree. The
+// HAK + music stages used to crash on the unset assets dir
+// (`lstat : no such file or directory` / `Rel: can't make "" relative`).
+func TestBuildModuleOnlyProjectWithoutAssetsDir(t *testing.T) {
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	mustMkdir(t, filepath.Join(root, "src", "module"))
+	mustMkdir(t, filepath.Join(root, "build"))
+
+	mustWriteFile(t, filepath.Join(root, "nwn-tool.yaml"), `
+module:
+  name: Test Module
+  resref: testmod
+paths:
+  source: src
+  build: build
+`)
+	mustWriteFile(t, filepath.Join(root, "src", "module", "module.ifo.json"), `{
+  "file_type": "IFO ",
+  "file_version": "V3.2",
+  "root": {
+    "struct_type": 0,
+    "fields": [
+      {
+        "label": "Mod_Name",
+        "type": "CExoString",
+        "value": "Test Module"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
+`)
+
+	p, err := project.Load(root)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("load project: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := p.ValidateLayout(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("validate layout: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := p.Scan(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("scan: %v", err)
+	}
+	if p.AssetsDir() != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("test precondition: expected unset assets dir, got %q", p.AssetsDir())
+	}
+
+	result, err := Build(p)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("full build of module-only project: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(result.ModulePath); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected built .mod at %s: %v", result.ModulePath, err)
+	}
+	if result.HAKAssets != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("module-only project has no assets, expected 0 HAK assets, got %d", result.HAKAssets)
+	}
+}