I think Str for smithing is supposed to help in learning, not
success. This is for all those dumb, strong people (i.e. barbarians)
out there that say they should be able to learn smithing as easily as
someone who is smart but weak. I didn't think stats affected success
rate, but if anyone has any good experimental data that shows
otherwise, I'd like to know.

What I have found is that when I boost INT up, I have a much better
chance in increasing skill. Duh! I have tried dex to a small degree
and didn't really notice any difference, but I didn't raise it as
high as I had raised INT so there might still be some hope. However,
I don't think that the learning bonuses are cumulative, but rather
affected by your highest stat. So for most gnomes, it will be
easiest to raise INT with regard to practicing tinkering. I had been
raising my int to about 115, but with some borrowed items I raised it
fairly easily to around 145. I didn't take down any stats, but it
did make a noticeable difference. Keeping track of numbers makes it
seem too much like work. :P But now that I'm into the grownup
tinkering things I have to be a little more thrifty with my plat.

Anyway, my long term goals are to make watchman armor for myself.
Not that I would use it in battle, but it looks like it could freak
out some folks. They already freak out at a gnome warrior. Wait til
they see me running around with those bug eyes.

Norbert Gearsmith
level 39 and 8/10ths Gnome Warrior

--- In EQ_Tinkering@egroups.com, Jason Willoughby <jwilloug@g...>
wrote:

> On Tue, 9 Jan 2001 josh@m... wrote:
>
> > High Int and Cha are indeed good for the purposes with which you

associated

> > them, but the only factor that determines your sucess rate is

your skill

> > level.
>
> Yak has insinuated that there are secondary stats that boost

success rate,

> but the only one known is str for smithing. My money would be on

dex for

> tinkering...