In a message dated 7/24/99 3:56:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
eqenchanters@onelist.com writes:
<< Message: 6
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 10:29:48 -0400 (EDT)
From: HiFi Review <
hifireview@...>
Subject: Re: Enchanting Item Spells
The MUDs I worked on and played had two weapon enhancement skills that would
be interesting to see implemented. One was Inset. This was a cross between
jewelcraft and black smithing as it allowed you to inset a stone in to a
weapon to imbue the weapon with the magical properties of the stone. The
other was simply Enchant Weapon, which was a level dependent damage enhancer.
As I recall the goal was to win a quest so an immortal would enchant your
(non-magical only) weapon and then you could inset the Purple Shard from the
Purple Snorklewacker. Now that was fun!
By the way Lottie, is there any chance you do configuration management for a
large tech company in the Southwest?
Quentin
On the subject of an Enchantment Series of spells. Having run RPGs
for over 20 years and helping design a couple as well, everyone has to
remember one highly important word. BALANCE. Classes have to be balanced so
no one has a major edge over another. Spells have to be balanced for the same
reason. Weapons, Armor, etc., etc.
Personally, I wouldn't mind a "true" full set of enchantment spells
fitting in with what Verant already has in place. However, this would require
some additional work on their part beyond the simple addition of the spells
to the Enchanter's spell book. The current beginnings of the Enchant Series
is for use for a specific Trade Skill, and that Trade Skill only.
Furthermore, these spells are gained at 8, 16, 24, and 34, giving a 8, 8, 8,
and 10 level spread between acquiring as most Enchanters know. With a full
Enchant Series of spells Verant could include other Trade skills also, thus
keeping with their "Enchant for Trade Skills only" basis that they have
already established with their current base of spell options.
These could include, but are not limited to:
(ALCHEMY) (Too recently implemented for me to talk to enough
Shamans to get a good idea on this one):
(BAKING): Enchant Food:
Baking isn't one of the Trade Skills I've practiced
yet, but food that last longer then over the counter, or has temporary
Statistic altering included would certainly perk up my ears. Not to mention
that their could suddenly be lines forming at the ovens for a chance to make
an Ogre Cookie that could offer +1 STR for 20 minutes (avg. duration of a
midlevel buff spell). Better Bakers would be making better items then the
Cookie and reap the benefits of higher alterations.
(BLACKSMITHING) Enchant Ore:
From the Norrath Book, Guide to Blacksmithing,
"Talented Blacksmiths can create weapons, armor, and other useful items."
In reality, those same Talented Blacksmiths can
create Studs, Steel Bonings, Large Lanterns, Baking Parts, Sewing Kits, and
Banded Armor. (The Lockpicks [for Rouges] and Toolbox [for Tinkering]
formulas are still bugged). And the Skill is capped at 175 (I've heard). Even
if the "Talented Blacksmiths can create weapons" isn't implemented, magical
Studs, Bonings, and Banded for Armor would still be helpful to the Trade
Skill use. Simple increase in Armor Class, or reduced weight, or a
combination of both would be helpful to those who buy the armor (Druids,
being limited to nonmetal, and Rangers/Rouges, being limited to Banded until
they can get Rubicite, others are truly just limited by their income to the
best of my knowledge, however, I could be wrong not having played every class
yet). Or perhaps even a small magical effect, giving off light equal to that
of a fire beetle would make Humans happy to not have to carry a fir beetle
eye and make corpse finding in the dark easier for them.
And for the far off day when those "Talented
Blacksmiths" finally get the ability to craft Plate and Weapons, after the
Skill has more work completed on it, the same effects could be carried over,
or new ones added at the discretion of the development team.
For those asking, "Why Enchant Ore and not just
Enchant the Metal Sheets they use to make Banded?"; As a GM I have no problem
forcing a player to make an extra skill check even if for a trivial item like
making Sheets out of the Ore they use for their craft if it will drain some
loot out of the economy, they are bound to fail sometime. Also, Enchant Ore
allows magical Studs and Boning to be made where Enchant Metal would not.
(That whole "Balance and sense of fair play thing.")
(BREWING) Enchant Brew:
Not a lot of experience with Brewing. (Even less
planned after it got crushed in a recent patch.) But I'm sure there are a few
Brewmasters out there that would gladly make suggestions.
(FLETCHING) Enchant Wood Staff:
A Runed Oak Bow is mentioned in The Official Player's
Guide, but no Fletcher has the slightest idea of how to get a Bow Staff made
into a magical item, and we don't have the ability at this time. The
resulting completed Bow (with a higher difficulty rating then making a normal
bow, of course) could hit for 1-2 more damage or in line with Verant's "any
altering to a bow decreases Attack Delay and Damage" base, reduce both Damage
and Delay Ratings on a completed Bow in addition to any bought materials from
merchants. Oak, as the first wood that can be double cammed, would be the
minimum affected, and Ceramic and Steel Bow Staves need to be implemented to
be fair to high skill Fletchers.
(POTTERY) (No ideas):
(TAILORING) (SEE BLACKSMITHING):
Another possibility for this Skill could be Enchant
Pelt with similar results as suggested in Blacksmithing.
(TINKERING) ?:
Any Gnomes out there know if this is even implemented
yet? Or in working order, if so?
The above ideas are merely fitting in with Verant's current "Enchant
= Trade Skill" Base and in no way are meant to suggest that further Enchant
spells should be excluded, (perhaps mirroring the Magician Create Series).
They ARE meant to fit smoothly in with what is already in place and accepted
as the norm. Furthermore, they are meant to have no greater impact on the
backbone of adventuring, COMBAT!, then the current Jewelcrafting Skill
results.
Further suggestions and fine tuning are welcome.
Flames? Well, I know how to hit Delete just as fast as the next guy,
so don't bother ;-)