Enchant spell history (saved post)

As some background to this, the poster of this message was Whilder Planrathe. When I started playing GemStoneIII towards the end of 1993, there were precisely three (3) Mages who could Enchant: Pan Truesilver, Odds Bodkins (who was the first ever to learn the spell), and Whilder Planrathe. Either Dartaghan or Dagmar--they were the same player--and Kodos learned the spell some time thereafter, perhaps in late 1994 (?), but for quite a while those three were the only possible source of getting your items Enchanted.

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Category: Wizards
Topic: Enchanting
Author: Whilder  (WILDLUCK)
Posted: Jul 04, 1998 09:25:02

A not-so-brief history of Enchant True. Very long but I'll try to keep it short.

1. Spell description is written. Basic spell will be prep/cast causing item to become +25. Can only be cast on normal (not blessed/holy/+/magical) material.

2. Long time later, Odds gains the spell.

3. Short time after that, GMs actually implement the spell.

4. GMs have their first heart failure. Odds had done some carefull planning for gaining the spell and had learned channeling (now mana share). First weekend of the spell he sets up to have folks with the channeling ability to run between him and a node feeding him power, while everyone else runs around gathering things for Odds to enchant. Odds basically emchants twice per minute during his sessions, and says later he was only going that slow cause he was observing and recording the results to try to determine if some things are more difficult and his base chances of success.

5. Lose gains the spell, followed closely by myself.

6. GMs come up with first change to spell. They make up a fancy chart (which we don't get to see) and tie it to each enchanter. There is a random die roll recorded to each enchanter and crossed to the chart. At this point an enchanter becomes a "specialist", meaning he might be able to enchant weapons but not armor, or armor but not weapons. There is a possibility of being able to do both, but an enchanter will lean toward one or the other and the closer to being able to do both the harder any enchantment will be.

6a. Odds discovers he is NOT an armor enchanter by blowing up a record 40+ sets of armor in a row.

6b. Forgot about Lose, but think he leaned more toward weapons.

6c. Numbers and successes say I lean more toward armor, but GM tells me I am definitely a weapon enchanter. I have first screaming fits because after extensive tests it looks like armor and weapons are divided into catagories within themselves. I have 95% success with onehanded blunt, 50% with one handed edged, and barely 1% with anything requiring two hands. In armor the lighter armors I have a little less than 40%, but heavy armors I have an amazing 90% success rate. GMs claim weapons are weapons, armor is armor, and that I'm imagining things after 500 casts on each category.

7. GMs claim the three are STILL adding too many enchanted items to the lands, so another change is decided on. A map of all the known areas is subdivided into "enchantment areas", and each mage is assigned his own personal area by random method. Mages are not told or given hints where their areas might be. They must wander around, enchanting, till they think they find "their area".

7a. Odds jokes that our area is probably on the moon, but I get really upset with the whole thing when a GM tells me it is entirely possible.

7b. My overall success rate drops by almost 30%. Experiments fail to improve this new dismal rate and I begin to think about never bothering with the spell again.

8. Sometime around this time, not exactly sure when, Lose gets frustrated and walks. Pan gains the spell so the realms still has 3 enchanters.

9. We're still, according to the GMs, casting the spell too much. Odds is also desperate cause he's lucky to get 2 sets of armor out of 100 to enchant so he can sell them. Nobody wants to buy weapons or shields cause they break too easy. Armor doesn't get damaged so armor prices go through the roof.

10. Another change. Potions, real time put into the spell. In addition, casts will only add +5 to the item. The "specialist" and "areas" are removed. Difficulty greatly increased. To win me over Odds campaigns for private workshops, cause I object to being able to someday make 10x armor. I came up the hard way, no special "powers" and worry that since everything is all ready tweaked to challenge those with powers the addition of 10x is going to become a requirement and not a luxury.

11. The changes go in, private workshops will be made. I have another screaming fit on the BB because I'm having severe difficulty with any armor. Odds is enchanting armor fine, so is Pan. I destroy 20 sets of armor trying to make 2x enchantments, but GMs swear the old specialist codes are gone. Slowly, I start improving in enchanting armor and begin to think things will be all right.

12. More mages get the spell. I get my workshop finally. Enchanting goes along for a while.

13. GMs state that too many enchantments are still being cast for the number of mages who have the spell. Several ideas are thrown around, worst one I argue against: Mana Pools.

14. Mana pools implemented.

15. After a string of failures, because there is no way to determine how much mana is in any pool at any time, I drop enchanting almost completely. E-Mail starts running back and forth between several mages (now wizards as the game went through major changes) and veiled threats are even being made because of mana pools. Newer enchanters keep draining area pools so fast that a 1x enchantment is almost a pure miracle from the area pools.

16. I leave, fed up with the whole thing.

17. I'm back to see what, if anything, has improved. I'm guessing not much.

Whilder