Template:Forging Guide

Forging Guide is an Official GemStone IV Document, and it is protected from editing.

Introduction

The Forging System enables a character to craft weapon parts from raw materials and then assemble the parts into combat-ready weapons. Every weapon is constructed of two parts, a head or blade part and a handle, hilt or haft part. Forging hammers, which are not functional weapons but which have to be constructed in order for a character to work metals in the forges, also adhere to this two part design.

The Forging Skill is actually comprised of six separate skills.

Crafting	Basic Weapon Creation
OHE-forging	Creating One-Handed Edged Weapons
OHB-forging	Creating One Handed Blunt Weapons
2H-forging	Creating Two-Handed Weapons
Polearm-forging	Creating Polearm Weapons
Brawling-forging	Creating Brawling Weapons

Crafting skill determines how well a character can fashion weapon parts by shaping them on the grinder and also impacts the quality of each completed item which is assembled using the vise. The weapon forging skills determine how well a character shapes a weapon part at the forge.

Successful production of parts and assembly of parts into complete items is dependent upon a character's development of one or more of these skills within the Forging System. Characters may only master two skills from among all Artisan Skills which are available. However, mastery of three forging system skills (Crafting, and two weapon forging skills) will count as one skill within the Artisan Skill system. This is because, in order to "master forging", a character must first develop their Crafting skill and then also develop one or two of the five weapon-group-specific forging skills. Because the production of some weapons, such as the bastard sword, will average two weapon-group forging skills, the Forging System allows mastery of two forging skills in addition to the Crafting skill.

There are multiple machines within forging workshops which allow a character to progress through the weapon creation process. These machines are:

• The Glyphs
• The Grinder
• The Forge
• The Polisher
• The Vise

Workshops

Public forging workshops will be present in every town. The number of workshops in a particular town will depend primarily on the history, culture and geography of the town.

Access to the workshops will be via a central supply shop. The verb used to gain access to a public workshop is GO WORKSHOP, at which point the clerk will charge 1,000 silver coins as a rental fee for one hour of workshop time. If characters enter a workshop in a group, only the leader is charged the rental fee. Supply shops sell bronze bars as a practice material, tempering oil and magical tempering oil, a type of wood block for hilts or hafts, and glyphs for the parts of three weapons in each weapon-skill group. Glyphs for forging-hammer heads and handles are not sold in the shops, because these glyphs are permanently affixed to the workbench in each workshop and are available free of charge. Each town's supply shop sells one pair of glyphs for a weapon that is unique to that supply shop.

The Glyphs

The first interaction a character performs within a forging workshop is with a "glyph". Glyphs exist for each part of each weapon that may be forged. Glyphs are either purchasable in the supply shops outside each set of public workshops or, in the case of forging-hammer glyphs, permanently affixed to the workbench in each workshop and are free of charge. Each glyph is designed to support the advancement of a character's forging or crafting skill through a 110 point range of the skill's 0 - 500 range.

Glyphs serve as a pattern in that the character chooses which part of which weapon they will be fashioning by selecting a specific glyph. In order to use a glyph, a character must be wearing a crafting apron (We wouldn't want to burn or dirty our clothing, would we?), and must be holding enough of the appropriate material in his or her left hand to create the weapon part. Once a player has done this, they may trigger a glyph by using the STARE <glyph> verb.

Some glyphs require higher levels of skill, and the character will not be able to use them until he or she has developed his or her skill to an appropriate level. Additionally, some weapon materials are too powerful for lower level characters to hold. (The rule is that a character may only hold an item with an enchantment value of no more than two times his or her level.)

Glyphs may be temporary or permanent. Temporary Glyphs will crumble once they have been used up.

The Grinder

The grinder is used to shape the head and handle of a forging-hammer and the handle, hilt or haft of a weapon. Successful use of the grinder is dependent upon the character's Crafting skill. The verb used to start the grinder is TURN.

Grinders are available within forging workshops, which must be rented in order to use. When a character's rental time is complete, the grinder will stop working.

To use the grinder a character must be in good enough health to operate it, must be wearing a crafting apron, and must be holding the raw weapon material which has been scribed by the glyph material in his or her left hand.

A character's level of success at the grinder is dependent on their health, crafting skill, Strength, Agility and Discipline bonuses, the material difficulty, their profession and race, and a random element.

Successfully using the grinder on a material will result in a rough weapon part, however, if a failure occurs, the material will need to be scribed again before the grinder may be used. Extraordinary failures will destroy the material altogether.

If more material was used than necessary, the remaining material will be left in the character's right hand.

The Forge

The forge is used to shape the head or blade of a weapon. Successful use of the forge is dependent upon one of the character's weapon-group forging skills. In order to activate the forge a character needs to hold a scribed raw material in their left hand and a forging-hammer in their right hand and then GET TONGS. When a forge is not being used, a pair of mithril tongs should be visible on the anvil in each forging chamber.

Forges are available within forging workshops, which must be rented in order to use. When a character's rental time is expired, the tongs will not be usable.

Before forging, you must fill the tempering trough with a liquid appropriate for quenching the material that is being worked in the forge. To use the forge a character must be in good enough health to operate it, must be wearing a crafting apron, must be holding the raw weapon material - which has been scribed - in his or her left hand, and must be holding a forging hammer in his or her right hand.

The more magical a material is used, the longer it will take to forge it. Magical materials are also more difficult to forge, and may require more skill on the part of the character.

Forging a weapon head usually requires multiple sessions. Once the weapon head is finished, a character's level of success is dependent on their health, forging skill, Strength, Constitution and Discipline bonuses, the material difficulty, the amount of material forged, their profession and race, and a random element.

Having significantly more skill in forging another type of weapon can prove helpful when forging any type of weapon up to a certain point of skill. So those characters who have a great deal of skill in forging brawling weapons, for instance, will have an easier time forging edged weapons, than someone with no skill in forging weapons at all.

Successfully using the forge on a material will result in a rough weapon part, however, if a failure occurs, the material will need to be scribed again before the forge may be used again. Extraordinary failures will destroy the material altogether. If there is no liquid in the tempering trough when the forging session reaches its conclusion, the session will be aborted and the material will need to be worked again.

The Polisher

Both the head and the handle of a weapon must be polished before the weapon can be assembled. In order to operate the polisher, a character must hold the weapon part in their left hand and LEAN POLISHER.

The Vise

The vise is used to assemble two parts of a weapon or forging-hammer into a completed and functional item. Successful use of the vise is dependent upon the character's Crafting skill. The verb used to start the vise is TURN.

Vises are available within forging workshops, which must be rented in order to use. When a character's rental time is expired, the vise will stop working.

To use the vise a character must be in good enough health to operate it, must be wearing a crafting apron, and must be holding a weapon handle in one hand and a weapon head in the other. The handle and head must be finished by the polisher and must be compatible.

A character's level of success at the vise is dependent on their health, crafting skill, Agility and Discipline bonuses, their profession, and a random element. Successfully using the vise will result in a completed weapon, however, if a failure occurs, the parts will need to be assembled again. Extraordinary failures will create an weapon of lower quality, and an extraordinary success will result in a weapon of higher quality.