Item properties

Official Information

Confirmed by GM Finros 27 August 2017. See the saved posts for the unedited original 2014 version.

This information is best used to determine what properties can definitely not be combined with each other. There is no guarantee that any two (or more) particular properties may be combined onto a single item at an event, or ever, even where this post indicates that it is technically possible. This information is not to be used as a justification to protest when turned down for a service.

Take care to read the caveats following the list of properties; some apparent exceptions to the rules are explained. Any property marked with a "[*]" has a specific note associated with it.

This listing is divided into four categories. Category A consists of properties which every piece of gear has. Category B consists of properties that are all mutually exclusive to each other. Category C consists of properties that are independent of each other, and of properties in any other category. Category D consists of scripts. Properties that apply only to weapons or armor are marked as such; otherwise assume that the property can apply to both (though it may come into play through different means). Shields are considered armor unless specifically disclaimed.

Category A

Present on all equipment; magnitude may vary in some cases

• Appearance
• Enchantment (usually 0-50, can also be negative)
• Ability/inability to attack/affect magical creatures [*]
• Sanctified/non-sanctified status
• Forging modifiers (if forged by a player)
• Material properties [*]

Category B

Only ONE may be present; magnitude may vary in some cases, may be temporary or permanent in some cases

• Defensive bonus from weapons (commonly known as "Defender weapons") [weapons]
• Offensive bonus from armor [armor]
• Magical defense (TD) [armor]
• Minor Elemental Edging (902) [weapons]
• Temporary blessing, with or without holy water flares
• Conventional permablessing (e.g. not undead bane)
• Fire flares
• Cold flares
• Lightning flares
• Acid flares
• Vibration (earth, impact) flares
• Disintegration flares
• Disruption flares
• Vacuum (void) flares
• Plasma flares
• Steam flares
• Water flares
• Magma flares
• Unbalance (burst of force) flares
• Grapple (tendril of force) flares
• Dispel flares
• Mechanical (three varieties: slash, puncture, crush) flares
• Mana flares [weapons *runestaffs]
• Acuity flares [weapons *runestaffs]

Category C

Any number may be present; magnitude may vary in some cases; may be temporary or permanent in some cases

• Damage padding [armor, but not shields]
• Damage weighting [weapons]
• Critical padding [armor, but not shields]
• Critical weighting [weapons]
• Sighting [bows and crossbows]
• Enhancives
• Resistances [armor]
• Creature Bane [*]
• Spikes [armor]
• Ensorcellment
• Weapon Bonding (either spell or cman) [weapons]

Category D

Only ONE may be present

• Everything not mentioned above (yes, seriously). This includes everything from the weapons that hiss when you wave them (and do nothing else), to the properties of Sorrow.

Notes

Regarding [*] marks in the above list:

• The ability to attack/affect magical creatures is only partially implemented with regard to armor and shields. Some offensive maneuvers require magical gear, others do not. This will likely be made consistent in requiring magical gear, over the long term.
• Material properties are relatively new in Gemstone. Modern gear made out of particular materials, such as adamantine or high steel's anti-fade ability, are likely to have their special abilities as an inherent property. Older gear may use a script to accomplish similar effects from Category D, which of course occupies the script ability of the equipment. Materials like zelnorn and kroderine use Category B to achieve their properties.
• Creature Bane items may grant damage/critical padding/weighting or flares, separate from anything in Category B. Only one Creature Bane foe type and one Creature Bane effect may be present.

The greatest caveat is in regard to Category D, scripts. Scripts have great flexibility in what they can do and may include the application or modification of one or more Category B items, in addition to whatever other effects they may have.

If a particular special ability is not listed in Categories A-C, it is almost certainly a Category D (script) ability, of which there are quite literally hundreds.

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Charts of Clarity

While the above is official and applies to all types of items, many players have found it useful to break items down by type and item slot and have developed these tables. The lists of scripts are not complete.

Weapon

Slot	Enhancements Include	# Allowed on single item
1. Category A	Base Enchant, Inherent Material Properties, Sanctified, Forging Modifiers	These are on every item, but may be defined as not being there
2. Category B	Common Flares and Uncommon Flares, All Acuity Levels, All Mana Flare Levels, Pure Black Ora, Minor Elemental Edging, Bless, Defender, Mechanical Flares	1 per item
3. Category C	Weighting, Sighting, Enhancives, Creature Bane, Ensorcellment, Weapon Bonding	As many as you want
4. Category D	Everything not mentioned above (yes, seriously). This includes everything from the weapons that hiss when you wave them (and do nothing else), to the properties of Sorrow. Including, but not limited to, Blink weapon, Bubble flares, Chronomage flares, Ironwright's holy flares, Knockout flares, Poleaxe Flares, Vial flares	1 per item
5. Category B & D	Rotating flares, Greater Elemental Flares, ShadowDeath weapon. This list may be incomplete.	1 per item, but nothing else from Cat. B or D can be put on it.

Armor

Slot	Enhancements Include	# Allowed on single item
1. Category A	Base Enchant, Inherent Material Properties, Sanctified	These are on every item, but may be defined as not being there
2. Category B	Offensive bonus from armor, Common Flares and Uncommon Flares, TD Bonus, Mechanical Flares	1 per item
3. Category C	Padding, Enhancives, Ensorcellment, Resistance, Spikes	As many as you want
4. Category D	Everything not mentioned above (yes, seriously).	1 per item

Shields

Slot	Enhancements Include	# Allowed on single item
1. Category A	Base Enchant, Inherent Material Properties, Sanctified	These are on every item, but may be defined as not being there
2. Category B	Offensive bonus from armor, Common Flares and Uncommon Flares, TD Bonus, Mechanical Flares	1 per item
3. Category C	Enhancives, Ensorcellment, Spikes	As many as you want
4. Category D	Everything not mentioned above (yes, seriously).	1 per item

Nota Bene

Regardless of the mechanical functioning, actual services given to players are always subject to any event-specific, GM-specific, merchant-specific, and/or whim-specific restrictions. Even though it can be done, that may not mean that you get to do it.

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See Also

• Saved posts
• Script
• Items and Inventory Officials folder
• 2019 Chart of Clarity (Google Doc)