Alteration

The term alteration refers to a relatively common merchant service which allows for custom features or for items to be given custom descriptions. Occasionally tattoo creation or alteration services are also provided, but this is usually by a specialized merchant. Alteration is also used as a generic term for a merchant service (although that has largely been replaced by the term GALD).

Item Alteration

Item descriptions can be customized in one of four ways: base, long, show, and read descriptions.

• Some alteration merchants may only provide a custom base description. This description is also known as the short description, tap description, or the 15/15/15.
• Some merchants may provide the custom base description in conjunction with either a custom long or show description. The show description can be viewed using the LOOK or SHOW verbs.
• Yet others may add writing to an item using the READ verb.

Note: Common general alterations were once limited to either a long or show description, though some special items (or special merchant services) allowed for both. Items with both a custom long and show description have become more commonplace although they typically require two alteration sessions to acquire - one to add the custom long description and one to add the custom show description.

Feature Alteration

Besides items, players may also get feature alterations on characters, adding unusual hair styles and colors, eye shapes, scars, birthmarks or other visual descriptors.

Alteration Rules

Player alteration designs can be denied by merchants for both policy and merchant in-character reasons. Merchants will also require players to provide any rare materials (including woods and metals labeled as rare/very rare in official documents, expensive/uncommon gems, and body parts). Players may also provide dyes to merchant to get certain effects such as "glowing." Glowing colors may only be made via alchemy (the full glowing color must be provided, but can be shortened from, say, "glowing emerald green" to "glowing green").

Standard alteration rules can be seen using the ALTER verb.

Resources

• GALD
• Alteration noun list (not comprehensive, availability of specific items/materials depends on the merchant)
• Pinch of dark grey dust
• Race capitalization guide (saved post)
• List of alternative armor names
• Musical instrument alteration guidelines
• Play.net materials documentation
• Player's Corner Noun and Material List
• Gownifier by Fenog's Regulars