Enchant (925)/Enchant Item (925) (old version)

The official GemStone IV encyclopedia.
< Enchant (925)
Revision as of 07:13, 2 November 2007 by Maintenance script (talk | contribs) (added runestaff, removed obsolete cap information)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Enchant (925)/Enchant Item (925) (old version)
Mnemonic [ENCHANT]
Duration Permanent
Utility Magic  
Subtype {{{subtype}}} 
Skill Enhancement {{{skill}}} 
Components {{{components}}} 
Availability {{{availability}}} 

One of the oldest and most coveted abilities of a wizard is the Enchant Item spell. Successfully enchanting a weapon, shield, armor, runestaff, or the rare defensive bonus item will add a permanent bonus to that item's performance in combat. This bonus adds directly to a character's offensive or defensive combat values, beyond that which is achievable by any other means.

Items may be enchanted more than once, increasing the overall bonus with each successive enchamtment. Each level of enchantment bestows the item with a +5 bonus from its previous state. Certain materials may possess natural bonuses or natural negatives.

Necessary Components

  • Knowledge of Enchant Item (925) spell and sufficient mana (25) to cast it.
Not required, but highly recommended for successful enchantments. There is one in each of the Wizard Guilds, though workshops are also found all over Elanthia. Many are hidden throughout the lands, most Great Houses boast a workshop, and a few exceedingly lucky wizards own their own workshop.
Also not a requirement, rather a potential source of penalties. If you have a familiar in the lands, have it with you when casting this spell.

Selecting an Item to Enchant

It is imperative that one is familiar with the item they intend to enchant. Certain materials may resist this process, or restrict it altogether. Many materials possess their own natural bonuses or negatives, which factor into the level of enchantment intended to be bestowed upon it. Properties of items such as flaring, weighting or padding will prevent them from being enchanted, as well. Some items may not take enchants for seemingly no reason whatsoever. The best way to obtain detailed information about an item is to have a bard loresing to it. Other sources, such as the AI crystal can also provide valuble information about items. Wizards may cast Elemental Detection (405) upon items which have been previously tempered to determine its current level of enchantment.

  • In general, any weapon, shield, armor, or runestaff can be enchanted as long as its other properties (such as being sanctified or possessing flares, damage weighting or crit weighting) do not preclude the possibility. Claidhmores cannot be enchanted due to their inherent crit weighting.
  • There are extremely rare defensive bonus clothing and jewelery items which can store an enchantment.
  • The only surefire way to detemine whether or not an item will accept an enchantment, is to pour a tempering potion on it.


The Enchanting Process

Enchanting is a simple two-step process. First, the object is tempered with a potion. The temper takes a certain amount of time to cure, and once complete, one then casts the Enchant Item spell upon the object. This "pour/cast" cycle is then repeated once for each level of enchantment being bestowed upon the item. For example, taking an item from 0x to 1x would require one pour and then one cast. Likewise, taking an item from 2x to 3x would require three pours and three casts total. During the intermediary processes, the item cannot be used for its usual function. Wielding a weapon, shield, or runestaff, or being struck while wearing armor whose enchantment has not yet been completed will cause the destruction of that item.

Tempering the Item

Tempering is the act of using a potion to prepare an object to store the enchantment you wish to instill within. The act itself is quite simple, though making certain you have checked the status of each contributing factor and conditioned the variables in your favor can prove quite challenging.

  • POUR POTION ON MY {ITEM} : initiates the tempering process
  • Potions begin with 4 doses (Potions sold in Solhaven's alchemy shop have 5 pours). Each pour will use precisely one dose.
Failure due to insufficient potion
You pour your potion on the mail.
There does not seem to be enough dirtokh potion to cover the green imflass mail. The liquid bubbles slightly as it touches the surface of the green imflass mail, but then merely evaporates without effect.
Unsuccessful pour
example here
Successful pour
You pour your potion on the mail.

  1d100: 33 + Modifiers: 234 == 267

As the liquid coats the surface of the green imflass mail, a misty aura fills the air surrounding it, dancing around your fingers as you gesture over it with a soft incantation spilling from your lips. Small runic symbols flare to life at various points along the surface of the mail, their blurry edges wavering in response to the cadence of your voice and the liquid in these areas absorbing quickly beneath the surface. When the last of the liquid has vanished, the symbols dissipate and the mail appears faded. You scrutinize the green imflass mail, notice nothing amiss, and conclude that the tempering seems to have been successful. You estimate that the green imflass mail should be ready to enchant in about 8 to 9 days.

Note: encumbrance does affect pouring as well. On a wizard with a base "Modifiers" of 152, the weight of double leathers (once encumbrance was incurred) reduced the modifiers by six per leathers.

If your enchanting project requires multiple castings, you may pour the next temper immediately after casting. There is no waiting period (other than roundtime incurred by the casting itself).

Determining the Proper Potion

Existing Bonus of Item Equivalent Color Effective Enchantment Level Pour/Cast Cycles to Next Level Average Tempering Time* Appropriate Tempering Potion Potion Cost
< 0 None Special 1 Varies Varies Varies
0 None 0x 1 1 day Rohnuru 3500
+1 to +5 Red 1x 2 2 days
+6 to +10 Orange 2x 3 3 days Duqnuru 5500
+11 to +15 Yellow 3x 4 4 to 5 days
+16 to +20 Green 4x 5 6 to 7 days Dirtokh 10,000
+21 to +25 Blue 5x 6 8 to 9 days
+26 to +30 Indigo 6x 7 10 to 11 days Mirtokh 35,000
+31 to +35 Violet 7x Unknown Unknown Bromin Special**
+36 to +40 Unknown 8x Unknown Unknown Aleteh Special**
+41 to +45 Unknown 9x Unknown Unknown Grenshol Special**

* Average time per pour. May vary depending upon number of current enchanting projects.

Base prices shown. See Trading for more information on variations in price.

** These potions are not publicly available on a regular basis, and have been distributed only by special event merchants.

Note that items with existing enchantments of +46 to +50 (10x) cannot be further enchanted.

Casting the Enchantment

The second part of the process is casting the spell itself. Once the temper has fully cured, the item is ready to receive the magic. Just like the previous step, the proper preparation is paramount to success.

If you receive a message similar to the following, the item is tempering but not yet cured:

You gesture at a crystal-set rosewood runestaff.
The layers of essence permeating the rosewood runestaff unfold before you to reveal the familiar patterns of a tempering enchanting project, which you recognize as one of your own. It is currently tempering and on the first step of the enchanting process. You recognize the vibrant red aura surrounding it as indicating a weak level of enchantment.

If you receive a message similar to the following, the item is tempered and cured:

You gesture at some silvery green imflass mail.
The layers of essence permeating the green imflass mail unfold before you to reveal the familiar patterns of a tempering enchanting project, which you recognize as one of your own. It is currently tempered and ready to be enchanted. It is on the fifth step of the enchanting process. You recognize the muted blue aura surrounding it as indicating a strong level of enchantment.

Once this "ready" message is recieved, the item is ready to be cast upon.

At this point, you should check that you have positively influenced all of the factors within your control. Taking this extra step will help prevent failure that could have been avoided. Check the following section for conditions which may have a positive or negative affect on your success.

Once all factors have been taken into account, you should be ready to cast the enchantment. Simply hold the item in your hand and cast the Enchant Item (925) spell at the item. Expect a significant roundtime for this activity. (Some wizards have reportedly used Haste (506) in order to counteract this effect.)

Success Factors

Positive Factors Negative Factors
Wizard Base ranks Less than full health
Major Elemental ranks Less than full spirit
Minor Elemental ranks Wounds
Level of enchanter Scars
Magic Item Use ranks Material of the item
Arcane Symbols ranks Having creatures present
Logic Encumberance
Intuition Death's Sting
Aura
Elemental Mana Control ranks
Having your familiar present
Earthnode or Workshop

The precise formula to acheive a successful enchantment is still largely unknown. What is known, is that the level and Wizard Base ranks of the enchanter are primary factors, and that carelessness while going through the motions is the largest factor of failure. The following table lists all known factors (positive or negative), in no particular order.

  • There is a minimum 3% failure rate for any enchant, regarless of the enchanter's stats, skills, level, or the level of the enchantment itself.
  • Historically, wizards would overtrain their Wizard Base ranks to acheive more skill at enchanting. In the most recent revision of the spell, benefits from Wizard Base ranks were given diminishing returns.


Rewards for your Efforts

Successful enchantments earn experience, and potentially large amounts of silver.

Major enchant projects are exceedingly valued due to the time and skill which they take to complete, and the restriction of only one major enchant at a time.

While the enchantment process does not directly reward the wizard in silver, many items are enchanted with the intent of sale. By increasing the enchantment on an item, the wizard has increased its value, sometimes by immense amounts. This is particularly true of major enchantments (above 4x) and enchantments upon unusual items. Armor also tends to be profitable due to the lack of NPC shops that sell enchanted armor. (Low level enchants on weapons and shields are available over-the-counter for the most common types.)

Experience From Enchanting

The experience gained is based on the following formula:

EXP = (100 - L) + 100 × (N - 1) 
  • L = Enchanter's level
  • N = Step number of the enchant (ie. N = 3 for the third cast of a 3x enchant or N = 4 for the fourth cast of a 6x enchant)

For example, a level 30 wizard, making the third cast of a 3x enchant would receive 270 experience.

(100 - 30) + 100 × (3 - 1) = 270 EXP

External Links

Official Enchant Item spell
Official Enchanting Notes
405 Reveals for Enchanting

Wizard Profession - edit
Spell Circles: Wizard Base Spells | Major Elemental Spells | Minor Elemental Spells
Professional Highlights: Bolt spells | Call Familiar | Enchanting | Charge Item
Popular Archetypes: Pure Mage | War Mage | Enchanter