Equipment Artificing Information of SoulMUD

Wells are said to be deep subjects. Item artificing is a bit deeper then your average well.

The working theory for SoulMUD Artifacts is this. You can have 10 of an object, say 10 sable gimlets or onyx bracelets. Level each of the 10 objects to artifact level 10 (this could be equipment level 20 or 30). AT that time, when all of the 10 items are artifact level 10, not a single one of the objects would have the same stats as any other one. Hence, the unique object principle which players may procure, thus expanding a characters potential, to an almost limitless amount.

General:
Equipment can be attained many ways, usually involving the mass slaughter of foul denizens which walk the realm, sometimes off nice people to. Expert ID will show Artifact stat as 1 or higher. A green exclamation mark next to an objects name will also reflect that the object is indeed an artifact. Artifacts allow characters a continous growth of power. All objects with stats require experience pts to unlock the stats of an item. Artifacts, when fed enough experience points, begin to reflect the nature of their wearer, and growth with the character. When an artifact gains enough levels, it starts to shine, and eventually its struck by lightning. Lightning is the empowerment for the object. Lightning strikes on a leveled artifact (object level 8-18 is actually artifact level 1-10). When lightning charged, artifacts may augment existing already existing stats on an object, or add on completely new stats, if there are empty slots on an item. Stats when are added to blank slots will always be to the benefit of the person, base off their prime class, augmenting pre-existing stats is chancy, as it may be a stat that your not so keen on. Higher level and generally meaner mobs produce better equipment, ergo, once you find good equipment, you can already control the stats that it can gain. Artifacts may gain up to 10 stat effects of some type from artifact levels. When an artifact reaches level artifact level 10, then that artifact can have a special ability added to the artifact. Artifacts can gain levels and not gain stats, this does not count against the artifact level of the object, as the artifact must gain stats to gain a level. It is not a guarenteed process, but one that requires patience.


Non Artifact Gains - Guild Morph.
Worn Objects in general (not just artifacts), well sometimes be blessed and empowered by a guild master during the level gain process. This can only happen when the player wears a full set of gear, and gains a level. These stat blessings on the object are permanent, and any pre-existing stat on the object can be boosted. Objects may only have this done a limited number of times, as it increases the weight of the object, and objects over a certain weight guildmasters pay no attention to. These stats are from a wide table, and have no affect upon an objects artifact levels, though you can get lucky and get artifacts guild morphed. Objects morphed in a guild have been known to gain new stats, but this table of stats is not based on prime class, and is very random. Stats such as armor class, weapon speed, weapon dice have also been known to be raised up.


Item Experience Table:
Level One: 1 - 42000
Level Two: 1 - 175000
Level Three: 1 - 333777
Level Four: 1 - 540288
Level Five: 1 - 777888
*Level Six: 1 - 1420000



*Each additional level beyond 6 will also cost 1.4mil experience per object. Non artifacts gain no new stats past level 6. Artifacts Levels 1-10 gain new stats.


Artifacts and Equipment Experience.
OK, when you have an object worn, and you gain experience from killing a mob some of your experience will be fed to each item that your character is wearing Items have up to 5 stats and armor value, and items do not have a level cap. Now, when an item is 1st popped off a mob, it will begin at level 1 and have 1 experience point. The only active affects it will have will be armor class and affect 1, and affect 2. How ever, an item would need to be level 3 for the items affect #3 to be unlocked. The same goes for level 4 and 5 objects. When an item levels, you will receive a message. After this time you will likely want to re-wear the item (remove and equip again), if it has just unlocked an item stat. An objects exps will reset once it levels. At item level 7 artifacts may start gaining their bonuses during a lightning strike, which only happens when the artifact levels.


Weapons and Speed
Weapons have base speeds. Rate of attack for players is based off of speed, how ever the character has the ablity with certain spells, skills and object affects to boost or slow their speed as desired. All weapon damage is averaged at a rate over time table. Dual wielded weapons will swing slower by second then primary weapons. Two handed weapons will swing +1 slower then listed Two handed weapons also begin with a base 25% damage increase for being 2 handed. Skill ingame may increase damage by attack type, via base skill, proficency or mastery Speed of swing is adjusted via rate of attack. So that slower weapons (12-15)will always do more damage then a speed 11 (neutral). Where as fast weapons (speed 3-6) will do less damage faster. Melee damage is color coded via attack array (so offhand weapons will be different colors then primehand weapons. Speed on weapons, as do the dice listed. Speeds and dice may change on popped items, and during leveling in a guild with eq on

Equipment and Affects
Theres alot of objects in game. Once I finish coding and get back areas there will be more. At this current time, there are some 700+ object affects which may go on objects. These stats Can really change a character, depending on how they want their characters. Some stats will raise skills, or entire skill sets by the modified value. Some stats will change timers or amounts of regen or stats or even max stats. Objects may have up to 5 stats on an item And there are 700+ stats. This leaves alot of object stat combos (as of 3.27.05).

Equipment Armor Values and Classes
One of the not-as-nice changes, revolves around armor classes for characters. Now most equipment has an armor value, how ever, each prime class will receive varying amounts of armor, based on which prime class they are. This is in due To the large impact of class balance by giving some classes ability to hit high armor classes in-game.

Warriors will receive full armor values off all objects. Clerics and Acrobats will receive 5% less armor class off all objects. Thieves and Sorcerers will receive 10% less armor class off all objcts. Mages will receive 15% less armor class off all objects.
By retrospeect, if a player had a 2.0 shield (yes they exist). The character would in due receive the following armor class off the obj. Warrior (2.0), Acrobat or Cleric (1.9), Thief or Sorcerer (1.8), Mage (1.7) Object armor class may very depending upon artifact quality. Therefore, just because someone is wearing the same object as you, doesnt mean the stats between the two objects are the same.

Tattoo's and Restrings...
Unlike normal equipment which has its own ruleset, tattoos also have their on meaning and rules. Tattoos may be found in game on mobs or bought from merchants for quest points. You may affix tattoos. You may view tattoos with the 'tat' command. You will also view players tattoos when viewing the character via 'look'. Once a tattoo is worn, it will never come off. There fore the affects of the tattoos are permanent. So think wisely about which tattoos a character may wear before wearing them. Tattoos do not level, and are treated outside the range of normal artifacted objects. Tattoos, like all character equipment, may be restrung by an immortal by returning a restring token to a creator. Restring tokens may be found in game on quest mobiles. A restring item changes the name of the item to the choice of the character.