Artifacts
-=-=-=-=-
Introduction
------------
This text describes various aspects of magical artifacts. The
magical artifacts in existence are:
amulets - /obj/amulet
rings - /obj/ring
rods - /obj/rod
staves - /obj/staff
wands - /obj/wand
which are all characterised by:
1. the skill level for successful operation,
2. the number of charges remaining,
3. the file name of an object which is responsible for the action.
For example, the level of a particular wand of striking could be 18, it
could have 7 charges left and the object that actually damages the person
at whom the wand is zapped is /obj/wands/striking. Not all amulets,
rings, rods, etc. are artifacts in this specific sense, namely objects
that can perform a particular function a limited number of times before
they must be recharged or discarded: an amulet that allows its wearer
to breath underwater or a wizard's staff for storing spells do not fall
into this category (these magical items are imagifacts rather than
artifacts). The total number of charges that the artifact has had over
the course of its existence is also tallied (see the paragraph on
recharging artifacts below).
Knowledge of Artifacts
----------------------
A person can learn to recognise an artifact through various means. To
be exact, they can learn to recognise a specific artifact function
whatever the form. For example, once a person knows how to recognise a
wand of eternal light, they will recognise one whether it is a soft
piece of balsa, about a foot long and an inch in diameter, with a thin
groove spiralling around it from one end to the other or a knobbly
length of wood with paired knotholes along its length, each pair at
right angles to its neighbours. As well as an artifact being able to
have more than one form, more than one artifact can use a particular
form, especially for two artifacts that have opposed functions - the
player would be wise to check whether a copper rod engraved with
diamonds is a rod of hypertension discharging or a rod of summon
lightning.
Ability to Use an Artifact
--------------------------
The level of an artifact is the minimum level in the relevant skill
which a person must have in order to stand a chance of using it - below
this level, the artifact cannot be used at all. Between a skill of this
level and twice it, the person has a linearly increasing chance of being
able to use the artifact, and at a skill of greater than twice the
level, they will always be able to use it. The graph below shows the
chance of being unable to use the wand as a function of the person's
skill.
Chance /|
|
100% _|_____
| \
| \
| \
| \
0% _| \______
|___________________
| | / person's skill level
level 2*level
If the person's skill is between the artifact's level and twice it and
is able to use the wand, there is a linearly decreasing chance of
gaining a level in the relevant skill on the basis that some point of
lore has been realised or clarified. The graph below shows the chance
of gaining a skill level given that the wand may be used this time.
Chance /|
|
50% _|
| |\
| | \
| | \
0% _|_____| \______
|___________________
| | / person's skill level
level 2*level
If the person doesn't have the requisite skill to use the artifact, no
charges are taken from it. If the person is skillful enough to use it,
one charge is removed from it. At this point there is a probability of
backfiring which, as a percentage, is one tenth of the artifact's
level. The nature of the backfire will depend on the artifact, being a
simple failure message for simple wands, and either an anti-effect (for
example, the wand of eternal light backfires by subtracting from its
target's light instead of adding to it) or damage to the wielder (for
the offensive artifacts, for instance).
Fashioning Artifacts
--------------------
A sufficiently skilled person may fashion artifacts from suitable forms.
In order to fashion an artifact, that person must have knowledge of that
artifact (equivalent to being able to recognise it), must have an
intelligence greater than one fifth of the maximum level of the artifact
and must have a sufficient bonus in the relevant skill (the tables at
the end of this document list this information); if these are met, and
the form is suitable and sufficiently enchanted, the artifact is fashioned,
the person's temporary intelligence drops by one fifth of the maximum
level and the bonus amount of guild points is taken away (for example,
to fashion a wand of artifact probing will cost the person 180 guild
points and will cause a temporary drop of 5 in intelligence). The level
of the artifact fashioned will be between the maximum and minimum levels
for that artifact; as the person's bonus increases above the required
bonus, the level of the artifact drops from its maximum level towards
the minimum level.
Recharging Artifacts
--------------------
Artifacts may be charged in a generic way by various means but with a
difficulty depending on the nature of the artifact. One method is to use
the "recharge" command which requires the use of a magically potent
substance: these will be available in a wide variety of strengths
varying, for example, from ground red stalked mushroom at the least
potent end through powdered cinnabar to octiron filings at the most
potent extreme, rarity and cost increasing with power. The power
required per charge varies from artifact to artifact and is the value
for it (as given in the tables at the end of this document). As for
fashioning a wand, the person must have a sufficient bonus in the
relevant skill, and this bonus is also the guild points cost if the
recharging process can be begun. An artifact may not be given a current
amount of charges beyond a certain number without there being a chance
that the wand will explode and injure the person. The maximum number of
charges begins at 15, falls linearly with the level of the artifact and
is 1 for an artifact of level 105 and above; the formula is:
maximum current charges = 15 - level / 7
or 1 if this is below 1. Artifacts are also limited in the total number
of charges they can have had over their existance and similarly have a
chance of exploding if this number is exceeded. The maximum number of
total charges starts at 32 and falls with level; the formula is:
maximum total charges = 1000 / ( 32 + level ).
There is also a chance that the artifact will explode anyway. The total
chance that the artifact will explode on being given another charge is
then:
( 3 * ( current charges - maximum current charges + 1 ) ^2
[ if current charges >= maximum current charges ]
+ 6 * ( total charges - maximum total charges + 1 ) ^2
[ if total charges >= maximum total charges ]
+ 1 ) / 100.
Further Documentation
---------------------
There is documentation for each basic artifact object (for example,
obj.wand for wands) and a number of tables listing existing artifacts
follow - it is intended that this document be kept current, so please
hassle a Lord if there is an artifact which should be listed below but
is not.
Table of Amulet Details
-----------------------
amulet name max min bonus value
aggravation*
tranquility*
An amulet is used by grasping it while worn.
Table of Ring Details
---------------------
ring name max min bonus value
recall*
searching*
A ring is used by twisting it while worn.
Table of Staff Details
----------------------
staff name max min bonus value
artifact detection*
A staff is used by invoking it while held (staves are two-handed). A
staff has an effect on the surroundings, or the contents of the
surroundings, of the holder.
Table of Rod Details
--------------------
rod name max min bonus value
Hypertension discharging*
Muster comrades*
Muster enemies*
Summon lightning*
A rod is used by applying it while held (rods are one-handed).
Table of Wand Details
---------------------
wand name max min bonus value
accelerated growth 12 9 125 800 (A$2)
acid bolt*
anima gauging 30 24 190 5000 (A$12.50)
anima gouging*
artifact probing 25 20 180 4000 (A$10)
cancellation 60 45 220 10000 (A$25)
cold*
death*
eternal dark*
eternal light 85 65 250 30000 (A$75)
fire*
garlic breath 2 1 25 600 (A$1.50)
healing 5 3 55 100 (25p)
infestation cleansing 40 30 200 1200 (A$3)
lightning*
magic detection 18 14 155 1000 (A$2.50)
magic missile*
pickling 5 3 55 100 (25p)
striking 20 16 165 200 (50p)
undead cloning*
undead turning*
A wand is used by zapping at something while held (wands are
one-handed). A wand has an effect on the person or object at which it
is zapped.
Notes on Tables
---------------
* forthcoming
(a) The bonus is approximately the skill bonus at twice the maximum
level for an intelligence of 16.
(c) Value - shown in brass coins and, in parentheses, Ankh-Morpork
currency - determines the "artifact" value info for the artifact;
see documentation for value for an explanation of value info.
The "artifact" value for a fashioned artifact is inversely
proportional to its level, being equal to the amount shown in
the table at the maximum level. The "artifact" value will
determine the difficulty and/or cost of recharging the artifact.
History of this Document
------------------------
26-31 xii 1994 Written by Deutha
