Official: Magic Item Updates

Various magic items and systems have had some improvements. The following items were impacted.

New System

Generic MIU/Scroll CS

A new system has been added for Magic Items and Scrolls to allow additional CS and Maneuver bonuses for those skilled in the appropriate skill. Activating a CS spell from a Magic Item or Scroll will now grant a CS bonus similar to spell ranks using the following formula.

.75 CS per rank up to level

.5 CS per rank up to 2x level

.33 CS per rank over 2x level

Maneuver bonuses are sphere/spell specific but generally following the following pattern

.5 per rank up to level

.33 per rank up to 2x level

.1 per rank over 2x level

Note: Semi spell bonuses are halved.

As an additional note elemental and sorcerer spells are granted an additional bonus when wearing 1711 similar to that of 425. The calculation used is the same formula as 425 (25 bonus at 25 ranks and an additional bonus point up to a max of 50 at 75 ranks). This bonus is in additional to the base +10 CS granted by the base spell.

Items

Magic items/scrolls have had the following updates.

• Gold rings location settings are now detectable via. 405.
• Bronze Squares (1718 - V'tull's fury) can now be activated from containers.

This update addresses some issues weapon users had with needing to hold the square in the offhand to activate.

Misc. Notes

The mana verb has been updated with enhancive values to bring it in line with the other stats-related commands.

The messaging for 520 (Mage Armor) has had some updates to its messaging to help casters keep track of which elemental aspect is currently active. Spell Active has also been updated to reflect the current element in use.

Viduus

This message was originally posted in Magic Spells/Systems, Magic Systems. To discuss the above, follow the link below.

http://forums.play.net/forums/19/224/2480/view/1458

@Doug - If you do a return on the -Gold rings location, -Bronze Squares lines and add a space between the hypen and the next word it will change those to bullet points.

• Gold rings ...
• Bronze Squares ...

That is such an amazing update.

@Alastir Beaut, thanks. Was thinking about the triple-backtick, but the font's just. . . wrong.

Just like the wiki - dern thing never wants to accept a single return as a line separator. Ugh.

So yeah, I need to pick up some 1711 scrolls. This is a pretty big shift.

• [11:53 PM] Drauz: Am I reading this right? You can get +60 CS from quartz orbs?
• [11:55 PM] ArchSenex: sounds it
• [11:56 PM] Estild: Yes on the quartz orbs, but only when casting elemental spells at high levels of MIU/AS. It was needed since ETD is balanced around the fact that elemental casters will have 425 active.
• [12:02 AM] ArchSenex: Oh.. so the 1711 benefit only kicks in when you are using an item to cast an elemental spell, not just general use
• [12:02 AM] Estild: Right.

can you explain the 1711 update a bit better , I just used it from a scroll and i'm only seeing +10 CS on 703.

The 1711 update is strictly in reference to elementals/sorcerer spells that are used when using a magic item or scroll. So if you have 1711 active and use 415 it will grant you additional CS.

If you're using 1711 and casting a spell you know, it will still only grant +10 generic CS.

If you're saying you used 1711, then cast 703 from a wand or scroll, and you had at least 25 magic item/scroll ranks, then that's a bug I'll have to address. Was this the issue you saw?

Viduus

For a moment I bout came in my pants, when I thought my sorc was going to get 50 more CS for free.

@doug said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

• Gold rings location settings are now detectable via. 405.

Totally on board with this. I can't even count the number of times I've cycled a gold ring and been like "Wait.. where...?"

I guess the boon for Sorcerers would be Major Elemental and Wizard Rank spell access. Sounds like non-Sorcerer casters are getting the best deal here.

Still, can't complain. More spells to play with more effectively.

What do they mean by "Semi spell bonuses are halved"? Does that mean Semis receive half the MIU-based spell bonus of, say, pures? Or that spells from semi spheres get half the bonus applied?

This makes me hopeful that I might actually get to make use of the various Mind Jolt and Sleep powders that use CS on my Rogue now. Looks like I've got something to play around with later tonight.

@Naamit is going to kill me, but this is SUPER exciting

Yeah, it's really about just making cs items viable. Pures will still generally want to use their native spells, but things like disables are now viable.

I want square's CMs since they can use even our CS spells effectively.

Excellent change. Love it.

@sabotage said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

I want square's CMs since they can use even our CS spells effectively.

with only 1x in MIU? They "can use" CS spells, I don'y know about effectively.

@archsenex said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

@sabotage said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

I want square's CMs since they can use even our CS spells effectively.

with only 1x in MIU? They "can use" CS spells, I don'y know about effectively.

and +60 from 1711.

I'm just greedy, if they want our spells I want their cmans.

@sabotage said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

@archsenex said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

@sabotage said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

I want square's CMs since they can use even our CS spells effectively.

with only 1x in MIU? They "can use" CS spells, I don'y know about effectively.

and +60 from 1711.

I'm just greedy, if they want our spells I want their cmans.

Run some numbers. The +60 is basically just the +50 you get from 425. they'll still be about 50 CS points behind a native.

@archsenex and my PT training should give me phantom CMAN ranks!

@vishra said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

What do they mean by "Semi spell bonuses are halved"? Does that mean Semis receive half the MIU-based spell bonus of, say, pures? Or that spells from semi spheres get half the bonus applied?

The latter.

@estild Thanks Estild!

@Estild Another question (sorry!): So I'm trying to use a self-mana Call Wind item from the 2016 Auction with 100 ranks of MIU, and it's still not working super well on bandits. Doesn't actually feel like it's working any better at all (but limited test runs on this). Does anything special have to be done to make older items work with the new MIU system? Or is it that 100 ranks of MIU just isn't enough bonus to make a difference against capped creatures for a spell like Call Wind?

As a Monk, I am above your puny needs for magic item uses. Monks are their own magic items. I am however here to be disruptive and obnoxious instead, because as a Monk, that's my right.

Therefore, I would like to suggest that Gemstone has too much screen scroll these days and we need to start shortening words. I propose that we mash Magic and Items together into a new term: Mightums. It could be like an Elanthian Breakfast cereal. "Did you eat your mightums today?". Et cetera. So it's totally in character, too!

Stay tuned in other threads for my next series of word mashups to combat Gemstone screen scroll. This presentation has been brought to you by Flimbo, Inc.

The End. By Flimbo.

@vishra I'm curious as to Estild's response too, but in my experience, Call Wind (912) isn't really overly useful for bandits. I believe the reason it isn't all that useful is because four of the compared factors are usually in the favor of the bandits themselves. Those four factors are:

• Level (usually a wash or close)
• DEX (not compared, but simply a bonus / detriment, I think)
• STR (same as DEX)
• Physical Fitness training

Adding to this that the bonus the new system is granting is something on the order of 25 ranks with the spell (although unclear if it's 25 ranks flat, or 25 ranks + 12 ranks = 37 ranks), that is still well below 100 ranks.

And capped mages with 100 ranks seem to tend to favor Elemental Wave (410) over Call Wind (912). I know I do!

@vishra

I can take a stab at this one. 912 uses wizard spell ranks (and level?) to determine success. You're effectively casting like a level 50 wizard against level 100 bandits.

I personally wouldn't mind giving 912 a boost to be more effective though, for wizards and those using magical items. It doesn't seem to work very well at cap on a lot of things. (And I have 100 wizard spell ranks)

I don't think call wind uses spell ranks to determine success, so that's probably part of it

I'm 99% sure it uses spell ranks in the calculations and there is a post by @Estild? maybe where he stated over-training would increase success.

Yeah, I'm the moron looking at the wrong spell.

It uses Wizard Base ranks.

It also may not be CS under-the-hood (now that I'm reading the right). It may be some sort of effectively non-standard maneuver success, rather than a CS versus TD

@vishra said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

@Estild Another question (sorry!): So I'm trying to use a self-mana Call Wind item from the 2016 Auction with 100 ranks of MIU, and it's still not working super well on bandits. Doesn't actually feel like it's working any better at all (but limited test runs on this). Does anything special have to be done to make older items work with the new MIU system? Or is it that 100 ranks of MIU just isn't enough bonus to make a difference against capped creatures for a spell like Call Wind?

As long there is an activation skill check (e.g. "1d100: 73 + Modifiers: 160 == 233"), it's working correctly. 100 MIU ranks only count the same as 50 wizard spell ranks. Against level 100 creatures, that's not a lot. It will work, but don't expect the best results.

I believe both 912 and 709 have similar equations in terms of their hitting equations... the big difference is that sorcerers get all the sorcerer ranks while wizards only get like, a handful of wizard ranks by comparison. Therefore 410, which relies more on level rather than spell ranks to keep it competitive for non-pures' access, tends to have a higher chance to hit.

KARDIOS Force Projection (1207) is an offensive maneuver spell (sort of like a single-target e-wave) that increases in effectiveness based on MnM spell ranks. I think that's the sort of spell to which this update applies. It might also apply to Spike Thorn (616), Call Wind (912) and Grasp of the Grave (709). All three of those spells have an instantaneous effect, but all three also have the possibility for lingering effects. There is a runestaff somewhere, which has been sold several times, that casts Spoke Thorn. I assume that even with 202 MIU ranks a Cleric would never be as good at Spike Thorn as a Ranger.

Correct.

ROLFARD Ok, so the only spells affected are elemental and sorcerer spells that are immediate and CS based? And only when using 1711?

No. It affects offensive warding and maneuver spells when activated from magical items or scrolls. If said spell is also elemental in nature, 1711 will provide an additional boost (since ETD is calculated with the assumption 425 is active on elemental casters, said bonus also only applies if 425 is not active itself).

GameMaster Estild

So from that information, the bonuses also apply to maneuver attack spells. Very nice.

Does 340 work with scrolls? If it does, I think I could take Leafi up to 16-24 shots of 478 empath CS per hunt with 202 Arcane Symbols or 494 with +49 AS enhancives... if I'm doing the math right, anyway, involving +27 CS charges of 340.

@estild okay, so I think there may be two issues. The first is that it doesn't do an activation check I don't think. Makes sense that it wouldn't automatically use the new formula. Does that mean that it shouldn't get this bonus? Or that it needs to be tweaked to get it? It's the Stormhammer from the auction, btw.

The second issue is what you and others have pointed out re: the inherent logistics of the spell.

It's just been my dream to have the self-mana call wind of this item work. Otherwise it begs the question: why put a spell in such a wonderful item that doesn't work. So I got so giddy over these changes!

@vishra

My guess is that a weapon doesn't qualify as a magical item, therefore it's not getting the bonus.

This might be obvious, but I tried imbedding a 516 wand and using it, had exact same CS as casted 516.

Just in case anyone was wondering.

@alastir Yeah, but I'm hoping the spirit of the new change will prevail. After all, I doubt (hope?) that there was no intentional decision that self-mana items be exempt.

Fingers crossed that my initial excitement was for good reason!

Keep in mind that 319 isn't enhanced by this change.

What I need to know is - does this change make it possible for my Wizard to use a 703 imbed reliably?

If you're running Mystic Focus and are 2x MIU, I imagine with the pushdown you could use it fairly well. Only one way to find out, really.

@evarin said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

If you're running Mystic Focus and are 2x MIU, I imagine with the pushdown you could use it fairly well. Only one way to find out, really.

Hmm, apparently Mystic Focus would only add another +10 because, as a wizard, he already runs 425. Apparently the MIU change will only add the additional +50 when running 1711 if the caster is not running 425 at the same time.

However, it should help with the generic CS formula, so maybe.

@ashraam-vaneyre said in Official: Magic Item Updates:

What I need to know is - does this change make it possible for my Wizard to use a 703 imbed reliably?

Based on my chat with Estild, it is supposed to. Not as good as a sorc, but good enough to consider.

I'd need to run the numbers to be sure, and expect to be 2x in miu.

So if I'm a sorcerer casting a cleric-circle CS spell off a scroll, do my MnS ranks still count toward my CS as well? Or is it now arcane symbols ranks only?

The system will use either your natural spell bonuses (known spells) or your arcane symbols ranks, whichever is higher, but they won't combine with each other. If you have a bonus of 423 from your spiritual spells, but a 450 CS from arcane symbols, your arcane symbols value will be used. If, on the other hand, you have a 423 bonus from your spiritual spells, but only a 327 CS from your arcane symbol contribute, your spell bonus will be used.

What is a semi-circle spell?

Rangers, bards, paladins

Viduus

@archsenex 703 also has its own pushdown effect, so you will probably be able to use it effectively.