Appendix B - Item Ability Types

Each item type can have a special ability. The types of abilities available range from shooting fireballs to weapons doing special damage to dragons to items being ingredients for alchemical recipes.

There are two types of item abilities: usable and inherent.

• Usable abilities: Usable item abilities are only activated by pressing the item's use button on the PC inventory screen. Otherwise, the ability has no effect. Examples are a wand that shoots fireballs or a healing potion.

  Usable abilities are always linked to the item's charges. Whenever an item with a usable ability is actually used, the item's amount of charges goes down by 1. When the item's charge level goes down to 0, the item disappears. An item with a usable ability must have at least 1 charge.

  The cash value of an item with a usable ability is calculated differently from normal items. The item's actual cost is its value multiplied by the number of its charges. (Example: Suppose a Potion of Healing has a value of 100 and 2 charges. This potion would cost 200 gold and sell for half that.)

• Inherent Abilities: Inherent abilities are abilities that are always present and are activated automatically, as opposed to being activated by pressing the Use button on the PC Inventory screen. Examples are a shield with fire protection (which is activated automatically when the character takes fire damage) or comfrey root (whose ability it that it can be used as an alchemical ingredient, and which is used automatically when the party tries to make a potion with it).

  Some inherent abilities have charges (such as alchemical ingredients). When used, the amount of charges goes down by one. When there are no charges left, the item disappears. The name of inherent ability types that require charges have a (c) after them. The value of these items is calculated the same way as for Usable abilities.

There are four different classes of item ability type, each with its own properties and varieties of items that can possess it. Three of these classes are inherent abilities. The categories are listed below:

• Weapon Abilities: Abilities of this type can be given to weapons. Some of these abilities can only be given to missiles (like darts or arrows). None of these abilities require charges.
• General Abilities: Abilities of this type can be given to non-missile items which can be equipped (e.g. rings, armor, sword, but not arrows) but not to items that can't (e.g. wands, potions). Only a few of these ability types require that the items having them have charges.
• Usable Abilities: Most abilities of this type change the status of the party or individual character in some way, such as making them more or less poisoned, or raising or lowering health. A few instead cast a spell or have a similar effect such as summoning monsters. Abilities of these types can be given to any item that's not a missile (e.g. arrows, bolts). Being usable item abilities, any item having one of these abilities must have charges.
• Reagents: Items with these abilities are alchemical ingredients, spell reagents (e.g. smoky crystals, sapphires), or similar substances. All items with an ability of this type must have charges, and must be of variety Non-use Object.

As mentioned before, each item type has two acompanying extra data fields as well as the Magic Item Adjust setting. For each ability, these two fields have different ranges and different effects (the first field is usually Ability Strength), and their values will modify the effects of the item abilities in different ways. What each ability does and how the extra data fields and Magic Item Adjust affect it are described below.

Ability 0 - No ability

The item has no special ability.

Weapon Abilities (Inherent)

For each of these abilities, the Ability Strength is a number from 0 to 10, which represents the strength of the ability (0 is weakest, 10 is most powerful). The Magic Item Adjust field is ignored.

Ability 1 - Damaging Weapon

The weapon does extra damage of the type specified in the second extra data field. The Ability Strength is the number of d6's of extra damage done.

Ability 2 - Slayer Weapon

Does extra damage to the race specified in the second extra data field. If the specified race is Humanoid, it also affects Sliths, Nephilim, Vahnatai, and Goblins. If the specified race is Undead, it affects both normal and skeletal undead. The amount of extra damage is equal to the ability strength times a race-dependent constant:

• Demon, Giant, Stone, Dragon: 8
• Bug, Plant, Slime: 7
• Undead, Skeletal: 6
• Reptile, Beast, Bird: 5
• Mage, Priest, Magical: 4
• Human, Nephil, Slith, Vahnatai, Goblin, Humanoid: 3
• Important: 0.5

Ability 3 - Healing Weapon

Restores health to target. The extra data fields are not used; the amount healed is equal to the damage that would have otherwise been done.

Ability 4 - Exploding Weapon

Explodes at the target, cast at a level equal to the Ability strength.

Ability 5 - Returning Missile

This missile is not used up when fired. It is best to only give it one use. This ability cannot be given to a melee weapon. The extra data fields are not used.

Ability 6 - Farflight Missile

This missile has a greater range than others of its kind. The Ability Strength specifies the bonus to the missile's range. This ability cannot be given to a melee weapon.

Ability 7 - Seeking Missile

This missile seeks out its target. If aimed at an empty space, there is a chance that it will instead target an adjacent space if there is something there. This is especially useful when fighting invisible monsters. This ability cannot be given to a melee weapon. The extra data fields are not used.

Ability 8 - Draining Weapon

Drains spell points from the target and restores the wielder's spell points. The amount of SP drained is equal to the Ability Strength.

Ability 9 - Status-afflicting Weapon

Afflicts some status effect on anything it hits. The second extra data field specifies the type of status effect. If it is a beneficial status effect, the weapon will instead drain it from the target. The amount afflicted/drained is equal to one-half the Ability Strength. (So, an ability strength of 1 has no effect.)

Ability 10 - Soulsucker

When it hits, the wielder is healed. The amount healed is equal to one-half the Ability Strength. (So, an ability strength of 1 has no effect.)

Ability 11 - Reserved

Ability 12 - Weak Weapon

Does less damage than usual. If Ability Strength is 10, does no damage at all.

Ability 13 - Causes Fear

Drains morale of target.

Ability 14 - Weapon Call Special

The weapon calls a special node every time it hits.

Ability 15 - HP Damage

The weapon's damage is multiplied by the wielder's health ratio, meaning it does less damage as they lose health and only 1 damage when they are on the verge of death.

Ability 16 - Inverse HP Damage

The weapon's damage is multiplied by the inverse of the wielder's health ratio, meaning it does more damage as they lose health and only 1 damage when they are at full health.

Ability 17 - SP Damage

The weapon's damage is multiplied by the wielder's energy ratio, meaning it does less damage as they lose energy and only 1 damage when they are completely depleted.

Ability 18 - Inverse SP Damage

The weapon's damage is multiplied by the inverse of the wielder's energy ratio, meaning it does more damage as they lose energy and only 1 damage when they are at full energy.

General Abilities (Inherent)

For each of these abilities (unless otherwise stated), the Ability Strength is a number from 0 to 10, which represents the strength of the ability (0 is weakest, 10 is most powerful). The Magic Item Adjust field is ignored.

Ability 30 - Protection

This partially blocks damage the wielder takes. The type of damage blocked is specified in the second extra data field. The Ability Strength determines how much damage is blocked. For weapon damage, the amount blocked is equal to the Ability Strength; otherwise, it's equal to one-half the Ability Strength.

Ability 31 - Full Protection

This partially blocks weapon and spell damage the wielder takes. It also protects from poison.

Ability 32 - Magery

This item makes your mage spells stronger.

Ability 33 - Evasion

This reduces the chance of enemies hitting you with melee attacks and non-magical missiles. The Ability Strength determines how much less likely they are to hit, as a percentage.

Ability 34 - Martyr's Shield

When attacked with this equipped, the enemy will take damage.

Ability 35 - Encumbering

This increases your encumbrance by an amount equal to the Ability Strength.

Ability 36 - Status Protection

Protects you from a negative status effect. The type of status effect is specified in the second extra data field. Note that if you specify a beneficial status effect, the ability will have no effect. Whenever the specified status effect is received, it is reduced by an amount equal to a fraction of the ability strength:

• Sleep, Paralysis, Dumbfound: 1/4
• Poison, Disease, Web, Slow, Curse: 1/2
• Acid: 1

In addition, if applied to the disease status effect, it makes it wear off more quickly.

Ability 37 - Skill

Increases the wielder's chance of hitting in combat.

Ability 38 - Boost Statistic

Boosts the wielder's level in the skill specified in the second extra data field. This cannot boost max HP or max SP. The Ability Strength is how many extra levels the wielder gets. This cannot raise the effective level above 20. It can however raise the effective level of Mage or Priest Spells above 7, though there's not much use in doing so - the only thing it affects is your chance of breaking a forcecage. If applied to one of the three basic stats (Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence), this ability increases your bonus to that stat by one, but the bonuses are otherwise still based on your actual level in the stat. The Ability Strength is still relevant, however, because a few circumstances use the modified skill level instead of the stat bonus. These circumstances are: Amount you can carry (Strength), Hit chance in unarmed combat (Dexterity), Effectiveness in a mindduel (Intelligence).

The wielder's bonuses due to strength are increased.

Ability 39 - Boost Combat Statistics

Like Boost Statistic, above, but applies to all combat statistics simultaneously.

Ability 40 - Boost Magic Statistics

Like Boost Statistic, above, but applies to all magic statistics simultaneously.

Ability 41 - Accuracy

Missile weapons are more accurate.

Ability 42 - Thieving

Picking locks and disarming traps is easier.

Ability 43 - Giant Strength

Improves odds of hitting and damage in combat.

Ability 44 - Lighter object

Wielder can carrier more weight.

Ability 45 - Heavier object

Wielder can carry less weight.

Ability 46 - Occasional Status Effect

Occasionally inflicts a status effect. Which status effect is specified by the second extra data field. The Ability Strength specifies how much, and the Magic Use Type determines whether it is beneficial or harmful. If the Magic Use Type specifies that it affects a single character, it must be equipped to have its effect, but if the Magic Use Type specifies that it affects the whole party, it need only be carried to have its effect.

Ability 47 - Defensive Call Special

Calls a special node when the wearer is hit in melee combat or by a non-magical missile.

Ability 48 - Life Saving (c)

When the wielder takes a death blow, they survive and are healed, and the item loses a charge. This item must be given charges.

Ability 49 - Protect from petrify

Reduces chance of being petrified.

Ability 50 - Regenerate

Heals wielder occasionally.

Ability 51 - Poison Augment

Wielder's weapon poison is more effective. The wielder must poison their weapon first for this ability to have any effect.

Ability 52 - Radiant

When worn, this item sometimes increases the light level around you. This can even work in totally dark towns.

Ability 53 - Will

Wielder more effective in a mindduel, and resists sleeping and paralysis.

Ability 54 - Free Action

Wielder resists sleeping and paralysis.

Ability 55 - Speed

The wearer gets more action points in combat (powerful).

Ability 56 - Slow Wearer

The wearer gets fewer action points in combat.

Ability 57 - Protect from Species

Protects from blows received in combat from the species specified in the second extra data field. If the specified species is Humanoid, it also protects from Sliths, Nephilim, Vahnatai, and Goblins. If the specified species is Undead, it protects from both normal and skeletal undead. Damage is reduced by an amount equal to one-half the Ability Strength.

Ability 58 - Lockpicks

This item can be used as a lockpick. The Ability Strength determines how good a pick it is.

Ability 59 - Drains Missiles

Drains missiles twice as fast. This is typically given to bows and crossbows.

Ability 60 - Drop Call Special

Calls a special node when dropped on the ground.

Usable Abilities

Most of these item abilities affect a character's statistics (e.g. health, spell points) or status (e.g. poison, flying) when the item is used.

For each of these abilities, the Ability Strength is a number from 0 to 10, which represents the strength of the ability (0 is weakest, 10 is most powerful). The meaning of this changes depending on the ability affected. Sometimes, the number affects the duration, sometimes the damage done.

The Item Use Properties buttons affect whether using the item affects just the using character or the whole party, and whether the item helps or hurts the party.

Some of these abilities can only help (like Bliss) or only hurt (like Doom). For these abilities, the Magic Item Adjust values of 0 and 1 have the same effect, and the values 2 and 3 have the same effect. Also, some abilities only affect the whole party (like Light or Firewalk). For these abilities, setting the Magic Item Use type to affect a single PC will have the same effect as the equivalent Whole Party setting.

Example: Suppose you give an item the ability Dumbfound, set Ability Strength to 2, and Magic Item Adjust to 0. Then, when the item is used, the user's level of dumbfounding will go down a little bit. If Ability Strength is set instead to 10, the user will be totally cured of Dumbfounding.

Example: Suppose you give an item the ability Cause/Cure Acid, set Ability Strength to 5, and Magic Item Adjust to 3. When someone uses the item, the entire party gets 5 levels of acid (which means the acid lasts about 5 turns).

Ability 70 - Poison Weapon

This item is a weapon poison that can be applied to the user's weapon. The Magic Use Type is ignored, and the Ability Strength is the strength of the poison. When used, the user has a chance (based on the Poison skill) of poisoning themself.

Ability 71 - Affect Status

Affects the level of a status effect on the user. Note that some pairs of status effects are considered opposites, so that curing one is the same as afflicting its opposite. The status effect to affect is specified in the second extra data field, and the Ability Strength specifies how much to change it.

Ability 72 - Cast Spell

Casts a spell. The spell is cast as if by a PC of level equal to the Ability Strength with an Intelligence bonus of 1. The second extra data field specifies which spell to cast. For a priest spell, add 100 to the spell number. There are also some extra spells not available to PCs that can be specified here - they have IDs 62-77 and 162-167. You can click the Mage or Priest button to select the spell from a list. The Magic Item Adjust setting is ignored. The additional spells are:

62. Strengthen Target - Makes the target monster stronger. Still counts as an attack, so casting it on a friendly monster will make it hostile.
63. Summon Rat - Summons a Mung Rat.
64. Sphere of Frost - Like the Ice Wall spell, but in a circle.
65. Goo Bomb - Like the Web spell, but in a larger radius.
66. Foul Vapours - Like the Stinking Cloud spell, but in a large circle.
67. Sleep Bomb - Like the Sleep Cloud spell, but in a circle.
68. Acid Spray - Sprays acid on target.
69. Paralyze Beam - Like the Paralyze spell, but affects just a single target.
70. Mass Sleep - Like Mass Paralysis, but puts all nearby monsters to sleep.
71. Ravage Enemies - Like Slow Group, but also curses enemies.
72. Aura of Blades - Places a circle of Blade Walls centered on the caster's location. This will damage the caster as well as anything within range.
73. Icy Rain - Like Firestorm, but deals cold damage.
74. Aura of Flames - All adjacent spaces take fire damage.
75. Summon Aid - Like Summoning, but only summons one creature.
76. Major Summon Aid - Like Major Summoning, but only summons one creature.
77. Flash Step - Lets you target a space and, if the space is empty, immediately teleports the character there. Only usable in combat.
162. Dispel Field - This differs from the two Dispel Fields spells (one mage, one priest) in only affecting a single space.
163. Distance Shatter - This combines the range of Move Mountains with the area effect of Shatter, destroying any fragile walls in a 3x3 area around the target location.
164. Wrack - A weaker version of the Wound spell.
165. Unholy Ravaging - Damages, slows, and poisons the targeted monster.
166. Augmentation - Healing that may exceed your max health. If it does, the bonus hit points slowly wear off even when you don't take any damage, and disappear entirely when you exit town or end outdoor combat.
167. Nirvana - Gives one player enlightenment (the inverse of dumbfounding) and bonus spell points, which work much like bonus hit points as described above.

Ability 73 - Bliss/Doom

Bliss heals and blesses. Doom poisons, damages, diseases, dumbfounds, and drains experience. If the Magic Use Type specifies a helpful item, it causes Bliss; otherwise, Doom.

Ability 74 - Add/Lose Experience

Experience gained/lost is equal to 5 times Ability Strength.

Ability 75 - Add/Lose Skill Pts.

Amount of skill points gained/lost is equal to Ability Strength.

Ability 76 - Add/Lose Health

Amount added or lost is 10 times Ability Strength plus or minus a small random amount. Health will not be reduced below 0. This can be as high as 20.

Ability 77 - Add/Lose Spell Points

Amount added or lost is 5 times Ability Strength plus or minus a small random amount.

Ability 78 - Light

Affects the party light level. The Ability Strength determines how much, and the Magic Use Type determines whether it increases or decreases the light level.

Ability 79 - Affect Party Status

Increases or decreases one of the whole-party status effects - Stealth, Firewall, Flight or Detect Life. The second extra data field specifies which effect, and the Ability Strength determines how much. For Stealth, the Ability Strength is multiplied by 5; for Firewalk, it is multiplied by 2. The Magic Use Type determiens whether it increase or decreases the status effect.

Ability 80 - Affect Health and Poison

Affects both health and poison. The amount of poison affected is equal to the Ability Strength, while the amount of health changed is equal to 25 times the Ability Strength.

Ability 81 - Call Special

Calls a special node when used.

Ability 82 - Summoning

Summons one monster. The Ability Strength field specifies how long the monster stays, while the second extra data field contains the number of the monster to summon. The Magic Item Adjust setting is ignored.

Ability 83 - Mass Summoning

Summons 3-5 monsters. Otherwise works just like the above ability.

Ability 84 - Quickfire

Creates quickfire on space where its used. The Magic Item Adjust setting is ignored, as are the extra data fields..

Ability 85 - Book

The item is a book which gives some textual information when used. A book does not consume any charges when used. To set the contents of the book, edit the item description. At the end of the description, add three vertical bars (|) followed by the content of the book. If you want, you can add another three vertical bars followed by a second string. Note that there is limited space for the strings in the dialog.

Reagents (Inherent)

To perform alchemy or cast certain spells, the alchemist/caster must have items with certain abilities in their inventory. For example, to make a Weak Poison potion, the maker must have an item with the Holly ability, or to cast a Magic Map spell, the caster must have an item with the Sapphire ability.

These items must have charges, representing the number of times they can be used. The Magic Item Adjust and Ability Strength fields are not used.

The name of each ability represents the ingredient/spell component that the item with that ability can substitute for. For example, a gem with the ability Smoky Crystal can be used to cast Mindduel.

Ability 150 - Holly/Toadstool

Used for Weak Curing, Weak Poison, Clarity

Ability 151 - Comfrey Root

Used for Weak Healing, Weak Speed, Strong Healing

Ability 152 - Glowing Nettle

Used for Medium Healing, Strong Curing, Medium Speed, Strong Strength

Ability 153 - Crypt Shroom/Wormgrass

Used for Weak Speed, Medium Poison, Medium Speed, Weak Power

Ability 154 - Asptongue Mold

Used for Weak Power, Strong Poison, Medium Power, Bliss

Ability 155 - Ember Flowers

Used for Resurrection Balm, Knowledge Brew, Strong Strength, Strong Power

Ability 156 - Graymold

Used for Graymold Salve, Clarity, Strong Healing, Bliss

Ability 157 - Mandrake

Used for Killer Poison, Medium Power, Knowledge Brew, Strong Power

Ability 158 - Sapphire

Required to cast Magic Map.

Ability 159 - Smoky Crystal

Required to cast Mindduel.

Ability 160 - Resurrection Balm

Required to cast Raise Dead or Resurrect.
Note: For old-format scenarios, this requirement is waived.