Appendix 3 - 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.

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:

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 affects (the first field is usually Ability Strength), and their values will modify the affects 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.

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 - Melee Protection
This item behaves as armour even if it isn't. It reduces damage by a die with the number of sides specified in Ability Strength. If the item is armour, this is on top of the normal damage reduction of the armour.
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 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, he/she survives and is healed, and the item loses a charge. This item must be given charges.
Ability 49 - Prot. from petrify
Reduces chance of being petrified.
Ability 50 - Regenerate
Heals wielder occasionally.
Ability 51 - Poison Augment
Wielder's weapon poison 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.

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 him/herself.
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:
  1. Strengthen Target - Makes the target monster stronger. Still counts as an attack, so casting it on a friendly monster will make it hostile.
  2. Summon Rat - Summons a Mung Rat.
  3. Sphere of Frost - Like the Ice Wall spell, but in a circle.
  4. Goo Bomb - Like the Web spell, but in a larger radius.
  5. Foul Vapours - Like the Stinking Cloud spell, but in a large circle.
  6. Sleep Bomb - Like the Sleep Cloud spell, but in a circle.
  7. Acid Spray - Sprays acid on target.
  8. Paralyze Beam - Like the Paralyze spell, but affects just a single target.
  9. Mass Sleep - Like Mass Paralysis, but puts all nearby monsters to sleep.
  10. Ravage Enemies - Like Slow Group, but also curses enemies.
  11. 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.
  12. Icy Rain - Like Firestorm, but deals cold damage.
  13. Aura of Flames - All adjacent spaces take fire damage.
  14. Summon Aid - Like Summoning, but only summons one creature.
  15. Major Summon Aid - Like Major Summoning, but only summons one creature.
  16. Flash Step - Lets you target a space and, if the space is empty, immediately teleports the character there. Only usable in combat.
  17. Dispel Field - This differs from the two Dispel Fields spells (one mage, one priest) in only affecting a single space.
  18. 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.
  19. Wrack - A weaker version of the Wound spell.
  20. Unholy Ravaging - Damages, slows, and poisons the targeted monster.
  21. 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.
  22. 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..

Reagents (Inherent)

To perform alchemy or cast certain spells, the alchemist/caster must have items with certain abilities in his/her 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 (except for Lockpicks).

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.