Equipment Quality & Upgrades
The time will come when your equipment isn’t doing enough, and you need something better. Luckily, you can find upgraded equipment for just the occasion. Each upgrade increases the stats of the equipment in specific ways. When purchasing an upgraded equipment, you are buying a new item and quality grades do not stack on each other.
Each quality grade represents a different level of craftsmanship. The strength and durability of material increase as the grades get higher. When purchasing an upgraded gear, keep in mind that some gear can’t be upgraded (i.e. chalk).
Every item has a build quality and durability, based on the skill of the crafter and the type of material used. There are different levels of quality: poor, basic, fair, mediocre, good, fine, pristine, exquisite, masterwork, and paragon. The level of quality affects how the equipment performs when used and its overall durability.
Unless specified, all equipment listed is basic quality. The Equipment Quality Upgrade Table shows equipment quality levels, their bonuses or penalties, and additional costs based on the equipment type.
Basics for Upgrading Equipment
The following section explains the ins and outs of the different aspects of upgrading equipment quality. Important information about equipment maintenance and penalties for neglect should be considered before upgrading.
Depreciating Durability (Optional)
Durability determines the quality grade. As a weapons durability decreases, so does its quality, resulting in the item's effectiveness to diminish. Every three durability lost the equipment’s quality grade, reduces by one until it reaches either grade negative one or zero and breaks.
This does not apply to paragon and runic items.
Item Health
There might be times when you need to know the health of an object in relation to a creature’s health. Multiply durability by ten to determine an item's health.
Durability x 10 = Object health
More information can be found in the game rules chapter under Combat: Damage.
Repairing Equipment
Upkeep of your equipment is important as it can be a matter of life and death in combat. This is where repairing comes into play. Either you are going to want to use your smith skill to repair your own equipment or pay to have an NPC repair it for you.
Doing Your Own Repairs
To repair the damage yourself, the correct material must be purchased or gathered, and the proper tools must be obtained to perform the repairs. For example, repairing a bronze cuirass requires bronze material, a forge, anvil, and hammer to work the metal. Your smith skill is used when repairing; see the Crafting chapter for more information.
Maximum Durability Limitation
Regardless of how your equipment is repaired, each time an item is repaired, its maximum durability is lowered by one, except for items made using the maximum grade materials. Whetstones reduce the weapon’s maximum durability by one after every five uses.
Purchasing Repairs
Paying to have your equipment repaired, the cost is 20% of the equipment’s original cost. The original cost should include all upgrade prices and any other modifications such as increasing the quality.
Rolling Minimum
Anytime the minimum is rolled on the initial roll and an object is being used as part of that roll, it takes one durability damage. This includes items that have attachments, such as power sources in advanced weaponry. It also includes armor and other defensive equipment. If a gun attack results in a one, not only does the gun lose one durability, but the power source does as well. For example, making an attack with a weapon or conduit and a one is rolled, the weapon or conduit’s durability would be reduced by one.
Upgrading Requirements
Upgrading equipment requires knowing the balance and feel of the new quality, which requires your skills associated with the weapon to be double the quality grade. This also applies to using equipment as conduits. Therefore, if you want to upgrade a long sword to grade five, you would need to have of one of your melee skills (Off-hand, One-handed, or Two-handed) at ten.
Failing to meet this requirement removes the bonus of the upgraded material (added damage) and the penalty for not meeting equipment requirements is applied.
Equipment Upgrades
Equipment upgrades that fall under this category include everything except specific technology. Equipment that has their own unique aspects of quality and upgrades have their own listing, such as explosives.
Throwing Weapons
Throwing weapons (i.e. javalins, darts, throwing daggers, throwing axes, throwing hammers, etc.) are purchased in increments of five. Throwing items that come in bundles are considered one item.
Cost
Cost is calculated based on the indicated percent increase (or decrease) and then added to the listed price of the item.
(Listed price x upgrade percent cost) + listed price = Upgraded equipment price
The cost uses a percentile as every equipment is crafted differently, and their cost reflects that. Their pricing is based on their basic quality version, provide a more diverse pricing yet keeping it similar.
Damage
Upgrading weapons and some tools to grades above zero provide additional damage dice whenever dealing damage. The damage column indicates what type of dice are added to the weapon or tools base damage dice.
Only weapons and tools that have a base damage have their damage increased based on the grade of the material. So, the long sword mentioned in the example before would deal 2d8 instead of the base 1d8 in damage. The additional damage dice allow for a higher chance to cause dice chaining.
DU/DR - Durability/Damage Reduction
The amount of increased durability and damage reduction equals the grade. So, fine grade (4) equipment has their durability increased by +4 and armor of the same grade, in additional to its durability, has its damage reduction increased by +4.
Regardless of what equipment is being upgraded, it always has its durability increased based on the grade.
Grade & Grade Name
Each level of quality is gauged by a grade to indicate its level of quality. Quality, price, and rarity increase as the grade goes up. Along with the grades having associated numbers, they also have a specific name for each grade.
Paragon Conduit
When gaining a paragon item that is a conduit you are melded with gain +5 to your channeling limit.
Rarity
This indicates how rare the quality is seen in the world. The higher the quality the rarer it is but not only because it requires master level artisans to craft them but also because of their high price tag.
Explosives Upgrades
Explosives can be upgraded using the different upgrade materials. Upgrading an explosive works like weapons in that an extra die is added to the damage. The higher the quality grade, the larger the area of effect will be.
Special Material Upgrades
The most common material used for tools, weapons, and other metal equipment is iron. In fact, all items listed in the marketplace that is metal are iron unless specified. However, there are other types of metals that can be used in place of them, metals such as silver, steel, titanium, and Hotton Steel, to name a few. Just like metals, there are also textiles, wood, and furs that can be used in place of their common counterparts.
Special materials have extra qualities like greater durability, unique properties that harm certain creatures (silver harms werewolves), and the ability to create powerful runic items.
AGE Crystal
AGE Crystals are white foggy crystals found throughout the world. Its name stands for Anti-Gravity Energy as they defy gravity. These crystals allow ships to fly and where the AGE vessels get their name.
AGE crystals are special in that they cannot be imbedded into equipment by themselves. Instead, they are forged with the equipment to grant it special abilities. When AGE crystals are forged into equipment, it makes them lighter and quicker but reduces the durability of the equipment.
Typically, as AGE crystals are fragile, they are never placed on the outside of the equipment for fear of them shattering. They are forged inside the equipment and require a weapon to be forged from scratch with the crystals as its core. AGE crystals can be to add to weapons and tools but cannot be added to armor.
The price of AGE crystal is added to the total price of the equipment after any upgrades or special materials have been applied.
Bronze
The former king of commonly crafted metal equipment, bronze was dethroned when iron was discovered. However, it still has unique properties used with steam powered equipment as it is light, more malleable, and less expensive than iron, which makes it ideal for pipes and tubes. It can also create less expensive equipment when iron or steel is over your budget. Making equipment that normally would be made with iron or steel has its price reduced by twenty percent when made from bronze, but its durability is cut in half.
Copper
One of the most common metals, copper, is used primarily for currency when minted into coins, but is also heavily used in the rare electrical technology. It allows electricity to flow through it, powering house lamps and other minor household devices for the wealthy population.
Ebony
A rare dark, durable wood used for its strong connection to energy and its durability for weapons and construction. However, because of the high price and rarity, only those wealthy enough can have access to the beautiful wood.
Making Ebony equipment increases its connection to energy, granting those who melt with it as a conduit extra essence. Ebony conduits, when melded, give +10 essence that ignores the character’s absolute maximum essence.
Hotton Steel
Forged from the volcanic forges in the Empire of Hotton, this steel is one of the strongest metals known. The forging process gives the steel a lava red hue that causes it to stand out among other metals.
Hotton Steel is one of the most durable metals because of its special properties. Not only does it gain a bonus to durability, but its quality won’t depreciate until it loses five durability instead of the standard three. Weapons that deal 1d6 or higher base dice have their damage chain increment increased by one. Armor made with Hotton Steel has damage reduction equal to its durability.
Iron
A common metal that is used for metal equipment. All equipment that is made of metal is iron unless specifically specified.
Ironclad
The rarest and strongest metal currently discovered on Nisumari. It is said to have a natural dark wood texture and appearance. This extremely rare metal is said to only be found in ironclad trees which are even rarer than the metal. Legends say that one must make a bond or pact with the ironclad tree to obtain the metal. Other legends say once the bond is made the tree creates the ironclad item from its roots and only the one bonded can use its special ironclad abilities. Part of those rumors also talk about Minotaur’s hunting down lost ironclad items and killing anyone who gets in their way. Only the ironclad Minotaur clans know the truth, but they have sworn to take their secrets to the grave.
Ironclad is considered paragon quality but does not require skills to be at master tier to use without penalty. While it is not considered a runic item, it is on the edge of being one. Ironclad is extremely tough because it can repair itself and is nearly impossible to destroy. At its base, it provides an additional twelve durability on top of the quality grade of being paragon for a total of plus twenty durability. This is added to the base durability of the item the ironclad has been made into.
Its self-healing property heals one durability for every hour that it isn’t taking durability damage.
Purple Heart
This unique looking wood is one of the strongest in the world. It can give equipment made from it an extreme increase in durability. This is provided you have the coin for such a rare wood.
Equipment made from this wood has their chance to chain damage increment increased by one. However, this only applies to dice of d6 or higher.
Silver
A shiny gray metal that is primarily used as a currency when minted into coins, along with being a common metal used in jewelry making. However, silver is also known for its durability and connection with energy, which is why it is commonly used in crafting runic items. There are also rumors that some creatures are vulnerable to the metal.
Steel
Not as common as iron as it is derived from it, steel is the second most used metal for equipment. It provides a +1 to durability compared to iron.
Titanium
This metal, which is incredibly rare, is famous for its anti-energy properties. It is a lightweight material that can negate the flow of energy when placed into its flow. Although rare, this is a common material used by bounty hunters who specialize in hunting channelers. Not only do bounty hunters have their weapons made from titanium, but they also have manacles and other restraints made from it.
Titanium is one of the few known materials that cannot be used as a conduit. Any energy channeled through it is negated and displaced back into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is used primarily in prisons that specialize in keeping channelers locked away. Channelers can't use their powers in titanium prison cells and lose them when they are handcuffed because of the metal's energy-nullifying properties.
Titanium weapons deal essence damage on called shots and critical attacks. The damage done to essence is equal to the weapon’s base damage die’s first roll (cannot chain).
Textile Upgrades
Clothing and other equipment made from cloth, furs, and leather (excluding armor) have their own special materials they can be upgraded too. Clothing, by default, is made from wool unless specifically specified.
Silk
Silk is the fabric of the wealthy. Silk not only looks and feels nice, but it can also provide a small amount of protection from slashing damage. Wearing a dress, shirt, or trousers made of silk gives you two damage reduction from slashing damage. This does not stack on itself but can stack with other damage reduction. If the damage is a called shot to an area that is not covered by silk, the damage reduction does not apply.
Spider Thread
This type of textile is not only rare and one of the most expensive in the world, but it also has strength near that of metal armor. Wearing a full outfit made of this material gives you an unarmored defense of 1d10 and a damage reduction of ten. Wearing armor with this does not stack and the armor’s protection is used. If you have dodge as your defense, wearing a spider thread outfit provides you with only the damage reduction and you lose the critical defense ability.
Additional Cost
The percent takes the base price and increases it by the percent (or decreases) to get the special material’s price. So, an adamantine long sword would have its price increased by 2,000% of the listed price based on your distance from the source of the material. But a bronze long sword would have its price reduced by 20%.
Durability (DU)/Infusion Limit (IL)
The durability (DU) indicates the durability increase the item gains when made from the specific material. An infusion limit (IL) determines how much energy can be put into the item when turning it into a runic item. Infusion limits almost always equal the durability of the item. For more information about infusion limits, see creating runic items in the crafting chapter.
Steam Mail Upgrades
Steam mail is upgraded like other equipment in that their durability is increased. However, they also have their steam mail accessory slots increased to allow for more accessories inside the steam mail.
Steam Mail Accessories (SM Acc)
These are upgraded outside of the steam mail upgrades but cannot be higher grade than the steam mail they are attached to. So, if you have a grade three steam mail arm and want a hidden blade, it can be any grade up to three.
The accessories are upgraded in the same way other equipment is upgraded according to their type (i.e. hidden blade is a weapon, hidden shield is an armor accessory, long arm is a gun, etc.).
