+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-------------------+ Aurora Toolset Item Creation FAQ +------------------+ +-----------------------------+ Version 1.4 +-----------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------------+ Written and Compiled by: +----------------------+ +-----------------------------+ David Zigler +----------------------------+ +----------------------------+ (DragonUser84) +----------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +----------+ Table of Contents +----------+ 1. Version and Date Stuff 2. Important! 3. Purpose and Explanation of FAQ 4. Commonly Used Terms 5. Weapon and Armor Effects 6. Weapon-Exclusive Effects 7. Armor-Exclusive Effects 8. Weapon/Armor/Item Notes 9. Tips and Tricks 10. Frequently Asked Questions 11. Thanks and Legal Stuff +----------+ Verson and Date Stuff +----------+ April 7, 2004: Added Spell Resistance March 22, 2004: Clarified the Damage Bonus property. March 9, 2004: Corrected some issues with the Sequencer stuff and the On Hit Cast Spell property. March 6, 2004: Added the "Cast Spell: Sequencer", "Cast Spell: Clear Squencer", and "Bonus Spell Slot of Level" properties. March 4, 2004: The "On Hit: Cast Spell" properties were too many to list in this FAQ, so I removed that section. March 3, 2004: Started adding "On Hit: Cast Spell" properties. Feb. 10, 2004: Corrected major flaws with Damage Reduction, Improved Evasion, and Enhancement. Also added Saving Throw Bonus and Saving Throw Bonus: Specific. Feb. 9, 2004: Submitted FAQ, fixed it, and sent it again. Feb. 6, 2004: Took up making the FAQ again. Sept. 25, 2003: Started on FAQ, wrote down some of the more confusing properties. +----------+ Important! +----------+ I really don't mind if you download and distribute this FAQ in it's unaltered form, as long as you don't modify it to give yourself credit for writing it. I'm passing this information away freely, so feel free to pass it on freely. If you start making money off of it, give me half. (See, I'm not unreasonable.) +----------+ Commonly Used Terms +----------+ (Thanks to mastersam16 for the idea, and Noo Bee for mentioning that it's buffing, not bluffing.) Soak= Absorb Resist= Ignore Stack= Combine (Ex: "Will not stack" means "The highest number ONLY is applied".) ASF= Arcane Spell Failure (A major issue for Sorcerers without the Still Spell feat.) AC= Armor Class Nuker= One who uses lots of DD spells DD= Direct Damage. Spells that are DD don't have any status-affliction properties, they just hurt the target. Buffer= One who uses lots of Buffing Spells Buffing Spells= These spells increase various values on your character. They reduce damage, increase strength, increase your AC, etc. +----------+ Purpose and Explanation of FAQ +----------+ The purpose of this FAQ is to explain what property does what when you're making items through the Aurora Toolset, because the manual is rather sketchy on the details of various enchantments. Knowing this, you can create insanely powerful equipment with a small amount of effort and time. Also, a number of the more self-explanatory features have unwritten rules that come into play only when you're actually playing the game. Please bear in mind that I'm making this FAQ while looking at the Toolset with both Shadows of Undrentide (A.k.a. SoU) and Hordes of the Underdark (A.k.a. HotU) installled and with the 1.61 patch installed. So, some of this might be different that what you're looking at. (If you don't have the HotU installed, then you WILL see some differences because HotU allows you to take your character up to level 40 and has added more powerful enchantments to the weapons and armor.) I'll have a setup that looks like this: (Note: This will make more sense if you've been tried to make your own items before.) ===== Item Property Sub-Property: (If applicable, some Item Properties don't have a Sub-Property. Will be referred to as Sub-Prop in explanations.) Item Cost Parameter: (If applicable, some Item Properties don't have an Item Cost Parameter either. Will be referred to as ICP in explanations.) In game, looks like... (If it's different than what it looks like while playing in the game than what the Toolset Shows.) Really boring explanation. (This gets technical, so it helps if you've looked over some of what you can do in the toolset.) Really boring explation of catches. (A lot of things have ways around them, so consider yourself forewarned when you've made your "perfect" setup and your health is draining rapidly in the game.) Well, I suppose that I should get started... +----------+ Weapon and Armor Effects +----------+ ===== Bonus Spell Slot of Level Sub-Property: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard Item Cost Parameter: Level 0 (Cantrips) to Level 9 What this property does is allow you to prepare/cast one extra spell per day according to the Level in the ICP. However, I suggest that before you set about making them, you take a careful look at your favorite spells and whatever Metamagic feats you like to cast them with. And now for the best part, these can be assigned to an item multiple times and they WILL stack! Also, you can go past the usual 8-per-day spell limit. (For sorcerers, I don't know about other spell-casting characters.) HOWEVER, if you can't even cast ONE spell from a certain level, don't bother with Bonus Spell Slots. Also, the changes may come into effect immediately, but you'll need to prepare your spells/rest before you notice any changes. (If you unequip the item that grants bonus spell slots after resting, it immediately removes those bonus spells that you can cast, down to zero. Apparently, your character uses those bonus spells last.) ===== Cast Spell: Clear Sequencer Item Cost Parameter: (Standard spell ICP.) This clears out the stored spells on your item's Sequencer property. ===== Cast Spell: Sequencer (1 Spell), (2 Spells), and (3 Spells) Item Cost Parameter: (Standard spell ICP.) This allows you to cast a number of buffing spells upon the item, depending on what Sub-Prop you picked. The ICP determines how many times the object can cast those spells. When activated with the stored spells, the item casts them for you, all at once, saving your spell uses for more important ones. (Like, using offensive spells to kill that ogre in your face.) NOTE: You CAN use items that cast spells with this, as long as the buffing spell requires a target. ===== Damage Reduction Sub-Property: +1 to +20 Item Cost Parameter: Soak 5 Damage to Soak 50 Damage The Sub-Prop merely determines what Enhancement value is needed in order to cut through it. (Say, the Sub-Prop is +5, so you or your opponent will need a weapon with a +5 Enhancement bonus to get past it without any damage.) Meanwhile, the second value (Which will be displayed on the right-hand list as Soak # Damage.) determines how much damage you'll take. If you have an item Damage Reduction with Soak 5 Damage and you're attacked by a weapon that normally would've dealt 10 damage, you instead take 5 damage. (However, if your attacker's weapon has a +1 Enhancement value, you'll take the full 10.) The Sub-Property determines what Enhancement value a weapon has to have in Unlike Damage Resistance, Damage Reduction can be bypassed with weapon damage bonuses and spells. (Natural damage from weapons and traps still applies though.) (NOTE: I don't know if this is still true.) Also, any weapon with a matching Enhancement of +whatever or greater can get through without reduction. Huge amounts of damage can also get through. For example, say you have Damage Reduction +20[Soak 10 Damage]. Now, if you get hit with a total 60 damage, then you'll take 50 points of damage. (IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm not sure about this, so if anyone knows different, please let me know.) ===== Damage Resistance Sub-Property: Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Divine, Electrical, Fire, Magical, Negative Energy, Piercing, Positive Energy, Slashing, and Sonic. Item Cost Parameter: 5, 10, 15, 20... 50/- What this does is void the first amount of points from the ICP's numerical value from the Sub-Prop. Say, you have an item equipped that has Damage Resistance: Acid[Resist 10/-] and you get hit by an Acid trap for 15 points of damage. The first 10 points of damage will be ignored and you'll only be hit with 5 points of Acid damage. Unlike Damage Reduction, this CANNOT be bypassed. Damage from spells, traps, damage bounses, everything, has to go through this. Although it's more expensive overall to protect yourself from everything this way, it's actually the better way to go rather than Damage Reduction. (In my opinion, anyway.) ===== Immunity: Damage Type Sub-Property: Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Divine, Electrical, Fire, Magical, Negative Energy, Piercing, Positive Energy, Slashing, and Sonic. Item Cost Parameter: 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% Immunity Bonus. While a 100% Immunity Bonus is great, if you're not playing the HotU expansion, you can't use it unless you enable your character to equip items that their level can't support. (All 100% Immunity bonuses take the level requirement up to level 21, impossible to achieve without the HotU Expansion, unless you hack into the game's code. Of course, that's ILLEGAL and something I'm highly discouraging.) Now, I'm not going to tell you how to enable your characters to equip items when they don't have a high enough level, because with HotU, you can use these legally now. (Besides, you can find that info in the Codes and Cheats section on GameFAQs.) (NOTE: Red Dragon Disciples naturally get 100% Damage Immunity to Fire when they get their tenth level as a Red Dragon Disciple.) ===== On Hit Cast Spell Sub-Property: Every spell in the game except the Epic-Level spells and some others. Item Cost Parameter: Level 1 to 40 The On Hit Cast Spell property actually varies slighty between Armor and Weapons. Weapons automatically cast the spell when they hit something, and Armor automatically casts the spell when the wearer is hit. NOTE: Multiple On Hit Cast Spell properties WILL NOT stack, the one closest to the top of the list of properties will be the ONLY one that has an effect. ===== Improved Evasion (Thanks to Noo Bee for the correction.) In times where a failed reflex would give you damage, this property/feat allows you to walk away after taking half damage. ===== Saving Throw Bonus Sub-Property: Acid, Cold, Death, Disease, Divine, Electrical, Fear, Fire, Mind Affecting, Negative Energy, Poison, Positive Energy, Sonic, and Universal Item Cost Paramater: +1 to +20 While most of these are nice, I'd go for Universal more than the others because it increases your chances of avoiding damage from EVERYTHING. The ironic thing is that Saving Throw Bonus (With the exception of Universal.) applies to LESS than what Saving Throw Bonus: Specific usually does. ===== Saving Throw Bonus: Specific Sub-Property: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will. Item Cost Paramater: +1 to +20 While there's not a whole lot that's really special about these, high Saving Throw Bonuses can come in handy because you actually use them all the time. You're attacked, Fortitude steps in. You spring a trap or certain spells get cast on you, Reflex comes in. Something uses certain spells, (Notably Illusion spells.) and you make a Will save to keep from falling for it. The interesting thing is, if your Saving Throws are high enough, you can actually negate the damage done from high-powered spells, deadly traps, and that axe-wielding beserker that wants your head. ===== Spell Resistance (Thanks to Shione and TigerClawDude.) Sub-Property: 10, 12, 14... 32, 34, 36 This increases your natural Spell Resistance from regular spells, weapons and armor with the On Hit Cast Spell property, and (probably) spell-like abilities thrown at you by creatures. Now, higher is always better, but suppose that you're facing a lvl 20 Sorcerer and you have a Spell Resistance of 30. Depending on the die roll, there's a good chance that spell won't affect you, because Caster Level + d20 + (any of the Spell Penetration feats) has to be greater than your Spell Resistance. (I don't know if you get a die roll or not.) A note though, Spell Resistance DOES NOT STACK, the game just uses the highest value you have and ignores the rest. +----------+ Weapon-Exclusive Effects +----------+ ===== Damage Bonus Sub-Property: Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Divine, Electrical, Fire, Magical, Negative Energy, Piercing, Positive Energy, Slashing, and Sonic. Item Cost Parameter: 1 to 2d4, 1 to 2d8, 1 to 2d10, 1 to 2d12, and 1 to 20 damage. In game, looks like... Damage Bonus: (Type)[(2nd Type) Damage] Now, this can be slightly confusing, as you can put multiple Sup-Props of the same element on the weapon. However, THESE WILL NOT STACK! (The game will use whichever property is the most expensive.) You can't slap on 20 points of a Fire damage bonus and the 2d12 to get only 20 to 24 points of damage. Instead, you'll just do 20 points of damage all the time. HOWEVER, you can add DIFFERENT Sub-Props (For example, Cold and Fire.) to the same weapon and BOTH will have an effect. (For example, a weapon with Damage Bonus: Cold[10 Damage] and Damage Bonus: Fire[10 Damage] will do ten points of Cold and ten points of fire.) ===== Enhancement (Thanks to Noo Bee for the correction.) Item Cost Parameter: +1 to +20 The higher the number, the higher the level of Damage Reduction you can cut through without penalty. Not only does it bypass Damage Reduction, +(ICP) Enhancement gives +(ICP) to attack rolls and +(ICP) to damage rolls. ===== Extra Melee/Ranged Damage Type Sub-Property: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing. While putting a damage type on a weapon that already has it does nothing, putting a different type grants the weapon extra damage with a particular attack type. Say you put Extra Melee Damage Type: Slashing on a dagger. Now, the weapon will deal out slashing damage like it was naturally a slashing weapon. Normally, weapons with two damage types just have different animations and if an enemy is immune or resistant to one type, you'll still do full damage with a different type of attack. Most of the time, you won't even know it unless you know that a monster has an Immunity or Resistance to a certain type of physical damage and your weapon has an Extra Melee/Ranged Damage Type property that they don't have any protection against. ===== Holy Avenger (Taken directly from the HotU manual.) This is among the most powerful weapons that a paladin can find. It has a +5 Enhancement Bonus, does 1d6 additional points of Holy Damage and every time it hits an opponent it attempts to dispel their magical protections. Non-paladins who wield a Holy Avenger, find that it only acts as a +2 weapon for them. ===== Keen Doubles your chances of a critical hit. (When you have the Feat: "Improved Critical", this effect is tripled.) ===== Massive Criticals Item Cost Parameter: 1 to 2d4, 1 to 2d8, 1 to 2d10, 1 to 2d12, and 1 to 20 damage. When you make a successful Critical Hit, this property adds that much more damage to your attack as a bonus. (Works best with the Improved Critical feat and the Keen property.) ===== Mighty (NOTE: Ranged weapons only!) Item Cost Parameter: +1 to +20 The Mighty property allows you to add your strength to your damage when attacking with ranged weapons. I don't know the ratios, but I'm assuming that more is always better. ===== No Combat Damage Whatever weapon has this, deals out absolutely NO damage or VERY little. ===== On Hit Sub-Property: Ability Drain, Blindness, Confusion, Daze, Deafness, Disease, Dispel Magic, Doom, Fear, Greater Dispelling, Hold, Knock, Lesser Dispelling, Level Drain, Mordenkainen's Disjunction (Really powerful version of Dispel Magic.), Poison, Silence, Slay Alignment, Slay Alignment Group, Slay Racial Group, Sleep, Slow, Stun, Vorpal, and Wounding. Item Cost Parameter: DC=14, 16, 18... to 26 All of the Sub-Props are pretty much self-explanatory except for Vorpal and Wounding. When something is hit by a weapon with the Wounding Sub-Prop, then the target continues to take damage, as if they were poisoned in a different RPG. "As for Vorpal, on a critical hit, the target makes a Fortitude save against death. If failed, the target dies. Both immunity to death and immunity to critical hits can prevent this." (NOTE: Somebody told me about the Vorpal property sometime last year, and I forgot their name. So, if you remember who you are, please step forward so I can give you credit.) ===== Visual Effect Sub-Property: Acid, Cold, Electrical, Evil, Fire, Holy, and Sonic While the Visual Effect property doesn't really DO anything and costs nothing to put on a weapon, it overrides all other visual effects from Damage Bonuses and other Properties. So, if you put Damage Bonus: Acid[2d12 Damage] and Damage Bonus: Fire[2d12 Damage] and you want the Fire visual effect, then you put a Visual Effect: Fire on the weapon and the weapon won't show the Acid visual effect, but will show the Fire visual effect. However, if you put in two or more Visual Effects, then the one on the top of the list takes effect. (Personally, I was hoping that they'd put this in a patch or the HotU expansion becasue I was so disappointed when they didn't include it in SoU and I said so on their message boards. Apparently, Bioware listened to my request. So Bioware, thank you.) (NOTE: This even overrides the Holy Avenger's visual effect.) ===== Unlimited Ammunition (NOTE: Ranged weapons only!) Sub-Property: Arrow/Bolt/Bullet Item Cost Parameter: Ammo: Basic, 1d6 Fire, 1d6 Cold, 1d6 Lightning, +1 to +5 Enhancement to Damage While having an unlimited amount of Ammunition is a GOOD thing, be forewarned that you can't use ANY other type of ammunition with whatever ranged weapon has this property. So, if you pack along some uber-powerful arrows that you're created with a weapon that has this property, they're not going to see much use. +----------+ Armor-Exclusive Effects +----------+ NOTE: Only the appearance of the torso (Which this will be hidden if you pick a robe.) determines what class the armor will be, as can be seen in a nifty little box to the left of the Appearance box. ===== Arcane Spell Failure Item Cost Parameter: -50%, -45%... -10%, -5%, +5%, +10%... +45%, +50% To melee players and those who don't deal with Arcane Spell Failure, no big deal. To those that have to deal with Arcane Spell Failure and like to melee as well, VERY big deal. While the negative values decrease the percentage of Arcane Spell Failure, the positive values increase it. NOTE: Shields can have this property as well. +----------+ Weapon/Armor/Item Notes +----------+ These will be straight out of the game so you can compare them side-by-side instead of having to root through each item's properties one-by-one. Some pieces of armor (For example Helmets, Cloaks, Bracers, Rings, etc.) have different Armor Types. When it come to AC bonuses, items with the same Armor Type (For example, Deflection.) won't stack and the game will go with just the highest AC bonus. The only way you'll know, is when you equip the item in the game. NOTE: All weapons except those under Throwing have the Armor Type: Deflection. (The Weapons under throwing can't have an AC Bonus, Damage Resistance, or Damage Immunity property.) ===== Armor/Clothing Armor Type: Armor ===== Helmets Armor Type: Deflection ===== Shield Armor Type: Shield ===== Belts Armor Type: Deflection ===== Boots Armor Type: Dodge ===== Bracers Armor Type: Armor ===== Cloaks Armor Type: Deflection ===== Gauntlets Armor Type: Deflection Damage Type: Bludgeoning Gauntlets can be given damage bonuses and enhance the wearer's Unarmed Strike. ===== Amulets Armor Type: Natural ===== Rings Armor Type: Deflection Rings are the only item where you can equip two at the same time. (Not including weapons.) ===== Ammunition (Arrows, Bolts, and Bullets.) These items can't have any Stat-Boosting Properties other than Damage-Dealing bonuses and On Hit Cast Spell properties. +----------+ Tips and Tricks +----------+ ===== Cast Spell Cast spell allows you to cast a spell, up to an unlimited number of times a day, without worrying about interruption and ASF. This is useful for nukers that like to throw out Fireball after Fireball or those that want to set up a path full of Delayed Blast Fireballs between them and their enemy. Mind you, that you can't use items that cast spells with the Scribe Scroll, Craft Wand, or Brew Potion feats. And, you can't use Metamagic feats like Empower and Maximize while casting the spell. +----------+ Frequently Asked Questions +----------+ NOTE: I'm taking a wild stab at what people are going to ask, so (Dire) Bear with me. ===== Question: Don't you know that by telling eveyone how to make their own super-powerful weapons that the game will be cheapened for everyone? ===== Answer: (Starts laughing evilly.) Yeah, the game MIGHT get cheaper, but what would happen if someone made a mod where all of the enemies had their own uber-powerful items? Think about it for a while. (Attn: Mod-Makers! Hint-hint!) ===== Question: Why do you put two spaces between your sentences? ===== Answer: Because I do, it's a habit. ===== Question: Hey! You stole my ASCII artwork! ===== Answer: I made that lousy stuff myself, are you SURE that you want to claim it as yours? ===== Question: Hey, why can't I equip my items? ===== Answer: Your game may not be set to allow you to wield items illegally. (You know, use stuff that your level isn't high enough to allow you to use.) Be aware of the cost of your items, it takes a LOT of properties to surpass level 40, and MUCH less to exceed level 20. Also, be aware that if you do modify your game to allow you to wield illegal items that you may be barred from certain servers. Also, other players may despise you for your uber-powerful weapons of death and armor of invincibility. ===== Question: Can you teach me scripting? ===== Answer: Ha ha ha! Me, teach someone scripting! Ha ha ha! That's a good one! ===== Question: gimme sum kewl uber g00dz so i cun pwnz yur azz!11!!1!!11!11! ===== Answer: (Pulls out Katana that does insane amounts of damage per hit.) MAKE ME! +----------+ Thanks and Other Stuff +----------+ Obviously, special thanks to the Bioware staff for making such a great game. Also, extra thanks to CJayC for running and maintaining GameFAQs as well as hosting this FAQ. (Without them, there wouldn't any reason for me to write this FAQ in the first place.) Secondly, Thanks to those that helped with this FAQ. If you feel that you've been left out, please contact me through the method below. If you see a mistake, please contact me through the Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark message board on www.GameFAQs.com by creating a topic with something like "ATTN: DragonUser84! You need to correct this!" Please do not use l33tsp34k, as such posts MAY be read, but MAY NOT be understood. I'm not to apt to give out my e-mail address, and I never check it anyway. Copyright 2003-2004 by David Zigler