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Crafting and Artifacts (Spoilers)[G5]


Randomizer

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Jeff has changed making artifacts from the earlier games, again.

 

Purifying elixir is still made from mandrake tincture and demon's bile. You can combine it to a shaped gauntlets, belt, boot, or greaves to get a perfected version that now has a resistance.

 

A minor artifact consists of a perfected item being combined with one of four ingredients to craft a named item with a power. These are nice but they can each be then combined with one of two second ingredients to create a more powerful artifact.

 

Perfected Gauntlets = Shaped Gauntlets + Purifying Elixir

(8% armor, +8% Acid Res.)

 

Perfected Boots = Shaped Boots + Purifying Elixir

(9% armor, +8% Cold res.)

 

Perfected Belt = Shaped Belt + Purifying Elixir

(8% armor, +8% Poison res.)

 

Perfected Greaves = Shaped Greaves + Purifying Elixir

(12 % armor, +6% SR, -10% chance to hit, +8% Fire res.)

 

Perfected Cloak = Shaped Fiber Cloak + Purifying Elixir

(8% armor, +5% to hit, +12% Energy res).

 

 

Minor Artifacts -

 

Smoking Gauntlets = Perfected Gauntlets + Solidified Flame

(9% armor, +3 Battle Magic, +3 Mental Magic, +3 Blessing Magic)

 

Lifeforce Gauntlets = Perfect Gauntlets + Pure Quicksilver

(9% armor, +2 Strength of creations, +2 Dexterity of creations, +3 Intelligence of creations, +2 Endurance of creations)

 

Crystal Boots = Perfected Boots + Unmelting Ice

(9% armor, +3% Stun res., +3 Melee weapons, +2 Missle weapons)

 

Mecuric Boots = Perfected Boots + Pure Quicksilver

(8% armor, +2% Stun res., +1 Action points, +2 Stealth)

 

Lifetender Girdle = Perfected Belt + Unmelting Ice

(9% armor, +4 Healing Craft)

 

Girdle of Command = Perfected Belt + Ur-drakon Skin

(9% armor, +2 Fire Shaping, +2 Battle Shaping, +2 Magic Shaping)

 

Black Skin Greaves = Perfected Greaves + Ur-drakon Skin

(13% armor, +5% SR, +3 Quick Action, +3 Parry)

 

Sunfire Greaves = Perfected Greaves + Solidified Flame

(11% armor, +3% SR, +3 Spellcraft)

 

 

Major Artifacts -

 

Blazing Gauntlets = Smoking Gauntlets + Pure Quicksilver

(9% armor, +3 Battle Magic, +3 Mental Magic, +3 Blessing Magic, +2 Strength of creations, +2 Dexterity of creations, +2 Endurance of creations)

 

Gauntlets of Mastery = Lifeforce Gauntlets + Solidified Flame

(9% armor, +2 Battle Magic, +2 Mental Magic, +2 Blessing Magic, +2 Strength of creations, +2 Dexterity of creations, +3 Intelligence of creations, +2 Endurance of creations)

 

Lifecrafter Gauntlets = Lifeforce Gauntlets + Essence-Infused Iron

(12% armor, +2 Battle Magic, +2 Mental Magic, +2 Blessing Magic, +4 Strength of creations, +4 Dexterity of creations, +5 Intelligence of creations, +4 Endurance of creations)

 

Firesteel Gauntlets = Smoking Gauntlets + Essence-Infused Iron

(12% armor, +5 Battle Magic, +5 Mental Magic, +5 Blessing Magic, +2 Strength of creations, +2 Dexterity of creations, +2 Endurance of creations)

 

Gladiator's Boots = Crystal Boots + Pure Quicksilver

(10% armor, +3% Stun res., +3 Melee weapons, +2 Missle weapons, +1 Action points)

 

Blackshadow Boots = Mecuric Boots + Unmelting Ice

(8% armor, +2% Stun res., +1 Action points, +2 Stealth, +4 Melee Weapons)

 

Dreadnought Boots = Crystal Boots +Crystalline Fibers

(13% armor, +3% Stun res., +5 Melee weapons, +3 Missle weapons, +1 Action Points)

 

Assassin Boots = Mecuric Boots + Crystalline Fibers

(11% armor, +2% Stun res., +2 Action points, +3 Stealth, +4 Melee Weapons)

 

Soulcharged Girdle + Girdle of Command + Unmelting Ice

(9% armor, +3 Healing Craft, +3 Fire Shaping, +3 Battle Shaping, +3 Magic Shaping)

 

Lifebringer Girdle = Lifetender Girdle + Ur-Drakon Skin

(9% armor, +5 Healing Craft, +2 Fire Shaping, +2 Battle Shaping, +2 Magic Shaping)

 

Medic's Sustainer = Lifetender Girdle + Crystalline Fibers

(12% armor, +4% SR, +6 Healing Craft, +2 Battle Shaping, +2 Magic Shaping)

 

Girdle of Victory = Girdle of Command + Crystalline Fibers

(12% armor, 3% SR, +4 Fire Shaping, +4 Battle Shaping, +4 Magic Shaping)

 

Charred Skin Greaves = Black Skin Greaves + Solidified Flame

(13% armor, +5% SR, +3 Quick Action, +3 Parry, +3 Spellcraft)

 

Starfire Greaves = Sunfire Greaves + Ur-drakon skin

(15% armor, +3% SR, +3 Quick Action, +2 Parry, +3 Spellcraft)

 

Black Iron Greaves = Black Skin Greaves + Essence-Infused Iron

(18% armor, +5% SR, +5 Quick Action, +5 Parry, +3 Spellcraft

 

Firesteel Greaves = Sunfire Greaves + Essence-Infused Iron

(16% armor, +3% SR, +5 Spellcraft)

 

 

Item locations:

 

Solidified Flame - Okavano Sea Cave, Thistlewood

Pure Quicksilver - Mountain Crossroad, Secret Laboratory

Unmelted Ice - Lerman's Pass, Control Core B

Ur-drakon Skin - Gorash-Kel, Travald's Crypt

Crystalline Fibers - Secret Access Route, Purity Workshop

Essence-Infused Iron - Dera Lost Vault, Kayar's Spire Cells

 

Mandrake Tincture - Gorash-Kel, Secret Laboratory, Fort Rockfall, Foundry Repository, Haria-Kel (Astoria's faction), Haria-Kel (Quothe drop), Oasis Fields, Purity Workshop (if you make the place hostile)

 

Demon's Bile - Mera, South Mera Road, East Shadow Road, Kratoa Stoneworks, Outside Gazaki-Uss, Control Core B, Dera Lost Vault, Sammann's Isle

 

 

Crafting wands and batons -

 

discipline wand - stick, gemstone, artila eye, saltweed

wand of weakness - stick, gemstone, roamer fang

wand of curses - stick, gemstone, wiry moss, and vlish tentacle

wand of slow time- stick, gemstone, wiry moss, and glaahk eye

wand of terror - stick, gemstone, perfect drayk scale and saltweed

wand of death - stick, gemstone, eyebeast eye and wiry moss

wand of inferno - stick, gemstone, perfect drakon scale and wiry moss

corruption baton - stick, gemstone, rotghroth fang and saltweed

 

rod of battle - stick, beserker spores, perfect drakon scale

rod of succor - stick, healing spores, glaahk eye

rod of defenses - stick, aura spores, glaahk eye

rod of alacrity - stick, speed spores, rotghroth fang

 

Recipes for crystals -

 

runed ruby - gemstone and perfect fyora scale

ivory skull - gemstone and roamer fang

golden crystal - gemstone and eyebeast eye

runed amethyst - gemstone and artila eye

tiny orb of mist - gemstone and vlish tentacle

 

Recipes for rings -

 

shielding band (4% armor) - gold ring and perfect fyora scale

armor band (7% armor, 10% SR) - platinum ring and perfect drayk scale

impervious band (10% armor, 15% SR) - platinum ring and perfect drakon scale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I notice an annoying amount of overlap among the best artifact possibilities. In particular, the +2 AP boots (which seem better than all the other boots for almost any build) overlap ingredients with the best Shaping Stat girdle *and* with the best Creation Stat Up gauntlets. And the best Magic Stat gauntlets overlap with the Spellcraft greaves.

 

Can anybody give a rough approximation of which ingredients are available at what point in the game?

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Solidified flame is in the Okavano Swamp so it's the "easiest" to get. The other solidified flame and the pure quicksilver are in the Storm Plains and appear before the halfway point in the game. Ur-drakon skin is in the Wastes just after. Unmelting ice is hard to get for most players so figure after the game's midpoint.

 

The enhanced versions using crystalline fibers and essence-infused iron are mostly in Dera Reaches, the last quarter of the game. Also some areas are restricted to certain factions: Control Core B for Alwan and Trakovite and Secret Access Route for Ghaldring and Astoria factions.

 

The +2 AP for Assassin's Boots is deliberate and hard to get until near the end. Jeff makes that ingredient overlap so you have to pick which items to make and plan ahead.

 

Making the minor artifact versions with just one ingredient and a perfected item is a good idea so you can start getting some benefits.

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I've got those two already. I have enough ingredients for two more minor artifacts if only I had some more mandrake tincture. I haven't visited Fort Rockfall at all yet so I guess that's my next destination. In hindsight, I chose to make artifacts in pretty much exactly the wrong order, but this character has made one increasingly hilarious mistake after another so that's no surprise. (Best mistake so far: getting kicked out of the Trakovites because she'd already killed the shredbugs before she even joined.)

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Originally Posted By: Slarty

In particular, the +2 AP boots (which seem better than all the other boots for almost any build) overlap ingredients with the best Shaping Stat girdle *and* with the best Creation Stat Up gauntlets. And the best Magic Stat gauntlets overlap with the Spellcraft greaves.

Hm... If I collect 2 of each ingredient I can make Lifecrafter Gauntlets, Assassin Boots, Girdle of Victory (for shaping), Lifebringer Girdle (for combat), Firesteel Greaves, and I'll have a Soldified Flame and Unmelting Ice leftover.

How exactly is there an overlap such that you can't make a full shaper set of artifacts?

Code:
Lifecrafter Gauntlets	Lifeforce Gauntlets	P. Gauntlets						Quicksilver			EI Iron	Assassin Boots		Mercuric Boots		P. Boot						Quicksilver			C. Fibers	Girdle of Victory	Girdle of Command	P. Belt						Ur-Drakon Skin			C. Fibers	Firesteel Greaves	Sunfire Greaves		P. Greaves						Solid Flame			EI Iron	Lifebringer Girdle	Lifetender Girdle	P. Belt						Unmelting Ice			Ur-Drakon Skin	
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Originally Posted By: Dahak
Hm... If I collect 2 of each ingredient I can make Lifecrafter Gauntlets, Assassin Boots, Girdle of Victory (for shaping), Lifebringer Girdle (for combat), Firesteel Greaves, and I'll have a Soldified Flame and Unmelting Ice leftover.

How exactly is there an overlap such that you can't make a full shaper set of artifacts?


You can do it, it just means you'll have to wait until quite near the end of the game to get all the items you need. Of course, you'll have the minor artifacts to play with in the meantime, and those are still pretty good.
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Beta testers usually made the weaker version of artifacts before we got to play the Dera Reaches and found out about improved artifact versions. So I ran out of some ingredients making the Firesteel Gauntlets to replace my Blazing Gauntlets and upgrading the greaves so I couldn't make the more useful belt for my character.

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Sometimes the "weaker" major artifacts are better anyway, since they have more balanced stats. I can imagine a shaper build wanting to take the Lifebringer Girdle or even the Soulcharged Girdle over the Medic's Sustainer or Girdle of Victory. (Well, a really dedicated shaper build will probably be better off wearing a Girdle of Genius anyway, and swapping to a belt that boosts shaping skills only when making new creations. Even then, it's probably better to get a small boost quickly and level up your creations rather than wait for the slightly bigger boost much later on.)

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I have noticed that augmented resistances vary from 2% to 6%. However this is not due to the item enhanced.

 

I took a 22% armor and added a blessing crystal. It re-equipped it for 26% total. It added a blessing crystal to Dhonal's Ring and I got a 2% boost. I removed other items and it instead showed a 3% boost.

 

Whatever code Jeff uses to sum up armor and resistances is off.

 

I've tested this with Runed Ruby, Amethyst, and Etheral Bindings. All vary.

 

Also, this is not due to some items lowering a resist. I checked.

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Originally Posted By: Dahak
I have noticed that augmented resistances vary from 2% to 6%. However this is not due to the item enhanced.

I took a 22% armor and added a blessing crystal. It re-equipped it for 26% total. It added a blessing crystal to Dhonal's Ring and I got a 2% boost. I removed other items and it instead showed a 3% boost.

Whatever code Jeff uses to sum up armor and resistances is off.


That's because the code doesn't sum them up, it multiplies them. This is the intended behaviour, and as far as we can tell, it reflects what's actually happening in-game.

Blessing crystals shouldn't affect your resistances at all, though; they only change your chance to hit or to be hit. (Unless you're using "blessing crystal" as a generic term.) I think all the resistance-enhancing crystals give you a 5% bonus; this will show up as slightly less than a 5% bonus depending on how much resistance you already have. A 0% resistance will become 5%, but a 60% resistance will become 62%, because 2% is 5% of 40% (which is the proportion of damage you weren't already resisting).
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Yeah, Blessing Crystals add to armor%. Should have noted that it is armor or resistances.

 

Just ran the calculations and yep, I'm getting multiplication instead of addition.

 

Edit:

There is an item missing from the wands: Wand of Death. Eyebeast Eye + Wiry Moss

 

Also, the guide to the artifacts was confusing so I made a mice picture. smile

 

http://geneforge5.webs.com/crafting.htm

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Originally Posted By: Dahak
Also, the guide to the artifacts was confusing so I made a mice picture. smile

http://geneforge5.webs.com/index.htm


I see a distinct lack of small rodents in that picture. But seriously, that's pretty neat.

Is there a consensus yet on which artifacts are best?

The Assassin Boots are a no-brainer for the boot slot, of course, since action points are more valuable than ever before and none of the other boots have a huge advantage over them in any area anyway. The Dreadnought Boots do give somewhat better combat stats, but the only one where the difference is significant is Missile Weapons. 3 points of Missile Weapons probably won't make the difference between life and death, but an extra action point at the right time certainly can.

The Smoking Gauntlets seem much better than the Lifeforce Gauntlets for any class that's going to use any magic, even Lifecrafters. From there, the Firesteel Gauntlets are the obvious late-game choice, since they're equal or superior to the Blazing Gauntlets in every way. Going for the Lifecrafter Gauntlets means you'll either spend the first 80% of the game with lousy magic or burn a lot of skill points raising magic skills.

Greaves are a little more balanced, but still pretty simple. If you're primarily a combat build, go for Black Iron. If you'll be doing more spellcasting than fighting, go for Firesteel. If you're going to be both fighting and casting spells, and are willing to sacrifice some late-game power in exchange for midgame power, consider Charred Skin.

Girdles are the most complicated decision and there are good arguments for making any of the four. For a character with no creations, or who can get by with just battle/magic creations, the Medic's Sustainer is obviously the best option, if you can actually get the Crystalline Fibres you need. For a character who occasionally wants to make some fire creations, the Lifebringer Girdle may be a better fit (especially since it can be made quite a bit earlier). Any lifecrafter build with more than about 16 Int is better off wearing a Girdle of Genius, using skill points to raise Healing Craft and just putting on the Girdle of Victory when he needs to make new creations. The Soulcharged Girdle is inferior to the Girdle of Victory but doesn't require those oh-so-rare Crystalline Fibres. For a lifecrafter, it may be worth using spare ingredients to make two shaping-only girdles: a Soulcharged Girdle as soon as you can, and then a Girdle of Victory if and when the ingredients become available.

Depending on what faction you join, it's possible to end up with one set of Crystalline Fibres or none at all, since they're both in areas restricted to allies of certain factions (Astoria/Ghaldring for one, Taygen for the other). Getting both would require some impressive late-game reputation management. This may affect artifact choices.
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Originally Posted By: Thuryl

Depending on what faction you join, it's possible to end up with one set of Crystalline Fibres or none at all, since they're both in areas restricted to allies of certain factions (Astoria/Ghaldring for one, Taygen for the other). Getting both would require some impressive late-game reputation management. This may affect artifact choices.


Gah! Does any faction allow you to get both? Is there a way to sneak into the Drea Lost Vaults for the second set? Also, are both Essence-Infused Irons available or just 1 per faction?
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It would be easier to edit the script to give me a second fiber. However, it would be more interesting to find a way to unlock the area...

 

Besides I can't join Taygen's faction right now. frown

 

Edit:

You know, any of these items should be available to any faction so long as your willing to wade neck deep in the blood of your enemies. tongue

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You could join Ghaldring's faction for his first quest as a Rebel to gain access to the Secret Access Route and that gets the rare second crystalline fibers. I suppose whether you finish the quest or just leave with the loot is up to you. You haven't sworn to join his faction so he won't turn hostile if you pick another faction.

 

Shaper loyalist players can't get it.

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Fortunately, there are characters late in the game who can help shift your reputation toward the Shapers or the Rebels, but they can only change your reputation by a relatively small amount. If you've favoured one faction for the whole game, they can't really help you much.

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Originally Posted By: Randomizer
The crystalline fibers are in the Purity Workshop and the essence-infused iron is in the Lost Dera Vault and Kayar's Spire Cells. Their recipes are in each other place.


Funnily enough, I just came here to post this. The Purity Workshop can be reached regardless of faction or reputation, so that's at least one guaranteed set of fibres. Better fix the first post so it has the correct information.
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There's also a Mandrake Tincture in Purity Workshop, by the way. It's in the Rotghroth nest in the far northwest; the only way to get there is to anger the area so that they send the creations out to attack you, so you can't get it if you want to side with Taygen. Of course, by that point in the game you probably have all the Mandrake Tincture you need anyway.

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  • 2 weeks later...

You can get access to the Secret Access Route's crystalline fibers by asking to join Ghaldring's faction but not actually swearing to join. Of course Fort Rockfall will have some problems.

 

The other crystalline fibers in Purity Workshop can be gotten by everyone.

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Quote:
Can someone post a location for the lifecrafter girdle, smoking gauntlets, and things like that?


Tex you need to craft those things out of the elements listed on the first page of this topic.

So for the lifecrafter girdle you need to get some unmelting ice (from lerman's pass) and add it to a perfected belt using one of the blessed anvils. To make a perfected belt, you need a shaped belt and purifying elixir, mixed on a blessed anvil. To get purifying elixir, you need to mix mandrake tincture and demon's bile -- you guessed it -- on an enchanted anvil.
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