ToME WikiGhostBuster Proposal for a new class : weaponsmith
Weapon smiths are a subclass of warriors. Thay are poor in magic, are weaker and less healthy that standard warriors and are less skilled in using weapons (except hammers that are their dayly tools), but they have the unique ability to improve weapons by smithing.
How to smith?
Smithing is done through the 'm' menu. To smith one must wield an hammer and wear a fur cloak (to be protected against the fire). You must stand over lava (to get a sufficient heat), have some iron to melt in your equipment to get metal (iron spikes are perfect for that), and have an item to improve (weapon or armor).
What are the benefits of smithing?
Smithing will in general improve the to-hit/to-dam or protection of the item. The improvement will range from 1d2 to 1d5 depending on Clev and depth. But in rare circonstances, the item can be turned into an ego one. Ancient tales even talk of smiths that have been able to create powerful artefacts.
Is smithing dangerous?
Yes, it is. It is a long and painful process, the heat of the fire is terrible, and you can easily have an accident when you strike on the metal. Accordingly, to smith you must be in good health (at least 75% HP) and well fed (food status at full). The smithing process will be long (10 full game turns on lava, 3 on deep lava and speed bonuses does not apply for such a meticulous task), and during all that time you will be defenceless (paralyzed). After smithing, you will have lost 50% of you max HP (plus all the lava damage), and be left starving (weak). It is even so dangerous that it is not unlikely (maybe 5-10% chance) that you will permently loose one HP after smithing (one HP is not very important but if you smith thousands of times just to make some easy money, you'll end the game weaker than a yeek). And there is a fail rate that can leave the weapon unchanged, degraded or even *destroyed*.
What items can be smithed?
Any weapon or armor can be smithed. But what you can actually smith depends on your Clev (see below). The items that can NOT be smithed are cloaks, tools, light, rings and amulets.
Can the items be improved at will?
In general only the to-hit, to-dam or protection of items can be modified. There is an upper limit (max-improv) to the modification of 5+clev/2. That is 5 at level 1, 15 at level 20 and 30 at level 50. But the max-improv limit can be lowered by up to 10 points if your dexterity and intelligenece is not high enough (yes smithing is an intelligent activity and obviously a troll zombie can NOT do that properly).
Can a smith create and improve ego items?
A smith can create ego items depending on the RNG. The probability will be low (like ammo creation), but will increase with the player level and dungeon depth. At level 15 a smith can start improving ego items.
Can a smith create artefacts?
Yes, but it will be purely based on randomness. The probability to create an artefact out of a regular item item will be low (say 3%, like for ammo creation) and the artefact will be a randart created with the actual weapon. If the weapon is an ego one, there can be 3 kind of possible artefacts : 1/ a randart like for regular items, 2/ an artefact created out the item (and keeping the same caracteristics) with a standard increase in the to-hit/to-dam/protection and a couple of extra branding/resistance or abilities (always nice to have an artefact, but you wont be able to modify it until you have reached an high level) or 3/ a great artefact created with the ego item: large to-hit/to-dam/protection boost, several new resistances, branding, or abilities, maybe an activation or a power... The three possibilities will have roughly the same probability and randomness will decide. If you create an artefact, you will always loose one HP (yes, always, even if the smithing process transformed that terrific vampiric shadow blade of Aman with 3 extra atttacks into a crappy charisma increasing randart). Last, it is said that there exists ONE place in the game were a (courageous) smith can transform any ego item into a great artefact. But do you really believe all these rumours?
Can a smith improve artefacts?
Yep, but only high level smiths can do that. You must be of level 46 in order to modify an artefact. And it is a specific process. First the good news. An artefatc cannot be degraded (neither destroyed) by smithing. And the usual max-improv limit does not hold. You can create a (+100,+100) weapon if you want to. But you will PAY for it. Really. REALLY. Artefact smithing can only in general increase the to-hit, OR to-dam OR protection by +1. And you will permanently loose ONE HP any time you smith an artefact if the final value is below max-improv. If it is is between max-improv and 2*max-improv you will loose 2 HP, 3 between 2 and 3*max-improv and so on. So if a player has found a terrific artefact with a (rather) poor (+10,+10) caracteristics and that he wants to upgrade it to the insane values of (+70,+70) he will have to leave permanently 220 HP (!!!!) if his max-improv is of 30 (1HP*2*20 to reach (+30,+30), 2HP*2*30 to reach (+60,+60) and 3HP*2*10 for (+70,+70)). And if his max-improv is 25, that will be 250 HP to leave, and 300 HP if max-improv is 20!!!!! Probably pure madness to abandon 30% or more of you HP for a single (even powerful) artefact (that can be ruined by the first ringwraith you meet), but it is up to the player to decide, and this keeps the game balanced.
Can you smith over the big fire of Mount Doom?
Yes. And indeed Mount Doom is the Eldorado of weaponsmiths. Here you can transform any ego item into a great artefact. And if your Clev is high enough largely improve existing artefacts (to-hit/to-dam boost, a couple of extra branding/abilities/etc, maybe an activation....). But again, you must deserve it. Smithing in Mount Doom is rather fast (only one game turn), but you will be left with starving with 1 (one) HP. You will ALWAYS loose several HP (say 6-10). And last but not least, it is not a really quiet place. Maybe one of the most dangerous in the game. And I think Sauron won't let you use his favorite playground at will.....
Proposed evolution for weaponsmiths
- 1. fire resistance and can smith daggers (and repair broken daggers)
- 3. can smith soft armors
- 5. can smith swords (and repair broken swords)
- 7. can smith slings and sling ammos
- 9. can smith axes and polearms
- 11. can smith bows and arrows
- 13. can smith hard armours
- 15. can smith ego items
- 17. can smith crossbows and bolts
- 19. can smith hafted
- 21. can smith two-handded weapons (any kind)
- 25. they gain the power to compare weapons (like in the shops)
- 29. can use other items than iron spikes as a metal source (weapons, armor) (with probable additional hidden benefits)
- 33. can smith high armours (mithril, admantite, DSM)
- 38. gain fire immunity
- 42. can spit fire as they spent a LONG time over lava (with a weak attack, say 2d6, but at least they can have lava whenever they want!)
- 46. can smith artefacts
Starting equipment: a war hammer (0,0), a furcloak [3,0], a couple of scrolls of fire (how to find lava in Barrow Downs otherwise?), several iron spikes.