Appendix 2 - 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.

Usable abilities: Usable item abilities are only activated by pressing the items use button on the PC inventory screen. Otherwise, the ability has no effect. Examples are a wand that shoots fireballs or a healing potion.
Usable abilities are always linked to the items charges. Whenever an item with a usable ability is actually used, the items amount of charges goes down by 1. When the items charge level goes down to 0, the item disappears. An item with a usable ability must have at least 1 charge.

The cash value of an item with a usable ability is calculated differently from normal items. The items actual cost is its value multiplied by the number of its charges. (Example: Suppose a Potion of Healing has a value of 100 and 2 charges. This potion would cost 200 gold and sell for half that.)
Inherent Abilities:Inherent abilities are abilities that are always present and are activated automatically, as opposed to being activated by pressing the Use button on the PC Inventory screen. Examples are a shield with fire protection (which is activated automatically when the character takes fire damage) or comfrey root (whose ability it that it can be used as an alchemical ingredient, and which is used automatically when the party tries to make a potion with it).
Some inherent abilities have charges (such as alchemical ingredients). When used, the amount of charges goes down by one. When there are no charges left, the item disappears. The name of inherent ability types that require charges have a (c) after them.The value of these items is calculated the same way as for Usable abilities.

There are six different classes of item ability type, each with its own properties and varieties of items that can possess it. These are listed below, along with whether they are classes of Usable or Inherent abilities:

Weapon Abilities (Inherent): Abilities of this type can be given to one and two handed weapons, weapon ammunition (darts, arrows, etc.) and non-ammunition missiles (like slings). None of these items have charges.
General Abilities (Inherent):Abilities of this type can be given to non-missile items which can be equipped (e.g. rings, armor, sword, but not arrows) but not to items that cant (e.g. wands, potions). Only a few of these ability types require for the item having them to have charges.
Non-Spell Usable (Usable): Abilities of this type change the status of the party or individual character in some way, such as making them more or less poisoned, or raising or lowering health. Abilities of these types can be given to any item thats not a missile (e.g. arrows, bolts). Being usable item abilities, any item having one of these abilities must have charges.
Spell Usable (Usable): Abilities of this type cast some sort of a spell, such as firing a fireball or summoning monsters. Abilities of these types can be given to any item thats not a missile (e.g. arrows, bolts). Being usable item abilities, any item having one of these abilities must have charges.
Reagents (Inherent): Items with these abilities are alchemical ingredients, spell reagents (e.g. smoky crystals, sapphires), or similar substances. All items with an ability of this type must have charges, and must be of variety Non-use Object.
Missiles (Inherent): These abilities can only be given to missiles (e.g. arrows, bolts, darts). Each ability is activated when the missile is fired (such as exploding a fireball on the target space).

As mentioned before, each item type has accompanying Ability Strength and Magic Item Adjust targets. For each ability, these two fields have different ranges and different affects, and their values will modify the affects of the item abilities in different ways. What each ability does and how the Ability Strength and Magic Item Adjust fields 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 - Flaming Weapon: The weapon does extra fire damage.
Ability 2 - Demon slayer: Does extra damage to demons.
Ability 3 - Undead slayer: Does extra damage to undead.
Ability 4 - Lizard slayer: Does extra damage to lizards.
Ability 5 - Giant slayer: Does extra damage to giants.
Ability 6 - Mage slayer: Does extra damage to mages.
Ability 7 - Priest slayer: Does extra damage to priests.
Ability 8 - Bug slayer: Does extra damage to insects.
Ability 9 - Acidic Weapon: Sprays acid on anything it hits.
Ability 10 - Soulsucker: When it hits, the wielder is healed.
Ability 11 - Drain Missiles: Drains missiles twice as fast. This only has an effect on bows and crossbows.
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 - Poisoned Weapon: The weapon poisons any monster 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 weapon damage the wielder takes.
Ability 31 - Full Protection: This partially blocks weapon and spell damage the wielder takes.
Ability 32 - Fire protection: This reduces fire damage the wielder takes.
Ability 33 - Cold protection: This reduces cold damage the wielder takes.
Ability 34 - Poison protection: This reduces poison damage the wielder takes.
Ability 35 - Magic protection: This reduces magic damage the wielder takes.
Ability 36 - Acid Protection: Acid sprayed on the wielder is weakened.
Ability 37 - Skill: Increases the wielder's chance of hitting in combat.
Ability 38 - Strength: The wielder's bonuses due to strength are increased.
Ability 39 - Dexterity: The wielder's bonuses due to dexterity are increased.
Ability 40 - Intelligence: The wielder's bonuses due to intelligence are increased.
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 Bless: Sometimes blesses the wearer in combat.
Ability 47 - Occasional Haste: Sometimes hastes the wearer in combat.
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.
Ability 52 - Disease Party: When carried (not just equipped), the item occasionally diseases the entire party.
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: Occasionally slows the wearer in combat.
Ability 57 - Undead Protection: Protects from blows received from undead in combat.
Ability 58 - Demon Protection: Protects from blows received from demons in combat.
Ability 59 - Humanoid Protection: Protects from blows received from humanoids in combat.
Ability 60 - Reptile Protection: Protects from blows received from reptiles in combat.
Ability 61 - Giant Protection: Protects from blows received from giants in combat.
Ability 62 - Disease Protection: Provides resistance from disease.

Non-Spell Usable (Usable)

Each of these item abilities affects 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).

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: Increases or decreases the amount of poison on the user's/party's weapons. If the item is beneficial, when used, the user has a chance (based on the Poison skill) of poisoning him/herself.
Ability 71 - Curse/Bless User
Ability 72 - Cure/Cause Poison
Ability 73 - Speed/Slow User
Ability 74 - Add/Lose Invulnerability
Ability 75 - Add/Lose Magic Resistance
Ability 76 - Add/Lose Web: Affects how much web is on the PC/party.
Ability 77 - Cure/Cause Disease
Ability 78 - Add/Lose Sanctuary
Ability 79 - Cure/Cause Dumbfounding
Ability 80 - Add/Lose Martyrs Shield
Ability 81 - Cure/Cause Sleep
Ability 82 - Cure/Cause Paralysis
Ability 83 - Cure/Cause Acid
Ability 84 - Bliss: Both heals and blesses. Only has a positive effect.
Ability 85 - Add/Lose Experience: Experience gained/lost is equal to 5 times Ability Strength.
Ability 86 - Add/Lose Skill Pts.: Amount of skill points gained/lost is equal to Ability Strength.
Ability 87 - 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 88 - Add/Lose Spell Points: Amount added or lost is 5 times Ability Strength plus or minus a small random amount.
Ability 89 - Doom: Poisons, damages, diseases, dumbfounds, and drains experience. Only has a negative effect.
Ability 90 - Light: Acts as a Light spell.
Ability 91 - Stealth: Acts as a Stealth spell.
Ability 92 - Firewalk: Acts as a Firewalk spell.
Ability 93 - Flying: Acts as a Flying spell.

Spell Usable (Usable)

When an item with one of these abilities is used, it casts a spell (which may need to be targeted). For each of these abilities, the Ability Strength is a number from 0 to 10, which represents the level the spell is cast at (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 Magic Item Adjust field is not used, except as noted below.

Ability 110 - Flame: Casts a Flame spell.
Ability 111 - Fireball: Casts a Fireball spell.
Ability 112 - Firestorm: Casts a Firestorm spell.
Ability 113 - Kill: Casts a Kill spell.
Ability 114 - Ice Bolt: Casts an Ice Bolt spell.
Ability 115 - Slow: Casts a Slow spell.
Ability 116 - Shockwave: Casts a Shockwave spell.
Ability 117 - Dispel Undead: Casts a Dispel Undead spell.
Ability 118 - Dispel Spirit: Casts a Dispel Spirit spell.
Ability 119 - Summoning: Summons one monster. The Ability Strength field contains the number of the monster to summon. When the party leaves the scenario, all items of this type are taken away (because the monsters in the next scenario might be completely different).
Ability 120 - Mass Summoning: Summons 3-5 monsters. The Ability Strength field contains the number of the monsters to summon.When the party leaves the scenario, all items of this type are taken away (because the monsters in the next scenario might be completely different).
Ability 121 - Acid Spray: Sprays acid on target. Amount depends on value of Ability Strength field.
Ability 122 - Stinking Cloud: Casts a Stinking Cloud spell.
Ability 123 - Sleep Field: Creates a Sleep Field at target.
Ability 124 - Venom: Casts a Venom spell.
Ability 125 - Shockstorm: Casts a Shockstorm spell.
Ability 126 - Paralysis: Casts a Paralysis spell.
Ability 127 - Web Spell: Casts a Web spell.
Ability 128 - Strengthen Target: Makes the target monster stronger. Can only be used on unfriendly monsters.
Ability 129 - Quickfire: Creates quickfire on space where its used.
Ability 130 - Mass Charm: Charms all monsters nearby.
Ability 131 - Magic Map: Casts a Magic Map spell.
Ability 132 - Dispel Barrier: Casts a Dispel Barrier spell.
Ability 133 - Ice Wall: Casts an Ice Wall spell.
Ability 134 - Charm: Casts a Charm spell.
Ability 130 - Antimagic Cloud: Casts an Antimagic Cloud spell.

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
Ability 151 - Comfrey Root
Ability 152 - Glowing Nettle
Ability 153 - Crypt Shroom/Wormgrass
Ability 154 - Asptongue Mold
Ability 155 - Ember Flowers
Ability 156 - Graymold
Ability 157 - Mandrake
Ability 158 - Sapphire
Ability 159 - Smoky Crystal
Ability 160 - Resurrection Balm
Ability 161 - Lockpicks: This item can be used as a lockpick. The Ability Strength determines how good a pick it is.

Missiles (Inherent)

These abilities can only be given to missile ammunition. The Magic Item Adjust and Ability Strength fields are not used, except as noted below.

Ability 170 - Returning: This missile is not used up when fired. It is best to only give it one use.
Ability 171 - Lightning: Target takes an amount of magical damage equal to the Ability Strength.
Ability 172 - Exploding: Fireball explodes at the target, cast at a level equal to the Ability strength.
Ability 173 - Acid: Target is sprayed with acid.
Ability 174 - Slay Undead: Does major extra damage versus undead.
Ability 175 - Slay Demon: Does major extra damage against demons.
Ability 176 - Heal Target: Restores health to target.