Imbuing

Ah yes, magical items. They are the cornerstones of power in a mythical world. They are plundered from the legions of vanquished monsters and adversaries, rewarded from fallen enemies, and even created by ambitious artificers aspiring to create legendary relics of power.

Magical items bestow abilities to their owners that complement their existing capabilities. They are often the most coveted and valuable rewards an adventurer can acquire during his sojourning in dungeons and other dangerous places.

For artificers, constructing magical items is an extension of themselves, akin to an artist aspiring to paint her magnum opus. With the appropriate ingredients and a soul forge, artificers can imbue items with whatever properties they desire.

Imbuing items with transcendent power is a time-consuming and costly undertaking. Like any great experiment, the result is often failure.

Sages speak of a race that has mastered the legendary skill of Imbuing. Perhaps through this race, the adventurers and artisans of Britannia will journey through the fabled Stygian Abyss, discover the ancient homeland of the Gargoyles, and unravel the secrets of this forgotten craft.

Patrick "Leurocian" Malott
Lead Game Designer, Ultima Online
Mythic Entertainment, an EA Studio

Imbuing

Imbuing will give player characters a robust and fulfilling crafting and resource gathering system. Player characters will create base items with their existing crafting skills. Artificers - the official title for player characters who practice Imbuing - will have the ability to imbue and magically unravel items. With rare exceptions, imbued items will not be as powerful as loot dropped artifacts, but will be powerful enough to allow a skilled player to overcome the difference.

imbuing

Highlights:

  • The Imbuing skill allows player characters to imbue items with magical properties. The amount of skill determines how much magical power an artificer can imbue in an item.
  • The Imbuing skill allows player characters to magically unravel items into special ingredients. Artificers use these ingredients when imbuing items with magical power. Magically unraveling items always destroys the item in the process.
    • Magical Residue
    • Enchanted Essence
    • Relic Fragments
  • Magical items cannot be magically unraveled if they cannot be recycled or if they are made out of special material.
  • Other ingredients such as gemstones, special loot drops, and other rare resources will also be required during the imbuing process.
  • When magically unraveling an item, the artificer uses a soul forge and then selects which item he wishes to unravel.
    • One of two results will occur:
      1. The unraveling process fails. No ingredient is acquired.
      2. The unraveling process succeeds. The artificer receives one or more ingredients, and the magically unraveled item is destroyed.
  • Unraveling a magic item requires minimal skill. However, higher skill improves the quality of the ingredients obtained.
  • Artificers imbue and magically unravel items at a special forge called a soul forge. The soul forge in the Gargoyle City gives a slight success bonus, and the Queen's soul forge gives the highest success bonus.
  • Gargoyles receive an inherent success bonus when imbuing and unraveling magic items.
  • Gargoyles receive an enhance bonus for 100+ Imbuing skill (i.e., similar to the 100+ Blacksmithing skill enhance bonus).
  • Failing to imbue an item with an item property does not destroy the item.
  • Once an item has been successfully imbued, it can no longer be affected by Powder of Fortification. However, imbued items can be repaired.
  • Imbuing augments the power of certain Mysticism spells.