Once upon a time there was a mage called Lord Odds Bodkins....
Before I relate why I'm bringing his name up, I'd like to share a story printed about Odds from one of the old KEs that gives just a tiny glimpse into who Odds was and just one way in which he impacted Elanthia:
Enchantment True Seen in Elanthia!
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Lord Odds Bodkins is the first mage to acquire the enchant true spell. Although not without quirks, (and some say it is tied in with the Duplicate Spell) Lord Odds has managed to enchant many items for grateful adventurers.
It seems, however, that weapons may be the only enchantable items for Lord Odds and armor, shields and the like are not as simple. See KE's exclusive Interview with Lords Odds in THIS issue on Page 12.
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The Odds of Enchantment
An Interview with Odds Bodkins
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by Wisraith Winterwind
Over the years it has been the goal of many mages to grasp that Holy Grail of spells, Enchantment True. Only since the discovery of the Spider Temple has achieving level 25 (the lowest level at which the spell is castable) been possible for mages. However, possible in no way denotes easy, or even likely, and being the first to learn Enchantment True puts Odds Bodkins in a class by himself, at least for the time being. Congratulations, Odds!
KE: What exactly does the Enchantment True spell do, Odds?
OB: When cast successfully on a weapon, a shield, or armor, a +25 bonus is imparted to that item.
KE: Does the spell work on any other items?
OB: Items such as capes, helms, aventails, and the like, appear to be enchantable but no discernable bonus is evident when they are used. Most other items just glow slightly and then fade.
KE: Do there appear to be any restrictions on what weapons, shields and armor are enchantable?
OB: Items made of any exotic materials such as ora, glaes, mithril or vultite, "special order" items from the shops, many "unique" items and items that have been blessed or edged are not enchantable and are lost immediately.
KE: Lost? Lost how?
OB: They provide everyone present with an unplanned fireworks display.
KE: How unfortunate. With you in business now, as it were, do you think proliferation of enchanted items will make them commonplace?
OB: Not really, at least, not right away. With mundane weapons, which I seem to be best with, I estimate my success rate at one in four casts. With weapons there seems to be an equal chance of succssful enchantment and pyrotechnics.
My success rate has been terrible with armor and shields. The items blow up at least half the time and the spell only succeeds about once in thirty casts. Maybe some future mage will surpass me in this area; there is precedence for that with the Duplicate spell.
To make rapid proliferation even less likely, the spell cannot be cast at essence nodes and only seems to have much success when I'm at my full mana. As a result, I have to wait at least four to five minutes between casting. With a success rate for armor and shields, well, you can see how the time involved becomes enormous.
KE: Will you be offering enchanted items free of charge, or have you a fee structure already in place?
OB: I plan on charging enough to make enchanted items somewhat valuable but still available to most. My structure is based on their value in relation to other items available, or, at least, that is my intent. I'm also offering one free enchantment to any healer or cleric of at least level ten and to a few people to whom I feel indebted.
KE: Are there any changes you'd like to see in the way the spell operates?
OB: Weapons specially ordered from the shops seem to be impossible to enchant. I agree with this in the (Cont. On Page 27...)
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Odds of Enchantment (From Page 12)
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cases of materials like glaes, that impart a bonus of their own, but for more mundane materials such as steel, I think enchantment should be possible.
Also, in my experience so far, shields and armor are equally difficult to enchant. Since shields are at risk of breakage and armor is not, I'd prefer to see shields easier to enchant.
KE: Any other comments or observations?
OB: Just that if you try to talk to me in the Temple or elsewhere and get no response, please don't be offended. It's really difficult to whisper to four or more people at a time, and I've been swamped with new friends.
KE: Again, we want to heartily congratulate Odds on his achievement; it is truly a new era he is ushering in. Great work!
If that isn't enough nostalgia for you, try and remember the first time you wandered around Upper Trollfang and got lost in the foothills. Somehow you may have wandered into an secluded valley and an alpine meadow, and then there was that mountain path that led up. At the top, upon a ledge, you may have set eyes on a strange-looking plant called a smastan bush, which stood below a bunch of odd runes carved into the rock.
If you were like me, you didn't know quite what to make of it all... until one day, when someone helped you figure out why such a place existed. And you were grateful (through the nerves) to have visited the workshop and home of an esteemed wizard.
For those who have never been to Lord Odds Bodkin's workshop, if you can find the way there, you are now welcome to wander around its interior at your leisure, as the property is no longer a private workshop in the traditional sense (the structure is there, but there is no enchanting benefit to be had) and is instead now permanently open to the public.
(And before my wonderful Plat people get all excited -- this is only open to the public in Prime -- it is still a private property in Plat!)
This message was originally posted in General Roleplaying, The World of Elanthia. To discuss the above, follow the link below.
http://forums.play.net/forums/19/215/2315/view/136
