enchant weapon or armor capped at 9 or 10?

[fbas]

in 3.1.2, I have so far not been able to enchant weapons or armor past +9 (with one exception that goes to +10). Is this a hard limit, or has the probability gotten really low but still possible to go beyond this? I think I was able to enchant beyond this in 3.0.9.

[Derakon]

The theoretical cap is and has always been (as far back as I can recall) +15. However, your odds of going from +9 to +10 are 1 in 100, and it only gets worse from there.

[Mark]

As a paladin with access to Enchant Weapon, I've enchanted Aglarang to +15,+15. It took <5 minutes with use of a macro. Perhaps a bit scummy, but I figure why not.

[Patashu]

Imo if you have it in spell format and there's no downside to casting the spell repeatedly in town or whatever, it should always succeed.

[Zikke]

Imo if you have it in spell format and there's no downside to casting the spell repeatedly in town or whatever, it should always succeed.

I agree with this. If you're a class with the spell, there's no reason to force the player to scum the spell. The scrolls should still have the failure chance.

[Timo Pietilä]

I agree with this. If you're a class with the spell, there's no reason to force the player to scum the spell. The scrolls should still have the failure chance.

I don't agree. Enchant spells should fail every now and then, just like recharging and everything else.

If you make a macro and use it, then fine, use it. For rest of us that don't care to enchant everything up to +15 current system is fine.

On the other hand, I think enchanting ammo should be removed from the game. Completely. Spells (but not scrolls) for melee-weapons too. Game could have "restore enchantment" -spell to fix disenchanted artifacts.

[Zikke]

Enchant spells failing "every now and then" is far different than failing 99/100 times or worse at certain + levels. A lot of the Vanilla improvements have been to reduce needless tedium, and making a person cast, rest, cast, rest, cast, rest counts as tedium to me.

Removing the spells altogether works too. It would make the scrolls actually mean something, and then the low success rate would make complete sense.

[Carnivean]

The easy solution to the scumming problem is to change the mana value to 0. You're still hammering a key a bunch of times, but far less tedious than having to rest too.

That said, for gameplay purposes, failure rates balance out the gains with a negative. If you want +15, you have to earn it.

[Timo Pietilä]

and making a person cast, rest, cast, rest, cast, rest counts as tedium to me.

Then don't do that. Repeating tasks like that is like staying in dlvl1 until you are ready for Morgoth: it is self-caused tedium.

[Zikke]

Having spells available that have a low success rate, but would make a character permanently marginally better sort of invites people to scum with it. Otherwise the only point to having those spells in the spellbook is just to cast it once for the xp, which is a waste of a book slot.

[Rydel]

There's a definite advantage to fully enchanting your weapon, and if it's a spell, there's no downside. When optimal play is boring play, that's a problem that needs to be addressed.

[Derakon]

And IMO the proper way to address it is to remove the spells and replace them with something more interesting.

For example, we could replace Enchant Weapon with a spell that temporarily gives your weapon an elemental brand, and Enchant Armor with a spell that temporarily makes all your armor rustproof. They could then have their required level/difficulty reduced, so that if you're lucky enough to find Holy Infusions early on, it has actual value.

[Nick]

For example, we could replace Enchant Weapon with a spell that temporarily gives your weapon an elemental brand

FAangband already has this

[Zikke]

And IMO the proper way to address it is to remove the spells and replace them with something more interesting.

For example, we could replace Enchant Weapon with a spell that temporarily gives your weapon an elemental brand, and Enchant Armor with a spell that temporarily makes all your armor rustproof. They could then have their required level/difficulty reduced, so that if you're lucky enough to find Holy Infusions early on, it has actual value.

I'd sign that petition

as petitions go.

[MattB]

A lot of the Vanilla improvements have been to reduce needless tedium, and making a person cast, rest, cast, rest, cast, rest counts as tedium to me.

Imagine what it would be like if there wasn't a hard limit...