Post by Makzimia on Nov 4, 2003 16:08:40 GMT
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Basics of Blacksmithing
So you want to be a blacksmith? You must first start by being an
apprentice. After reading these pages, you will be on your way to be
making a variety of different armors and weapons. This book is divided in
four sections. The first will teach you about smelting ore into ingots.
Then next section deals with how to use the anvil and crafting. The third
section deals with skills and skill gain. And finally, the last section
will introduce more advanced topics such as salvaging crafted items.
SECTION 1
----------
Smelting Ore
The main component of all blacksmithing recipes is the ingot, and the
first duty of any blacksmith is to be able to make ingots. There are
12 different types of ingots which can be smelted from 12 different types
of ore. These include: copper, tinstone, iron, silver, gold, shadow
iron, verdicite, rubicite, syenite, mithral, adamantine, and myrkandite.
With each material type, there is an increasing difficulty both to smelt
and to use for crafts. Smelting will directly use your blacksmithing skill
in determining both success and the amount of useable ingots you produce
from an ore.
To smelt ore, first click on the forge located in most blacksmithing
shops. This will bring up the forge's inventory display. Place any
amount of ore into the forge's inventory and click "close".
A dialogue menu will then display showing your available options.
You can choose to immediately smelt the ore or influence your chances
of producing ore by fanning the flames.
There are three different levels of flame intensity. The biggest flame
will make the ore easier to smelt but will produce less ingots, while
the smallest flame makes it more difficult to smelt ore, it produces
the most ingots. The medium flame is somewhere in the middle. It's
usually advisable to start with the biggest flame first when working
with a new material type. As your skills improve, you can lower the
intensity of the flame. When you are satisfied with your choice,
select the smelt ore option and if you are skilled enough and lucky,
you will have produced some useable ingots!
Section 2
----------
The Anvil
The most important tool of any blacksmith is the anvil. Now that you
have some useable ingots, it is time to begin making some basic items.
In order to use the anvil, you must have a smithing hammer equipped.
Smithing hammers come in a variety of different material types and can
be purchased from merchants or can be made through weaponcrafting.
You will need to have the appropriate weapon proficiency in martial
weapons, however, to equip the smithing hammer. Like all trade tools,
smithing hammers degrade over time with use. Each material type offers
different levels of durability.
With your smithing hammer equipped, click on the anvil to begin
crafting. You will see a dialogue menu come up with options to either
craft armors or craft weapons. Crafting armors and crafting weapons
each use different skills. If you want to focus on armors, select
armor and you will see a list of different armor pieces such as body,
head, shields, or misc. You can also experiment with weapons. If you
have very little or no skill, you will have to start small. Select the
Misc category under armor and you should see an option in red for
Iron Studs. This is one of your most basic armor craftable items.
Iron studs are used mainly in leathercrafting so although you may not
have use for them, they can offer some easy training and can earn you
money by selling them to other players who do need them.
Now select the iron studs option. You should begin to craft. It takes
time to craft an item. Crafting iron studs take one iron ingot. Make
sure you have an iron ingot in your inventory. If you succeed, the
components will automatically be used up and you will get the newly
crafted item in your inventory. If you fail, there is a chance you
will lose some of your components.
If you noticed, the text for Copper Studs was in Red. Depending on your
skill level and the difficulty to make a certain item, the text for
item names will appear in different colors. Red means that the item is
very difficult to make for your skill level. Dark blue means you still
need some practice. Light blue means the item is reasonably easy to
make. Green means the item is trivial to make and you will usually
succeed but not learn from the success. Any items that you do not have
enough skill to make, will not display until you reach a minimum level
and then it will display as red to begin with. Practice, practice,
practice and some day you will see most items are green and trivial to
you.
Section 3
----------
The Skills
Blacksmithing mainly encompasses three skills. The first is just
Blacksmithing. Blacksmithing is a secondary skill. Secondary skills
are skills which other skills rely on and are not as difficult to
master. Blacksmithing is used to directly determine your success in
smelting ore and the amount of ingots you produce. It is also used to
directly determine how successful you are in salvaging crafted items.
And finally it determines how likely you to make an exceptional piece
of armor or weapon. Exceptionally crafted items usually have better
traits and sell for slightly more. The next two skills are
Armorcrafting and Weaponcrafting.
These are primary skills and are usually more difficult to master.
Armorcrafting directly influences what types of armor you can make,
what materials you can work with when making them, and your success
rates.
Weaponcrafting does the same but for weapons and tools.
Skill Gain
Your skills will go up over time and with continued use. It takes a
lot of practice and patience to become a master blacksmith. When you
succeed in making an item, there is a chance your skill will increase.
The harder the item was to make, the more likely you will see skill
gain. There is a point, however, when an items becomes trivial to make.
You will then no longer gain any skill from making this item and should
move on to harder items or more difficult materials. Even if you fail
making a difficult item, there is a small chance you will gain skill.
If you make an exceptional item, there is also a chance for your
Blacksmithing skill to increase as well.
Section 4
---------
Advanced Topics
Now that you have mastered the basics of blacksmithing, there are a
few extra things you should now about. Blacksmithing is not all about
just crafting basic items from different material types. There are
also several important things a blacksmith can do as he becomes a
master.
Salvaging Crafted Items
If you find that you are losing money by selling your crafted items
back to a merchant, you also have the option to salvage your crafted
items. By salvaging them, you will gain back some of the ingots needed
to make the item. To salvage an armor or weapon, simply click on the
forge and place the item in the forge's inventory and close it. You
will see an option to salvage crafted armor or weapons. Select this
and depending on you Blacksmithing skill level, you will either succeed
in which case you will gain back some of the ingots used to make the
item or you will fail and the item will be consumed. Failing to
salvage an item is rare even for a beginning blacksmith. Usually with
little skill, you just produce less ingots from the item. Salvaging is
a good way to increase your skills.
Basics of Blacksmithing
So you want to be a blacksmith? You must first start by being an
apprentice. After reading these pages, you will be on your way to be
making a variety of different armors and weapons. This book is divided in
four sections. The first will teach you about smelting ore into ingots.
Then next section deals with how to use the anvil and crafting. The third
section deals with skills and skill gain. And finally, the last section
will introduce more advanced topics such as salvaging crafted items.
SECTION 1
----------
Smelting Ore
The main component of all blacksmithing recipes is the ingot, and the
first duty of any blacksmith is to be able to make ingots. There are
12 different types of ingots which can be smelted from 12 different types
of ore. These include: copper, tinstone, iron, silver, gold, shadow
iron, verdicite, rubicite, syenite, mithral, adamantine, and myrkandite.
With each material type, there is an increasing difficulty both to smelt
and to use for crafts. Smelting will directly use your blacksmithing skill
in determining both success and the amount of useable ingots you produce
from an ore.
To smelt ore, first click on the forge located in most blacksmithing
shops. This will bring up the forge's inventory display. Place any
amount of ore into the forge's inventory and click "close".
A dialogue menu will then display showing your available options.
You can choose to immediately smelt the ore or influence your chances
of producing ore by fanning the flames.
There are three different levels of flame intensity. The biggest flame
will make the ore easier to smelt but will produce less ingots, while
the smallest flame makes it more difficult to smelt ore, it produces
the most ingots. The medium flame is somewhere in the middle. It's
usually advisable to start with the biggest flame first when working
with a new material type. As your skills improve, you can lower the
intensity of the flame. When you are satisfied with your choice,
select the smelt ore option and if you are skilled enough and lucky,
you will have produced some useable ingots!
Section 2
----------
The Anvil
The most important tool of any blacksmith is the anvil. Now that you
have some useable ingots, it is time to begin making some basic items.
In order to use the anvil, you must have a smithing hammer equipped.
Smithing hammers come in a variety of different material types and can
be purchased from merchants or can be made through weaponcrafting.
You will need to have the appropriate weapon proficiency in martial
weapons, however, to equip the smithing hammer. Like all trade tools,
smithing hammers degrade over time with use. Each material type offers
different levels of durability.
With your smithing hammer equipped, click on the anvil to begin
crafting. You will see a dialogue menu come up with options to either
craft armors or craft weapons. Crafting armors and crafting weapons
each use different skills. If you want to focus on armors, select
armor and you will see a list of different armor pieces such as body,
head, shields, or misc. You can also experiment with weapons. If you
have very little or no skill, you will have to start small. Select the
Misc category under armor and you should see an option in red for
Iron Studs. This is one of your most basic armor craftable items.
Iron studs are used mainly in leathercrafting so although you may not
have use for them, they can offer some easy training and can earn you
money by selling them to other players who do need them.
Now select the iron studs option. You should begin to craft. It takes
time to craft an item. Crafting iron studs take one iron ingot. Make
sure you have an iron ingot in your inventory. If you succeed, the
components will automatically be used up and you will get the newly
crafted item in your inventory. If you fail, there is a chance you
will lose some of your components.
If you noticed, the text for Copper Studs was in Red. Depending on your
skill level and the difficulty to make a certain item, the text for
item names will appear in different colors. Red means that the item is
very difficult to make for your skill level. Dark blue means you still
need some practice. Light blue means the item is reasonably easy to
make. Green means the item is trivial to make and you will usually
succeed but not learn from the success. Any items that you do not have
enough skill to make, will not display until you reach a minimum level
and then it will display as red to begin with. Practice, practice,
practice and some day you will see most items are green and trivial to
you.
Section 3
----------
The Skills
Blacksmithing mainly encompasses three skills. The first is just
Blacksmithing. Blacksmithing is a secondary skill. Secondary skills
are skills which other skills rely on and are not as difficult to
master. Blacksmithing is used to directly determine your success in
smelting ore and the amount of ingots you produce. It is also used to
directly determine how successful you are in salvaging crafted items.
And finally it determines how likely you to make an exceptional piece
of armor or weapon. Exceptionally crafted items usually have better
traits and sell for slightly more. The next two skills are
Armorcrafting and Weaponcrafting.
These are primary skills and are usually more difficult to master.
Armorcrafting directly influences what types of armor you can make,
what materials you can work with when making them, and your success
rates.
Weaponcrafting does the same but for weapons and tools.
Skill Gain
Your skills will go up over time and with continued use. It takes a
lot of practice and patience to become a master blacksmith. When you
succeed in making an item, there is a chance your skill will increase.
The harder the item was to make, the more likely you will see skill
gain. There is a point, however, when an items becomes trivial to make.
You will then no longer gain any skill from making this item and should
move on to harder items or more difficult materials. Even if you fail
making a difficult item, there is a small chance you will gain skill.
If you make an exceptional item, there is also a chance for your
Blacksmithing skill to increase as well.
Section 4
---------
Advanced Topics
Now that you have mastered the basics of blacksmithing, there are a
few extra things you should now about. Blacksmithing is not all about
just crafting basic items from different material types. There are
also several important things a blacksmith can do as he becomes a
master.
Salvaging Crafted Items
If you find that you are losing money by selling your crafted items
back to a merchant, you also have the option to salvage your crafted
items. By salvaging them, you will gain back some of the ingots needed
to make the item. To salvage an armor or weapon, simply click on the
forge and place the item in the forge's inventory and close it. You
will see an option to salvage crafted armor or weapons. Select this
and depending on you Blacksmithing skill level, you will either succeed
in which case you will gain back some of the ingots used to make the
item or you will fail and the item will be consumed. Failing to
salvage an item is rare even for a beginning blacksmith. Usually with
little skill, you just produce less ingots from the item. Salvaging is
a good way to increase your skills.
