Magic Items
Official Simu Document

The use of spells by your character is the main form of magical offense and defense. But items imbued with magical properties also are an important part of life in Elanthia. Enchanted weapons and armor impart extra offensive and defensive bonuses, as well as creating unusual effects.

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Magic Weapons		Enchanted weapons are rare and precious finds in GemStone IV. Weapons with magical properties give the wielder specific bonuses in combat. They can give extra offensive bonuses when used to attack or extra defensive bonuses when held. They can inflict certain powerful critical strikes, which may be beyond the normal capabilities and level of the user. Magic weapons may also generate unusual effects, such as shocks or charges.
Magic Armor		Enchanted armor affords magical protection in terms of additional bonuses that lessen the severity of our foes' attacks. Magical armor can make you more difficult to hit, or it can reduce the severity of critical results you take in combat.
Magic Trinkets		Magical items also give the bearer special powers. Enchanted rings, helms, bracers, or amulets, for instance, may be imbedded with spells that operate continuously while worn, or that may be fired by manipulating the item. Just as items can be imbedded with useful spells, so they may also be cursed to cause harm, injury or evil to the wearer or user of the cursed item. Cursed items cannot be dropped or removed without the aid of magic.
Magic Potions, Herbs and Salves		Magical potions, herbs and salves may have increased healing, strengthening or magic-giving effects, as opposed to the usual properties of non-magic herbs or draughts. Use of these items does not require skill. For a potion that makes you invisible, you would DRINK it, while a dose of magical leaves would be EATen. Potions, herbs and salves do not last forever, and they contain a limited number of "charges" or doses, and usually cannot be renewed or recharged. You may find that after drinking five sips of a potion, for example, it gets used up, or that five applications of an herb exhausts the supply.
Wands		Wands and rods are enchanted tools that any profession can use to cast imbedded spells with. Training in the Magic Item Use skill enables you to use those items. To use the item, you WAVE . Again, these magic items have a limited amount of charges, and while they do not require preparation time or the spending of mana points when used, their magic is good for a limited number of spells. It can be very difficult, even dangerous, to attempt using the more powerful charged items without enough study of the Magic Item Use skill. Waving a wand can also result in considerable round times if the user is heavily encumbered. The Magic Item Use skill enables you to use wands (and some other charged items) effectively. Your chance of success at waving a wand is determined by your Magic Item Use skill bonus, a bonus based on your degree of familiarity with the spheres of magic, the level of the spell in the item, statistic bonuses, armor worn, and encumbrance; all modifying the roll of a 100-sided die. If you wave the wand successfully, the spell will fire. If you fail, the spell could backfire on you or those around you, and the item may be destroyed. List of Wands:
Scrolls		Scrolls are magical items that have spells imbedded on them by inscribing spells, chants or characters on suitable media. The most common form is the scroll, a piece of paper or parchment with a written spell that must be examined and read to be used. The Arcane Symbols skill enables you to decipher scrolls effectively. Your chance of success at deciphering a scroll is determined by your Arcane Symbols skill bonus, a bonus based on your degree of familiarity with the spheres of magic, the level of the spell written on the scroll itself, all modifying the roll of a 100-sided die. If you read the scroll successfully, you will have the spell ready, as if you had prepared it. You may then cast the spell at the appropriate target. If you fail to read the scroll, the spell could backfire on you or those around you. A scroll must be used carefully. If you wish to attempt to determine the type of spell the scroll will cast, you must READ the scroll paper. Once you have determined that, you INVOKE the spell on the scroll in order to actually use the magic. When the scroll's charges are exhausted, it vanishes.

Activation

Duration

To calculate the duration of the spell effect based on the above activation commands, the spell's duration formula and the character's Magic Item Use or Arcane Symbols ranks are required. Spell duration formulas can be found in the spell documentation of this website.

MIU duration formula:
base duration + (MIU ranks * (half normal duration for spell ranks known))

When using the TAP command to activate a magic item, MIU ranks are halved.
When using the RUB & WAVE commands, use the normal MIU ranks.
When using the RAISE command, MIU ranks are 133% normal.

Example:
The spell Thurfel's Ward (503) spell duration formula is 1200 seconds +60 seconds for every Major Elemental spell known. Your character has 50 MIU ranks. What is the spell duration for the activation commands?

TAP: 1200 + (25 * 30) = 1950 seconds
RUB & WAVE: 1200 + (50 * 30) = 2700 seconds
RAISE: 1200 + (66 * 30) = 3180 seconds

When using the DRINK & EAT commands to activate a magic item, only the base spell duration is calculated. In the case of the Thurfel's Ward spell, it would be 1200 seconds.

Arcane Symbols (INVOKE) duration formula:
Base duration + (Arcane Symbols ranks * (half normal duration for spell ranks known))

Example:
Using the same spell example above and substituting the 50 MIU ranks for 50 Arcane symbols ranks, what is the spell duration when invoking a scroll with the spell Thurfel's Ward?

INVOKE: 1200 + (50 * 30) = 2700 seconds

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