The giftbag promotion is now officially over.

Not to worry though - the november promotion is now awaiting you instead!

For each 100 credits bought, you will now receive a multi-faceted gem. These gems can be traded between players, but otherwise do nothing. Except for those scepters, that is.

If you have one of these gems in your inventory, you can do SCEPTER CREATE to create a level 1 scepter of power. The scepter can be used as a bashing attack, with SCEPTER POINT <mob>. This attack has a fixed damage and balance cost, and it will not work on players.

Not very exciting so far - but there's more! If you get more of those gems, you can ADD <gem> to SCEPTER, increasing the scepter's level by 1 each time, up to a maximum of 20.

Each level gives the scepter new powers in addition to this base attack - ranging from higher damage, adding stat scaling, or even extending the attack to affect all other mobs in the room, or apply a damage-over-time effect. Starting at level 4, you can use SCEPTER RESHAPE to make your scepter (somewhat) more unique. At level 20, the description of the scepter also includes its owner's name. For example, Garryn's orcish scepter of Sukhder.

HELP SCEPTERS has the full list of effects and syntaxes - a fully enhanced scepter is quite a formidable hunting tool indeed, easily surpassing most other attacks.

Here's a copy of the effect list, for convenience:

1: SCEPTER POINT <mob> - causes damage, like any bashing attack; speed not affected by statpacks

2: SCEPTER ATTUNE <type> - attempts to attune the scepter to a certain type of mobs, doing +20% damage to them. This ability is not instant - instead, the scepter reattunes itself every 5 minutes, with a 50% chance of using the requested type.
SCEPTER ATTUNE without a target to see the list of options.
SCEPTER ATTUNE OFF to disable.

3: SCEPTER AMNESIA <mob> - causes the mob to forget its current target (AFFLICTION SHOW AMNESIA).

4: SCEPTER RESHAPE - generates a random new description for the scepter; higher-level scepters get better descriptions. At level 20, also includes its owner's name. Usable once per 5 minutes.

5: Scepter can now be attuned to 'horde'

6: Scepter attack speed +15%

7: Scepter attunement is now 75% accurate

8: SCEPTER FEAR <mob> - chance to fear a mob out of the room, doesn't work on guards and similar mobs

9: SCEPTER SCALE <str/int/dex> - the attack of the scapter now scales to the chosen stat

10: Scepter can now be attuned to 'undead'

11: SCEPTER DISFIGURE <target> - other mobs do not assist this one (AFFLICTION SHOW DISLOYALTY).

12: SCEPTER SWITCH FIRE - attacking with the scepter also puts mobs on fire, causing periodic damage for a short while (AFFLICTION SHOW ABLAZE). The
main damage of the scepter is reduced somewhat.
The extra effect of a scepter can be switched once per 30 seconds.
These modifiers only apply to SCEPTER POINT x, not to the other attacks.
SCEPTER SWITCH OFF to disable.

13: SCEPTER SWITCH LIGHTNING - Pointing the scepter additionally damage all other mobs (up to a limit) in the same room for 25% of the original attack's damage, and have a chance to cause amnesia. This effect does not work on guards or mobs loyal to players. 30 second cooldown.

14: SCEPTER SWITCH ICE - Scepter attacks also freeze mobs, preventing them from fighting back (AFFLICTION SHOW SHIVERING, AFFLICTION SHOW FROZEN).

15: Attuning the scepter is now 100% accurate and instant. The scepter no longer re-attunes itself periodically.

16: SCEPTER SWITCH FIRESTORM - Similar to the lightning, but the attacks have a chance to put the mobs on fire, causing periodic damage. 30 second cooldown.

17: SCEPTER FLASH <target> - the target doesn't attack until the effect wears off (AFFLICTION SHOW PEACE)

18: SCEPTER SWITCH KNOCKDOWN - scepter attacks can knocn mobs prone (AFFLICTION SHOW PRONE)

19: SCEPTER SWITCH BLIZZARD - Similar to the lightning, but the attacks can freeze other mobs. 30 second cooldown.

20: SCEPTER SWITCH has no cooldown (per-effect cooldowns still apply, though). Go wild.


Penned by my hand on the 22nd of Aequitas, in the year 90 AM.