The Ability Bonus System in GS4

The Ability Bonus System encompasses any item, any spell, and anything else that provides the ability to directly affect a character’s stats, skills and/or spell knowledge.

The following areas of a character’s attributes can currently be affected:

· Max health, mana, and spirit - capped at +50.

· Health, mana, and spirit regeneration speed.

· The ten primary stats and stat bonuses.

· Skill ranks and/or skill bonus.

· Spell circle ranks, or individual spell knowledge.

Bonuses (or penalties, which are equally possible) are obtained in any number of ways, but primarily from items and spells. Items will generally fit into one of four categories:

· Armor must be worn, with the exception of shields, which must be held (in either hand).

· Weapons must be held in either hand.

· Wearables must simply be worn.

· Consumables are usually potions and such, and (much like spells) will typically have a limited time of effect, as opposed to the persistent effect of other items.

In the case of stats and stat bonuses, item bonuses do not stack with other item bonuses; only the highest bonus will be considered. For skills and spells, items may stack with one another, and items and spells may always stack. Some items can also hold multiple enhancements. (During beta testing of the ability bonus system, some items were able to hold up to 20 separate enhancements.)

Items can have a system of requirements and restrictions, based on just about anything imaginable. Player race, profession, level, society, stats, skills, house, and guild are among the things that may be taken into account.

The possibilities for items created with the system are nearly boundless. A Belt of Titan Strength might boost the player’s Strength by +20, but lower their Intelligence by -20. The Wizard Guild could sell rings which, when worn by a Wizard Guildmaster, boost the mana recovery by 3% per minute. A warrior in the service of Sheru who goes above and beyond the expectations of his chosen deity might find himself with a symbol which, when worn, gives him the ability to cast the Nightmare spell on his opponents.

Currently, GIFTBOXes contain items which are attuned to the person who received the GIFTBOX and which boost the character’s prime stats by 5, but hold a limited number of charges. The GIFTBOX also holds a potion which may provide a bonus to the Dodge ability of the character that drinks it, but the potion is not attuned. Items in the treasure feeder system (items found on critters and in boxes) may also hold ability bonus enhancements.

To determine if an item has an ability enhancement, a bard can loresing to the item. A successful loresong will determine whether an enhancement is present, as well as what form the enhancement takes. A character may also wear the item, hold it in hand or consume it, whichever would apply. The character can then check their SKILLS, INFO, HEALTH or SPELLS to see if any have been enhanced, but doing so runs the risk of missing possible enhanced recovery times, as well as using up a charge of the bonus.

Most ability bonus items hold a finite number of charges or duration. Consumable bonus items will almost certainly hold a certain number of bites/sips. Items with enhancements that are not consumable will use a charge when the item is activated. Also, if an item is in continuous use, there is a periodic, random check to see if a charge from the item is drained.

Merchants do exist who can recharge ability enhancement items, however, so a drained item is not worthless.