Forge Bonuses
 

I am a bit confused on this and would appreciate it if a more experienced player could clarify which bonuses are cumulative with which.

Specifically...

ULM Smith/Inquisitor: 25% forge bonus
Dwarven Hammer: 25% forge bonus

(I know these are additive and that it takes 50% the normal cost to craft an item, rounded down. That rounding down often makes for a 60% reduction in item cost, which I really like.)

Cyclops Hammer: I'm assuming that this would be additive in a manner similar to the Dwarven hammer.

Spell: Forge of the Ancients: This supposedly gives a 50% reduction in gem cost.

Now...is this 50% achieved by multiplying the cost previous to it by 0.5? Or is it achieved by adding 50 to the total percentage reduction? If the latter, Ulm smiths would be able to forge gem-free with dwarven hammers once this spell has become active.

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

Never tried the global, but the Hammer of the Cyclops and the Hammer of the Forge Lord both act like a double-strength two-handed high-damage dwarven hammer i.e. total 75% off in hands of a Master Smith / Inquisitor.

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

Forge divides down the cost, but doesn't reduce it to zero!

However, it is an extremely effective bonus even so, especially combined with Ulmish smiths, dwarven hammers, and/or special forge sites. Bargain basement magic item bonanza, until it gets dispelled. Forge of the ancients also reduces the requirements to make more powerful items, which makes it possible to make items which increase powers, which is also super for Ulm.

PvK

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

What exactly does 'more powerful' items mean? Better items without having to have researched them via Construction, (like artifacts at level 6 or something), or does everything you make have boosted effects?

olaf

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It probably means that the magic path requirements are reduced. If an item normally needed a mage with 3 earth 3 fire to make it, with the Forge a mage with 2 earth 2 fire would suffice.

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

Wow...that is quite a bonus. And it seems the gem cost is always rounded down, not up.

Thank all of you for your responses. This is something that is good to understand for someone who likes Ulm. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

I remember fondly the time I could cast Wish in Dominions 1 for the first time... I wished for Dwarven Smith, empowered and gave him items until he could cast Wish himself, Wished for Magic few times and got Hammer of the Cyclops. I had Forge of the Ancients active, too... Robes of Invulnerability for only 1 earth gem... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

BTW, I cheated in that game. I started with 15 provinces, few commanders in every one of them and all had the Djinn Lamp. I got about 20 Djinns, and wondered why they had such a low levels of magics...
My pretender was a Dagon with level 19 in every path, and my Prophet had holy-20... Have you ever seen an unholy-19 priest reanimate? You should, you really should. And think about Orb Lightning...

[ December 20, 2003, 17:48: Message edited by: Endoperez ]

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

How do you get an unholy-19 priest? By modding the map?

PvK

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

yes thats that. And the better is yet to be known : you have also a +1 bonus level in mage paths that you DONT KNOW off !!

So to give a striking example, an astral 1 theurg can forge a fever fetish (fire 1 nature 1). Imagine what you can do with the right gems http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

if you ever programmed in basic or anything else, then you can script. Something like

#commander "Archdevil"
#mag_fire 20

is rather straightforward I think.

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

By modding the map. Just like anything else... It took some time after that until I could think level 3 mage good again. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

Hm. Has anybody tried a Nataraja with *two* different forge-bonus weapons (e.g. Hammer of the Forge Lord, Hammer of the Cyclops)? You need at least three arms to try, since there's only one one-handed forge-bonus weapon AFAICT...
It'd be pretty wacky if those 50% forge bonuses stacked, although admittedly you need a Wish or the correct independent to get a Hammer of the Cyclops.

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

I haven't tried that, but my guess is it would work, because practically every other combination I have seen work with forge bonuses - sites, Ulmish forgers, items, and global enchantments.

PvK

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

Tried a Nataraja w/ Hammer of the Forge Lord + Hammer of the Cyclops Last night, empowered the fellow in some fire and astral. No other forge bonuses active.
20-gem items seemed to cost 4, 5-gem items cost 1, didn't try other levels. It's not free, but it does stack in some odd way (80% off at those two levels, at least; better than multiplicative bonus of 75% off let alone single bonus of 50%).

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

Hi,

I already had a Nat in my game and wished up the Hammer. So, forged the Chalice (20 n 10 a) with the Hammer of the Cyclops and Forge Lord with Forge of the Ancients running ...

The Chalice costs 2 n 1 a. Not bad. 10% of the original cost.

The Nat can definitely become a forge maniac.

BTW, I've been looking and looking for a spell I cast once and haven't been able to find again. It gives back some of the gems used in casting every turn and is a ritual, like Forge of the Ancients.


Ciao,
V'ger gone

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

Arcane nexus?
You get few gems every turn, and if any (ritual) spell is cast or an item forged, you get some of the gems used in it. Propably does not get you blood slaves. Might this be it?

Re: Forge Bonuses
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Seems like it. I've got it active in my monster-game as Ulm (140+ turns on the "world" map); it reports huge numbers of gems each turn (200 at least), but I'm not sure what the breakdown is (it would be nice if one could have a more detailed report).