NUB QUESTION: What's happening to my mages' gems?

[hoo]

Another nub question:


Items like bag of winds: Says that anyone can open the bag to release a lesser wind elemental. I tried it with a regular commander and there was no command to use the item or something. How does that work?

Or if you script "summon lesser air elemental" will it then open the bag for no fatigure/no cost? so only mages can use it?

[thejeff]

Works automatically. The elemental appears at the start of battle.

[Taqwus]

Items which mimic spells can do so in three ways -- some autocast once at the beginning of combat, some autocast throughout a battle, and some are invoked by the commander in lieu of a normal action.

Most items that summon monsters are autocast-once items, with the notable exception of the skelispam talisman. Wraith Crowns, the Corpse Candle shield, the Soulstone of the Wolves (used to be action-based), the Pocket Lich, the Headless Hoburg, Percival the Pocket Knight... all autocast-once.

The Bag of Winds, waaaay back, was an action-based item, but this was judged to be unbalancing. A commander with a quickness effect could spam multiple air elementals per turn, which was a bit powerful for the cost.