Fan Faire Write-up, Part 2: Tradeskill Super-Trophies

[Cherryblossoms]

maybe the super trophy just summons something that is an ingredient for some unique nice combines... (food, drink, clothing, ware, etc)

or an additional ingredient for some existing combines; such as: the summoned stuff + fresh fish + bat wing = coolkid's fish roll. =D

[KyrosKrane]

OK, I've decided to take a crack at summarizing my views in combination with what we have so far. This is based on a combination of (what appears to be) a majority or consensus opinion, and my own ideas. The aim of this summary is to provide a template that can be tweaked by the devs for implementing a super-trophy. I am purposely ignoring the existing limitations of the game engine in putting together this template; I leave it up to the devs to decide whether the needed recoding to implement these ideas is feasible or not.

The super-trophy has the following characteristics:

Ability to make:
The super-trophy is the tradeskiller's epic. It can only be made if you already have all seven general grandmaster items AND if you have 250 raw skill in all seven general tradeskills. This incredibly high standard gives the devs a LOT more leeway in how powerful they can make the super-trophy.

Form of the super-trophy:
I am in favor of splitting the trophy into two parts. The first is an "Icon of the Master Tradeskiller" that has no stats and is equippable in Primary, Secondary, Range, or Ammo. It has the bag ability and is used to make tradeskill mod items, as discussed below.

So long as you have the Icon of the Master Tradeskiller in your possession (either on your person or in the bank), you may hail an NPC and receive a "Mark of the Grandmaster Artisan", a Type "all" augment with stats, as discussed below.

How to make:
The consensus appears to be that this must be a quest or a no-fail combine. The hard work has already been done; this is just a reward. It may require additional resources or items, but these should be trivial to obtain; no farming, questing, or combines you can fail, and no flagging or level-based requirements. Note that this doesn't mean that they must be free; this could act as a plat sink. Bear in mind the costs already spent on making the seven trophies, though.

Also note that items with trivials under 50 are no-fail for people of skill 250, so the extra item(s) could have a trivial of 49 or less and be tradable. This would make it similar to the Artisan's Seal for existing trophies.

The most popular method appears to be a quest giver who will give you the combine container only if you are a 1750 tradeskiller (as with Aid Grimel, but requiring all seven checks at once). You then place all seven trophies (possibly with another item, such as a "Grandmaster's Seal") in the container and perform a no-fail combine to obtain the super trophy.

Once you have the super-trophy (on your person or in the bank), you may hail the NPC at any time and he will hand you an augment with stats, mentioned below. If you remove the augment (for example, when upgrading an item), you may hail the NPC and he will hand you a new augment. This is in line with the PoP charm, the LDoN Adventurer's Stone, and the "Breakdown in Communication" quest items and rewards.

Tradeskill mods
You can place the super-trophy in any tradeskill container (alone) and combine it to get a no-drop, no-rent, lore item with an appropriate tradeskill mod. For example, if you combine the super-trophy in a tailoring kit, you get back the super-trophy and a "Tailor's Helper". The "helper" items should have at least a 5% bonus to match the bonus on existing trophies, and 10% would be a nice gesture.

Consensus appears to be that the "helper" items should also improve your skill beyond the existing stat cap or reduce your chance to fail, as with the Jewelcrafting Mastery AA. By the time you obtain this item, you know pretty much everything there is to know about crafting anything in all seven tradeskills. Logic dictates that you should have an edge over people who have only specialized in one tradeskill.

Summoned Bags
The super-trophy should have a right-click effect to summon bags. These bags should be no-drop, NOT lore, and NOT no-rent. The bags should also have 100% weight reduction to match existing bags. One popular idea is to make the bags also provide some coin weight reduction. I honestly don't think that 100% coin weight reduction would be game-breaking, and it would be a very appropriate reward for a tradeskiller.

Stats
This is one of the most hotly-debated topics, as far as I can tell. There is no real consensus on what stats are needed or even wanted on the trophy. Therefore, this is entirely my opinion.

I am balancing the stats on the super-trophy against those on the 8th Shawl, the Aid Grimel earring, and existing augments I've seen or heard of. Based on those standards, I would suggest the following:

+15 AC
+10 to all stats except CHA
+50 CHA
+75 hp / mana / endurance
+10 to all saves
(optional: some nifty but harmless worn effect that will help anyone. Something like Plainsight.)

This makes the item significantly better than what the average non-raider would expect to get. Since it's an augment, the stats are weaker than if it were a stand-alone item. The boost in HP and saves is significant regardless of your level, and the stats will benefit non-raiding tradeskillers a great deal. (If anything, I feel the stats are far too conservative, but I don't think it would be reasonable to ask for higher stats.) I feel this is the best compromise set of stats that would appeal to as many players as possible.

Physical Characteristics
The item should be size "tiny" or "small" for easy storage and light so that even monks would want to carry it around.

The standard thinking is that it should go in the PRIMARY, SECONDARY, RANGE, and AMMO slots, like current trophies.

Making it a charm-slot item seems popular, but it would then conflict with the PoP charm popular with raiders, and some GoD charms I've seen.

With regards to appearance, the item part should have a unique and distinctive graphic, in line with the class-based epics (version 2, that is, with OoW).

Quest Proposal:
This section is pretty much swiped wholesale from Demorgoth's post and modified a bunch.

You say, 'Hail Craftmaster Rehtom'ned'

Craftmaster Rehtom'ned says, 'Well hello there <Your Name>. Some people prefer to be the jack of all trades and the master of none. Others prefer to concentrate exclusively on but one trade and perfect their skill in that alone. A precious few however manage to excel in all of the tradeskill arts and become a [Master of all tradeskills]. Which whould you consider yourself?'

You say, 'I am the Master of all tradeskills'

Craftmaster Rehtom'ned says, 'Incredible! I thought there were none of us left! I assume you have all your trophies to prove your skill? Good. I was really proud of mine, but unfortunately they took up far too much room in my bags while I was adventuring. I made a beautiful [display case] for my trophies and mounted them in an artistic manner. It was still rather large to carry around while adventuring, so after some long searching I managed to find an old sage who showed me how to magically reduce the size of my display while enhancing the magicks of the trophies themselves. I was sworn to secrecy and cannot share the secret, but if you have a display case of trophies you wish to have shrunk and enhanced, I would be happy to assist you.'

You say, 'I would like to get a display case.'

(If you do not have 250 in all seven tradeskills)
Craftmaster Rehtom'ned says, 'While your skills are quite impressive, <Your Name>, I fear you have not yet mastered all tradeskills. Come back to me when you have improved your skills and we will talk further.'

(If you DO have 250 in all seven tradeskills)
Craftmaster Rehtom'ned says, 'I have taken it upon myself to make such cases for others who also have mastered all tradeskills. Mount your seven Grandmaster items in this case and return it to me. I will work the magic upon it for you.'

You recieve an Empty Trophy Case.

 Empty Trophy Case
 MAGIC LORE NO DROP
 Wt: 7.0
 Capacity: 8 Size Capacity: Small

Put all 7 tradeskill trophies into the Trophy Case and hit combine. You get a Sealed Trophy Case.

 Sealed Trophy Case
 MAGIC LORE NO DROP
 Wt: 20.0

Hand the Sealed Trophy Case to Craftmaster Rehtom'ned.

Craftmaster Rehtom'ned takes the sealed case from you, places it upon his work bench, and starts to chant in an arcane tongue. The words are beyond your ken, but the feeling of powerful magic is inescapable. Before your eyes, the trophy case shrinks as its magical essence is refined and extracted.

Craftmaster Rehtom'ned finishes his invocation and says, 'As promised, here is your Icon of the Master Tradeskiller. Place it in any artisan's crafting device and its magic will be invoked to aid you. I was also able to isolate some of the enhancing magics from your trophies and make them into this Mark of the Grandmaster Artisan. Should you ever lose it, come talk to me and I will see about getting you a replacement. I hope these items serve you well and provide much needed room for all that ingredient collecting! May your supplies be plentiful and your crafting successful, friend.'

You receive two items:

 Icon of the Master Tradeskiller
 MAGIC ITEM LORE ITEM NO DROP
 Slot: RANGE PRIMARY SECONDARY AMMO
 Effect: Artisan's Satchel (Must Equip, Casting Time: 10.0)
 WT: 0.1 Size: SMALL
 Class: ALL
 Race: ALL
 
 Mark of the Grandmaster Artisan
 MAGIC ITEM LORE ITEM NO DROP AUGMENTATION
 Augmentation type: All slot types
 Slot: ANY
 AC: 15
 STR: +10 DEX: +10 STA: +10 CHA: +50 WIS: +10 INT: +10 AGI: +10 
 HP: +75 MANA: +75 ENDUR: +75
 SV FIRE: +10 SV DISEASE: +10 SV COLD: +10 SV MAGIC: +10 SV POISON: +10
 WT: 0.0 Size: TINY
 Class: ALL
 Race: ALL

Later, you can hail Craftmaster Rehtom'ned. If you have the Mark of the Grandmaster Artisan, he will reply:
Craftmaster Rehtom'ned says, 'Greetings, <Your Name>! I hope your crafting goes well?'

If you lost or destroyed your Mark of the Grandmaster Artisan, he will reply:
Craftmaster Rehtom'ned says, 'I see you have lost your Mark. I will attempt to make you a new one.' Craftmaster Rehtom'ned closes his eyes and chants. You can feel his magic drawing upon the power of your Icon of the Master Tradeskiller, and a moment later, a new Mark of the Grandmaster Artisan appears in his hand. He hands it to you and says, 'Wear it with pride, <Your Name>.'

[Elton]

a

sorry Kieroth I replied and without doing a bit of research first. The easiest way to do it would be to give 1750 members with super trophy a unique title. A visual display of the number wouldn't be necessary in that case. Being "Elton the Artisan" would tell people that I have mastered all tradeskills and have completed the quest for the super trophy.

[Jora_Delossian]

For me, a "supertrophy" is not about getting an uber item, but about the recognition of the dedication and hard work that I have gone through to obtain 1750. I want it to be an item that I can equip (even if it doesn't give any stats like in the ammo slot), so that anyone who inspects me or looks at my magelo will see it and know that I am a tradeskill GM. It should be simple enough that it won't take weeks of coding, but give enough of a benefit that even elemental+ people will still want it.

Here's what I would be satisfied with in a supertrophy:

Hail a quest NPC who checks your skills; if you are 1750 he will give you a quest container. Combine the seven tradeskill trophies (no-fail combine) and receive a Grandmaster Artisan's Seal (staff, whatever).

stats: double that of the old trophies, equippable in the same slots
summons the same bags as old trophies
unique graphic, maybe a glowing white or yellow fist with particles

It should either give a 5% mod to all skills and consume the old trophies on the combine, or give no mods and return all the trophies on the combine.

Here's what I would like in a supertrophy.

Same quest, although all trophies are returned on the combine.
stats: 10 all stats, 10 all saves, 100hp/mana, 10% to all tradeskills, with a useful effect like faerune, equippable primary/secondary/range/ammo and any slots where you could wear jewelry (rings, etc). It should also summon the bag.

Give your supertrophy back to the same NPC and he returns the trophy and an augment that is equippable in any slot. The augment could be maybe 50hp/mana and some smaller stats and/or an all-around useful focus effect. This portion could also be made into a quest; make one 250+ trivial item from each tradeskill and combine them in a container (this CAN fail). Give the container and your supertrophy back to the NPC and receive your trophy and the augment.

[Mahrk_Lonefeather]

How will your trophy show what your skill level is? I'm confused.

SFG

Very simple. The same way you show anyone any item in the game. You link your trophy to whoever you want to show it to, and when they click on the link, it shows the item information including your level in your tradeskill's equivalent of JCM.

[Koru]

A more reliable proof is to equip it and have someone inspect you. Links can be easily sent from person to person, no drop items can rarely be transfered from one person's inventory to another's.

[Kieroth_whiteleaf]

Right, but I was referencing the above person's post where he was saying it should say how much "jcm aa" and skill levels you have. Even linked items don't show how powerful they are to the person who HAS them, they scale to be proportional to the USER. If a level 65 links his nightmarewood compound bow, and I click it, it shows reduced stats because I'm below the recommended level.

If we're discussing a 1750 required item, the point is moot. Anyone who equips it is going to be 1750, so you KNOW their skill level. My question was solely to the person who wanted the item to show an exact skill number, which to the best of my knowledge is currently impossible. Obviously this is something that *COULD* be coded, but I don't know how worth the effort it is.

I'd MUCH rather see something along the lines of jcm on the trophy than a skill modifier - given that a geerlok is just as good as a trophy at that point, it seems kinda a waste of time. I don't know if it's feasible, but it'd be much preferred to a skill mod, since we only effectively get a 1% bonus anyways once 1750. 10% is overkill, and they could put 100% on it without making it any more desirable than a geerlok.

SFG

[Mahrk_Lonefeather]

Actually, my suggestion was that it just show your JCM skill. Since in my scenario you can't get JCM until you are a natural 250 tradeskill level, any showing of JCM on the trophy would tell the person you are a 250 tradeskill level. However, I don't know anything about coding so don't know how much work that would be to have JCM show up on trophy.

But then after more thought, I have realized that a person who is a 250 tradeskill level but below experience level 51, would not be able to get JCM. Since tradeskills are not supposed to be experience level based, this would bring up an issue of fairness. The logical fix would be to make JCM aa's non- experience-level based, so you could get them at any experience level as long as you had a tradeskill level of 250.

[Mahrk_Lonefeather]

Actually, after more thought, tradeskills are somewhat experience level restricted as you can't become a member of the 1750 club until you start earning aa's. So disregard the second part of my post directly above.

[GigantuousOfPovar]

For me, a "supertrophy" is not about getting an uber item, but about the recognition of the dedication and hard work that I have gone through to obtain 1750. I want it to be an item that I can equip (even if it doesn't give any stats like in the ammo slot), so that anyone who inspects me or looks at my magelo will see it and know that I am a tradeskill GM. It should be simple enough that it won't take weeks of coding, but give enough of a benefit that even elemental+ people will still want it.

Here's what I would be satisfied with in a supertrophy:

Hail a quest NPC who checks your skills; if you are 1750 he will give you a quest container. Combine the seven tradeskill trophies (no-fail combine) and receive a Grandmaster Artisan's Seal (staff, whatever).

stats: double that of the old trophies, equippable in the same slots
summons the same bags as old trophies
unique graphic, maybe a glowing white or yellow fist with particles

It should either give a 5% mod to all skills and consume the old trophies on the combine, or give no mods and return all the trophies on the combine.

Here's what I would like in a supertrophy.

Same quest, although all trophies are returned on the combine.
stats: 10 all stats, 10 all saves, 100hp/mana, 10% to all tradeskills, with a useful effect like faerune, equippable primary/secondary/range/ammo and any slots where you could wear jewelry (rings, etc). It should also summon the bag.

Give your supertrophy back to the same NPC and he returns the trophy and an augment that is equippable in any slot. The augment could be maybe 50hp/mana and some smaller stats and/or an all-around useful focus effect. This portion could also be made into a quest; make one 250+ trivial item from each tradeskill and combine them in a container (this CAN fail). Give the container and your supertrophy back to the NPC and receive your trophy and the augment.

Lets see my idea of a trophy would be first lets look at what the casual tradeskiller who did the Aid Grimel quest got on items then make it fair to a 250 in 7 Tradeskills Grandmaster.

(Melee and Bards)

LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
Weight: 2.0 Size: TINY
Slot: EAR
AC: +25 Str: +25 Dex: +25 Sta: +25 Wis: +25 Int: +25 Agi: +25 Fire Resist: +15 Disease Resist: +15 Cold Resist: +15 Magic Resist: +15 Poison Resist: +15 HP: +145 Mana: +130 End: +130
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Slot 1: Type 7
# Additional Modifiers:Attack: +30
# Regeneration: +3
# Dodge: +8%

(Casters)

LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
Weight: 1.5 Size: TINY
Slot: EAR
AC: +25 Str: +25 Dex: +25 Sta: +25 Wis: +25 Int: +25 Agi: +25 Fire Resist: +15 Disease Resist: +15 Cold Resist: +15 Magic Resist: +15 Poison Resist: +15 HP: +130 Mana: +150
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Slot 1: Type 7
Focus Effect: Preservation of Xegony
1: Decrease Spell Mana Cost by 15%
2: Limit: Max Level(65)
3: Limit: Spell(Complete Healing excluded)
4: Limit: Effect(Percentage Heal excluded)
# Additional Modifiers:Mana Regeneration: +3

if you reach 250 base in 7 Tradeskills (without the help of any skill modifying items) and a Trophy in each tradeskill put the following in the charm slot after you turn in your 7 trophies into a NPC (no-fail combine) who gives you back one of the following:

(Melee and Bards)

Grand Artisan of Tradeskills Charm
LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
Weight: 2.0 Size: TINY
Slot: Charm
AC: +40 Str: +40 Dex: +40 Sta: +40 Wis: +40 Int: +40 Agi: +40 Fire Resist: +40 Disease Resist: +40 Cold Resist: +40 Magic Resist: +40 Poison Resist: +40 HP: +225 Mana: +170 End: +225
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Effect: Instant Gate to Bind Point (Time to Cast: 15 secs)
Charges Unlimited
# Additional Modifiers:Attack: +50
# Regeneration: +6
# Dodge: +15%

(Casters)

Grand Artisan of Tradeskills Charm
LORE ITEM MAGIC ITEM NO DROP
Weight: 1.5 Size: TINY
Slot: Charm
AC: +40 Str: +40 Dex: +40 Sta: +40 Wis: +40 Int: +40 Agi: +40 Fire Resist: +40 Disease Resist: +40 Cold Resist: +40 Magic Resist: +40 Poison Resist: +40 HP: +225 Mana: +225
Classes: All Classes
Races: All Races
Focus Effect: Preservation of Xegony
1: Decrease Spell Mana Cost by 15%
2: Limit: Max Level(65)
3: Limit: Spell(Complete Healing excluded)
4: Limit: Effect(Percentage Heal excluded)
# Additional Modifiers:Mana Regeneration: +6

Before anyone starts screaming too powerful look at what you have to accomplish to get to here.
1. Over a year in real life finishing your 250 plus a trophy in all 7 Tradeskills.
2. A huge amount of time getting to the Elemental Planes.
3. Then have to hope you are lucky on the roll of the dice while up there so you can grab certain items to complete your Aid Grimel Quest Earring.
4. Then you have to hope you don't fail more than 50% of the time even when you have 220 in whatever tradeskill for the Aid Grimel Quests.
5. So add to that the fact that the hardest skill points in any of the tradeskills are the last 30 between 220 - 250.

Just my thoughts anyway,

[Kcalehc]

Not sure if this has been suggested (got a bit sore eyed round about the 3rd page) but why not make the so-called super trophy into a Charm.

Artisans charm
This item increases in power the higher your tradeskills are.


So it could be obtained by just about anyone with enough money to make all 7 trophies, but would be rather useless to them unless they got their skill high enough.

Or maybe this should be something else entirely, just a thought anyway.

[puttermouse]

I like the charm idea... my twist would be not to base it on skill but the number of recipies you have made. that way "trash" (not used for anything I.E. Root Beer Float) recipies would be worth something.. To be the ultimate trade skiller you need to make every recipe that your race/class is capable of

[Kaen]

Personally, I'd like part of it to be something like a Type 8, charm slot aug, and add a type 8 aug slot to the PoP progression charm, along with the type 7 for the LDoN aug

For each Tradeskill completed... (250 skill/hail NPC with Trophy equiped, or whatever code is best to handle it)

+1 to all stats/resists, +10 mana/hp/end

Smithing +13 STR, +13 Fire resist
Fletching +13 DEX, +13 Poison resist
Jewelcraft +13 CHA, +13 Magic resist
Tailoring +13 AGI, +13 Disease resist
Brewing +13 STA, + 30 HP, +15 Endurance
Pottery +13 WIS, +13 Cold resist
Baking +13 INT, + 30 Mana, +15 Endurance

Recc level 60, required... 46?, to delay twinking with skills... Brewing would be easy for 30 HP at low levels if not recc level'd

final stats, 100 mana/hp/end, 20 to all stats/resists.

a point of mana regen for Jewelcraft, Pottery and Baking, and HP regen for Smithing, Fletching, and Tailoring, would be cool, and maybe +5 atk for each of Smithing, Fletching, Jewelcraft,Tailoring, and Pottery, for a total for 3 mana/hp regen, and +25 atk

I'd also like to get a free AA point or such for mastering each skill, to offset the cost of tannan mastery... I have 18 less Combat effectivness AAs, that could have been put into Mental Clarity 3 and Water form 2, giving me 4 more mana regen... I'm already at worn mana regen cap, so the FT on Shawl/Earring won't help as much as it could. Ideally, You'd get an AA point back at 200, 220, and 250 skill, making tannan mastery an 'investment' instead of a 'cost'

[Amaruk]

As a caster why is the only thing I get mana preservation and mana regen? I have lots of those already and would like the dodge and regen of the other earring. You list 3 mods on the melee earring and 1 focus effect and mana regen for the casters. If you are going to make suggestions please make them even.

[GigantuousOfPovar]

As a caster why is the only thing I get mana preservation and mana regen? I have lots of those already and would like the dodge and regen of the other earring. You list 3 mods on the melee earring and 1 focus effect and mana regen for the casters. If you are going to make suggestions please make them even.

Oops sorry..I am thinking like a melee again. Okay add dodge, attack, and hp regen to caster earring also.