Enchantment

Enchantment
Ultima Underworld II Incantation: Vas Ort Rel Circle: 7th Mana: 21

Enchantment is a spell in Ultima Underworld II that, when cast, improves the effectiveness of weapons and armour by imbuing them with magical energies.

Spell Description

The spell was taught to the Avatar by Altara in Killorn Keep after gaining her trust. With this spell, weapons can gain "accuracy" or "damage," while armour can gain "protection" or "toughness." (The meanings of these terms is not explained, but it is assumed that they are the likelihood of a weapon making a successful strike, the amount of damage a weapon is likely to inflict, the amount of damage armour is likely to deflect and the durability of the armour, respectively.) Invoking the spell upon an item already reaping such benefits raises its level of enchantment successively higher. Conversely, should the spell fail, the target weapon or armour will be destroyed in the process.

The levels granted by Enchantment are as follows, in ascending order. Note that weapons only have four levels of enchantment, while armours does have all eight.

Minor (weapons and armour)

(No prefix) (armour)

Additional (armour)

Major (weapons and armour)

Great (weapons and armour)

Very great (armour)

Tremendous (armour)

Unsurpassed (weapons and armour)

The spell Name Enchantment can then be used to determine the enchantment on the equipment.

Recharging Wands

The Enchantment spell can also restore the magical power of wands and other artifacts. However, it can only recharge wands and items of spells the Avatar can normally cast. Gems of Mana Restore cannot be recharged at all and will be destroyed upon casting. If a wand contains its maximum number of charges, it will be destroyed when Enchantment is cast upon it.

Lore

“	This spell can either be used to add charges to any magic item which can take charges, or to permanently enchant a weapon or armor. If cast on an item which can not take charges, and is neither a weapon nor a piece of armor, the spell fails with no beneficial or detrimental effects (except the caster’s loss of mana). – from Gems of Enlightenment (Ultima Underworld II)

Game Mechanics

Mechanicsspell mechanics

Ultima Underworld II Clue Book: Gems of Enlightenment

From the Ultima Underworld II Clue Book, page 55:

Any charged magic items (except one-use items such as food, potions and scrolls) can be charged. There is always a small chance of the spell overloading the item, which will then explode. This chance increases depending on how many charges are on the item, and how the caster's level compares to the minimum level needed to actually cast the spell generated by the item. Note that magic items which generate Enchantment or any mana-increasing spell cannot be charged; they explode, instead. If an item is successfully charged, it gains 1 charge, plus 1 for every full 15 points of casting skill of the caster.

If the spell is cast on a non-magical weapon or piece of armor, it gains the lowest possible level of enchantment for its type. Weapons are enchanted for either accuracy or damage (equal, random probability of either). Armor is enchanted for either protection or armor (equal, random probability of either).

If the spell is cast on already-magical weapons or armor, the item will either gain a level of enchantment or (if it is already at the maximum enchantment for the caster's level and casting skill) it will explode. Weapons can take an enchantment for every two levels the caster has over eighth level; armor can take one for every level the caster has over tenth level. Every 11 full points of casting skill allows another enchantment.

No weapon can have more than 4 levels of enchantment on it: "Minor," "Major," "Great" or "Unsurpassed." Armor can take 8 levels of enchantment: "Minor," normal (no adjective), "Additional," "Major," "Great," "Very Great," "Tremendous" and "Unsurpassed."

See Also

• enchantment (concept)
• Name Enchantment
• Mending
• Enchant