Weapon Augmentation
Life Stones, bonuses and skills of augmented weapons
Lineage 2 Interlude brought many new features, including one with the puzzling name "augmentation". Literally the word means "increase" - and the system does increase a weapon's capabilities: a Life Stone is set into the weapon and gives it random extra bonuses. A short overview is also in the Interlude article; here are the details from l2db.ru.
Augmented weapon rules
- An augmented weapon becomes fully personal: it cannot be traded, sold to a shop or to another character, dropped (even as a PK), sent by freight or put in the clan warehouse. It can only be stored in your private warehouse.
- It cannot be used to make dual swords and cannot be exchanged with the Blacksmith of Mammon.
- If the augmentation is removed, all restrictions are lifted.
- Weapons with an SA and enchanted weapons can be augmented; an augmented weapon can be enchanted and given an SA. When the augmentation is removed, the SA and enchant level are kept.
- A special word is added to the augmented weapon's name.
- If the character drops below the weapon's grade (for example, after losing a level), the augmentation bonuses, like SAs, stop working. The character's level must be at least the Life Stone's level, or the bonus does not work.
- Augmenting with a stone better than Mid-Grade makes the weapon glow. The stone's level does not affect the glow.
What you need
- Augmentation is done by a Blacksmith in any town except the starting villages and Gludin Village. The same NPC removes augmentation for a fee.
- Any weapon from C to S grade inclusive can be augmented. C and B grade weapons need Gemstone D, A and S grade need Gemstone C.
- Life Stones drop from monsters; raid bosses drop high-level stones with a better chance. Each kind of Life Stone can be used from a certain character level.
- The Life Stone must match the weapon's grade: for example, a level 46 stone cannot be used on an A-grade weapon, while a level 76 stone can go into a C-grade weapon.
- Augmentation always succeeds (100%). The only possible disappointment is a bonus that falls short of your hopes.
The process
- Choose weapon augmentation from the blacksmith's options - the Augment window opens.
- Drag the weapon from your inventory, then a Life Stone of the right grade, then the Gemstones. If something does not match, a hint appears.
- Press the Augment button.
Removing augmentation is just as easy: pick the corresponding option at the blacksmith, drag the augmented weapon into the window and press the button. Mind the price - the procedure is quite expensive (the cost is determined during the process).
Life Stones: levels and grades
Stones come in 10 levels - 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70 and 76 - and 4 grades: regular (No-Grade), Mid-Grade, High-Grade and Top-Grade. That makes 40 kinds of stones, from Life Stone: level 46 to Top-Grade Life Stone: level 76.
- The stone's level determines the level of any skill you get (active, passive or chance): a level 46 stone gives a level 1 skill, a level 76 stone gives level 10, and with it more Power or a stronger effect.
- The higher the stone's grade, the better the chance of a quality bonus.
- The stone's level and grade set the maximum possible stat bonus. A good stone raises the upper limit of a bonus, but not the lower one: in theory, even a Top-Grade level 76 stone can give Critical +5.2 and HP regeneration +0.1.
- The maximum bonuses of the worst stone (46 No-Grade) and the best (76 Top-Grade) differ by about 2-2.5 times.
| Stone | Critical bonus range |
|---|---|
| 46 No-Grade | 5.2 - 15.5 |
| 76 No-Grade | 5.2 - 22.7 |
| 76 Mid-Grade | 5.2 - 26.4 |
| 76 Top-Grade | 5.2 - 32.7 |
Bonuses
Augmentation gives the weapon 1 to 4 extra bonuses - how many depends purely on luck. There are three kinds of bonuses:
- a bonus to base stats (STR, CON, INT or MEN) and to combat stats (HP, MP, CP and their regeneration, P.Atk, M.Atk, P.Def, M.Def, Critical, Accuracy, Evasion);
- an extra skill - active, passive or chance;
- one or two bonuses to the same stat are possible, but three or four are not (for example, P.Atk + Critical + Critical + Critical is impossible).
Bonus quality depends mostly on chance. As a rule, the numeric bonuses add little to a character, but the skills can be interesting: for example, an attack skill of a level 70 mage or a chance to paralyze the enemy on a critical hit.
Stat bonuses
The l2db article gives two sets of ranges (from different sources):
| Stat | Range (version 1) | Range (version 2) |
|---|---|---|
| P.Atk | 2.2 - 24.2 | 2.2 - 38.2 |
| M.Atk | 2.5 - 28.2 | 2.5 - 30.8 |
| P.Def | 5.1 - 38.2 | 5.1 - 24.2 |
| M.Def | 4 - 30.8 | 4.1 - 28.2 |
| Max HP | 12.7 - 155.9 | 19.8 - 155.6 |
| Max MP | 6.1 - 115.1 | 6.1 - 50.7 |
| Max CP | 19.2 - 214.9 | 19.2 - 214.9 |
| HP regeneration | 0.1 - 0.8 | 0.1 - 0.7 |
| MP regeneration | 0.1 - 0.4 | 0.1 - 0.3 |
| CP regeneration | 0.1 - 0.8 | 0.1 - 0.7 |
| Critical | 4.9 - 32.7 | 5.2 - 32.7 |
| Accuracy | 0.4 - 3.0 | 0.5 - 3 |
| Evasion (Dodge) | 0.4 - 3.0 | 0.5 - 3 |
| STR, CON, INT, MEN | +1 | +1 |
Skills
Active skills
They appear in your active skill list; you can put them on the shortcut bar and use them like your own.
- Self-buffs last a short time (usually 2 minutes, some, like Celestial Shield, even less). Pro: they stack with regular buffs (you can have both a self-buff Focus and a Prophet's Focus, or Empower together with a Shillien Elder's buff). Cons: a long cooldown; you cannot carry several weapons with different self-buffs to put them all on at the right moment - equipping the weapon restarts the skill's cooldown.
- Attack spells (nukes) have decent power but a fixed casting speed unaffected by buffs, sets or tattoos. Such a skill is useless for a "professional" mage because of the slow cast, and for a fighter with low M.Atk because of the weak damage.
- Debuffs also have a fixed casting speed and a low success chance.
| Group | Skills |
|---|---|
| Temporary boosts | P.Atk, M.Atk, P.Def, M.Def, Accuracy, Dodge, critical rate, magic critical rate, Max HP (including one that also restores HP by the added amount), Max MP, Max CP, PvP P.Atk, effectiveness and power of HP recovery magic, MP recharge recovery rate, lung capacity, safe jumping height, fall damage resistance, head size |
| Cost and cooldown | temporarily lowers the MP cost of all skills, magic, skills or songs and dances; temporarily lowers the reuse time of all skills, magic, skills or songs and dances |
| Defense | reflects part of the damage taken (except skill and ranged damage), restores HP from damage dealt (except skills and ranged attacks), momentary invincibility, blocks monsters' pre-emptive attacks (combat ability drops significantly while active) |
| Attack | dark, sacred, fire, water, wind (gusting), earth and non-elemental attacks - single target or in a parabola; boulder throw; a fireball made by compressing the air around the caster; HP drain; burning the target's MP; a general attack that temporarily lowers your magic attack in PvP; a firecracker and a large firecracker |
| Debuffs | bleed, poison, stun, sleep, hold, paralysis, petrification, slow, attack speed reduction, blocking all of the target's physical and magic skills, blocking magic skills, fear (the target flees), lowering or raising the urge to attack, pacifying the target, lowering the opponent's PvP P.Atk, removing the target |
| Recovery and other | instant HP restore, CP restore (own or target's), MP regeneration, resurrection, teleporting yourself or your party to a village, teleporting to a village regardless of time (not usable in special places such as the GM Consultation Service), opening doors and chests with a certain chance (needs Keys of a Thief), short music |
Chance skills
They trigger with some probability when you deal or take damage. Cons: a very low chance to trigger and to land.
| Trigger | Effects |
|---|---|
| On your attack - critical, magic or physical | block all of the target's skills, block magic skills, burn MP, bleed, attack speed reduction, slow, fear, hold, paralysis, petrification, poison, sleep, stun |
| On a critical or physical attack | lower or raise the target's urge to attack, provoke the target |
| When you take damage - against the attacker | block all skills, block magic skills, attack speed reduction, PvP P.Atk reduction, slow, lower the urge to fight, hold, paralysis, petrification, poison, sleep, stun, fear |
| When you take damage - on yourself | raise Accuracy, critical rate, magic critical rate, Evasion, M.Atk, P.Atk, M.Def, P.Def, PvP P.Atk, Max HP, Max MP, Max CP, the effectiveness of HP healing and MP recovery you receive; regenerate CP or MP |
Passive skills
They appear in your passive skill list and give a permanent but small effect: higher P.Atk, M.Atk, P.Def, M.Def, PvP P.Atk, Accuracy, Evasion, critical and magic critical rate; higher effectiveness and power of HP recovery magic and MP recharge recovery rate; lower MP cost (all skills, magic, skills, songs and dances); reflecting part of the damage taken (except skills and ranged attacks); larger lung capacity; safe jumping height and fall damage resistance; double weapon weight limit.
Where to get Life Stones
| Stone | Monsters |
|---|---|
| Top-Grade, 46 | Cave Servant, Grave Overlord |
| Top-Grade, 49 | Garden Guard |
| Top-Grade, 52 | Headless Knight, Liele Elder |
| Top-Grade, 70 | Scarlet van Halisha, Disciples of Protection, Dark Omen Invader Elite Soldier, Dark Omen Invader Magus |
| Top-Grade, 76 | Scarlet van Halisha, Tyrannosaurus, Pterosaur, Baium |
| High-Grade, 46 | Validus, Gigant Commander, Decayed Ancient Pikeman, Formor Elder |
| High-Grade, 49 | Orfen, Cave Servant Captain, Valley Treant, Vanor Silenos Scout, Horrifying Cannon Golem I, Probe Golem Champion I |
| High-Grade, 52 | Core, Fline Elder, Lilim Magus, Elder Tarlk Basilisk, Crypt Inquisitor |
| High-Grade, 55 | Sepulcher Archon, Baby Panthera, Valley Treant Elder |
| High-Grade, 58 | Hell Keeper Medusa |
| High-Grade, 61 | Forbidden Path Invader Elite Soldier, Frost Buffalo, Purgatory Shadow, Purgatory Conjurer, Lilim Priest |
| High-Grade, 64 | Erin Ediunce, Forbidden Path Invader Elite Soldier, Forbidden Path Invader Magus, Malruk Knight, Punishment of Splendor, Doom Knight, Wisdom of Splendor |
| High-Grade, 67 | Dark Omen Invader Elite Soldier, Buffalo Slave, Requiem Priest |
| High-Grade, 70 | Valakas, Scarlet van Halisha, Antharas, Bloody Lord, Sepulcher Guard, Dark Omen Invader Warrior, Hot Springs Buffalo, Hot Springs Yeti |
| High-Grade, 76 | Antharas, Scarlet van Halisha, Monastic Crusader, Triol's Believer, Lilim Court Knight, Lilim Great Mystic, Guardian Spirit of Ancient Holy Ground, Monastic Pilgrim |
Augmenting jewelry
Rings, earrings and necklaces can be augmented too. This takes a piece of jewelry and five identical Life Stones. Jewelry gets passive effects: attack passives, defense passives, elemental attack or defense passives and so on.