Stoneshard relies heavily on traditional, hardcore RPG mechanics for many of its design principles. This strict adherence to tradition extends to the system used to identify magical items. Just like many great modern-day CRPGs, potions, weapons, and armor of the magical variety are collected as “Unidentified.” The player can identify the properties of a magical enchantment only through specific methods.
There are familiar levels of rarity, enchantments are randomly generated, and some come with curses that offer powerful but faustian benefits. However, it turns out that identifying items in Stoneshard might not be necessary at all.
How to Identify Magical Items
The process of identifying a magical item is straightforward in Stoneshard. It's similar to identifying items in Diablo 2: Resurrected. However, at the moment, there’s only one way to do it: Identification Scrolls. This could change as the developers bring this game closer to leaving Early Access. An Identify spell or an NPC that can identify items are both typical features in a game of this genre. Their current absence in Stoneshard is noticeable.
The base cost of an Identification scroll is 40 crowns. Players can buy them from any of the following NPCs:
- Bert at his market stall in Osbrook.
- Josh in the chapel in Mannshire.
- Gerlot at his market stall in Mannshire.
After the player has obtained an Identification Scroll, they’re ready to demystify the enchantment of an unidentified item. Players simply right-click the scroll, select Use, then select the item to use it on. The properties of the magical enchantment will be revealed in the tooltip. Players interested in identifying all their equipment with a single scroll can do so by saving the game and going back to their save after each use.
If the enchantment isn’t to the player’s liking, it can be re-rolled by using an Enchantment Scroll.
Using Unidentified Items
It isn’t actually necessary to identify items to gain their effects. Drinking an unidentified potion results in gaining whatever the effect is. Unidentified weapons and armor can be equipped and will have their proper stats, though their item description doesn’t show anything.
However, with a little investigating, it's possible to discern the effects of an enchantment without having to identify it. In the Character window, the long list of stats changes as items are equipped. Players can work out the properties of an enchantment simply by narrowing down which stats change when they equip the enchanted gear.
Cursed Items
Magical enchantments are all fun and games until someone gets cursed. Be careful: some enchanted items are cursed with seriously detrimental effects. With all curses, if the player equips the cursed item, it can't be unequipped until the curse is lifted. Curses can be lifted by using a Disenchantment Scroll on the item. However, Disenchantment Scrolls also remove the enchantment on the item as well. It’s also possible to use an Enchantment Scroll to re-roll the enchantment. Enchantments from Enchantment Scrolls never come up as curses.
Stoneshard is available now in Early Access on PC.