Help with upgrading

[Exceptional Cheeseburger]

I'm just wondering if there is a way to upgrade a unique weapon multiple times so that i can keep using it throughout the game?

[MaximumEffort]

Nope, sorry. Just craft a weapon. Those are much better than most uniques anyway.

[bunny de fluff]

Tormented soul will add +2 strength and +2dexterity, and there is the adventurer kit thingy. But they probably wont last till end game unless your weapon level is very near 21.

[FrauBlake]

Originally posted by bunny de fluff:

Tormented soul will add +2 strength and +2dexterity, ....

Half true.

The 'Tormented Soul boost' is configured to add +2 STR and +2 DEX raw ... which 'translates' to +1 each up to item level 13, +2 each from 14 to 21, and +3 each from 22 to 29, and more above that.
Since the souls are somewhat rare, you probably never 'wasted' them on lower level items and thus have never seen the +1 only boost ;-)

The only weapons that can get past item level 20 are crafted weapons because their item level is the crafter's level, drops with item levels above 20 do not exist in the vanilla game.
Which means that you could only ever get the +3 boost on crafted weapons, if you manage to reach level 22+.
The weapon kits do not auto-level with the crafter's level when made, they have a fixed level.

(An internal +1 attribute boost becomes +2 from level 17 above ...)

[Dragon]

No OP, you cannot do that.

This game is designed in such a way that all your items become trash as you level up, although occasionally a high-tiered item might be better (because of its mods) than a low-tiered item with a higher level number.

But even with that being so, the high-tiered items still become trash as your characters level past them.

[Talkingcamara]

Unfortunately not. Crafting is pretty nifty though, you can make a decent weapon with just an iron or steel bar (or two, for two-handed weapons.) Or staves are just two branches (which you can make by combining a wood log and an axe when crafting.) Crossbows are branch + iron bar and then a bow string on that item, bows are branch + bow string, inert wands + essences are for wands. It automatically makes an item that's your level, generally better than what you can buy.

[bunny de fluff]

Originally posted by Talkingcamara:

generally better than what you can buy.

not by a long shot no

[FrauBlake]

Originally posted by bunny de fluff:

Originally posted by Talkingcamara:

generally better than what you can buy.

not by a long shot no

Yes, partially by a very long shot, damage-wise.

If you are very very lucky, you might get a drop (including trader inventories) that can come close damage-wise, but normally, the crafted weapons are superiour damage-wise.

Crafted axe (Blacksmithing 5)

new entry "WPN_CraftedAxe_05"
type "Weapon"
using "_Axes"
data "Act part" "1"
data "Requirements" "Strength 6"
data "Damage" "4"
data "Damage Range" "3"
data "DamageBoost" "-20"
data "Durability" "10"
data "Value" "3.9"
data "ComboCategory" "Axe"

vs. the level 20 drop

new entry "_Axes"
type "Weapon"
data "ModifierType" "Item"
data "Act" "1"
data "Requirements" "Strength 0"
data "IsTwoHanded" "No"
data "AttackAPCost" "3"
data "Damage Type" "Slashing"
data "Damage" "3"
data "Damage Range" "2"
data "DamageBoost" "-10"
data "CriticalDamage" "2"
data "CriticalChance" "0"
data "WeaponRange" "1"
data "Durability" "7"
data "DurabilityDegradeSpeed" "6"
data "Value" "3.8"
data "Weight" "3000"
data "Movement" "0"
data "WeaponType" "Axe"
data "Slot" "Weapon"
data "InventoryTab" "Equipment"
data "Charges" "0"

new entry "WPN_DarkMinions_DoubleAxe_B"
type "Weapon"
using "_Axes"
data "Act part" "20"
data "Requirements" "Strength 12"
data "DamageBoost" "-30"
data "Durability" "8"
data "Value" "3.9"
data "ComboCategory" "Axe"

says that not only has the crafted axe a way higher base damage (4+3 vs. 3+2) but it has a higher boost modifier (-20 vs. -30).

Axes are an extreme example, but the game files say that you need the highest possible boost on a drop to even get close to the crafted counterparts, even for non-axes.
For axes, it's basically impossible to have a drop with a higher damage than a BS5 crafted one.

The 'break-even' point where the crafted weapon's "DamageBoost" surpasses that of drops is somewhere between item level 7 and 12, that's different for each weapon type. (Again, for 1H axes, it doesn't matter, because of the higher base damage.)

While drops simulate somewhat of a curved damage progression (e.g. "DamageBoost" 0 at level 1 through -25 at level 20), the crafted weapon progression is absolutely linear with a fixed "DamageBoost" (e.g. -20 over all levels for the BS5 crafted axe).

Additionally, many crafted weapons have different versions at level 5, with one of the versions being an additional damage boost.


Of course, drops can have additional boosts like attributes, but the most interesting boosts can never be on a drop at the same time because they share the same 'boost slot' type, and there is a limit of 4 maximum boost (legendary and divine weapons).


Anyway, in the unmodded game crafted weapons are partially far superiour to drops, damage-wise.


Edit: further note: damage increase for drops stops at level 20 (because level 20 is the limit for drops) while it continues beyond 20 for crafted weapons ...

[bunny de fluff]

if an axe has plus str on it, it deals more damage to your crafted axe easily

[Talkingcamara]

Originally posted by bunny de fluff:

if an axe has plus str on it, it deals more damage to your crafted axe easily

Strength doesn't affect damage.

[bunny de fluff]

it does, chance to hit translate into damage, indirectly.

[Talkingcamara]

Originally posted by bunny de fluff:

it does, chance to hit translate into damage, indirectly.

True, but you can just use bless.

[FrauBlake]

For a 1H axe, the calculation at level 20 item level (without any additional boosts like sharpening on a whetstone) results in

- drop: 89 - 153
- crafted (BS5): 131 -232

[bunny de fluff]

a drop weapon with fire 50, you use fire essence on it become 80
a craft weapon, you use fire essence on it 30 fire