artisan gifts

[muffildy]

So idk why but i just keep getting the same gift every time from every artisan.
for example bokkun has given me 4 rings for alchemist bombing. how do you get them to give you something new?

[Morthra]

You can request a specific type of item when they show up to give you their gift. As your kingdom stat ranks increase they unlock higher tiers of better stuff, and upgrading their workshops increase the chance of getting higher tier items.

Once you complete their quest, if you have unlocked all tiers for an artisan, they start rolling to create their masterpiece.

[Babbles]

Also note that although they seem weak to begin with, they are some of the best item givers by late game - in fact, last game I made so much effort to upgrade them they ran out of items to give me - I had exhausted their inventory.

Even some of the non masterwork stuff is great, like a +3 Brilliant Energy Duelling Sword, which rips through Pitax as everyone is a human wearing armour.

A ring that give +2 insight to attack and damage - very few items give insight bonuses.

[Morgian]

The items they give are random, unless you requested a certain type. Maybe it is just me, but I am under the impression that their better items turn up only later. The headband with WIS +6, CHA +6 and +2d6 channeling has never showed up early, and neither have their +6/+8 items.

[Babbles]

There is a reddit thread with every item they give you, it is dependant on: Ranks, Building Type and Time. Note other than Irene in the capital you will only be able to get to 'studio' level in one settlement - you will still get all the items given time however you can beeline upgrading, say, Narlburg, if you want Heavy Armour from Dragn (you do! +5 Mithril) and Exoctic Items from Tulip earlier rather than later (+5 Fulchard, 18-20 Crit Range, +5 on CMD/CMA, deals damage when making a CMA).

Another example - I never upgrade Trademeet, ever, yet Bokken still eventually turns up witth his Master Work potion.

Another item you may want earlish: Irenes masterwork rod Make any 3 spells per day Empowered, Maximized and ignore Damage Resistance and Spell Resistance - so Octavia with 3 maximized empowered storm bolts on the fimal boss ignoring its spell resistence and energy resistance :)

[roehcai]

I only ever got Irlene's masterword. I have like four other artisans saying "Ok, I'll go work on my masterpiece now if you don't give me any orders." And I don't, but when they come back they give me a random thing from their sets. Bokken has given me a ton of Alkaline Flails and still says he's working on that super potion. Same with the Armor dwarf, the leather girl, and earthbreaker orc. Kingdom stats at 8-10 during this time.

[Morgian]

Yes, they are like that. Nobody knows what actually triggers them starting on it. And I mean "know" - the various theories don't explain what is actually happening. Except maybe mine, which is that it happens at random once the conditions are fulfilled
Once an artisan is absent for more than 125 days, he is working on the piece and will deliver at 181-185 days after his last visit.

[Cloudhunter]

Yeah, you get most of the master items rather late. I got mine in chapter 5 or 6. Still the rest of the stuff is useful, too. At least for selling. ^^

[Morthra]

Out of all the masterpieces, probably the most useful are Mim's Ring (for the +2 luck bonus to attacks, saves, skill checks, and spell penetration checks), Irlene's Grandmaster Rod, Sharel's Robe (if you use arcane casters - it gives a +4 bonus to hit with rays and adds +1 damage per die to fire/acid/cold/electricity/force spells, and gives +4 spell penetration), and Bokken's Elixir (+2 inherent bonus to all stats).

My most recent playthrough was with a Paladin, who also used Nazrielle's masterpiece (+5 Longsword that gives a +2 Insight bonus to attacks, saves, skill checks, and AC) and Dragn's masterpiece (+5 Mithral Full Plate that gives +8 STR and +20 feet movement speed).

To be honest Varrask's and Shani'ya's masterpieces are pretty weak. Varrask gives you a +5 VIcious Earthbreaker that applies a -2 penalty to AC to the target on hit, and Shani'ya gives you a Fauchard, which you will probably end up selling unless you created a character that explicitly took EWP: Fauchard since it's an exotic weapon.

[wendigo211]

I haven't tried the beta branch, but on 1.1.6d, they're still a mess. I kept asking Nazrielle for a dagger and got: a scimitar, gloves and a punch dagger before finally getting a dagger.

The triggers for the masterpieces also need to be fixed (or the conditions for them explained). I completed all the artisan quests before Varnhold vanishing (other than the Militia craftswoman in Varnhold which got completed as soon as I was able). Had everything at rank 10 and all region upgrades by 1st of Gozran 4714, and with 10 days before I would have failed, "Against all Odds," I'd recieved 5 masterpieces (Dragn, Bokken, Nazrielle, Irlene, and the Tulip). I only really cared about Bokken's and Irlene's, but it would have been nice to get all of them.