TomeNET

(7.10) Magic devices, skill and ability                                         
---------------------------------------
The player's "Magic Device" ability in the character overview screen is
calculated from a base ability depending on race/class, your intelligence, and
to the largest part from the 'Magic Device' skill in the skill screen ('G').
It determines how well a character can make use of magical devices such as
wands, staves, rods and activatable items (see (5.9a)).

The Magic Device ability is not limited to a maximum value, although the
player won't be able to increase it infinitely.
While a low magic device ability might be sufficient to use supportive devices
during breaks from combat, you will probably want superb, heroic or even
legendary magic device ability if you intend to use magic devices as weapons
in combat effectively. Otherwise your failure chance might be too high and
therefore your damage output lacking.

In detail, the magic device ability does this...
-makes it easier to use wands, staves and rods and to activate items.
 There's always a slim chance to succeed even if your magic device ability is
 really bad.
 Items that have higher base item level (from k_info.txt) determines how
 difficult it is to activate a magic device. This level is not the (often
 higher) level displayed on the item that you see when looking at
 it in-game (ie the level shown in curly brackets).
 Confusion reduces your chance, EASY_USE (rods of simplicity/of the istari)
 greatly increases it.

The 'Magic Device' skill does the following...
-increases the power of magic devices, this depends on the device though.
 You can usually see the damage output of magic devices when you inspect them
 (press SHIFT+i to inspect an item). For example a wand of fire bolts may read:
 "Casts a fire bolt for 7..52d23 damage." - This means the damage is 7d23 if
 you have 0.000 skill points in 'Magic device' skill and it will deal 52d23 if
 you have actually maximized the skill (50.000).
-makes rods take less time to recharge.
-helps to reduce effects of UN_POWER attacks (does not protect the remaining
 duration of a form gained from a ring of polymorphing).
-helps to increase the duration on polymorph-rings when they are forged.
-makes it easier to recharge items provided you don't use scrolls to do that,
 but a real magic device (some artifacts can be activated for recharging).

For determining the chance of successfully activating a magic device, there can
be more factors such as the item type and the item type's base level.
If you carry an item that has anti-magic properties, you might find it harder
or impossible to activate magic devices. If you have trained the Anti-magic
skill you might also not be able to activate most devices. Last but not least
some items can only be activated while they are equipped.

The chance to successfully activate a magic device is shown when you inspect it
(SHIFT+i, and the item must be identified). The displayed chance does not take
any anti-magic effects in account.
It is possible to achieve 100% success rate with some devices. If you reach 99%
the success chance shown on inspection will get another digit added, so it will
for example look like: 99.3%.

Magic Device skill and ability have no effect on the damage output of traps
loaded with a magic device or on recharge time of rods that are loaded inside
trap kits.

Rods have more high level item types and hence are harder to use on average,
staves and wands have more lower level types available in comparison.
Wands are always used directional (with a target), staves are always used
without a target, rods and other activatable items have both types.

Equippable items and true artifacts may have higher levels in general, but are
actually much easier to activate than normal magic devices. (For true artifacts
their base level from a_info.txt counts, ie what is displayed at
'Found around depth:' in ~6.)

Experimental Quirk: Wielding a magic device
-------------------------------------------
Depending on the server settings, an experimental quirk might be enabled:
You can 'w' (wield) a wand, staff or rod like a 2-handed weapon. Such an
equipped device will not count as melee weapon, so any melee combat you engage
in will work exactly as if you were fighting bare-handed (and martial arts
skills won't be applied).

The device will receive some boni when you use it. Usually:
 - 30% increased activation chance, flat on top of your usual, final chance.

 - 20% chance to actually retain the charge/energy of the device instead of
   spending it, but at the cost of your own MP.
   The cost depends on the item k-level (at least 1 MP), if you don't have
   enough MP then you will not retain the charge/energy.

If you have duplicates of a device, both in your inventory and equipped, then
the equipped and therefore boosted version will take precedence.

This quirk might be useful for certain lower level characters, but might lose
its appeal at higher levels where you find other powerful items to wield
instead, such as highly enchanted mage staves or weapons.

As this quirk is classified as 'experimental', the effects might be subject
to change, which will probably appear as a note in the message of the day (~f).

You might need a client of version greater than 4.9.0c to use this quirk.