Weapon modifiers are inherent effects which - as opposed to weapon upgrades - cannot be salvaged. In Elona, inscriptions have many of the same effects as modifiers and are salvageable. Some people use "modifier" or "mod" to refer to either the modifiers described here or weapon upgrades.
Martial weapons may have up to one modifier, while caster weapons and offhand weapons may have up to two modifiers. In addition to the modifiers listed here, blue weapons can also have the "Improved sale value" modifier, improving its merchant sale price, and the "highly salvageable" modifier, increasing salvage yields from that item. Weapons will not come with more than one modifier for a particular property, even if the modifiers have different requirements. For example, you will not find a focus with both Armor +5 (while Health is over 50%) and Armor +10 (vs Giants), nor will you find a wand with both Energy +5 (while hexed) and Energy +14, Energy regeneration -1. The only exception to this rule are received physical damage modifiers on shields.
Weapons from collectors in high-level areas will have the maximum values for modifiers, making them the equivalent of dropped rare weapons. Note that some crafter, collector, and quest reward items can come with strange or otherwise unattainable modifiers, such as the Fiery Flame Spitter. This article lists only modifiers available on dropped items or on typical collector, crafter, PvP, and green items.
Available modifiers
Note: Modifiers not available on PvP weapons are denoted with an asterisk (*). In addition, available modifiers for PvP weapons may not be available in a specific combination, such as Reduces physical damage by 2 (while in a Stance) and Health +30 unconditional.
Martial weapons
Axes, Bows, Hammers, Swords, Daggers, Scythes, and Spears may have at most one modifier. Scythes and Spears with modifiers (other than an inscription slot) are only available from collectors and weaponsmiths.
| Axe | Bow | Hammer | Sword | Daggers | Scythe | Spear | Modifier | Blue | Purple | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | Damage +10-15% ... ... (while Health is above 50%) ... (while enchanted) ... (while in a Stance) ... Armor -10 (while attacking) ... Energy -51 |
+10-12% | +13-14% | +14-15% |
| x | x | x | x | x | Damage +10-15% (vs. hexed foes)* | +10-12% | +13-14% | +14-15% | ||
| x | x | x | x | Damage +10-15% ... ... Health regeneration -1* ... Energy regeneration -1* |
+10-12% | +13-14% | +14-15% | |||
| x | x | x | x | Damage +10-15% unconditional2* | n/a | n/a | +12-15% | |||
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | Damage +10-20% ... ... (while Health is below 50%) ... (while hexed) |
+10-15% | +15-18% | +19-20% |
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | Energy +5 | n/a | n/a | +5 |
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | Halves skill recharge of spells (Chance: 10%)3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| x | x | x | x | x | x | x | Inscription: (None or <inscription name>)4 | yes | yes | yes |
- Energy -5 weapons are used by casters to "hide" energy. It is effective against energy denial in PvP and can also save energy when using energy-draining spells such as Rebirth.
- Unconditional Damage +xx% weapons were previously created through the abuse of an exploit. Also, it is rumored that some weapons that dropped during the first few weeks of gameplay "lost" their negative modifier (such as -5 energy or -10 armor while attacking) and thus became unconditional.
- Martial weapons with the halves skill recharge of spells (Chance: 10%) modifier are only available from Weaponsmiths in Nightfall.
- Martial weapons with inscription slots are only available in Nightfall.
Caster weapons
Noninscribable Blue and purple staves and wands may have at most one modifier, and gold staves and wands may have at most two modifiers. Note that inscribable items of the same req are functionally identical (i.e. they can take the same kind and same number of mods) save for their color and Nightfall items drop with multiple mods regardless of their color.
| Wand | Staff | Modifier | Blue | Purple | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | x2 | Halves skill recharge of spells (Chance: 5-10%)1* | 5-7% | 8-9% | 9-10% |
| x | x2 | Halves skill recharge of <attribute> spells (Chance: 10-20%)1 | 10-15% | 15-18% | 19-20% |
| x | x | Halves casting time of spells (Chance: 5-10%)1* | 5-7% | 8-9% | 9-10% |
| x | x | Halves casting time of <attribute> spells (Chance: 10-20%)1 | 10-15% | 15-18% | 19-20% |
| x | Reduces <condition> duration on you by 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% | |
| x | Energy +x ... ... (while Health is above 50%) ... (while Health is below 50%)* ... (while enchanted)* ... (while hexed)* |
+1-3 | +3-4 | +4-5 | |
| x | Energy +x Energy regeneration -1 |
+10-12 | +13-14 | +14-15 |
- Halves Casting Time (HCT) and Halves Skill Recharge (HSR) modifiers from multiple equipped items (e.g. wand + focus/shield) stack. Two 20% HCT items result in a 32% chance to HCT (when one modifier "kicks in" but not the other giving 0.2*0.8 + 0.8*0.2 = 0.32), plus a 4% chance to Quarter Casting Time (when both modifiers "kick in" giving 0.2*0.2 = 0.04). Skill recharge reduction is capped at 50% from multiple sources, so two 20% HSR simply result in a 36% chance to HSR (if both modifiers kick in, you still only get halved skill recharge so chance to HSR = 32% + 4% = 36%).
- Staves with HSR modifiers no longer drop. Instead, new staves have HSR 10-20% as a base stat like damage and energy.
Shields and focus items
Noninscribable Blue and purple shields and focus items may have at most one modifier, and gold shields and focus items may have at most two modifiers. Note that inscribable items of the same req are functionally identical (i.e. they can take the same kind and same number of mods) save for their color and Nightfall items drop with multiple mods regardless of their color.
| Focus Item | Warrior Shield | Paragon Shield | Modifier | Blue | Purple | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | Halves skill recharge of spells (Chance: 5-10%)* | 5-7% | 8-9% | 9-10% | ||
| x | Halves skill recharge of <attribute> spells (Chance: 10-20%) | 10-15% | 15-18% | 19-20% | ||
| x | Halves casting time of spells (Chance: 5-10%)* | 5-7% | 8-9% | 9-10% | ||
| x | Halves casting time of <attribute> spells (Chance: 10-20%) | 10-15% | 15-18% | 19-20% | ||
| x | x | x | Health +15-45 (while enchanted) | +15-37? | +?-41? | +?-45 |
| x | x | Health +15-45 (while in a Stance) | +15-16 | +?-40? | +?-45 | |
| x | x | x | Health +30-60 (while hexed) | +30-50 | +? | +?-60 |
| x | x | x | Health +10-30 unconditional | +10-19? | +21?-? | +?-30 |
| x | Armor +4-5 ... ... (while casting)* ... (while attacking)* ... (while enchanted) ... (while Health is above 50%)* ... (vs. physical attacks)1* ... (vs. elemental attacks)1* ... Health -20* ... Energy -5* |
+4 | +5 | +5 | ||
| x | x | Armor +4-10 ... ... vs. (<damage type> attacks)1,2* ... vs. <species>* |
+4-7 | +8-9 | +9-10 | |
| x | Armor +4-10 ... ... (while Health is below 50%)* ... (while hexed)* |
+4-7 | +8-9 | +9-10 | ||
| x | x | x | +1 <attribute> (10-20% chance while using skills)3* | 10-15% | 15-18% | 19-20% |
| x | Energy +10-15 Energy regeneration -1 |
+10-12 | +13-14 | +14-15 | ||
| x | x | Received physical damage -1-3 (while hexed)4 | -1-2 | -?-3 | -3 | |
| x | x | Received physical damage -1-2 ...4 ... (while enchanted) ... (while in a stance) |
-1 | -2 | -2 | |
| x | x | Received physical damage -3-5 (10-20% Chance)5 | -3-4 10-15% |
-?-3 15-18% |
-5 19-20% | |
| x | x | Reduces <condition> duration on you by 20% | 20% | 20% | 20% |
- While these bonuses state "attacks", they actually are effective against all sources of damage of that damage type.
- The damage type can be any single damage type from either physical or elemental damage; that is, it can be Cold, Earth, Fire, Lightning, Blunt, Piercing, or Slashing damage.
- Focus items will only have a +1 <attribute> modifier for caster attributes as listed below. Shields can have +1 <attribute> for caster attributes as well as Strength, Tactics, Command and Motivation (although these last four attributes are believed to only be available for the shield's own attribute).
- Shields can have two "Received physical damage" modifiers with the following conditions: while in a stance, while enchanted, and while hexed. The two modifiers will stack if both conditions are met. A shield with "Received physical damage -x (Chance: 10-20%)" cannot have another "Received physical damage" modifier.
- Before the March 02, 2006 update, there were shield modifiers that gave -1-3 damage (Chance: 2-10%). They were replaced by the current modifiers that give -3-5 damage (Chance:10-20%).
Possible attributes, species, and conditions
Attributes
The following attributes have been noted for "Halves skill recharge," "Halves casting time," or "<attribute> +1 (10-20% chance)":
Warrior - Strength1, Tactics1
Monk - Divine Favor, Healing Prayers, Protection Prayers, Smiting Prayers
Necromancer - Soul Reaping2, Blood Magic, Curses, Death Magic
Mesmer - Fast Casting3 Domination Magic, Illusion Magic, Inspiration Magic- Elementalist - Energy Storage4, Air Magic, Earth Magic, Fire Magic, Water Magic
- Ritualist - Spawning Power, Channeling Magic, Communing, Restoration Magic
- Paragon - Command5, Motivation5
- Strength and Tactics modifiers are only available on warrior shields, which means that only the "<attribute> +1 (Chance:10-20%)" modifier is available for those attributes.
- The only items with Soul Reaping modifiers are Kkraz's Indulgence and Grim Cestas from some Tyrian collectors including Ornhelm Brightaxe and Rylan Paval.
- The only items with Fast Casting modifiers are Phi's Wisdom and Inscribed Chakrams from some Tyrian collectors including Uderit Ignis and Trego Stonebreaker.
- The only items with Energy Storage modifiers are Earth Scrolls from some Tyrian collectors including Mag Ironwall and Kraviec the Cursed.
- Command and Motivation modifiers are only available on paragon shields, which means that only the "<attribute> +1 (Chance:10-20%)" modifier is only available for those attributes.
Species
There are "Armor +?-10 vs <species>" modifiers available for Charr, Demons, Dragons, Dwarves, Giants, Ogres, Plants, Skeletons, Tengu, Trolls, and Undead. Every "Armor +4-10 vs <species>" has a corresponding species slaying upgrade.
Conditions
All conditions except for Burning have been noted to have a "Reduces <condition> duration on you by 20%".