This document is organized for access in three ways. New builders should read it top-to-bottom. Builders writing an area can use the menu on the left; it jumps directly to hard-to-remember numbers and things. Builders editting an area can use the "archetype" below, which lets you click on a field for an explanation. New builders should not use these "quick reference" indexes, and think they've read the whole file. They skip over half of it. Read the file top-to-bottom at least once before relying on the indexes.
Below is the complete format for creating an object. The object file for an area contains many of these objects, listed one after the other.
#VNUM
keywords~
short description~
long description~
wear message~
<obj-type>
<obj-flags>
<wear-flags>
<anti-races>
<anti-classes>
<val0>
<val1>
<val2>
<val3>
<min-dex>
<min-int>
<min-wis>
<extra-flags>
<affect-bits>
<weight>
<gold-value>
<unused>
<maxload>
E
keywords~
Extra description.
~
S
<frequency> <damage> <spell> <level>
1st person message~
2nd person message~
3rd person message~
A
<apply-type> <apply-amount>
P <proc-name> <proc-args>
~
The top half of the format is mandatory: the vnum, 4 lines of text that end in tildes, and 4 lines of numbers. The second half is optional: the E, S, A, and P sections.
Below is an empty object you can paste into your files, at the start of writing a new object for an area. It is easiest to create new objects by pasting in a "template" first, then altering it. As you learn to build, you can keep a set of templates of your own... templates for weapons, descriptive things like trees, shelves, etc.
#12300 keywords words~ a short desc~ The long desc is here.~ ~ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 E keywords words~ Description... etc etc. Wrap to 72 columns. 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ~
Also check out the examples in the Object Type section.
The sections below describe each field in the object file, and which values it supports.
This is the internal number for your object. Start your numbers at zero; if you are working on zone #133, your first object should be #13300 not #13301. Do not skip numbers.
These are the words that players will use to select the object. Multiple keywords are listed, separated by spaces. Make sure the list is fairly complete, and contains every noun in both the object's short and long descriptions. Also, put the most obvious noun first. An example,
#12345 robe tattered cloth heap~ a tattered robe~ A heap of cloth is piled here.~
From the example, note that we made "robe" the first keyword, not "tattered". Some builders would have named it "tattered robe ..." because that's how it appears in the short description. Don't. Also note that we included "cloth" and "heap", because they were listed in the object's long description.
This last part can be confusing. Players rarely see the long descriptions of objects, and putting the nouns from them in the keywords can add "useless" keywords to objects, and annoy players when they're sorting through containers. None the less, those keywords are necessary. The solution to this problem is not to introduce new phrases into the long description. This would have been better,
#12345 robe tattered~ a tattered robe~ A tattered robe lies here, discarded.~
You do not have to be creative with long descriptions on eq. You can just rewrite the short description and put " lies here, discarded." or something similar after it.
The "short description" is what might be considered the "name" of the object. It's what everyone sees in eq lists, inventory, etc. Making good short descriptions, with good colorization, etc., is an art. There are no rules to it. Play the game, learn what works, and don't be stupid.
The long description is what's shown in the room, when someone types "look". It might also be called "the object's in-room description". These descriptions must be full sentences. For objects like trees, statues, and so on, you might want to put some care into how they look. For equipment, it's recommend that you don't be creative; just rephase the short description into a sentence.
Be careful not to forget the tilde character on the end of the long description. It goes immediately at the end of the sentence, not on the next line. This is different from mob files.
This allows you to override the default message when a player wears or wields the item. Make sure to include the object's short description in the wear message, or else it can look stupid. For example, "As you wield the sword, etc etc magic stuff!~" That would be bad. Instead try this,
You wield $p and etc etc magic stuff!~
As seen above, you can use $p as shorthand for the object's short description, to have it inserted into the wear message.
Note that making wear messages for all equipment is not recommended. It isn't recommended against either, but don't feel like you have to do it. They look cool sometimes, but they don't really add anything to the game. If you have a great idea for one, go ahead and write it. If you feel stumped, don't write a "filler" one "just because". Just leave it blank. Blank is fine.
1 Light Source 2 Scroll 3 Wand 4 Staff 5 Weapon 8 Treasure 9 Armor 10 Potion 11 Worn 12 Other 13 Trash 15 Container 17 Drink Container 18 Key 19 Food 20 Money 23 Fountain 24 Portal 25 Herb
The meaning of the val0, val1, val2, and val3 fields depends on which item type you choose for the object. Many forms of items do not use all the values. "Not used" values should generally be set to 0, unless the documentation for the object's type says to set them to something else, like -1, etc.
Detailed descriptions, with examples, are below. If you don't understand something in an example, you can go back up to the archetype and click on a field to see an explanation. Or you could just read over parts that haven't been explained yet and come back to them later.
val0 not used (0) val1 not used (0) val2 Hours of light available (0 is dead, -1 is infinite) val3 not used (0)
Here's an example light source that you can buy from Rella in Trefflings,
#24303 torch oiled~ an oiled torch~ A unlit torch has been discarded here.~ ~ 1 0 ^0 0 0 0 0 120 0 3 3 3 0 0 2 15 0 0 E torch oiled~ The torch is a long stick of wood carefully wrapped in a oiled animal skin up to the handle itself to prevent any burning besides the actual intentional spot on the end. The fire from this torch is provided by strips of bark of some type surrounded by thick threads covered in a dark wax. It looks as though many hours of use can be provided from this torch. ~
This is a simple torch that lasts for "120 hours"... doesn't sound very realistic, but a mud hour is 75 rl secs, and the torch lasts for 2.5 rl hours. It weighs 2 lbs, is worth 15 coins, and it has the 'take' flag. The rest of the stats are blank.
Note that this example does not have a 'hold' flag. Light sources do not need hold flags to be equiped, and should not have them. They are special. Just make the light takable, and the mud takes care of the rest.
val0 Level of spells on scroll. val1 Spell #1 (Spell slots not used should be set to -1) val2 Spell #2 val3 Spell #3
A scroll is the simplest type of "pre-packaged magic" item. The level of the spells should be something between 1 and 50. The spells themselves can be just about anything. For scrolls with beneficial magic, it is usually interesting to mix one or two harmful spells into the scroll, so it has side-effects.
#16518 scroll lined icy ink~ a scroll lined in icy ink~ A scroll lies here, rolling along the ground.~ ~ 2 ^6 ^0 0 0 25 214 213 -1 3 3 3 ^2 0 4 0 0 0 E scroll lined icy ink~ The scroll is something that appears to be perfectly normal and mundane until it is unfurled and closely examined, as it is then that the magickal nature of the parchment is revealed. Upon the waxy sheet of rolled parchment has been scripted a long, spidery scrawl of writing, all done in an ancient hand and archaic tongue. The language is probably understood universally by the sorcerers of the world, however, and so it is not a worthless find. The ink that has been used upon the scroll has an icy blue look to it, almost like the dust of pale sapphires or the color of an autumn dusk sky. ~
This scroll casts level 25 ward ice (214) and iceshield (213). The third spell slot is blanked out with -1. It has the Magic flag. It can be taken, but not equiped in any way; you don't need to equip a scroll to use it. It has the !id flag (the ^2 on the third line), and weighs 4 lbs.
val0 Level of spell in wand. val1 Maximum charges wand can hold. val2 Charges in wand on boot. val3 Spell #
Wands are like scrolls, with two differences. One, they can only contain one spell, not three that cast at once. Two, wands can have multiple charges. Wands are not very useful in game terms, because you have to equip them in your <hold> slot to use them. But they're fun sometimes, and make good filler.
#14109 watch pocket intricate dwarven golden~ an intricate dwarven pocket watch~ A golden pocket watch lies here.~ ~ 3 ^6 ^0|^14 0 0 35 5 5 74 3 12 3 0 0 3 650 0 0 E watch pocket intricate dwarven golden~ This watch is very large and cumbersome, as are all dwarven crafts. It contains many knobs and switches, which when invoked properly will most certainly have some affect on the flow of time. The watch keeps perfect time, down to the second, but it has an odd fourth hand that seems to move at a much accelerated rate. One could only wonder at what purpose it serves. ~
The dwarven pocket watch above is actually a wand. It has 5 charges of level 35 haste (74). It has the Magic flag. It is takable and holdable. (Unlike scrolls, wands must be held to be used.) It has a min-int requirement of 12, weighs 3 lbs, and is worth 650 coins.
val0 Level of spell in staff. val1 Maximum charges staff can hold. val2 Current charges in staff on boot. val3 Spell #
A staff is an area-effect wand. Wands are targetted on a single victim or object when used. Staffs area-affect the room.
#18651 staff trident infernal royal hells nine~ the infernal royal trident of the Nine Hells~ A tall, magnificently nefarious trident floats erect here radiating dark power.~ As you grasp hold of the wicked instrument and raise it aloft flames burst forth from $p' head blazing into the air and taking the form of giant daemonic wings of flame! As the fiery wings extend gloriously above you the roaring triumph of the raging armies of the Nine Hells blasts in from every and no direction. Dark power fills your heart and the fury of the Netherworld leaps in your eyes as the mighty flaming wings fold in around you in a protective blaze taking the shape of an inverted pentacle of flame. Unholy ecstacy tears through your every fiber forcing you to throw back your head in a fit of uncontrollable cackling as the words "YARVA DAEMONIKA ZLLYRA!!" boom from the depts of the Underworld proclaiming you Queen of all Damnation.~ 4 ^6|^13 ^0|^14 0 0 57 -1 -1 173 6 6 6 ^2 ^3|^5|^10|^15|^17|^25|^26|^27|^29 1 666 0 0 E staff trident infernal royal hells nine~ Even as its heinous beauty is hypnotic, what a cruel and vile instrument this ultimate icon of the might of the Nine Hells is. About ten feet in length, this magnificent trident is fashioned from some unearthly material of varying, swirling violet and magenta hues. The material, a strange hybrid of metal and stone, bares the delicacy of marble but with the strength, and somehow the luster of polished adamantite. A yard long section of the shaft is a flawless piece of fluted ashen crystal, in the core of which can be seen a beating, fluxing tumult of magickal flame. The rest of the shaft is intricately carved with wicked designs and depictions of grotesque demons eating and tormenting the souls of the damned in a hideous orgy of malice within a blazing inferno. Rings of blasphemous and malign runes burn into the otherworldly material where the ashen crystal joins the rest. These glyphs' purpose no doubt is to control the daemonic fury contained within the instrument and twist this blazing force to the will of the trident's Mistress. The head of the trident is carved in the form of a nude daemoness crouched menacingly on the shaft's head, with long, curved horns and a wicked grin stretched across her face. Her razor-sharp, bat-like wings extend straight up forming the two jagged outter blades, and the center prong is formed from her exaggerated long hair which extends up even higher than the wings to taper into a deadly point. The reverse side of the trident's head is branded with a blazing inverted pentacle, glyph of protection and unholy wrath. ~ A 19 100 A 25 98
That... well, that is an über-staff Zllyra made as a toy. It uh... well, it has a lot of stats, and it would take an awful lot of space to describe it, so let's not. For the staff part, it has infinite (-1) charges of level 57 dark vortex (173). I actually have no idea what would happen if this were used, and if it would crash the game or not. Please do not create infinite staffs, or create items that cast spells over level 50. ;-) This example was just put here to liven up the document... actually, forget you read it. The staff looks extremely evil and demonic, not to mention dangerous...
val0 not used (0)
val1 Number of dice to roll for damage.
val2 Size of dice to roll for damage.
val3 Weapon type (one value from below):
2: Whip
3: Slash
4: Missle
5: Cleave
6: Crush
7: Pound
11: Pierce
12: Lance (pierce, but can't backstab or lunge)
The val1 on a weapon should almost always be 2. This is the X out of the XdY damage on the weapon. Rolling more than 2 dice makes the "probability distribution" of the damage highly nonrandom. If you picture a bell curve, the more dice you roll, the skinner and more squished together the curve gets, with all the results happening at a spike in the middle. 2 dice gets you a classic bell curve. Don't use more than two without talking to someone first. If you want more damage, use bigger dice, not more dice.
Note that the 'weight' on weapons is special. Although Darkover has no min-str attribute, it does on weapons. The weight of a weapon is its min-str. If a sword weighs 18 lbs, and you have 17 str, you cannot wield it. Even if you remove all your other eq to free up weight, you won't be able to wield it without at least 18 str.
#6505 greatsword great sword kings ascension gold kingly~ Ascension, the Sword of Kings~ A kingly greatsword lies here, glittering with gold.~ You grasp Ascension firmly in both hands.~ 5 ^6|^30 ^0|^13 0 ^11 0 2 22 3 17 3 3 0 0 18 9000 0 0 E greatsword great sword kings ascension gold kingly~ This impresssive greatsword has a nearly five foot blade which gleams in the light. It's haft has been decorated with intricate carvings, and is long enough to be grasped firmly with both hands. This ancestoral sword was forged in ages past and has become one of the trappings of the kings of Rhun. ~ A 18 5 A 19 5
This is Ascension. The first thing to notice is that the damned thing has too many keywords. Four of its seven keywords are only there to match the long description. If the builder had read this document, they would not exist. (See the section on keywords for an explanation.) You can also tell that this item is sort of old, as it has both "great" and "greatsword" as keywords. Darkover has had partial keyword matching for a long time now, and that is not necessary anymore.
As for its stats, it has Magic and Two-Handed for object flags. It is takable and wieldable. It has no anti-races, but it has one anti-class: !druid. It does 2d22 slashing (3) damage. Its min-dex is high, 17, but it has no min-int or min-wis. Ascension weighs 18 lbs, so you must have 18 str to wield it. It is worth 9000 gold. It has two 'A' sections, the first granting +5 hit, the second granting +5 dam. It is common for weapons to spend their two 'A' sections in this way.
val0 not used (0) val1 not used (0) val2 not used (0) val3 not used (0)
Treasure items are basically objects with a decent gold value. This item type does nothing by itself. It is one of several do-nothing item types that exist only for categorization purposes. If an item has no stats, and exists only to be sold for cash, it should probably be treasure. You might also set an item to treasure if its gold value is decent, it seems sort of cool-looking, and "treasure" seems more appropriate than alternatives like "worn" and "trash".
#8221 pouch coal dust small~ a tiny pouch of coal dust~ A small pouch lies here.~ ~ 8 ^6 ^0|^14 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 8 8 0 0 3 2900 0 0 E pouch coal dust small~ This is a little bag is made of a deep blue fold of cloth sewn at the top with a stringy tie. A single symbol has been embroidered onto the bag, but its meaning is indiscernable. Opening the pouch, one finds a small amount of finely ground coal dust which looks to be mixed with some other, more metallic powder. ~ A 4 2
Like the previous example, this one has keyword issues. It has "small" as a keyword solely because of the long description... and it doesn't have "tiny" as a keyword even though it's in the short description. Bad, bad, bad...
As for it being treasure, that it is: item type 8. It will sell for about 2,900 coins, after the shopkeeper takes his cut. That is about all its good for. Sure, it's worth +2 wis, but it goes in the held slot, has no other stats, no AV... not a very good item. It mostly exists to give Kalimein something cool to have equiped. Most non-aggressive areas have a dozen or so little "clutter" items like this.
val0 Effective AV of item. Positive numbers are bonuses while
negative values are a penalty.
val1 not used (0)
val2 not used (0)
val3 not used (0)
Armor basically lets you give an item AV "for free" without spending one of the item's two A applies on it; you put the +AV you want in the armor's val0 instead.
#17037 platemail plate mail suit regal adamantite~ a regal suit of adamantite platemail~ A regal suit of adamantite platemail has been foolishly left here.~ You don $p easily. Graceful swirls of magickal fire flare outwards from your chest!~ 9 ^6 ^0|^3 0 ^1|^7|^8|^9|^11|^12|^16|^17|^25|^26|^28 52 0 0 0 9 3 3 0 0 64 1 0 0 E platemail plate mail suit regal adamantite~ The graceful curves and interlocking nature of this suit of armor make it a wonder of armorers' craft, also allowing it to possess and maintain within its great plates a plethora of magickal enchantment. This would seem to be the case, in fact, as glyphs representing both protection and immortality grace the outer facing of the armor. Inside one can find that, oddly, a lining of lighter chainmail seems to make the armor much lighter than it would appear, and, in fact, this chain lining is soft and has a padded feeling to it. Very peculiar armor this is indeed, and it truly does make one wonder who or what would be capable of creating such a talisman. ~ A 1 2 A 13 35
By now you should be able to spot minor goofs with keywords. The "plate" keyword is not necessary. We can also see a particular style of wear message used above. There is one line to say that you've worn the item, then a blank line, then a line describing a magical affect of the item.
For stats, it's armor, it has the Magic flag, and it's takable and wearable in the "on body" slot. It has no anti-races, but it has a whole lot of anti-classes. Basically, all mage, druid, and rogue subtypes can't wear it. It grants 52 AV, and has a min-dex of 9, which seems somewhat pointless. It weighs 64 lbs, and is oddly worth only 1 gold. I suppose most dealers would be afraid to touch the thing... Finally, it grants +2 str and +35 hps. These are common apply types used on armor.
val0 Level of spells in potion. val1 Spell #1 (Unused slots should be set to -1) val2 Spell #2 val3 Spell #3
Potions are similar to scrolls, but cannot be recited on a victim. All potions are self-only.
#16408 flask undine crystallized~ a flask of crystallized undine~ A flask lies here, overturned.~ ~ 10 ^6 ^0 0 0 20 147 213 33 3 3 3 ^2 0 3 0 0 0 E flask undine crystallized~ The contents of this clear glass flask are quite magickal, as one can tell from the label designating them as the crystallized remains of an undine. Undines are elemental creatures from realms of water and ice, and they reportedly cannot exist on this plane at all. Also, it is said that to traverse the ethereal space between this world and theirs is a dangerous and aging journey, and so the precious substance within this flask is quite rare indeed. It appears relatively normal when first glanced at, although it has a rather unnatural sheen to it. The crystals glitter and sparkle like sapphires, as they are a pale blue in color, and they act almost like quicksilver if the flask is shaken. Shaking the flask liquifies some of the crystals, and they instantly flow together to try and form some unknown creation, although they are quickly halted and recrystallized by an unknown force. Whatever magickal properties are contained within the crystal corpse of an undine are unknown, and consuming them would produce -- at the very least -- exceptionally interesting results. ~
Wow, a potion that doesn't have "potion" as a keyword! This is almost as creative as the dwarven pocket watch. ;-)
It has few stats; Magic, takable, and !id. The potion line grants it level 30 spells of breathe water (147), iceshield (213) and poison (33). Also note the weight of 3 lbs. Rare potions should always have a weight in the range of 3-5. Common things like recalls can be very light, but rare things should not be so easy to mass in containers.
val0 not used (0) val1 not used (0) val2 not used (0) val3 not used (0)
Worn items are like armor without AV. In other words, they are like armor but not anything at all like armor. Honestly, this is just another do-nothing type. If something is neither trash nor treasure, "worn" might be the right item type to choose.
Most worn items are considered junk, or newbie eq, because there is usually a high-powered equivalent that has a few AV. Not all, though...
#26322 shawl black silken~ a black silken shawl~ Carefully piled upon the ground is a black silken shawl.~ ~ 11 ^6 ^0|^2 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 18 18 ^2 0 2 1000 0 0 A 4 2 A 12 15
Ok, as far as creativity goes, it is certainly is junk. It has no description! But it is a pretty good high-powered item, and it has no AV either; it is type Worn. Many neck items, especially if they are "caster stuff", fit into this category. Also, any ring that doesn't sound like "treasure" should be type Worn, since rings should not have AV.
val0 not used (0) val1 not used (0) val2 not used (0) val3 not used (0)
Used for pieces of furniture, statues, etc. Usually no-take items.
#8202
pedestal broken granite~
a broken, granite pedestal~
A broken pedestal lies in the center of the court.~
~
12 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
3 3 3 0 0
1 0 0 0
E
pedestal broken granite~
This pedestal was long ago shattered by some great blow, as deep
cracks scour it and chunks have been broken away. Very, very
close examination of its base reveals what remains of a message
that was written in an archaic elven script. It is faded and
worn, although some of it may still be discernable.
~
E
message script elven archaic base~
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
/ | | |\ |\ /\ /\ |\ \ | \ | / | | /
- / |\ | |\\ - | \ / - |\\ \| \|/ |\ | / -
- \ |\\| | \ - | | - | \ /| | | \| \ -
\ | \| | \| | | / | | | | \
---------------------------------------------------------
/| | | | / /\ \ | |\ |\ /| |\ |\ /
- / | |\ | - |/ | | \| |\\ - | \ \/ | |\\ | \ / -
- | | \| - /| | | /| | \ - | | /| | \| | \ -
| | | / | | | / | | | | \/ | | | | \
---------------------------------------------------------
An si Tintalle Varda Oiolosseo
- ve fanyar maryat Elentari ortane, -
ar ilye tier undulave lumbule;
- ar sindanoriello caita mornie -
- i falmalinnar imbe met, ar hisie -
- untupa Calaciryo miri oiale. -
Si vanwa na, Romello vanwa, Valimar!
- -
Celie unvulla delnar, Oberon.
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
~
Good luck finding an item type more appropriate than "other" here! This is also a good example of an object with more than one E section.
val0 not used (0) val1 not used (0) val2 not used (0) val3 not used (0)
Another do-nothing category, this is pretty much the opposite of treasure. Useless stuff that might be worth selling is treasure. Useless stuff that a shopkeeper won't touch is trash.
#31606 head severed gorgon~ the severed head of a gorgon~ The severed head of a gorgon lies upon the ground.~ ~ 13 ^6|^12|^29 ^0|^14 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 10 9000 0 0 E head severed gorgon lavinia~ The head of Lavinia the gorgon is covered in green snakes that have died when she was killed. Her once beautiful face is covered in light green scales and a forked tongue lolls out of her fanged mouth. Even in death the curse of Lavinia's betrayal still holds strong as you feel your limbs becoming rigid... like stone. ~
Severed body parts are a good candidate for trash! And alas, we have yet more keyword issues. The extra description has a keyword that isn't on the object. This is usually a sign that the builder changed the short description, and changed the keywords around, but forgot to change the keywords on the E section. Remember to keep them in sync if you edit an item.
For trash, it manages to have a few stats none the less. It is Magic, !rent, and Hidden. Fans of gore will be pleased to note that it is both takable and holdable, so you can show it off. Why the thing has a gold value of 9000 is beyond me, but most shopkeepers won't buy trash anyway, so maybe it's just there to taunt you.
val0 Weight capacity.
val1 Flags: (1 closeable, 2 pickproof, 4 closed, 8 locked)
Add these up if you need more than one. You must add these,
they cannot be strung together.
val2 Key VNUM (-1 if no lock)
val3 not used (0)
Here's a little table that helps when assigning the "flags" on a container, so you don't have to do the math,
closable(1) closed(4) locked(8) pickproof(2) Flags
----------- --------- --------- ------------ -----
no no no no 0
YES no no no 1
YES YES no no 5
YES YES YES no 13
YES YES YES YES 15
Those are generally the only combinations that make sense for these things. If you have a weird idea about a combination not listed above, ask an experienced builder first.
For containers, we have two examples. First, the kind players use to hold items,
#5806 rucksack oiled canvas~ an oiled canvas rucksack~ A well worn traveler's rucksack is resting here.~ You slide the padded straps of a rucksack around your shoulders.~ 15 ^6 ^0|^10 0 0 400 1 -1 0 3 3 3 0 0 5 55000 0 0 E oiled canvas rucksack~ Tough blue canvas has been treated with oil to improve durability and to make it waterproof. Upon lifting the large flap, you realize this pack may have been slightly enchanted to allow it to carry a larger burden. ~
This one appears to have minor keyword issues that were corrected in the keyword list but not the E section, so they are now different. (In fact, I may have done that myself, oops.) That doesn't cause any bugs, but it is sloppy. Try to be more careful.
For its container stats, it can hold 400 lbs total, or 395 lbs in fact because the rucksack itself has a weight of 5 lbs. It is closable (1) but not anything else, and has no key (-1). Its value is very high, because this item is purchased in a shop, not won in combat.
Now here's a different sort of container,
#19511 strongbox iron~ an iron strongbox~ An iron strongbox lies here amid the golden treasures.~ ~ 15 0 0 0 0 1 15 19509 0 3 3 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 E strongbox iron~ This niftly little contraption has been designed for the sole purpose of keeping out those who are not supposed to get their hands on certain objects here within the treasury. Undoubtably dwarven engineers poured hours of work and thinking into making the chest as sturdy and impervious as possible, and the reinforced wallings of meter-thick iron tend to justify this theory. A single hinged opens the lid of the container, although it has been housed with a tiny orb of poisoned spikes, so any attempt at prying the device open would end in a rather messy disaster. ~
The strongbox doesn't have much in the way of flags, but it has all 4 container flags in val1, represented by the 15. No one is opening or picking this thing without the key. There's a little trick in use here, too. The container's weight and capacity are both set to 1, so it is automatically always full. Once players get the treasure out, they can't put anything back in.
val0 Maximum drink units item can contain.
val1 Amount in container on boot.
val2 Liquid type (see below)
val3 If non-zero, drink is poisoned.
Poison does initial damage equal to val3.
# Type Drunk Full Thirst
-- ---------- ----- ---- ------
0 water 0 1 10
1 beer 3 2 5
2 wine 5 2 5
3 ale 2 2 5
4 dark ale 1 2 5
5 whisky 6 1 4
6 lemonade 0 1 8
7 fire brthr. 10 0 0
8 local spec. 3 3 3
9 slime 0 4 -8
10 milk 0 3 6
11 tea 0 1 6
12 coffee 0 1 6
13 blood 0 2 -1
14 salt water 0 1 -2
15 clear water 0 1 5
The above values are for mud-hours of "drunk / full / thisrty" satisfaction. The exact numbers up there are not very important. What is important is the different liquid types, and which ones are "stronger" at some things than others. Liquids with negative values for Thirst will make a character more thirsty. This is supposed to be realistic; salty liquids do that.
Drinking from a container to satisfy the above number of hours uses 4 units from the container, not 1. If you want someone to be able to drink water from a container 5 times, it should hold 20 units, not 5.
To some extent, drink containers are useless on Darkover. We realize that eating and drinking does little but annoy people, so we have the ambrosia liquid. But players can fill anything with ambrosia... why not fill up something cool-looking? So sure, drink containers do have (some...) use!
#17814 goblet iron~ an iron goblet~ An iron goblet is resting here.~ ~ 17 0 ^0 0 0 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 E goblet iron~ This is a simple iron goblet suitable for drinking anything from mead to fine wine. Engraved in its side is the silhouette of a griffon leaping across a sphere.~
Well, some containers are more useful than others! This one holds a mere 3 units of wine (2). At least it has 0 weight! For the record, please don't create 0-weight items without getting permission. For something as useless as a size-3 drink container, we'll say yes, but ask first.
val0 Must be the same as the object number. val1 not used (0) val2 not used (0) val3 not used (0)
Keys are used to unlock locked doors and containers. They are very easy to make,
#8015 key closet iron~ an iron closet key~ An iron closet key lies here.~ ~ 18 ^12|^29 ^0 0 0 8015 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 E key closet iron~ This is nothing more than a common-place iron key. ~
This key does have a few flags. It is !rent and hidden. The !rent is technically unnecessary; all keys are implicitly !rent, whether they have the flag or not. We recommend putting it on keys just to be consistant, but nothing bad will happen if you forget. Besides being takable, and having val0 equal to the key's vnum, that's all there is to it. The description is nothing special, and doesn't have to be for most keys. People never look at the things anyway.
Note that this key does not have drop_die. A lot of keys do. We recommend against putting drop_die on major keys that you have to do a lot of fighting for. It is useful on "junk" keys that load on easy mobs, to keep players from accidentally taking the key out of the zone and leaving it in an inn or clan hall. But don't put drop_die on major keys; it is pretty rude.
val0 Hours worth of food.
val1 Level of spell in food.
val2 Spell # (unused should be set to -1)
val3 If non-zero, food is poisoned.
Poison does initial damage equal to val3.
The majority of food only assigns val0, and maybe val3 if it's poisoned. Although food can contain a spell by using val1 and val2, it is not very useful, as food can only be eaten when you aren't full. The typical way of creating "edible" potions is to make them herbs.
Food is not very useful, except as cool-looking area filler, because most players use ambrosia and are full most of the time. Still, it can be very cool filler...
#12907 corn ear blighted~ an ear of blighted corn~ An ear of corn has been shucked and left here upon the ground.~ ~ 19 ^13 ^0 0 0 0 50 309 50 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 E corn ear blighted~ Corn is quite possibly the most valueable stable food source for all civilized creatures living within the world, but this darkened black ear appears to be very different than the expected norm. The greenery and leafy outer covering of the plant have wilted off and lie rotting on the ground, leaving behind only the sour rows upon rows of moldy kernels which wrap their way around the entire ear. ~
That blighted corn sure isn't filling; it has 0 for val0. But it also packs a level 50 rot spell (309), and it's poisoned... and poisoned at an initial 50 points of damage no less. To be as sadistic as possible, the corn is !frag, so players who know how dangerous it is can't junk it to keep it away from the unwary...
Darkover has a wide variety of cool-looking food items, from "a moldy spider sandwich" to "a boxed meal of stuffed dwarf fingers". We can always use more! These "style-only" foods generally have low numbers for val0, even just 1, so that you can eat another one soon enough.
There is one exception to the "food is completely useless, just make it look cool" guideline. In a newbie or low-level exp zone, you should leave a decent amount of free food lying around, and it should be fairly filling, and light weight. 30-60 units of fullness is a good guide.
val0 Number of gold pieces in the pile of coins. val1 not used (0) val2 not used (0) val3 not used (0)
Money objects are like the piles of coins you get off the corpses of dead opponents. As soon as a money object is picked up, it is added to the player's "carried gold" value, and the item disappears. This item type is not used often.
#19613 coins stacked pile~ a stacked pile of coins~ A stacked pile of coins lies here within the great vault.~ ~ 20 0 ^0 0 0 25000 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 11 0 0 0 E coins stacked pile~ This pile of golden wealth must be the accumulated savings of one of the more common dwarven citizens of Khazad Karn, as it is far too meager and small to be something that would belong to one of the more successful merchants or nobles within the city. The coins are notheless shiny and beautiful, as is all gold, and the neatly stacked rows of coinage are difficult to resist. ~
This pile of coins lies on the ground, and when you pick it up, 25,000 coins will be added to your carried gold, the same as if you looted a corpse. Items like this should always be behind locked doors, or otherwise secured so that someone can't just run in and get heaps of free gold. Also, if the gold value is at all significant, take care that it only loads once per boot.
For the stats, note that the pile has a value of 0! That is absolutely correct. "Gold value" is for selling things in shops. It is the val0 number on the pile that creates the "value" when you pick it up.
Please do not try fancy things with the Money type. For other types, sometimes it is fun to make (say) a ward fire head item that is also an herb you can eat, although you'd probably regret it if you did. Don't try creative things like that with Money objects, please. Use them for piles of gold, or whatever, lying on the ground or in a chest, and for nothing else.
val0 Maximum drink units item can contain. (-1 for continous)
val1 Amount in container on boot. (-1 for continuous)
val2 Liquid type (see drink container)
val3 If non-zero, fountain is poisoned.
Poison does initial damage equal to val3.
Fountains are similar to drink containers, but it is recommended that all "infinite" containers be fountains, and all non-infinite ones be drink containers. Fountains should have -1 for val0 and val1. Drink containers should have something not -1 for those values.
#18601 fountain crystal spectacular black glorious~ a glorious crystal fountain~ A spectacular black crystal fountain sprays water into the air.~ ~ 23 ^13|^14 0 0 0 -1 -1 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 E fountain crystal spectacular black glorious~ This grand fountain dominates the center of the Moraelin. It stretches upwards to an enormous height featuring life-sized statues of shadow elves, faeries, and dark unicorns, carved from black crystal rising up into the air. Mounted atop this pinnacle of statues is a grand serpent with large outstretched wings whose tail is wrapped around a large sphere of black. From the the serpent's fanged maw water pours forth, running gracefully and precisely down about the statues below until finally collecting in the broad pentagonal basin of the fountain. ~
This is the fountain from the Heart of Moraelin. If you are thinking the "spectacular" and "black" keywords are unnecessary, think again. That standard is for eq, and this isn't eq. The long descriptions of in-room objects like fountains are important, and the keywords need to match.
Like most non-eq objects, the fountain does not have a lot of stats. It has !frag and !invis flags, because we don't want people destroying fountains or turning them invisible. It has infinite (-1 -1) water (0) that is not poisoned (0). It weighs 1 lb, which is the recommended value for untakable items where weight does not matter.
val0 Room vnum that portal leads to. val1 Number of dice to roll for timer (-1 or 0 for no timer) val2 Size of dice to roll for timer (-1 or 0 for no timer) val3 not used (0)
In addition, the "wear message" of a portal has a special meaning. No one ever picks up a portal and wears it as eq. Instead, the wear message is an "appearance message" sent to the room on the "destination end" of the portal. Here's an example,
#12345 portal wavering~ a wavering portal~ A wavering portal fluxes in the air here.~ snaps into existence amid a flux of black tendrils.~ 24 0 0 0 0 18605 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 E portal wavering~ Born of dark magicks not native to this world, this portal does not appear stable. Its shape that of an elongated circle, and its border is like a black ribbon spinning in a breeze, snapping about violently. The interior of the portal is of the same fluxing darkness, offering no clue as to its destination. ~
Besides the (hopefully good) extra description, there are three things to note about this portal. One, most of the fields are left at the default values; making a portal is not complicated. Two, its val0 field is set to 18605, which is the vnum of The Heart of Moraelin; that is where the portal takes you. Three, the "wear message" of the portal is special. These messages will be sent when a player uses the enter command,
When portals load, they can have a durration. This is usually "infinite". Setting both val1 and val2 to a positive integer will cause the portal to have a random durration of xdy where x is val1 and y is val2. If just val1 is a positive integer, the portal will have a durration of val1. If both val1 and val2 are -1 or 0, it will have an infinite durration. Most of the time just leave them 0 and you should be fine. If you specify a timer and it expires, the portal will be extracted.
[first person] You enter a wavering portal. [third person, on entrance side] Kasryn enters a wavering portal. [third person, on destination side] Kasryn snaps into existence amid a flux of black tendrils.
Portals should be fun. Not every portal has to be a magical gateway through space and time, either. You could just as easily make a tree you can enter to get to some rooms inside, or a barn, or a passage. These things make the layout of your area interesting, without having to resort to annoying tricks like one-way exits.
You may also put special attacks on portals by using an S section. This will cast the given spell, or do the damage, to each character that enters the portal. The three messages on the special attack work somewhat differently in the case of portals. First, there is no victim, so only the first and third messages will be sent. Second, there are no $N, $M, etc., variables to refer to a victim.
val0 Level of spells in herb. val1 Spell #1 (Unused slots should be set to -1) val2 Spell #2 val3 Spell #3
Herbs are like potions, but activated by 'eat' rather than 'quaff'. Everyone's favorite...
#24302 dintu leaf~ a dintu leaf~ Swirling in the wind, a very light blue leaf floats about here.~ ~ 25 ^6 ^0 0 0 30 196 -1 -1 3 3 3 ^2 0 1 600 0 0 E dintu leaf~ The leaf swirls about, never actually coming to a stop. Even when there is no breeze about, this leaf still swirls. It is a soft blue with lighter blue veins running througout. The veins seem to almost pulsate with magic power as a slight aura slowly brightens then softens around the entire leaf. ~
Alas, even dintu leaves have keyword issues. "leaf dintu" would have been better than "dintu leaf".
Dintu leaves are magic, takable, !id, weigh 1 lb, and are worth 600 coins. (Of course, they sell for 900 in the shop, curse that Seleena...) For the herb part, they have that level 30 refresh that we're all hooked on. The second and third spell slots are blanked out with -1.
0 No Flags ^0 Glow Item glows, and adds light to the room ^1 Hum Item hums ^2 Dark Reduces room light level ^3 Light Item adds light to the room ^4 Evil For unholy items ^5 Invis Item is invisible ^6 Magic Item has a magic aura ^7 Nodrop Item cannot be dropped ^8 Bless For holy items ^12 !Rent Item cannot be saved in rent ^13 !Frag Item cannot be destroyed ^14 !Invis Item cannot be turned invisible ^15 !Sell Item cannot be sold at shops ^29 Hidden Item is hidden ^30 2-Handed For weapons that require two hands to use
No Frag is intended for use with large statues and things that should not be detonated, as well as particuarly special objects that shouldn't be junkable (keys, queststuff, etc). Do not use it on common equipment.
0 Untakable ^0 Take ^1 Finger ^2 Neck ^3 Body ^4 Head ^5 Legs ^6 Feet ^7 Hands ^8 Trinket ^9 Shield ^10 About body ^11 Waist ^12 Jewelry ^13 Wield ^14 Hold ^15 Wrist ^16 Face
Be sure to make items takeable if you want players to be able to remove them from corpses! Make large items like statues, fountains, monoliths, etc. untakable by leaving out the "Take" flag.
0 No Flags ^0 not used ^1 !Human ^2 !Dwarf ^3 !WoodElf ^4 not used ^5 !HighElf ^6 !Sprite ^7 !ShadowElf ^8 !Orc ^9 !Saurian ^10 !Minotaur ^11 !Lich ^12 !Faerie ^13 !Troll ^14 !Centaur ^15 !Goblin ^16 !Gnomes ^17 !Kyri ^18 !Skaven ^19 !Elouve
If an item is anti-race'd for a "magical" reason, such as an evil sword that can't be used by high elfs, you can pretty much mix and match the flags however you want. If you would like to use anti-race "realistically", because an item "wouldn't fit" a certain race, this is a general guide you can use,
Huge - Troll, Orc, Minotaur, Centaur, Saurian Large - Human, Kyri, Lich, Skaven Medium - High Elf, Wood Elf, Shadow Elf, Faerie, Elouve Small - Gnome, Dwarf, Goblin, Sprite
You can then restrict the item from certain races, off the top or bottom of the "size" spectrum. Try not to overuse this.
0 No Flags ^0 not used ^1 !Mage ^2 !Cleric ^3 !Dark Priest ^4 !Warrior ^5 !Archon ^6 !Wardancer ^7 !Sprite ^8 !Monk ^9 !Ranger ^10 !Paladin ^11 !Druid ^12 !Necromancer ^13 !Trollslayer ^14 !Saurian ^15 !Berserker ^16 !Rogue ^17 !Witch ^18 !Fire Archon ^19 !Mercenary ^20 !Knight ^21 !Dark Paladin ^22 !Templar ^23 !Shaman ^24 !Thane ^25 !Elementalist ^26 !Bard ^27 !Demarche ^28 !Assassin ^29 !Water Archon ^30 !Earth Archon ^31 !Air Archon
Use of anti-class flags is generally discouraged on Darkover. Using min-stats gives the game more depth, and allows for more options by players. That said, if you have a reason for wanting anti-class flags in a particular case, they exist, and you can use them. An example would be an "evil" mana item that uses generic mana. We normally don't like generic mana. But if you used anti-class flags to restrict it to necromancers and dark priests, that would not be so bad. The basic idea is that you do not slap anti-class flags on equipment "just because". For example, "just because" a sword has +75 mage-mana doesn't mean a cleric can't use it. He can use it (if he has the min int), but he won't get the mana. That is the whole point of having different mana types in the game.
The !druid flag is an exception. All hard-metal objects (steel, iron, etc.,) should be !druid. If it's been in a forge, druids can't use it. Soft metals, the kinds used in jewlery, are fine, and don't need !druid. Metal weapons can be an exception, if they fit the druid theme (scimitars, etc.), but most metal weapons should be !druid. This doesn't mean druid equipment should have bad stats. It is only restricted thematically. We don't want druids marching around in platemail.
The meanings of these 4 values vary depending on the "object type".
These 3 fields let you set the minimum stats required to use an item. We do not have a field for minimum Str; strength requirements are handled indirectly by setting appropriate weights on equipment.
"Unused" fields out of these three should be set to "3". Do not set them to 0.
Setting appropriate minimum stats is an art that requires knowledge of the game, and comparisons to the other objects in the game. We give no guildelines on how to do this in the builder documentation. If you know the game and can come up with well-balanced min stats, do so. If you aren't sure, leave them as 3's and ask another builder for advice.
0 No Flags
^0 not used
^1 drop-die Item is destroyed when dropped.
^2 !id Item cannot be ID'd by spells.
^3 not used
^4 transform Item changes into another item with it is worn. The
item increases vnum by 1 when wielded, and descreases
when removed. Only use this on very special objects.
Also, both objects must have identical stats in every
way; only the descriptions may be different.
For internal reasons, there can only be 32 object flags... so we have a few "extra" flags in this field here. Functionally, they aren't any different from the other object flags. You just have to put them in a different field in the file.
0 No Flags ^0 Blind Perm blindness. ^1 Invisible Perm invisiblity. ^3 Det Invis Perm det invisibility. ^4 Det Magic Perm det magic. ^5 Sense Life Perm sense life. ^7 Sanctuary Perm sanctuary. ^10 No Summon Can't be summoned while wearing. ^11 Poison Perm poison. :-/ ^14 No Invis User can't be turned invis, like faerie fog. ^15 No Charm User cannot be charmed or sleeped. ^18 Sneak Perm sneak. Insanely powerful. Please don't. ^19 Hide Perm hide. Keep this rare. ^20 Fear Fear spell. ^24 Night Vision Perm night vision. ^25 Aware Perm aware. ^26 Fly Perm fly. ^27 Haste Perm haste. ^28 FaerieFire Always visible. Good for "fire" equipment. ^29 Regen Perm regen skill. ^30 !Regen Like the black mantle spell, no regen.
This "affect bits" idea can be confusing. Most "permanent spells" are added on equipment by using "A 25 (spell #)". The ones above are special, and must be set as affect bits. If you grant a permanent spell with an affect bit, you don't have to (and shouldn't) use an "A 25" on it. Just setting the bit is enough.
Setting the correct weight for an item can be tricky. The only real way to do it is to stat similar pieces of equipment, and see what the accepted standards are, and not make major variations.
This is how much the item will sell for in a shop. Be very conservative when setting these. Generally, nothing should sell for more than 100k coins, no matter how hard you think it is to get. Items made specifically to be sold by shopkeepers are an exception; you can make them more expensive if you want. But again, after more than 100k or 200k coins, the gold system of the game starts to break down.
This field is unused, and should always be "0".
The maxload # will limit an object to only having so many copies in the entire game, including rent files, at a time. Its use is generally discouraged... For example, if you made a really neat dagger, and set its maxload # to 5, the dagger would stop loading after 5 players got it, and would not load again until one of the 5 was destroyed.
Ask permission before using maxload. Also, do not use maxload for weird things like, "This is a fountain, and I only want 1 loading, so I'll set its maxload to 1!" ARGH, no! Never set maxload to anything other than 0, except on equipment. And even then, don't. It pisses people off.
This section is technically optional, but all objects should have an E section. A full explanation of these "extra descriptions" is in the "world" documentation. What is special about objects is that each object should have a main description that 1) goes first, and 2) has exactly the same keywords as the object. Some objects, especially books and maps, may have more than one description, the same way a room can. But most of the time, and object will have one and only one E section. Just to be complete, here's the format,
E keywords~ Extra description. ~
For more information, see the "world" documentation, but it should be clear how to use them from the many examples in this document.
"Special attacks" or "S-Attacks" are what are more crudly referred to as "procs" by a lot of people in the game. They give a piece of equipment a random chance to cast a spell in combat, or do some extra damage in combat. Any item that can be equiped can have S attacks, and there is no limit to the number it can have. The format,
S <frequency> <damage> <spell> <level> <event> 1st person message~ 2nd person message~ 3rd person message~
Again, you can have more than one S section on a weapon. If you have more than one, they are checked from the bottom up, in reverse order. The first time one goes off, the chain breaks. If you have more than one S attack on an object, it is recommended to put S attacks with lower frequencies near the bottom.
Frequency is a number from 1 to 10,000, inclusive. The number 1 will make the S attack go off 1/10,000th of the time. 10,000 will make it go off on every combat hit. Most S attacks have frequencies around 250, which is 2.5%.
The actual mathematics to "balance" an S attack frequency are solid, and are not left to intuition. If you are a new builder, just guess a number around 250 or so, but count on the number being changed. We have a system for balancing these things.
Damage is expressed in XdY+Z format. As with weapon dice, try not making X too high. For higher damage, use a higher value of Y.
Spell is a spell number, the same kind used with scrolls and wands.
These two fields are related, because you only ever use one of them. If you want an S attack to do damage, the spell should be -1. If you want it to cast a spell, the damage field is unused and should be 1d1+1.
When using a spell verse a custom proc(-1) you must define the level at which it is cast. This is only necessary when using a spell. If it is a -1 you do NOT need to define it, as it will be ignored in the arguement. For most purposes a good range of levels to use is between 10 and 25. If you feel the need for the spell to scale with level, define it as a -1.
The event defines when the proc has a chance to fire. If you leave it blank, it defaults to the hit event which happens on every successful hit. Other events are specified in the list below. Event's can be combined to produce S Attacks that fire on multiple events. When combining events, use the same format as other flag combinations like affect bits. When talking about procs, the person procing is the character and the person causing the proc is the victim.
^36 Successful Cast Fires when the character makes a cast. ^39 Successful Hit Fires when the character makes a successful hit on the victim. ^41 Cast victim Fires when the victim casts a spell that hits character ^44 Hit victim Fires when the victim hits the character
When using Successful Cast, it can fire in or out of combat. If it fires out of combat because character cast heal or a prep, there will be no victim. So if you specifed an offensive spell for the spell number, nothing will hapen. It also means if you use $N, it might not work because when there is no victim, both $n and $N are the character name. You can string multiple events together like this: ^36|^44
These fields describe a set of messages sent when the S attack goes off. You may recognize the terms from a grammar or literature course. The "first person" is the wearer of the equipment, the "second person" is his opponent in combat, and the "third person" is anyone else in the room who isn't one of those two people.
This example does straight damage without a spell,
S 50 2d2000+2000 -1 You TOTALLY FLIP OUT and pound $N's face in!~ $n TOTALLY FLIPS OUT and pounds your face in!~ $n TOTALLY FLIPS OUT and pounds $N's face in!~
This S attack mimicks the goofy damage messages on a lot of low-quality MUDs out there. :P It grants a 0.5% chance that you totally flip out and bash your opponent's face in for 2d2000+2000 damage. That is enough damage to kill most things that have a face.
Even if this example is too stupid to use artistically, it is simple, and we can learn two things from it. One is, what does it mean in game terms to have a 50/10000 chance of 2d2000+2000 damage? How do we balance that? Well the average of 2d2000+2000 damage is about 4000 damage. (It's not exactly 4000, if you want the exact number get out a pencil and paper.) And 4000 damage * 50 / 10000... that's 20. So this S attack is about as good as adding +20 damage to a weapon. That is way out of line. To balance it, we would have to divide the damage by 10, or divide the frequency by 10, or something along those lines.
If the math is over your head, don't worry about it. We can balance these things for you. But keep in mind that there is a system to it, and the system involves numbers, and we put a lot of thought into making sure things come out balanced.
The example also gives a simple illustration of the messages, including the $n and $N things that make them work. $n is the wearer of the equipment with the S attack, and $N is his opponent in combat.
Here's an example that casts a spell,
S 300 1d1+1 190 Your $p glows brightly for a moment to surround $N in a white light.~ $n's $p glows brightly for a moment to surround you in white light.~ $n's $p glows brightly for a moment to surround $N in white light.~
This example is real; it's from the Templar sword. It echos out the set of messages, then casts spiritual hammer (190) on an opponent in combat. Here's another one that casts a spell,
S 78 1d1+1 16 Grains of sand swirl rapidly through $p!~ Grains of sand swirl rapidly through $n's $p!~ Grains of sand swirl rapidly through $n's $p!~
This one is real too; it's from the hourglass of eternity. It echos the messages and casts cure (16) on the wearer of the object. The target of a spell is decided automatically by the system. If the spell is offensive, like spiritual hammer, it is cast on the opponent. If it is helpful, like cure, it is cast on the object's wearer.
This section is optional. You can have 0, 1, or 2 "A" directives on an object. If the object "doesn't have stats", just skip this section. If it has stats, use 1 or 2 "A" directives. 2 is the limit; anything past that will not boot. The section itself looks like this,
A <apply-type> <apply-amount>
1 Strength 2 Dexterity 3 Intelligence 4 Wisdom 5 Constitution 12 Generic Mana - Boring. Use #26, #27 or #28 instead. 13 Hitpoints 14 Movement 17 Armor Value 18 Hitroll 19 Damroll 20 Save vs Paralysis 21 Save vs Rod 22 Save vs Petrify 23 Save vs Breath 24 Save vs Spell 25 Gives spell 26 Mage Mana - for Mages, Necromancers, and Witches 27 Cleric Mana - for Clerics, Paladins, Chaos Preists, and Shamans 28 Nature Mana - for Druids and Rangers
The "apply amount" is obvious; it's the number, positive or negative, that will add to the stat specified by the apply type.
Apply type 25 is special. It requires a spell # for the apply amount, and will grant the character that spell while the eq is worn.
Please do not use generic mana. Yes, we have a few generic mana items in the game. We don't want more. Generic mana is bad, because it means someone only needs one suit of caster eq, for both his cleric and his mage. Every time one builder makes a generic mana item, he gyps two other builders out of the opportunity to make decent items for the other two mana types.
This field is rarely used. It allows you to request a certain bit of pre-packaged code to be attached to an object. The most popular one makes an object a table, so that when people use the sit, rest, etc., commands in the room, they are converted to, "You take a seat at (short description)." and so on.
For more information, and a list of what is available, see the documentation on "procs".