UW1: Identifying objects

[Bernard Michaud]

Greetings Everyone,

I'm playing Ultima Underworld I for a month now and I like it very much.
I'm a 14th level paladin. I've almost finished level 6. Here's the
question I wish to submit to you:

I have about 50 objects I cannot fully identify, like scrolls, potions,
wands and magical weapons. I know that a mage of level 6 can identify
any object for about 10 pieces of gold but doing so will cost to much
besides perhaps I will need my money for something else. I know I can
cast a Reveal spell on foreign objects but I guess it is better keeping
mana for more usefull things such as Fly, Open, Gate Travel, etc for the
lower levels. I knew that Lore skill help one to do this so I choose to
raise that skill with the Lahn mantra. I spent lots of mantras on this
and I've reached almost 30 points of Lore. I can now identify only about
10% of what I've got! I never knew it would take so much to be able to
reveal things. Did I made the right choice? Is Lore really effective at
the highest level? Or perhaps a Paladin has not enough intelligence to
do this? I would like to know...

Thanks in advance for all Dragons who'll answer this!

Clay Dragon
Bernard Michaud

[T3Dy]

Once you have the identification spell lore isn't useful, just cast the spell a
few times, rest, cast, rest, eat, etc. time is no object

Sned The Bold Dragon -=UDIC=-
"Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that
wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of"
They Might Be Giants "Where your eyes don't go"

[Apteryx]

Bernard Michaud wrote in message <35551A14...@er.uqam.ca>...

>Greetings Everyone,
>
>I'm playing Ultima Underworld I for a month now and I like it very much.
>I'm a 14th level paladin. I've almost finished level 6. Here's the
>question I wish to submit to you:
>
>I have about 50 objects I cannot fully identify, like scrolls, potions,
>wands and magical weapons. I know that a mage of level 6 can identify
>any object for about 10 pieces of gold but doing so will cost to much
>besides perhaps I will need my money for something else. I know I can
>cast a Reveal spell on foreign objects but I guess it is better keeping
>mana for more usefull things such as Fly, Open, Gate Travel, etc for the
>lower levels. I knew that Lore skill help one to do this so I choose to
>raise that skill with the Lahn mantra. I spent lots of mantras on this
>and I've reached almost 30 points of Lore. I can now identify only about
>10% of what I've got! I never knew it would take so much to be able to
>reveal things. Did I made the right choice? Is Lore really effective at
>the highest level? Or perhaps a Paladin has not enough intelligence to
>do this? I would like to know...
>
>Thanks in advance for all Dragons who'll answer this!
>
>Clay Dragon
>Bernard Michaud
>

You can use a name enchantment spell (Reveal is a different spell), but
there is also a name enchantment wand to be found on level 4 (with about a
dozen charges). I think if you just carry an article for a while, your
chances of identifying with yur Lore skill seem to improve, although I am
not sure that isn't just an effect of increasing experience enhancing that
skill.

A.G.Mutch -=UDIC=- Apteryx Dragon
[extended signature with cute quote under construction. Due for release late
1998]

[Robert S. Gregg]

Apteryx wrote in message <35569...@news.actrix.gen.nz>...

>>I have about 50 objects I cannot fully identify, like scrolls, potions,
>>wands and magical weapons. I know that a mage of level 6 can identify
>>any object for about 10 pieces of gold but doing so will cost to much

>>besides perhaps I will need my money for something else. [snip]

>>Did I made the right choice? Is Lore really effective at the highest
>>level? Or perhaps a Paladin has not enough intelligence to
>>do this? I would like to know...
>

>You can use a name enchantment spell (Reveal is a different spell), but
>there is also a name enchantment wand to be found on level 4 (with about a
>dozen charges). I think if you just carry an article for a while, your
>chances of identifying with yur Lore skill seem to improve, although I am
>not sure that isn't just an effect of increasing experience enhancing that
>skill.

It's a little bit of both. Even with a Lore of 30, you aren't guaranteed of
being able to identify an object, or even that it is "magical". I never found
that pushing Lore about around 10 made any substantial difference. Sometimes
you can simply click on an object multiple times over a certain period, and be
able to identify something you couldn't before. It is probably a function of
experience/level as well as Lore.

I also rarely made use of that wizard on level 6; since he only accepts hard
currency, and there isn't any way of generating gold coins in infinite amount
(as there is in UW2), I found it more acceptable to just wait around for my
mana to recharge and cast Name Enchantment. Another "trick" is to find the
wand and use it - even after it reaches zero charges, it will still have a
certain percentage to work each time you use it. Save just before
identifying, and if the wand breaks, reload and try again. It's faster than
waiting for your mana to recharge, even if it is "cheating" a little.

Bob Gregg aka Underworld Dragon
The Notable Ultima: www.scott.net/~rgregg/ultima/

[Erik A]

Did you manage to identify it?

Sorry for the late reply.