Archaeology
Description
Archaeology is a skill used in retrieving artifacts. It has one subskill of Restoration. These skills are used for locating, identifying and combining of fragments of different items from resources to weapons and more.
The Archaeology skill helps determine what item you get when investigating tiles. It will also determine what and how much information you get on settlements that used to exist on or near the location investigated.
The type of fragment you retrieve is determined based on:
- How many settlements have been on that tile in the past
- How long the settlement(s) stood there
- How long it has been since the settlement disbanded
- Your Archaeology skill level
Each of these increase the difficulty of the action, but also increase the chances of finding uncommon item fragments, with the higher difficulties providing the most unique items.
When finding a fragment, you may get a message in the event tab stating information on past settlement locations. The higher your skill level in Archaeology, the more information you may receive.
To investigate a tile, activate a trowel, right-click a tile and click Investigate. This will search the tile for fragments.
- At 20+ Archaeology skill, a shovel may be used instead of a trowel, increasing the difficulty of the action, and some fragments are instantly identified upon discovery with no further restoration work needed.
- At 30+ Archaeology you have a chance to see the name of one of the settlements at that location:
You can see multiple markers of abandoned settlements here. Based on your knowledge of the area and small hints you can find, one of the settlements must have been called Sunnyvale.
- At 40+ Archaeology you have a chance to see the name of the last mayor:
You can see signs of a single abandoned settlement here. Based on your knowledge of the area and small hints you can find, the settlement must have been called Splash Point. You find a scrap of washed out parchment signed by the last mayor, Badgirl.
- At 50+ Archaeology you have a chance to see the name of the settlement's founder:
You can see multiple markers of abandoned settlements here. Based on your knowledge of the area and small hints you can find, one of the settlements must have been called Mordor. You recall this settlement, and remember the name of the founder as Gromclad.
- At 70+ Archaeology you have a chance to see names of deeds in the area some tiles away:
You spot some markers of an old settlement in the area. It looks like it may be close to the northeast from here. You find a small scrap of something that has the deed name on it... 'Kittenforest Paradise'.
- As of the October 4, 2018 patch: "You can also now get an extra bonus in areas that are considered valuable according to Archaeology, making fragments a bit easier to gain at higher levels in those locations."
Restoration
The Restoration subskill is used to identify and combine fragments.
Rarity of a fragment will always transfer over to the finished item becoming rare, despite the order by which the fragments are combined.
Identify
Identifying a fragment will tell you what it is a fragment of as well as how many more pieces are needed to assemble it into the full item. Fragments will be either metal or alloy based unless it is a fragment of ore or metal lumps.
To identify a fragment, you will need a metal brush and/or a stone chisel. Activate the tool, right click the unidentified fragment and select "Identify".
Examining a fragment will tell you if you need a brush or a chisel to clear away dirt and rock from it - however, you may use either tool. The difficulty of the action will increase by using the opposite tool than that which is suggested.
The weight of the fragment will decrease with each successful identify action, as dirt and rock is cleared away, until it reaches the weight of the actual fragment. The fragment weight is the weight of the completed item divided by the number of pieces needed. For example, a bronze lump weighs 0.1 kg - an identified fragment requiring 3 total fragments will weigh 0.033 kg.
Combining
Combining fragments can only be done once you have the total amount of fragments required for the item. If it is a metal fragment, it will have the chance to become iron, tin, lead, gold, silver, copper, or zinc upon combining it. If it is an alloy fragment, it will have the chance to become steel, brass, bronze, seryll, glimmersteel, adamantine. Alloy fragments will result most commonly in steel unless very well identified.
Examples:
- An identified fragment may say: ore fragment [1/3], iron - this tells you it is a piece of iron ore, and you need 2 more fragments to combine to it.
- A fragment may say: unidentified metal fragment - this tells you that the resulting product will be metal (iron, tin, lead, gold, silver, copper, or zinc)
- A fragment may say: unidentified alloy fragment - this tells you that the resulting product will be an alloy (steel, brass, bronze, seryll, glimmersteel, adamantine) though it is heavily weighted to be steel.
When you finish combining fragments, there's a chance of getting scavenger runes automatically added.
Any rarity, runes, or enchants on weapon heads or spear heads will transfer over to the completed item when combined.
Unique Fragments
There are a variety of special items that can be created from fragments.
- Statue of eagle
- Statue of hell horse
- Statue of rift beast
- Statue of drake
- Statue of mountain lion
- Statue of worg
- Statue of Fo
- Statue of Magranon
- Statue of Libila
- Statue of Vynora
- Statue of guard
- Statue of kyklops
Notes
- The key binds INVESTIGATE and IDENTIFY can be bound through console or settings.
- A high quality trowel will improve your chances to find fragments.
- Can use either stone chisel or metal brush to identify. The difficulty of the action will increase by using the opposite tool than that which is suggested.
Titles
- Investigator at 50 skill
- Archaeologist at 70 skill
- Curator at 90 skill
- ??? at 100 skill
