EQ2 transmuting guide
From Shadow Wind
Contents |
Trashed to treasured
Or should that be the other way around?
So, you want to be a transmuter? Great – brilliant plan. (you are going to die destitute & alone)
Oh, OK – that's possibly a slight exaggeration, but you are going to notice a serious dent in your cash flow, and unless you've got either a LOT of time, or some really lovely, generous guildies (who wouldn't mind benefiting from a T7 transmuter in the guild too mind you), then I predict you will give up on the whole idea when you reach about level 130 ;) For those that think they can stay the distance here's my guide :)
Choosing a profession
You can find the vendors for transmute & tinkering skills & books in several places. In Kelethin they are on the platform below the Fae Royal Court at (400.01, 94.42, 198.33). You'll also find them in ButcherBlock Mountains Dock (Nek-boat-side behind where the SS carpet is). I'm sure you'll find them in Freeport too, but I don't know where. If in doubt ask a city guard for “transmute” and if there is one in that zone he will point you to them.
Hail the Master Transmuter NPC and choose the profession. He will give you the ability to transmute items – which essentially means breaking them down into their component parts so they can be used to make other, more useful things. You will also need to buy books & skills from the trainer beside him. You hopefully know how to use the books – the skills are used in making transmute adornments at the workbench and are as follows:
Corporeal Binding : Increases Durability 25, decreases success chance 11%
Corporeal Weave : Increases Durability 15
Subastral Binding : Increases Progress 30, decreases success chance 11%
Sunastral Weave : Increases Progress 20
Now, as far as I can tell (and I have done an exhaustive search) you get no other new skills, level or otherwise, as you progress (unlike normal crafting). These skills will turn grey pretty soon, but they still work to make your pristine builds (though this tradeskill is all about how much you can mash those buttons rather than any kind of technique of finesse, as I'll explain a little more later).
All set? Now starteth the fun
As you gain levels you will be able to transmute higher and higher level items. Up to level 100 you will progress by transmuting low-level items. And believe me, you are going to need a LOT! Anything treasured, legendary or fabled that is not hand-crafted will do (i.e. not homemade App IV spells, but Adepts and Masters are OK, together with all treasured armor pieces). Also mastercrafted armor, jewelry & weapons from rares (not bags). I strongly suggest you make a new toon to be your transmuter from scratch, as you can also transmute items that are no-trade & have been attuned and used. I also started a trash toon on starter island, disabled the XP at level 5 so the mobs don't grey out, and used this to farm low levels & also harvest for rares to make mastercrafted gear, which are much easier to find on starter island.
Each transmute will give you either powder, crystal fragment, or both if you're lucky. Legendary and better will give you an infusion of some type too, which are used to make the advanced adornment recipes.
Once you hit level 100 (eventually) the goal posts move (great, thanks SOE) and you must now progress by crafting items from the enigma of transmuting books at the workbench crafting station (the one used for making jewelery). This is uber useful (not) as the only adornments you can make are for one & two-handed weapons of the type that hardly any characters use. Also the market is flooded with these items from all the transmuters trying to level, so don't even think about trying to sell them unless they are from legendary or better. Instead sell them to a vendor for a few pennies to recoup your fuel costs, and quietly cry into your pillow at night for all the coin you are losing :(
You'll notice that it's super hard to make pristine from level 100 to 125. This is no real drama as you still progress even if you don't make pristine (about 1 craft in every 3 or 4 gives you a level from my reckoning), but where this is annoying is the amount of material you use. Crafting transmuter items uses one powder and a number of crystals, but you get up to half the crystals back the higher quality your final build.
Another difference from normal crafting is that you only have the 4 skills to use, and they are linked in pairs, so effectively you can only cast 2 at a time. I have discovered the best way to use these is to constantly spam the Corporeal Binding button and nothing else. You let up for a nano-second on that button and your durability drops off drastically. I know it says it decreases the success by 11% - I have yet to lose a build and use nothing but this ability, although they will probably nerf this soon so make your own system by trial & error. You will also notice there are no imperfections to combat when crafting from the transmuter books.
Rinse, repeat... continue to fade.
And that is pretty much all there is to it. A few additional tips; you still get the chance to skill up even when crafting grey-con recipes, so use every bit of material you get your hands on. If you're only using one toon to farm & transmute you will need to halt your combat XP if you don't want your transmute skills to lag behind your adventure level (thus overloading your bank slots with items awaiting transmuting). I actually started another new toon once Sensii was in her 30's, and sent anything she looted that wasn't no-trade to be transmuted instead of upgrading her own equipment (poor, poor Dangerous).
Recruit your friends/guildies to send you their trash – or if you're really rich you can buy stuff from the broker – but believe me this is VERY expensive as everyone attempting to become a transmuter is doing the same, thus pushing the price of low-level treasureds up disproportionally on the broker.
And before you think you're really clever and go to the shady swashbuckler on Nek docks to buy & transmute your HQ and Signature quest rewards, don't bother. They have now changed this and you can no longer transmute these items.
Good luck :)
Sensii (Shadow Wind, Runneye Server)