On Equipment Restrictions

One of the most annoying things in this MUD is that you don't know the exact levels required to wear an item - rather, what you know is the range of levels that the equipment falls in for that specific class requirement.  First, here's how to read equipment information:

You don't know the statistics of an equipment item without identifying it, which can be done in two ways if you already have the item - casting the identify spell on it, or reciting a scroll of identify on the item.  Here's some samples of what you see when you recite a scroll on an item:

a gold chain (with a sloth-shaped brooch attached to it)

You recite a scroll of identify which dissolves.
You feel informed:
Object 'gold chain', Item type: FLOOR
Item is: MAGIC 
Weight: 1, Value: 6000gold, Worn in: TAKE NECK 
Can affect you as:
Affects: STR by 1
Affects: ARMOR by -3
Affects: HITROLL by 1
Affects: HITPOINT by 5
Only those who are at least novice magic users, clerics, thieves, warriors,
druids, necromancers, bards, or monks may use this item.

The item (gold chain) has had the sloth-shaped brooch's additional statistics added to its own stats, which means that it will display both as a combined identify.

The statistics for this gold chain with the brooch attached to it would translate to: worn on neck, -.3 +Str +Hit +5 HP

ARMOR by -3 translates to -.3 Armor Class (AC).

The restricts on this is essentially, Novice of any class (but what this means is it is somewhere between level 1 and 5 for that specific class).  It could be set to Mage 3, Warrior 1, Monk 5, etc... and since it has the word "OR" in there, it means you only need to meet one of the requirements in order to wear this item.

The "MAGIC" tag means that when you have the spell "detect magic" - the item will have a "..glows violet!" flag that shows up.

a small gold bird pendant..It glows violet!

You recite a scroll of identify which dissolves.
You feel informed:
Object 'bird gold pendant', Item type: ARMOR
Item is: MAGIC 
Weight: 2, Value: 26000gold, Worn in: TAKE NECK 
AC-apply is -0.0
Can affect you as:
Affects: STR by 1
Affects: INT by 1

There are no restrictions involved with wearing this item - so it is essentially an item that anybody can use, even at level 1 and no other levels or classes.

It's worn on the neck slot - no AC, +str and +int

Another item - using the "query shopkeeper itemname" command that gives you the identify results for an item that the shopkeeper is selling:

query barol about link
Barol the blacksmith tells you 'Ahh yes, I have Scorched Link Mail of the 
Sun...Here is a little bit of information for you:'

Object 'mail armor link scorched', Item type: ARMOR
Item is: GLOW 
Weight: 4, Value: 85000gold, Worn in: TAKE BODY 
AC-apply is -1.5
Can affect you as:
Affects: DEX by 2
Affects: RESIST_COLD by 10
Only those who are at least novice in at least one of the starting classes
may use this item.

The names in the "Object" description are the keywords for this item.  The Value is around what it would retail for at the shop if someone sold it there (price varies and fluctates).  This is body armor with an AC of -1.5 and +2 DEX and a permanent Resist Cold effect of 10 (you can buff resist cold up with more items or by casting multiple spells of resist cold on yourself).

The restriction is same as the gold chain - except it takes less words to say so.  You don't know what the exact level required is.

Object 'charm breathing', Item type: CLASP
Item is: NOBITS
Weight: 2, Value: 18000gold, Worn in: TAKE 
Clasp can only be attached to:
helmets, hats, and the like
WRIST
3x40-ITEM

This one is a harder item to identify.  It's actually a clasp (a special type of equipment) - and cannot be worn on its own.  It attaches to only headgear and possibly wrists.  It also has a restrict of 3x40, whcih means you need to be triple 40 in any series of classes in order to be able to wear this item.  But right now - it doesn't have any stats - so it doesn't really offer any value at the moment (but it used to grant a permanent water-breathing effect).  The NOBITS means that there are no flags (hums, glows, magic, etc on this item).

Object 'necklace teeth', Item type: ARMOR
Item is: GLOW 
Weight: 1, Value: 3400gold, Worn in: TAKE NECK 
AC-apply is -0.0
Can affect you as:
Affects: MANA by 10
Affects: REGEN_MANA by 1
Only those who are at least experienced necromancers may use this item.

This item is another neck item - but it's got effects of +10 mana and +1 mana regen (mr).  You have to be EN to wear this item though - which is anywhere between 21 and 30.  No other class qualifies to wear this item - so it's strictly based on necromancer level.  AC Apply is -0.0 though.

Object 'stiletto silver short', Item type: WEAPON
Item is: BLESS 
Weight: 2, Value: 6550gold, Worn in: TAKE WIELD THROW 
Damage Dice is '2D4'
Only those who are at least adept thieves, warriors, bards, or monks may
use this item.

This is a weapon - it's got 2d4 as its damage dice (rolls 2 dice with 4 sides, so average damage would be 4 - minimum damage is 2, maximum is 8).  You have to be an adept noncaster (bard, monk, warrior, or thief) in order to wield this weapon.  It can also be thrown (with the thief level 20 skill - throw) as indicated by the "THROW" in the "Worn In:" zone.

a blackened blade..It has a soft glowing aura!

Object 'blade blackened', Item type: WEAPON
Item is: GLOW 
Weight: 2, Value: 27000gold, Worn in: TAKE WIELD 
Damage Dice is '3D3'
Can affect you as:
Affects: DAMROLL by 1
Only those who are at least adept magic users, clerics, thieves, warriors,
druids, necromancers, bards, or monks may use this item.

Another weapon - this one cannot be thrown.  It has dice of 3d3, plus an extra affect of +1 dam.  You must be adept in one of the classes (it restricts to them all) with the OR.

Reading the EQ List (or summary given by other players)

Amethyst Amulet - Vizier {Grmylyns} - -0.1 +hp regen NM NC NT NW NDr NNe NBa NMo [OR]

This is a neck item that pops on the mob named Vizier in the area Grmylyns (which is on Settlestone) - the restricts are Newbie Any (with the OR tag).

Ring of the Elements - Undead Queen {Tomb} - -0.1 +8 mana +8 hp EC EW [AND]

This is a finger item that pops on the mob named Undead Queen in the area Tomb (which is on Bal Harbor) - the restricts are Experienced Cleric AND Experienced Warrior - you must be BOTH.

Crimson Rapier - Weary Elf {Matterhorn} 2d6 +1 +0 Fireball Proc, Resist Cold  ET EBa [OR]

This is a weapon (nonstab) that pops on the mob named Weary Elf in the area Matterhorn.  It's got damage dice of 2d6 and an extra +1 Hit (hitroll is always listed first - damroll is always listed second) and has a fireball protection (which means that it randomly shoots a fireball at the monster you are fighting) and also has permanent Resist Cold.  Restricts are experienced thief OR bard.

Paper Ribbon - Hamadryad {Jungle} +0.1 +5 mana Detect Invis AdDr

This item is worn on the wrist - pops on Hamadryad in the Jungle with an AC-Apply of +0.1, which means it actually RAISES your AC by .1, instead of lowering it or having no effect.  But it also has +5 mana points on it and a permanent Detect Invisible spell as well, so it's up to you to see if that tradeoff is worth it.  Restricted to adept Druids.

Hopefully, you should be able to understand restricts and be able to read the eqlist / descriptions from other players.  You should also be able to identify your equipment if you so like (go buy identify scrolls from the scribe and "recite identify itemname").  Or if it's in a shop - prior to buying it, you can use "query shopkeepername itemname".  But after about level 10, the query command ceases being free and the shopkeepers will begin charging you 2000 gold for each query command used.

[Written: 18-Feb-2010]

Special Bonus - Recommended Equipment to Acquire as a New Player (Low Levels)

Some of those you cannot acquire by killing the mob - most of the times higher level players kill the mobs and then sell the equipment for gold to the shops - here's a list of items you would dearly love to have at extremely low levels (or for future use) - and if you see them in the shops, snap them up - these are a mixture of +stat equipment, good AC equipment, or other items:

Lights - Philosopher's Stone, Blue Egg, Staff of the Glass Dragon, Red Egg, Astronomer's Compass, Star Shaped Crystal, Glowing Oyster's Pearl,

Rings - Greenish Ring {random pop}, Swirling Red & Blue Ring, Golden Ring, Ring of Indigo Coral, Slivered Fingernail, Hamster Collar, Sparkling Star Ring, Silver Ring

Necks - Gold Chain, Gold Bird Pendant, Cloak of Silvery Fur, Silver Torc, Zebra Hide Cloak of the Fashion Lords, Platinum Chain, Lobster Claw Necklace, Molted Snake Skin, Golden Epaulets, Moldy Leather Mantle, Steel Camail,

Heads - Ebony Helm of Blood, Rubber Helmet, Red & Blue Helmet, Crimson Visored Helm, Lesser Helm, Spangelhelm, Tasseled Mortarboard

Body Items - Mystic Plate Mail, Dwarven Ringmail, Midnight Black Field Plate, Black Chainmail Shirt, Scorched Linkmail of the Sun, Wolf Pelt Tunic, Finely Tooled Armor

Legs - Cobalt Leg Plates, Tarnished Steel Leggings, Cobalt Leg Plates, Glowing Legplates, Steel Ribbed Pants, Viridian Tiger Breeches, Woven Cloth Skirt

Feet - Old Leather Boots, Blue Felt Slippers, Boots of the Beast, Cold Weather Boots, Deerskin Boots, Fox Hide Sandals, Furry Shoes, Mooseskin Boots, Old Viking Boots, Pair of Climbing Boots, Rock Boots, Rogue Shoes, Serpentskin Boots, Sun Sandals, White Leather Slippers, Wolf Hide Boots

Hands - Handwraps of Kun-Tua, Clawed Gloves, Wagoneer's Gloves, Heavy Gloves (starts on Monk Primes), Gloves of Precision, Gloves of the Tide, Monkey Skin Gloves, Rusty Gauntlets, Sharkskin Gauntlets

Arms - Spiked Vambraces of Dho-Tou, coral uncrusted bracers, iron sleeves, bronze sleeves, granite sleeves, singing sleeves, silver cloth sleeves, green cloth sleeves, white scaly sleeves, yellow black ribbons, thick leather sleeves, sterling sleeves of silver, steel bracers, sleeves of precision, silver carbon sleeves, red cloth sleeves, chainmail sleeves

Shield - Armadillo Shell, Giant Oyster Shell, Bronze Shield with Quickling Emblem, Coppery Cheetah Skinned Shield, Cracked Blackoak Shield, Green Crested Shield, Heavy Steel Shield, Old Dusty Shield, Tower Shield, Rusty Shield, Quartz Shield, Scintillating Shield, Shield of a Prison Guard, Shield of Pure Malachite, Shield of Yawning Death, Wind Shield

Robes - Bearskin Robe, Black Leather Riding Cloak, Grey Robe, Blessed Vestment, Bright Surface, Brilliant White Cloak, Brown Houserobe, Chameleon Poncho, Cloak of the Spider, Dark Green Robe, White Silk Robe, Gnomish Travelling Cloak, Flowing Satin Robe, Flowing White Robe, Mass of Cobweb Fabric, Robes of Red Cotton, Saffron Robe, Serpent Skin Robe

Belt - Belt of Darkness, Belt of Striking, Belt of Gems, Belt of Origins, Belt of the Damned, Cobalt Blue Girth, Dull Red Belt, Ivory Belt, Octopus Tentacle, Silver Girth, Soft White Sash, Strip of Blue Fur, Strip of Deer Hide, Tangled Grey Fox Fur, Waistband of Linked Reddish Rocks, Wolf Hide Belt

Wrists - Leather Wrist Guard, Bracelet of Balancing, String of Icy Blue Beads, Congealed Mist Bracer, Crystal Bracelet, Celestial Bracelet, Cracked Sapphire Bracelet, Emerald Bracelet, Steel Bracelet, Pieced Lamb Bracelet, Many Blood-Filled Mosquitoes, Maul Titan Bracer, Mithril Wristband, Parthed Leather Wrist Guard, Quickling Bracer, Silvery Fur Band

Low - Royal Decree, Staff of Ice, Black Ward, Blue Rose (AutoQuest), Bottle of Demons, Dirty Lunch Pail, Ivory Scarab, Ghastly Symbol of the Dark Widow, Heavy Iron Staff, Myconid Sceptre of Power, Royal Dwarf Emblem, Scale of the Nereid, Shimmering Wand, Small Copper Disk, Small Ruby

Weapon (Nonstab) - Holy Sword, Mithril Axe, Massive Claymore Sword, Mace of Blood, Blackened Blade, Bolt of Lightning, Club of Pounding, Fine Steel Sword, Flamberge, Flamberge of the Black Widow, Giant Silver Trident, Glowing Short Sword, Gleaming Sword of Ice, Guardsman Saber, Knotted Pine Staff, Large Ham, Staff of the Elven Forest, Mace of Bane, Mithril Broadsword, Mithril Sword, Ogre Claymore, Royal Sheolian Rapier, Runed Chisel, Rusy Halberd, Scimitar, Sharp Dusty Branch, Shining Cutlass, Shiny Longsword, Silver Sword, Spiked Cudgel, Steel Rapier, Stout Oaken Staff, Sword of Wounding, Tarnished Brass Longsword, Troll's Maul, Wereboar Tusks, Elven Short Blade

Weapon (Stab) - Blue Glass Dagger, Bee's Stinger, Ant Pincer, Carved Wooden Dagger, Diamond Encrusted Dagger, Dragon's Tooth, Gold Pommeled Stiletto, Green Copper Dirk, Hatpin, Ice Dagger, Icicle Dagger, Kitchen Knife, Lightdagger, Runed Chisel, Secari Dagger, Sharp Talon, Silver Stiletto, Small Black Dirk, Stalagmite, Tooth of a Swimming Dragon, Trocar of the Demilich, Twisted Dagger