Merchant Chest Making Guide:
Good Boons to get:
fast metabolism, more strength, more constitution, increased skills
Good race: dwarf or human
Train:
knowledge of metamorphosis to:max
refining to:max [forge in bc north of armourer]
amalgamate to:max
lumberjacking to:max
carpentry to:max
mining to:max [Arska's]
chest creation to:max [hardware shop in bc]
chest lock creation to:max [hardware shop]
blacksmithing to:95 [1 n of armourer in bc]
gem cutting:96 or max
plant lore to:40 [Arska's]
double mining to:as much as possible [Arska's]
shop keeping to:60 or more
labeling to:50 - optional but useful
Gathering materials:
Walk around and chop down trees....
A chest may take 800-1200kg material. Wood logs are plentiful, but a floating disc
will only hold at most 3 or 4 logs. So, bring a small mineral box with you - this way
you can carry 10 logs easily. About 9 logs will make a 1 slotter; 21 logs for 3 slot.
Preparing materials:
Amalgamate no more than 2-3 logs into a nugget, or it will be too heavy to carry, and
you will waste materials in the end. I usually amalgamate 3 logs to a nugget, and use
multiple refinings to get divine quality. For locks or traps, material does not have
to be refined to *divine*. I have made 4 dial locks with *perfect* material.
For harder to find woods, I may refine one log at a time to avoid waste.
Tips:
Buy skeleton from hardware store in BC, southeast and down from bank. Get small skeleton is just starting out.
Have nugget to be used in inventory. Chest skeleton can be on ground.
Do not use cedar or maple - it sucks.
Start out just making a small 3 slotter (using a small skeleton that you buy from the hardware shop) to get a feel for things.
Then make a medium or large chests using the appropriate chest skeleton,
as your skill will improve faster by making the larger chests and by reinforcing - size and materials do matter.
Start out using plain wood, as it is easy to get - you need to complete several chests to raise skill level anyway.
When mining, 'use carpentry at build supports use wood' to make mine shaft to avoid
floods and excavations that may kill you. You will need one log of wood.
When starting out, ok to reinforce oak with ebony or similar arrangement.
For locks, easy way to raise skill is to start making one dial wood locks - 2 or 3 logs will do.
The Making:
use 'chest creation' build chest hull from *material*
use 'chest creation' reinforce chest hull with *material*
use 'chest creation' complete chest
use 'chest lock creation' build lock from *material*
use 'chest lock creation' complete lock
use 'chest lock creation' attach lock to chest
use 'chest lock creation' remove lock from chest
use 'chest trap creation' build trap from material
use 'chest trap creation' complete trap
use 'chest trap creation' attach trap to chest
use carpentry at build supports use *wood*
With this skill one may create a chest to save stuff over boot from desired
material and perhaps even reinforce the chest with some other material to
ensure good quality. The size of chest depends on the amount of used material,
refine state of material and rarity of material. The capacity of chest also
depends on possible reinforcement. The material used to reinforce the chest
must be more sturdy than the one used to the hull. High skill percentage is
required to be able to construct the most largest high quality chests. The old
forgers had a phrase 'You can become a good chest constructor by only making
chests'
Descriptions from lowest:
The basic structure is forming up.
It slightly resembles a chest.
It is missing a lid.
It is still quite shaky. (6 logs)
It looks like a small chest but it could be so much more. (1 slot, 9 logs)
It does not look quite safe yet. (12 logs)
The base looks strong now but lid is still quite weak. (2 slot, 15 logs)
The chest is looking much larger. (3 slots, 21 logs, small skeleton)
The construction looks bigger and bigger. (27 logs, 3-4 slots)
The structure is now stronger than ever before. (35 logs)
The chest looks big enough to hold out several equipments. (44 logs)
The extra material has made the chest almost impossible to breach.
The chest construction looks quite large and safe. (7 slotter)
The extra material in support-structure quarantees quality.
The chest looks just perfect and there is very little unfinished.
The construction looks very big and sturdy.
Reinforcement (quality is better than quantity):
The reinforcement looks totally incomplete.
The reinforcement is still quite weak.
The structure looks much stronger because of the reinforcement.
The reinforcement still lacks quality.
The reinforcement looks fine but it could be improved.
The reinforced chest looks quite sturdy now.
It would be a pain to force through the reinforcements.
Just a final touch and the reinforcement is fully complete.
Locks (best materials - diamond, dukonium):
(ok: titanium, zhentorium, iridium, good gems, oak)
(Bad: tadmium, mowglite, tin)
The lock looks totally incomplete.
It slightly resembles a chest lock but much needs to be done.
The basic structure is forming up quite nicely.
The inner structure looks almost completed.
The lock still lacks all the rolls.
The lock looks somewhat ready.
It looks like a primary lock but it could be so much more. (1 dial, 10 combo)
The extra material in mechanism should pay off.
The lock looks very complicated.
It looks very strong, almost impossible to break. (1 dial, 15 combo)
The mechanism is now stronger than before.
The quality of lock is very high but dials could be more sturdy.
The lock looks extremely strong and supreme quality.
The lock looks incredible strong and divine quality.
Traps:
The trap is forming up.
The outer structure looks strong enough.
The mechanish looks somewhat trimmed.
The structure is now sturdy but small in size.
The triggering device looks sophisticated.
It looks like a basic trap but it could be so much more.
It is a clever and nasty looking trap.
The trap is complex and more protected against disarming.
It looks very small yet lethal machine.
It is an awesome trap but it could be superb.
It is a superb trap by your standards.
Skill limits what material one can use for chest reinforcement:
70% or so: iron, aluminium, tin, ebony...
79%: silver
Over 80%: mithril, durandium, steel...
Pricing guide (locks add value):
1 slot: 18-30k (tiny wood box)
2 slot: 30-45k (small wood box)
3 slot: 50-80k (wood crate)
4 slot: 80-110k (large wood crate)
5 slot: 120-150k (classical wood chest)
6 slot: 160-190k (wood chest)
7 slot: 200-250k (small wood sailor chest)
8 slot: 250-325k (big wood sailor chest)
9 slot: 330-375k (Diamond Safe)
10 slot: 380-450k (Massive Diamond Safe)
11 slot: 450-525k (Large Diamond Vault)
12 slot: 550k+ (Gargantuan Diamond Vault)
locks: 8k per dial
Refining:
worthless
shoddy
poor
flawed
inferior
standard
good
great
superb
exceptional
sterling
perfect
divine
Nyghtshade thanks Cannedheat for much good advice and help.
Also thanks to Rogar and Lordborgman :)