Archaeology System¶

Uncover lost artifacts and treasures from Britannia's forgotten past through the Archaeology system.

Decode clues that drop throughout the world, locate dig sites hidden in the coordinates embedded in the clue text, and excavate using three specialized tools to reveal what lies beneath.

Template¶

These are the core skills:

Inscription - required for decoding, can be used from another character
Cartography - required for decoding and +10% artifact chance at 100
Mining - required for stage 1 success, 90+ for stage 2
Item Identification - required for stage 3 success, +10% artifact chance at 100

This is a suggested template:

Magery
Meditation
Cartography
Lockpicking
Mining
Item identification
Inscription / Hiding / Resisting spells

That can also work for Mining and Treasure Hunting.

Clues¶

Clues randomly drop from monsters.

They come in five types, the only difference between them is the deciphering skill required

Double‑click a clue in your backpack to attempt to decipher it. Failure doesn't consume the clue, try again when your skill improves.

Once decoded, opening the clue will reveal the coordinates

Clue Type	Decoded With	Skill
A torn map fragment	Cartography	70+
A faded expedition note	Inscription	70+
A partial journal page	Inscription	70+
A dusty book page	Inscription	70+
An old digging permit	Inscription	70+

Archaeology Tools¶

A bag of Archaeology Tools can be purchased from Provisioner NPCs for 8.000 gp.

Inside you'll find:

Archaeologist's Sturdy Shovel - Stage 1 tool (200 uses)
Archaeologist's Pick Hammer - Stage 2 tool (200 uses)
Archaeologist's Soft Brush - Stage 3 tool (200 uses)

Each tool has 200 uses and breaks permanently when they run out.

Finding the Dig Site¶

The coordinates in the clue text are the exact X, Y location. Use a map, landmarks, or rune travel to find the spot.

You must be within 1 tile of the precise coordinate before your tool will work.

Excavation Process¶

All three tools must be used in order. Each use consumes one charge from the tool. If the tool breaks mid-excavation, replace it with another before continuing.

Stage 1: Shovel¶

Double-click the Shovel, then target the clue in your backpack while standing within 1 tile of the dig site.

Skill check: Mining 80 – 100
On success: "You carefully excavate the area." - clue advances to Stage 2
On failure: "You fail to make any progress." - try again

Stage 2: Pick Hammer¶

Use the Pick Hammer the same way.

Skill check: Mining 90 – 100
On success: "You clear away the debris." - clue advances to Stage 3
On failure: "You fail to make any progress." - try again

Stage 3: Brush¶

Use the Brush the same way.

Skill check: Item Identification 80 – 100
On success: a find chance roll determines whether an artifact is discovered
The clue is consumed at this stage regardless of outcome

Artifact Find Chance¶

Clue quality is a hidden stat (1 - 100) assigned randomly when the clue is created. You have no way to influence it.

With fully capped skills (100 Mining, 100 Cartography, 100 Item ID) and a perfect quality clue (100), your chance is: 10% + 30% + 20% + 10% + 10% = 70%

With lower skill, typical find rates will be closer to 10 – 40%.

Artifacts¶

Artifact	Found at
Ancient Armor Fragment	Trinsic
Ancient Crafting Mold	New Minoc
Ancient Mining Pick	New Minoc
Ancient Parchment	Moonglow
Ancient Sextant	Moonglow
Ancient Shield Boss	Trinsic
Ancient Silver Necklace	Britain
Ancient Smithing Tong	New Minoc
Ancient Weapon Hilt	Trinsic
Ancient Writing Stylus	Britain
Astrolabe Piece	Moonglow
Bent Horseshoe	Trinsic
Bone Fragment	Britain, Moonglow, New Minoc, Trinsic, Yew
Broken Bottle	Britain, Moonglow, New Minoc, Trinsic, Yew
Broken Pottery	Britain, Moonglow, Trinsic
Ceremonial Staff	Britain
Charred Wood	Britain, Moonglow, New Minoc, Trinsic, Yew
Commander's Seal	Trinsic
Deteriorated Cloth Fragments	Britain, Moonglow, Trinsic
Handful Of Bent Nails	New Minoc
Mysterious Runestone	Moonglow
Old Copper Coins	Britain, Moonglow, New Minoc, Yew
Royal Wax Seal	Britain
Rusted Fork	Britain, Moonglow
Soldier's Buckle	Trinsic
Soot‑Stained Mug	New Minoc
Tarnished Silver Utensils	Britain
Tattered Cloth	Britain, Moonglow, New Minoc, Trinsic, Yew