Item Levels

The item level sets the base power of stats and ability damage. This level is skill + luck based.

When a player crafts a weapon, there is a normal distribution curve around their crafting level. For example, a player with crafting level 45 crafts 10 weapons and most of them will be around lvl 45. It will be just as rare for them to produce a lvl 30 weapon as it is to produce a lvl 60 weapon.

This distribution creates generally consistent progression through the game (as players crafting lvl increases, their average weapon lvl produced will increase) while keeping crafting exciting as players always have the chance to craft much higher level weapons than usual.

Once the weapon lvl is decided, the stats are also calculated on a normal distribution curve around the weapon lvl. So two lvl 45 weapons will still have different stats. And each stat is run on its own curve. So one lvl 45 weapon MIGHT be objectively better where all stats are higher BUT it's much more likely that some stats are higher while others are lower.

For example, two of the same lvl 45 weapon are crafted but one has slightly better attack speed while another has slightly higher critical hit chance. In the end, its HIGHLY unlikely that two crafted weapons will ever have the same base stats.

Randomized item levels begin at item level 10. For example, weaponsmithing level 9 will always craft a level 9 weapon with no level variation.