(by Hermlock on Pac & Basara)
What is a BOD (SBOD)?
How do I get a BOD and how often can I get them?
How do I fill a BOD and get the reward?
What kinds of BOD's are there?
What is an LBOD?
How do I get an LBOD?
How do I fill an LBOD?
There is only one button on my BOD/LBOD gump how do I combine deeds?
I've tried everything and I still can't get a deed. What's wrong?
I refused a BOD when offered one will I get another one?
What Are BOD Books?
Why are these BODs in this Vendor's books not priced? Is it Legal?
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1. What is a BOD (SBOD)? A BOD is a Bulk Order Deed. BODs may be offered to anyone with Blacksmithing skill on request of the character, or when they sell items to NPC Blacksmiths or related NPCs (Armorers, Weaponsmiths, Iron Workers). These deeds come in many forms but the one thing they have in common is that they may all be completed and turned in for a reward. The reward depends somewhat on the type of deed you turn in, ranging from simple mining tools for the easy ones, to magical crafting tools for the rarer ones.
2. How do I get a BOD and how often can I get them? In order to get a BOD just sell any item that the NPC Blacksmith will buy or select "Bulk Order Info" from the context-sensitive menu when clicking on an NPC Blacksmith. The deed you get at and after 70.0 Real Skill is completely random, though GM smith's have a slightly higher chance of getting an Exceptional Deed, and being an Elder or Legendary (110 or 120) Smith reduces the number of Iron Armour deeds one gets (too bad it does nothing to reduce the number of weapons deeds).
Under normal circumstances, you may recieve a BOD only once during a given time period depending on your skill level (based on real skill):
0.1-50.0: every one hour (Normal Iron Small armor/weapon BOD only)
50.1-69.9: every two hours (Normal Iron Small armor/weapon BOD only)
70.0-109.9: every six hours (Exceptional/Normal Colored/Iron Large/Small). At this skill level, 50% will be Weapons, 25% will be Iron Armor, 25% will be Colored Armor. Starting at 100.0 Skill, 60% of the BODs will be exceptional, 40% will be normal (was even chances of either below 100)
110.0-119.9: every six hours (Exceptional/Normal Colored/Iron Large/Small). At this skill level, 50% will be Weapons, 15% will be Iron Armor, 35% will be Colored Armor
120.0: every six hours (Exceptional/Normal Colored/Iron Large/Small). At this skill level, 50% will be Weapons, 5% will be Iron Armor, 45% will be Colored Armor
This timer is per character, and with the addition of BODs for other tradeskills should be noted that a different timer applies to each BOD system. In other words, if a character accepts a Blacksmithing BOD, he must wait the appropriate amount of time before he is eligible to receive another Blacksmithing BOD but is eligible to receive a BOD for another skill such as Tailoring. One may check in-game approximately how long a specific character will have to wait by selecting "Bulk Order Info" on an NPC Blacksmith's context-sensitive menu.
In 2005, a change was made in the BOD system, so that if one turns in a BOD, it resets the timer, making the Smith immediately able to claim another BOD, on turning in a smith BOD for a reward. This led to a form of BOD collection & filling known as "BOD Cycling", which will be discussed in a later section of the Smith FAQ.
3. How do I fill a BOD and get the reward? After receiving your BOD double click it and read it carefully. It should tell you the quantity and quality of the items as well as the ingot type needed to complete the order. There are also two buttons on the bottom of the deed, the bottom one is the Exit button which will close the gump, and the top button combines the item needed with the deed.
Craft (or purchase) the items and add them to the deed. To add an item double click on the deed if it is not already open, choose the Combine this deed with item button, then target and click the item you wish to add. After you add an item the gump will automatically reappear with updated information to reflect that you have added an item.
After you have filled the deed you may turn it in to any NPC Blacksmith for a reward. To turn in the deed drop it on the an NPC Blacksmith and you will receive your reward. Rewards consist of: an item, an amount of gold (placed directly in your bank, and may take the form of a check), and an amount of fame.
Below is a picture of a small (Tailor) BOD's selection gump from EA's own web page. Smith BODs function exactly the same. For a smith, if the item requires one of the colored metals, the line will say so, that is where the "spined Leather" line is in the Tailor example. If the items need to be of exceptional quality, a line saying so will be beneath the materials line.
4. What kinds of BOD's are there? This is a little complicated.
There are Weapons BODs and Armor BODs, that come in Large (sets, for a greater reward) and Small (set parts, or stand-alones) types. In turn, each BOD type comes in Normal & Exceptional varieties, in 3 different "counts" - that request 10, 15, or 20 items, respectively.
Armor BODs also come in both "Iron" and "colored" versions (one of the 8 specific colored special metals in the game).
Effectively, discounting color, there are 6 BOD types for every item that has a BOD. A dagger BOD, for example, comes in these deed forms:
10 normal daggers
15 normal daggers
20 normal daggers
10 exceptional daggers
15 exceptional daggers
20 exceptional daggers
Normal (non-exceptional) deeds may be filled with exceptional items. Exceptional deeds may be filled with only with exceptional items. One must take care not to confuse the two, or a lot of work can be wasted. Similarly, exceptional small BODs can be combined with a normal large BOD, by accident or deliberately to serve in place of a normal small (and in most cases, the exceptional small would have been a lot more valuable to the smith, so it should be avoided unless you know the normal large is worth more than the exceptional small or its exceptional large).
Armor BODs including shields come in all the ingot colors as well so that every armor and shield deed comes in 54 different types. One can combine a colored deed small with a corresponding Iron large, but there is no reason to ever actually do so.
Not all armor BODs may be used to complete a Large Bulk Order Deed (LBOD). Only the Ringmail, Chainmail, and (male) Platemail (including Plate Helm) smalls have LBODs, so, only 13 of 24 items that have armor BODs have a corresponding large. The rest - the various Shield types, Bascinets, Norse Helms, Helmets, Close Helms, and Female Plate Armour, are stand alone deeds and are not part of any current LBOD. All weapon BODs may be combined with a corresponding Weapon LBOD.
5. What is an LBOD? LBOD stands for Large Bulk Order Deed. It is a bulk order deed that requires other BODs to complete. An LBOD may be turned in after it has been combined with the appropriate small BODs. There are eight type of LBODs: Ringmail, Chainmail, and Platemail for Armour BODs; Axes, Macing, Fencing, Polearms, and Swords for Weapon BODs.
6. How do I get an LBOD? The same way you get a BOD (see above). They are randomly given out to smiths of 70.0 Real skill or higher. Approximately 7.5% to 8% of all BODs will be LBODs.
7. How do I fill an LBOD? To fill the LBOD you must match EXACTLY what is on the LBOD with the appropriate BOD. However, just as you may use exceptional items to fill normal BODs, you may use exceptional BODs to fill normal LBODs (though, depending on the comparative rewards, you may not want to).
When you receive your deed click on it and you will see all the information you need to complete the deed. It should look similar to a small Bulk Order, instead of listing one item, it will list 2 to 6 items. See the BOD Book picture further on in this section, as it shows the parts listed for a Swords LBOD.
When you double click it the gump will show what deeds are required to fill the deed. Only completed BODs of the proper count (and quality/metal, as appropriate) will be able to be combined with the LBOD. On a Platemail LBOD 10 count (normal) gump, for example, you would see:
Amount to make: 10 Items requested: platemail gorget 0 platemail gloves 0 plate helm 0 platemail arms 0 platemail legs 0 platemail tunic 0
As you combine the appropriate filled small BOD, the 0 will become a 10.
Here is what is required to fill each LBOD:
An LBOD Ringmail deed needs the following BOD's: ringmail gloves, ringmail sleeves, ringmail legs, ringmail tunic
An LBOD Chainmail deed needs the following BOD's: chainmail coif, chainmail legs, chainmail tunic
An LBOD Platemail deed needs the following BOD's: platemail gorget, platemail gloves, plate helm, platemail arms, platemail legs, platemail tunic. Note that the Plate Helm is located in the Helmet part of the crafting took gump, not the Platemail section.
An LBOD Axes deed needs the following BOD's: large battle axe, double axe, battle axe, two-handed axe, axe, executioner's axe
An LBOD Swords deed needs the following BOD's: cutlass, viking sword, long sword, scimitar, broadsword, katana
An LBOD Macing deed needs the following BOD's: mace, maul, war mace, war hammer, hammer pick, war axe. Note that the War Axe is in the Axe part of the Blacksmith tool gump, but is a macing weapon in terms of skill used in combat.
An LBOD Fencing deed needs the following BOD's: dagger, kryss, war fork, short spear, spear. The first two are in the "Blades" part of the Blacksmith tool gump, the latter three are in the "Polearms" section.
An LBOD Polearm deed needs the following BOD's: halberd, bardiche.
Quantities (10, 15, 20) must match to place a BOD in an LBOD, as well as, ingot type (iron, dull copper, etc.), and only exceptional BODs can be combined with an Exceptional LBOD.
Once you get an LBOD you must find the appropriate BOD's to fill the order. To fill the deed you combine them in the same way as a BOD. Use the Combine this deed with another deed button on the LBOD to combine with the completed BOD. Target the BOD and the deeds will combine. The information should change on the LBOD.
8. There is only one button on my BOD/LBOD gump how do I combine deeds? A BOD/LBOD must be in your pack to combine with items or other deeds. The "Combine" button does not show up if the BOD is not in your pack. Place the deed anywhere in your pack then double click it, and the second button should be there.
9. I've tried everything and I still can't get a deed. What's wrong? There are three typical reasons why you have not received a deed. Either, you do not have enough skill, you have not waited long enough, or you have too many items in your pack.
Remember your REAL skill must be .1 or above. You must be sure that you have waited long enough (see #2 above). Also, if you have too many items in your pack this will prevent you from being offered a deed.
10. I refused a BOD when offered one; will I get another one? If you refuse a BOD it is just like accepting one. You will not be able to get another one until your time is up again, or you turn in a completed BOD for a reward. See #2 above for times.
11. What are BOD Books? BOD Books were added to the game, to free up space for Smiths and tailors, and are a craftable for scribes (Inscription skill). The book and the first 4 BODs placed inside count as one item, with each additional 5 BODs (or fraction thereof) counting as an additional item. They can hold up to 500 BODs. (taking up only 101 items in containers that only can hold 125 items). BODs can only be placed in or taken out of a BOD book when it is in someone's backpack.
One can also price individual BODs for sale inside the book, allowing someone to place multiple books in a vendor to sell. the purchaser then opens the book and hits the gem to the right of the price to purchase the BOD. One feature from this is that one doesn't have to pay rental based on the value of the BODs inside the book (which was one of the main problems prior to the books, as it could cost a seller thousands of gold a day just to sell a few BODs on a vendor, quickly adding up to more than their worth).
An in-depth explanation of how to use them is located at this official UO Web Page. The following picture is what BODs look like in a BOD Book.
12. Why are these BODs in this vendor's BOD Books priced Zero? is it legal? If you've found this, you've found a true professional of the crafting trades. It means that those are either his BODs for trade (there are typically signs or named given to the vendor or book to this effect), or he is storing his BODs on the vendor. In either case, it is a sign that the person has so many BODs, that he has no normal room for most of his BODs in his house(s). If you need one of the BODs that are stored that way, look around the house (sign, message board, locked down books or books inside the vendor, etc.) for contact information. That person might be willing to make you a trade, or a private sale. And, Yes, it's legal; if you search for "vendor exploits" on the EA support system, you'll eventually find (practically as a footnote to the answer) the statement that storing unpriced BODs on a vendor in BOD books is legal.
Bulk Order Deed Rewards
There are many levels of BOD reward, in total, which makes keeping track of the rewards fairly difficult. After all, there are 162 different Armor LBODs, 30 Weapon LBODs, and 72 possible small types (if you count all smalls of the exact same metal, count and quality as one type)
The actual system for Smith BODs is the following point system (taken from the official numbers at EA's Support site, and corrected for typoes on EA's behalf):
1. Count Points:
10 for 10-count BODs
25 for 15-count BODs
50 for 20-count BODs.
2. Quality Bonus: Add 200 Points if Exceptional
3. LBOD type (if an LBOD)
Polearm, Ringmail: 200
Chainmail, 6-part weapon (Sword, Axe, Mace): 300
Fencing: 350 *
Platemail: 400
* note that for the longest time, there was a typo on the site that had Fencing at 300, & the 6-part weapons at 350 - hence the errors on the Tower of Roses charts for those weapons 2004-2007.
4. Metal Type
Iron: 0
Dull Copper: 200
Shadow Iron: 250
Copper: 300
Bronze: 350
Golden: 400
Agapite: 450
Verite: 500
Valorite: 550
The Point value of a given BOD is these 4 values added together, ranging from 10 points for a small iron 10-count BOD to 1200 for a Large 20-count Exceptional Valorite Platemail BOD.
The rewards, by point totals, are as follows. Blue items are considered to be the only desirable rewards from the Low-end BODs (under 900 points). From 900 points upward, every reward typically sells for hundreds of thousands of gold. Some people would also consider Copper Hammers valuable, but if you use the BOD cycling technique, you are likely to get so many Bronze hammers that filling larges for copper hammers (except the ones with the Anvil chances) will seem a waste of resources.
Low-end BODs (10-875 points)
10 points: Sturdy Shovel
25 Points: Sturdy Pickaxe
50 Points: 45% chance Sturdy Shovel, 45% Sturdy Pickaxe, 10% Leather Gloves of Mining +1
200-375 Points: 40% Prospector's Tool, 40% Gargoyle's Pickaxe, 20% Studded Leather Gloves of Mining +3 (may be 45/45/10 - due to typo)
400-425 Points: 40% Prospector's Tool, 40% Gargoyle's Pickaxe, 20% Powder of Fortifying
450-475 Points: 90% Powder of Fortifying, 10% Ringmail Gloves of Mining +5
500-525 Points: Dull Copper Runic Hammer
550-575 Points: 60% Dull Copper Runic Hammer, 40% Shadow Runic Hammer
600-610 Points: Shadow Runic Hammer
625 Points: 30% Shadow Runic Hammer, 60% Blacksmith Power Scroll (105 skill), 10% Anvil hued one of the special metal colors.
650-660 Points: Copper Hammer
675 Points: 30% Copper Runic Hammer, 60% Blacksmith Power Scroll (110 skill), 10% Anvil hued one of the special metal colors.
700-725 Points: Bronze Runic Hammer
750-775 Points: Ancient Smithy Hammer (+10 Skill)
800-825 Points: Blacksmith Power Scroll (115 Skill) (highest possible reward for a small BOD)
850-875 Points: Ancient Smithy Hammer (+15 Skill)
High-end BODs (900-1200 Points). All are considered valuable rewards.
900-925 Points: Blacksmith Power Scroll (120 Skill)
950-975 Points: Golden Runic Hammer
1000-1025 Points: Ancient Smithy Hammer (+30 Skill)
1050-1075 Points: Agapite Runic Hammer
1100-1125 Points: Ancient Smithy Hammer (+60 Skill)
1150-1175 Points: Verite Runic Hammer
1200 Points: Valorite Runic Hammer
Short descriptions of the various types of Rewards:
"Sturdy Mining Tools": considered a "bad" reward in that practically no one will actually do a BOD to GET this reward, but the typical BOD-filling smith will get (and throw away) these by the thousands when filling these BODs to get replacement BODs (see "BOD Cycling").
"Enhanced Mining Tools": Gargoyle's Pickaxe, Prospector's Tool, +3 & +5 Gloves of Mining
Considered a bad reward by those that do not mine for themselves, less so for miners - but miners incapable of combat hate the GPA, and there are WAY too many Prospector's Tolls given out (about 5 times too many for average use), so they get dropped constantly. And, Typically, one only needs one pair of +5 mining gloves, unless you misplace your pair, or they get broken by a Verite or Valorite elemental you dig up while using the GPA. See the Miner FAQ for descriptions of the uses of these tools.
Powder of Fortifying
Considered one of the best rewards that isn't a Runic Hammer, this reward comes with 10 charges. Each charge, when used, adds 10 Durability to the durability cap of any items with a Durability value, that isn't immune to it (some event items and artifacts are immune), up to a maximum of 255. Also adds that much durability as a quasi-repair. For example, an item that is at 0/245, will be raised to 10/255 by one use, but cannot have another use put on it, until it drops to at least 0/254 (the max durability starts dropping, if the item is damaged while at 0/xxx).
"Low-End Hammers" (Dull Copper, Shadow(Shadow Iron), Copper)
Since these only give 1-2, 2 or 2-3 properties, with low minimum intensities, most people find these not worth getting (except in the case below)
"Anvils"
While each of the two point values that give the anvils are tight groups (the math means only certain 15-count BODs can drop them), and the other 90% of the time you'll get a low-end hammer or equally bad Powerscroll, the resale of these anvils to collectors (8 possible colors) is such that filling the BODs to try for them (especially if a Normal 15 count gold or agapite small BOD) is worth the effort.
"Low-end Ancient Smithy Hammers": Ancient Smith Hammer +10, or Ancient Smith Hammer +15
While really not all that BAD a reward (they raise your effective skill level for crafting (but not for BODs), and can be used in conjunction with Runic hammers by placing it in the smith's hand, when using a runic to craft), they are considered less valuable for one big reason. Simply, with 600 to 800+ charges, it is NOT all that important to get many of them, as one will last you a long time. A +15 hammer and a good talisman will allow you to craft every smith item (except the Platemail Do & Kabutos) at 100% exceptional. One can take your time in pursuing them (and if one gets to the point of having 5 or more +15 ASH in your gear, you probably won't be needing more of them any time soon)
"Lower Powerscrolls (105-115 PS)"
Typically a waste of time, unless you've not yet succeeded in getting a 120 PS for your smith, and need a PS to progress above 110 skill. At least when you get a 105 or 110, it's as the conolation prize for trying to win the "Colored Anvil Lotto". Filling a large for the 100% chance of a 115 PS is a big waste of time, on the other hand (unless you're desperate and a 120 scroll seems nowhere in your future). The 115 is the highest possible reward one can get with a small BOD (a Valorite Exceptional 20 count), and since 11 of the 24 Armor smalls aren't combinable, you're likely to get one of the Valorite smalls for it as a big tease from the random number generator.
Bronze Runic:
Considered the bottom end of the "Useful" runics, it gives 3 properties, and makes very usable items.
120 Powerscroll
Every smith that isn't dabbling will need one of these. Considered a GOOD BOD as long as you need a 120 PS for one of your Smiths, or if you are collecting BODs to sell/trade. Also, the BOD tends to give really good gold rewards when turned in for the PS.
Higher ASH Types (+30 & +60)
These give major skill bonuses, and are primarily used for enhancing attempts (each +10 of Smith skill over 100% add +1% to the success chance of an enhance attempt!). Considered a VERY GOOD BOD.
"UBER HAMMERS" (Gold, Agapite, Verite & Valorite hammers)
If you're crafting for high value, these are the hammers you shoot for. These hammers cost in the near-million (gold) to 10s of millions (valorite) range. when sold on the open market. But, watch out if you see these for sale. Valorite and Verite hammers are often the subjects of duping exploits, and if you see one for less than 15 million (or an already-filled BOD for one, in a BOD book), it's probably a dupe (especially if the seller has more than one, or can restock one immediately on selling). Personally, I'll never use a high-end hammer that I didn't earn myself.
BOD Trading
Trading BODs is a time-honored way for smiths to get much better rewards, much quicker, than simply collecting their own.
There are several types of BOD trading:
Balanced Trading: This is where BODs of (near-)equal value, or contribution to a specific reward, are traded between two crafters, for the immediate benefit of both.
Fodder BOD Trading: This is where a person collects Iron BODs for a Smith, in exchange for something that isn't Smith BODs. The person trading to the smith will put 0.1 Smith on each of their characters, then make as many BOD runs as is feasable each day, given their availiability and style of play. They trade these BODs to the Smith, for the smith to use in "BOD Cycling" (see next section of this FAQ). A common setup is for a person that plays a tailor, but not a smith, to put 0.1 smith on all their characters, in exchange for the smith's player to put 0.1 tailor on their characters, then they swap the BODs out for cycling about one time a week. This is a method primarily done on the same shard.
Cross-Shard Traders. Similar to the above, this is where a person plays one shard, and trades with someone that plays a completely different shard. Each player creates a full slate of characters with 0.1 skill on the others' shards, and does smith (& tailor, usually) BOD runs, collecting them in books provided by the other. Every so often, the two arrange in-game meetings, and swap the low-end BODs for empty books to continue the process.
IN FACT, prior to the introduction of the change that allowed BOD Cycling, it was a common thing for Cross-Shard traders to actually take the time and train the characters up to at least 70 Smith & 70 tailor, to where the swaps would include colored BODs. One famous trader, in the era before Character Transfers, managed to get a Valorite Hammer on Lake Austin in less than a year, by arranging such trades with several dozen other players, who all made 5 70 skill smiths on LA, and he had 5 on their shard collecting for them (and he had many accounts, to allow him to trade with multiple people per shard!)
The following mainly for the first type of trading, but has some applications to the other types...
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Tips to Successful BOD Trading
By Timshort
Slightly edited.
Be nice - I'll make an uneven trade if the other person is sincere and is trying to trade in good faith. If they are flexible, polite, offer other ideas they score some points and I'll trade aggy for gold straight up if it doesn't hurt me too bad.
Be considerate - See #1, I remember good trading partners, people that are flexible, creative, polite, offer alternative proposals, and don't make me jump through hoops for their trades.
Do your homework - Don't expect me to do your work for a trade you want. Don't IM me about wanting to trade something and then ask me what I want in return. You were smart enough to figure out what I had, you ought to be smart enough to figure out what I need and match that against what you have and offer a few proposed trades.
*Exception, if you are new and sincere and polite, then I'm happy to help.
Be reasonable - Be fair in your appraisal of bods. You can't always change 15 bronze for 15 bronze so being flexible and working towards a win win is a good thing. Sometimes I make a better trade, sometimes I give a better trade. In the end it all evens out. I remember reasonable trading partners and will work to help them out, even if it means taking a temporarily bad trade, I know they'll make it up later.
Don't be arrogant or rude - Just because you have a few killer BODs and 10 smiths does not give you the right to be rude. Comments like "Your trade sucks, or You don't have " won't get you anywhere. It is a small BOD world on your shard and I will remember you. Alienating a trader can have future negative repurcussions.
Just my .02, but if you want a good trade from me you'll get further with the Golden Rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated yourself.
BOD CYCLING
or, How to get a LOT of GOOD BODs with one Tailor (or Smith) and a little effort
In April 2005, Publish 32 made it so that if you turn in a Bulk Order Deed, the Timer normally associated with requesting a new BOD resets to zero, allowing you to immediately request a new BOD.
As a result, with time, luck and a lot of crafting, you can (over 4-8 hours), turn about 100-200 small crappy BODs into about half as many BODs worth keeping, by filling the junk smalls that you don't keep to fill larges (except for Bone smalls for tailors, which you toss - unless you want to fill them by farming skeletons). For smith, this is done with weapon BODs and many of the armor smalls (you night choose to not do the BODs for the items that take 18-25 ingots per item - especially the plate Arms, legs and tunics, if exceptional).
The process is simple (note that the actions after the (a) are "as needed" - typically you just keep going through steps 1-3, or even just 1 & 2, until you HAVE to do the others from weight restrictions or lack of BODs to turn in) -
Setup: Get a stack of 30-40 filled BODs in a bag (works quicker than getting out of the book one at a time to turn in - I've got this method going so fast with such a steady rhythm before people thought I was scripting), leaving the rest in a book also kept in the bag. Keeping them in an open bag also keeps you from mixing up the filled BODs and the new BODs, and keeping them from being concealed by the rewards (especially for tailosrs getting cloth).
Step 1. Turn in a filled BOD
Step 2. Request a new BOD
Step 3. Stick new BODs where they won't get in the way (a BOD Book to sort after all filled BODs turned in). This can be done every pass, or you can wait and do all the new ones at once at the same time as #4. Either way is fine, as long as the BOD Book window is pushed over to not interfere with the turn-in process, and doing it every turn-in allows you to turn in more BODs per pass (due to weight issues)
(a)
Step 4 - weight clean-up. If near weight limits (about 390 for Elves, 435-440 for humans, despite what your strength actually allows), sell or drop all the rewards you don't want to keep.
Step 5 - refill your bag. If Filled BOD bag empty, pull more filled BODs from the "filled book", and put into the bag.
Step 6 - when you're done. When all filled BODs replaced by new, unfilled BODs, sort them into the stuff you are throwing away, the stuff you are keeping to fill for rewards, and the stuff you're going to repeat this process with. Each time through, you'll end up with about half as many junk BODs to fill for more BODs, about 30% BODs you'll set aside as keepers, and 10-20% junk you just throw away.
It would look something like this.
This example starts with 150 BODs (as with a tailor, if you keep the cloth, 160 BODs' worth of cloth is all one pack animal will hold. Suggest you ride a giant beetle, if you want to keep the cloth). Similarly, for a smith, if you want to keep any of the tools, bring a giant beetle (or at least a pack horse, if you're riding a fire beetle). Of course, if you do this in Luna, you could just walk the items to the bank, but some people will think you're scripting when you're not, an may page on you (and at the speed one can get going, and with the open containers & BOD book popup blocking parts of the screen, you might miss a GM call and end up in UO Jail). NOTE: ALWAYS Turn in your Smith BODs with your highest-skill Smith, if that smith is 100 skill or greater (120 skill preferred).
Set-Up: Starting with 150 filled smalls of various junk types in a book, you'll want to do this in 5 groups of 30.
1. Turn in each, getting the reward.
2. Immediately after turning in each BOD, request a new one.
3. Look at the new BOD... Two choices - sort now, or sort later.
"Sorting Now" means pausing long enough to stick the BOD into a book of the corresponding type (something for cycling, something to definitely keep, something you have to double-check later, or something you know is trrash, and can drop on the floor - someone will always pick up dropped BODs, no matter how bad). See the end of this FAQ section on sorting procedures.
"Sorting Later" means to keep running until you run out of space in your backpack, then dumping all those new BODs into a book (or multiple books, as in "sorting now"), at the same time you sort/dispose of the rewards in your pack.
4. When you run out of space to turn in, or run out of filled smalls to turn in from that open bag, sort your rewards, placing them in your pack animal or the bank. This should get you back to at or near your weight before.
5. Open up the BOD Book with the filled BODs, and pull out 30 more, placing them in the open bag. Then go back to step 1.
6. When you run out of filled BODs....
You have two choices: wait a while for another trip through the process, or sort out the ones you can fill immediately, and go through the process all over again. This is much easier for Tailors, as they can buy most of the normal items from tailors & armorers, and get cloth as a reward to make the exceptional items. Smiths will only be able to buy the normal items for their junk BODs from Smiths, armorers and weaponsmiths, and will have to have an existing source for ingots to fill the exceptional ones (and typically, the ingot prices get too high, too quickly, in the Smith shops).
Here is a breakdown of #6 for each skill, if one chooses to immediately fill the new BODs and go for another cycle run.
Tailor:
a. Use a dye tub to make all the reward cloth you don't want to keep for personal use all one color.
b. Buy everything normal you can to fill the BODs. Provisioners have most of the hats, Tailors have most of the normal cloth items & leather caps, and Armorers over in the smith areas have the armors. The cobblers will have footwear, but only a small amount at first.
c. Craft the exceptional cloth items, from the dyed reward cloth, as well as the normal items that don't spawn on the tailors you shopped at. If any normal cloth BODs left to fill (the tailor ran out of items), check the tailor to see if they respawned, and either buy them (if respawned) or craft them from the reward cloth.
d. if you have a supply of leather handy, craft any exceptional leather items you are going to turn in.
Smith:
a. Buy everything normal you can to fill the BODs, from Blacksmiths, armorers & weaponsmiths.
b. if you have a supply of iron handy, craft the exceptional items.
It's time now to go back to the start of the "Cycle" process, with about half the BODs you started with. Repeat until you run out of easy-to-fill junk, run out of resources, or you decide to save the few junk BODs left for the next trip.
Summary
Over time, this process will convert any size pile of junk BODs, into new BODs that are about 60% keepers, 40% junk (some of it worthless larges, the rest pumpable back into the cycle system with the proper raw materials). Even a person with only 1 Tailor or Smith character, if they can get a stack of "seed" BODs to start this process, can maintain it at about 50-150 BODs turned in per week (1 pass through, then waiting a week to repeat, instead of doing it immediately) for months at a time. It will, in effect, give them the BOD-collecting power of someone with 4-6 70+ skill BOD runners, for the effort of concentrating one day a week on BODs.
If one manages to totally deplete their stock of even the colored junk, it would only be a matter of waiting a few weeks (making 2-3 runs a day) to to restart (can take only a few days, if they have multiple characters with 0.1 skill to get mass BODs with - or they can opt to buy some from another crafter).
Sorting BODs in the Field
Sometime's it's easy to see what a BOD is good for - sometimes it's not.
a. If the BOD is an obvious keeper, stick in a book for unfilled keepers to sort
b. If the BOD is an easily filled junk BOD (normal iron smalls, cloth smalls, normal leather smalls), put into a book of junk to fill while you're here, or the next trip.
c. If a BOD is known junk (most weapon larges, colored non-combinables of normal quality for DC-Bronze, normal regular or spined leather bone BODs, etc.), just drop it on the floor - someone will pick it up.
d. If uncertain of a BOD's reward, put into a 3rd book to be sorted later.
OR, you can just dump them all the colored BODs in the same book, and sort them between Keeper and Junk at home.
BOD Cycling as a Training Method
This method is slower than the smelting method, and will cost more - but it will quickly build you up a BOD supply, especially once you get to the level to get colored BODs. It's a method that is most popular among those that feel that "crafting just to smelt" takes away from their gaming enjoyment, or that it's just throwing ingots away (at least you get paid for the BODs).
Items Needed (Italics are optional items)
A constant ingot supply (better train that mining to GM)
+3/+5 Mining Gloves & Salvage Bag (get these at the latest by the time you start getting Exceptional BODs at 70 skill - if not starting out)
5 BOD Books
A talisman with a Blacksmith Exceptional Bonus, but WITHOUT a normal Blacksmith Bonus (the higher the exceptional bonus, the better).
Acquire the best Blacksmith scroll as you can get - and upgrade whenever possible.
30-100 iron smith BODs as a starting base for the project.
What to do:
1. Name the BOD books.
Book #1 is for BODs you can gain skill on.
Book #2 is for BODs too difficult to Gain on now (include everything that has a 30% or less chance of success, as you'll waste too many ingots on them).
Book #3 is for BODs too Easy to gain on.
Book #4 is for colored BODs.
Book #5 is for Filled BODs to turn in.
2. Sort your BODs into these books, as designated.
Use the guide at this Stratics Page to see what items you can gain on, and which are too easy or too hard at your skill level.
3. Take Book #3 to the blacksmith's.
Buy the items for the normal BODs in the book, instead of crafting them - you wouldn't gain on them, and it costs more in the value of ingots to fill them by hand, compared to buying the items. Put Filled BODs in Book #5.
4. Sort Book #1 from easiest to hardest, then start filling BODs via crafting. Put filled BODs in Book #5.
This is where the training really begins.
Make sure that, if you have the suggested talisman, that you wear it when you are attempting to fill Exceptional BODs.
Also, if you have both exceptional and normal BODs for a specific item, fill them side by side, first combining the exceptionals into the exceptional BODs, then the normals (and any leftover exceptionals) into the normal BODs. You'll save time, energy & ingots that way.
Don't forget to stop and get new BODs if the filling session lasts long enough to where your time for new BOD requests comes back around again.
When you run out of BODs, check the chart against Book #2. If you have gained enough skill to where you have at least a 30-40% chance to make the items, move them to book 1.
Don't go out of your way to attempt to fill any exceptional BOD you have less than a 20% chance to make an exceptional item for it (in other words, only combine in exceptionals that occur when trying to fill a normal BOD of the same type, and if you run out of normal BODs, put the incomplete Exceptional BOD back into Book #1 till next time)
When all iron BODs you have that can be easily filled are filled, it's time to proceed to the next step.
5. Take the book of filled BODs with you, to your next BOD request.
After getting your new BOD, start pulling the filled BODs from the book. This typically works best with two bags (or a bag, and an extra BOD book for sorting). Put the filled BODs into one bag. Turn in a filled BOD, then request a new BOD. Move the unfilled BODs into the second bag (or sorting BOD book), to be sorted later. Repeat until all the filled BODs are turned in.
Note that along the way you'll probably get a LOT more mining tools than you'll ever need - drop most of them, or sell them to the tinker, and put the ones you need for your own mining into the bank.
6. Sort your New BODs and rewards.
Eventually, you'll start getting a few Iron larges worth attempting (Ex Polearms, Ex Ringmail, 20 normal Fencing, Iron Plate normals and Ex 15). Everything else will get sorted into the Appropriate books.
If you kept mining tools, you'll at best need 1 prospector tool per 8 digging tools. Of the sturdy tools, only keep the 200 use shovels; the picks are too heavy, and 150-use shovels are less efficient. Only keep Gargoyle picks if you can survive the experience (or have someone who'll buy them from you).
Visit the bank, and total the gold payout of the BODs you turned in. This will be used to buy stuff for the too-easy BODs, as well as cheap Iron ingots if you can find them.
Note that, until you hit 110 skill, 3/4 of your BODs will be Iron (the 50% that are Weapons, plus the half of the remainder that are Iron armor)
7. Replenish your ingots.
This isn't just by mining - this can also include going out on a combat character and bringing in gold to buy ingots.
8. Assess your situation.
If you have too few BODs or ingots for an immediate restart of the process, give yourself a couple days to set back up.
If you have a lot of extra ingots, and too few BODs that give gains, train with other methods for a while (as detailed in the earlier essays), until you get more BODs.
Check your Color BODs for their rewards as smalls, and (if applicable) when combined with their large. If you have the skills to do so, fill the ones that don't have good rewards as part of a large, and turn them in with your next BOD cycle. Some of them (the helmets and female plate) are good for gains into the 90s or later.
Once you get your supplies, gold and BODs back to the level you think is appropriate, then go back to step 3, and go through the process again.
I've personally used this method with all my crafters (though half of them started with 70 or more skill, thanks to my being given an account).
I used this SIMULTANEOUSLY with 4 smiths, from December through April (when my crafting came to a standstill due to events occurring in-game that a crafter was only needed for repairs). Their skills were 100, 85, 70, and 70. While doing this type of training (and turning in with a 120 smith, so there was only 55% iron BODs coming back), once a week, I advanced the 4 characters an average of 20 points each (115, 105, 95, 90). One can only imagine if I'd put all that effort into one character (not to mention I was also training 2 of them in Tailor at the time, and all 4 in Arms Lore).
