Unique Item Creation

[House le Drake]

I've got so many different Common Items of varying rarity... so what's next?  Is the option to create a new Unique Item something that's supposed to show up when you talk to a Sage?  Do they mention it first, or do you have to ask (and if you do, how)?  The Wiki's quote on the subject is:

Unique Items can also be built by Sages. They require certain common items to build a unique item (see some examples). It is not known beforehand what the unique item will be until it is actually made. There is also a chance of failure in that the sage comes up with nothing unique or valuable.

Unless it says it somewhere else in the Wiki (and I wouldn't know where to find it if it did), I haven't figured out whether I'm supposed to talk to these people and expect them to say, "Hey, I can make something, but you need this still!" or if they won't say anything until I have everything they need.  Do I need all of the necessary ingredients before an option appears (and I feel I've read somewhere that they'll tell you what you still need to create a Unique Item, though I am often wrong)?  This is getting increasingly frustrating: I'm hunting down Sages across the realm and approaching them at different hours and in different regions, trying to find the missing variables.  Because I feel that, by now, with the sheer volume of Items that I have, I would have gotten the option.

I'll show you.  I've got:

Common Items
Adventure Gear (5x)
Bear Hide
Beastman Blood
Black Diamond
Bubbling Potion
Ceremonial Dagger
Combat Gear (7x)
Cracked Sapphire
Crystal Globe
Empty Keg
Golden Idol (2x)
Hair of a Maiden
Monster Claw (2x)
Monster Teeth
Moonstone
Old Ring
Quartz
Rusty Signet Ring
Silver Goblet (2x)
Small Ruby
Strange Skull
Thief's Hand
Useable Items
Bandages and Alcohol
Lamp (2x)
Small Tent (2x)

Maybe I only think I have a lot, when most Adventurers wind up carrying this many different Items?

You have encountered a sage, a wise man, known as Radirak. People say he is very old. It is rumoured by many that he has magical powers. He and his kind are the only people capable of repairing and sometimes even improving unique items.

Since you do not have any damaged unique items, the sage can not offer you any repairs.

The Wiki says that they're capable of creating new Unique Items, but with the Sages I've met it's only said that they can repair and/or improve them; it says nothing about making them.  I've accepted this as a simple mistake --that all Sages are capable of creating Unique Items-- but maybe only a few are..?

If the remedy to my problem is patience, I can do that.  If it's traveling to other regions and approaching new Sages, I can do that.  If I need to grit my teeth and just keep gathering Items, I can do that.  But I'd appreciate some direction, please.

[Indirik]

Only some sages can create new items. If they can, there will be a plainly visible link directly under the part where it says "Since you do not have ...". So, it's easy to see.

You do not need all of the items before the sage will offer to make one. He will tell you what it takes to make the item, and you have the opportunity to go get them and then find him again if you don't have all of them. Note that if he offers to make an item, the process can fail. If it does, there is a chance that some of the items you give him may be destroyed in the process. He will give you back any that survive.

As for items, you don't really have an excessive amount. In fact, that's not really all that much. Many advies need a couple caravans to haul around their junk. (That's just a figure of speech, you can't really have caravans.)

[House le Drake]

Thank you!  See, that's the sort of idiot-proof guidance I need!

[Dishman]

I look at the advy game like this. There is the blackjack game and the penny-slots.

You can fight monsters and pour money into swordfighting, to take on the alpha monsters/undead (who tend to have an item). You might die, but you have a good chance at an item if you judge your hunts right. If you like to go all in, there ya go.

Item and sage hunting are the penny slots. Little risk, small rewards here and there upfront, but if you want a good pay-out then the seventh moon of Jupiter needs to align just right with a frog's dong before a sage will offer something.

[House le Drake]

All my fights have been at the highest risk I can manage: while one adventurer of mine (the one with the best gear, weirdly) gets her ass handed to her every fight, my male adventurer (the one this list is from) kicks ass and chews bubblegum.  I only started doing serious item-searching with him because I thought I had a lot and I was perplexed as to why I couldn't make any Unique Items (a question that's been resolved by Indirik).

[Penchant]

A slight correction to Indirik's statements:

I am pretty sure all sages can make unique items but it's a bit of luck when they actually will. So for instance, if the sage moves to a different region and you follow, you might be able to suddenly.

[House le Drake]

So... stalk and nag him until he makes me something?  That could have fun RPing potential if I broadcast it to the realm.  "Make me something!" "No." "Make me something please?" "No." "Something for me you shall make, oh wise Sage?" "A hundred times no."

"... No."

"No."

"No, and no."

"NO."

"But we've traveled so far together; surely a little something?" "Fine!" [Crafts the Beating Stick of Unspeakable Annoyance.] "... Well gee!  Thanks mister!"

[Indirik]

A slight correction to Indirik's statements:

I am pretty sure all sages can make unique items but it's a bit of luck when they actually will. So for instance, if the sage moves to a different region and you follow, you might be able to suddenly.

I may be wrong, but I do not believe this to be true. I'd have to dive into the code to be sure, though. I'm not the best at that sort of thing. (And I'd have to look up my password, too....)