Cannot identify inventory item

[Seamus69]

I have a bluish bar of metal that weighs six pounds, and I cannot identify it. My lore skill is 10. I would like to sell it.

Seamus69

[mbrowne]

I was wondering if the lore/identification dynamic is working as intended, since so many low level items, and arguably obvious ones, need identification, and repeatedly.

[Randomizer]

It sounds like a bar of mithril that needs about lore 16.

[KillingMoon]

It works as intended. I think it's a bar of mithril that Seamus69 has, and that's the most difficult item in the whole game to identify. Depending on your intelligence, you might need quite a few more levels in Lore to identify that thing. Sorry, X-post with Randomizer.
If it's just an item you want to identify for selling, then it's probably not worth it having it identified, at least not through a merchant or upping your Lore skill. The Lore spell is very handy, of course.

[Seamus69]

Thanks. I cannot remember where I picked it up. Is there any use for it later in the game? I thought the value is more if I know what it is.

Seamus69

[Randomizer]

I think Epic armor items are slightly harder to identify than mithril, but I only found one Epic boots so I don't have anything else to compare to mithril bar.

[mbrowne]

Yes, I would expect that increasingly higher level, special or unusual items to need some skill, but there are too many unknown common, mundane items that seem to create nuisance rather than fun.

[SpottedShroom]

Yes, I would expect that increasingly higher level, special or unusual items to need some skill, but there are too many unknown common, mundane items that seem to create nuisance rather than fun.

I'm afraid it's not considered a bug, but just the way the game works. There have been similar observations after the first two games as well.

[IJBall]

Yes, I would expect that increasingly higher level, special or unusual items to need some skill, but there are too many unknown common, mundane items that seem to create nuisance rather than fun.

I'm afraid it's not considered a bug, but just the way the game works. There have been similar observations after the first two games as well.

Absolutely - in fact "rebalancing" Lore/INT was one of the requests made going in to Book III on the 'Wishlist'. I'm a little verklempt that they weren't rebalanced...

Side-question: Does proficiency in a Weapons Skill help in terms of identifying weapons of that specific type at least (i.e. Levels in Swords Skill help you ID higher-level swords better than if you didn't have Swords Skill, and just had high INT or Lore by themselves)? (another pre-Book III rebalancing request!...) I haven't noticed if it does, but I really haven't tested the question either... So I'm wondering if anyone else has tested this yet?

[Lord_P]

With Divination, I found that you never need levels in lore. Just cast the spell Lore. I never found any items that couldn't be identified with it.

[Leezar]

I really feel lore is underpowered. In other games, lore allows you to do things such as get a bestiary that explains enemy weak points, more dialogue options and decipher texts written in ancient languages etc.

A game that does a decent job with the lore skill is Fallout (although they call it Science).

[xolotl]

I thought the value is more if I know what it is.

In my limited testing, you get more total gold from just selling an Unknown item than you do from paying to have it identified and then selling it in its "known" state. So if it's not an item that you think your character might want to actually use (like some armor or a weapon), you're better off just selling it as Unknown. (Unless, of course, you can cast Lore at a high enough level, as others have mentioned.)

[Farwalker]

I went through the whole game without ever being able to identify a pair of epic boots I found.

Didn't have enough money to pay for an ID, and the combination of my lore, lore rings, and a mediocre lore spell wasn't enough.

I can conquer the whole game, but can't figure out how to stick my foot into this suspiciously boot-like thing...

[Painted Lady]

In my limited testing, you get more total gold from just selling an Unknown item than you do from paying to have it identified and then selling it in its "known" state.

That depends on your Mercantile ability. I am currently playing a warrior with a Mercantile level of 10 (including the hat). I am way ahead having the item identified, and then selling it.

[xolotl]

That depends on your Mercantile ability. I am currently playing a warrior with a Mercantile level of 10 (including the hat). I am way ahead having the item identified, and then selling it.

Aah, right, I should've thought about that. My character didn't really have anything in Mercantile.

Moving back more directly on-topic, I'm pretty sure in Book II, I played a stupid fighter character who at one point in the game couldn't correctly identify a rock. Well done, hero!