Enchanting lets you add special effects to weapons and armor. There are two ways to do it: ask the Mage settler in your settlement, or use an Enchanting Scroll directly from your inventory.
The catch with the Mage is that costs can swing by over 3x depending on happiness. That gap alone makes knowing this system worth your time.
This guide covers how each method works, where to find scrolls, and every enchantment effect organized by weapon type.
Two Ways to Enchant
Ask the Mage (Coins, Random Result)
Talk to the Mage living in your settlement and the enchanting menu opens. Place your item in the slot and hit “Enchant!” — it costs coins and gives a random enchantment.
Two things matter here.
Happiness changes the cost. At Happiness 100, the Mage charges only 0.3× the base price — a 70% discount. At Happiness 0, you pay full price. The exact cost also depends on the item type and what’s already enchanted on it.
Happiness changes the odds. Above 50 happiness, better enchantments roll more often. Below 50, you’re more likely to pull curses (negative effects).
A low-happiness Mage costs more and gives worse results. Keep their room large, well-lit, and stocked with varied food.
How to get a Mage: They’re found imprisoned in dungeons. After defeating the Void Wizard and progressing the settlement quest, they can also appear as visitor candidates.
Use an Enchanting Scroll (Guaranteed, One-Time Use)
Right-click an Enchanting Scroll in your inventory and a dedicated window opens. Place a compatible item in the slot and it receives that scroll’s enchantment — guaranteed, no randomness.
The trade-off: scrolls are consumable with a limited supply.
Scrolls come in six types:
- Equipment (armor and accessories)
- Melee weapon
- Ranged weapon
- Magic weapon
- Summon weapon
- Tool
Putting the wrong item type in a slot gives you a “cannot be enchanted with this” message. Check the scroll type before using.
Where to Find Enchanting Scrolls
Scrolls drop from early exploration onward. Here are the main sources with drop rates:
| Source | Drop Rate |
|---|---|
| Cave Chest | 33% |
| Deep Cave Chest | 33% |
| Dungeon Chest | 33% |
| Surface Ruins Chest | 50% |
| Witch Crate | 50% |
| Pirate’s Chest | 25% |
| Cave Ruins | 20% |
| Deep Cave Ruins | 20% |
| Cave Crypt | 15% |
| Runic Sealed Tomb | 15% |
| Incursion clear (after “More Scrolls!” perk) | 1–5 scrolls |
Surface Ruins Chests and Witch Crates hit 50% — worth going out of your way for early on.
Scroll type distribution is not even. Equipment scrolls are by far the most common. Tool scrolls are rare. Melee, Ranged, Magic, and Summon scrolls all drop at the same rate.
Full Enchantment List
Equipment (Armor & Accessories)
Equipment enchants apply to any armor slot regardless of build. There are 18 total — 9 positive, 9 curses (negative).
| Enchantment | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Keen | All damage +4% | Universal pick |
| Nimble | Movement speed +4% | Survivability |
| Quick | Attack speed +4% | Fast-attack builds |
| Sturdy | Defense +4 | Tank-oriented |
| Precise | Crit chance +4% | Crit builds |
| Bulky | Max HP +10 | Consistent survivability |
| Magical | Mana regen in combat +20% | Magic builds only |
| Tenacious | Resilience gain +4% | Late game |
| Tough | Max resilience +10 | Late game |
| Blunt | All damage −4% | Curse |
| Sluggish | Movement speed −4% | Curse |
| Clumsy | Attack speed −4% | Curse |
| Weak | Defense −4 | Curse |
| Sloppy | Crit chance −4% | Curse |
| Puny | Max HP −10 | Curse |
| Draining | Mana regen in combat −20% | Curse |
| Flimsy | Resilience gain −4% | Curse |
| Fragile | Max resilience −10 | Curse |
Keen on a single piece is modest, but it stacks with every other armor slot. Stacking Keen across all slots adds up.
Melee Weapons
| Enchantment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Berserk | Damage +15%, Crit +5%, Attack speed +10% |
| Harmful | Damage +20%, Crit +5% |
| Adamant | Damage +10%, Attack speed +20%, Knockback −1.0 |
| Agile | Attack speed +30% |
| Grand | Damage +20%, Attack speed −20%, Knockback +0.5 |
| Docile | Attack speed −20% |
| Shoddy | Damage −15% |
| Amateur | Damage −15%, Attack speed −10% |
| Envious | Damage −20%, Attack speed −10% |
Berserk is the all-rounder — damage, crit, and attack speed all go up. Harmful pushes raw damage higher and adds crit. Grand deals the same 20% damage as Harmful but the attack speed penalty is a real trade-off. The knockback boost on Grand can interrupt boss patterns if that matters to your approach.
Ranged Weapons
| Enchantment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Masterful | Damage +15%, Attack speed +10%, Projectile speed +20%, Range +15% |
| Skillful | Damage +10%, Crit +5%, Projectile speed +15%, Range +20% |
| Tightened | Damage +10%, Projectile speed +25% |
| Modern | Crit +5%, Projectile speed +25%, Attack speed +10% |
| Trained | Damage +5%, Attack speed +10% |
| Loose | Damage −5%, Projectile speed −25% |
| Eroding | Attack speed −15%, Range −10% |
| Primitive | Damage −10%, Range −20% |
| Faulty | Damage −15%, Projectile speed −10% |
Masterful is the clear top pick — damage, attack speed, projectile speed, and range all increase together. Skillful skews toward crit and range, useful for sniper-style setups. Projectile speed directly affects whether shots connect, so it’s worth prioritizing for ranged builds.
Magic Weapons
| Enchantment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Divine | Damage +15%, Attack speed +10%, Projectile speed +10%, Range +20%, Mana cost −30% |
| Wrathful | Damage +10%, Crit +5%, Attack speed +10% |
| Wise | Damage +10%, Projectile speed +15%, Range +25%, Mana cost −25% |
| Adept | Damage +5%, Attack speed +10%, Mana cost −10% |
| Apprentice | Damage +5%, Crit +5%, Projectile speed +10% |
| Decaying | Damage −5%, Projectile speed −10%, Mana cost +10% |
| Novice | Damage −10%, Attack speed −5%, Mana cost +20% |
| Daft | Attack speed −10%, Range −20%, Mana cost +30% |
| Corrupt | Damage −15%, Attack speed −10%, Projectile speed −10% |
Divine is the go-to. Damage, attack speed, projectile speed, and range all improve — plus mana cost drops 30%. If running out of mana is the issue, Wise or Adept can help manage it.
Summon Weapons
| Enchantment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Savage | Damage +15%, Summon speed +10% |
| Athletic | Summon speed +25%, Target range +20% |
| Mindful | Damage +10%, Crit +5% |
| Proud | Damage +5%, Summon speed +10% |
| Aware | Damage +5%, Crit +5%, Target range +20% |
| Spoiled | Damage −10% |
| Sick | Summon speed −15%, Target range −10% |
| Spiteful | Damage −10%, Summon speed −5% |
| Naive | Damage −15%, Target range −10% |
Savage for damage-focused summon builds. Athletic makes your summons faster and more aggressive — extended target range means they’ll chase enemies further on their own.
Tools
| Enchantment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Master | Tool damage +20%, Mining speed +15% |
| Shining | Tool damage +10%, Mining speed +10% |
| Sharp | Tool damage +10% |
| Absurd | Mining speed −10% |
| Used | Tool damage −15% |
Tool scrolls are the rarest of all scroll types — save them. Master boosts both digging power and mining speed, which meaningfully speeds up underground exploration.
Recommended Enchantments by Build
| Build | Weapon Enchantment | Armor Enchantment |
|---|---|---|
| Melee (damage focus) | Berserk or Harmful | Keen (all slots) |
| Melee (speed focus) | Agile | Quick |
| Ranged | Masterful | Precise (crit) or Keen |
| Magic | Divine | Magical (mana regen) |
| Summon | Savage or Athletic | Keen or Bulky (HP) |
| Tank | — | Sturdy + Bulky |
How to Raise Mage Happiness
Target 90–100 happiness. The details of the happiness system are covered in the Settlement Guide.
| Factor | Effect | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Room size (50+ tiles) | +18 to +20 | Large room |
| Room furniture quality (5–7 items) | +15 to +20 | Table, chair, shelf, etc. |
| Food quality (lavish) | +35 | Cooked pot dishes |
| Food variety (12+ types) | +40 | Rotate multiple dishes |
| Private room (no roommates) | Avoids penalty | Required |
| Light source + floor | Avoids penalty | Required |
A Mage at Happiness 100 charges 30% of the base enchant cost. If you’re doing a lot of enchanting, this investment pays for itself quickly.
Summary
- Mage enchanting: At Happiness 100, costs drop to 0.3× and better rolls come up more often. Invest in the Mage first if you’re enchanting frequently.
- Enchanting Scrolls: Guaranteed result, but one-time use. Collected from caves, dungeons, and Incursion rewards.
- Tool scrolls are rare — hold onto them when you find one.
- Curses can be overwritten by enchanting again. No need to keep playing with a penalty on your gear.
One enchantment changes how a weapon feels entirely. Running Divine on a magic weapon or Masterful on a ranged weapon before a boss fight makes a measurable difference.
For a full overview of Necesse progression, check the Complete Guide.
Verified on: Necesse version 1.2.0 build 22728942
