Curated reference for how gear wear shows on your character in Materia Magica — the (new) / (heavily worn) / (crumbling) tags on eq and inventory.
- ADVENTURER'S GUIDE VIIIA - ITEMS AND SHOPS
- ITEM ATTRIBUTES (help 1838)
Recent wear changes (patch notes)
- Jan 2026 — Metal duress damage to equipment reduced; pick apart limited to dedicated relics.
- Apr 2025 — Gear no longer removed on death — spells mostly still stripped.
Death and periodic damage
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Death (Apr 2025) | Equipment stays worn when you die — you do not strip to inventory. Spells are mostly still removed on death. |
| Metal duress (Jan 2026) | Periodic metal duress equipment damage was reduced. |
| Relic pick apart (Jan 2026) | Pick apart disabled on non-dedicated relic gear — dedicated relics only. |
Quick reference — wear ladder
Equipment deteriorates through fixed phases shown as a parenthetical tag on eq and in trunk/locker lists. Order is best → worst:
| Step | Tag on eq / inventory |
|---|---|
| 1 | (new) |
| 2 | (used) |
| 3 | (slightly worn) |
| 4 | (worn) |
| 5 | (heavily worn) |
| 6 | (damaged) |
| 7 | (heavily damaged) |
| 8 | (falling apart) |
| 9 | (crumbling) |
| 10 | Destroyed — item vanishes (see below) |
Worn-phase order (player-confirmed): (slightly worn) → (worn) → (heavily worn), then the damaged ladder.
Example: Jhepp's soul at (heavily worn) still has (damaged), … (crumbling) before destruction.
How wear is displayed
| Context | What you see |
|---|---|
eq / inventory / trunk list |
Parenthetical tag — e.g. (slightly worn) |
look / identify on one item |
Prose line — e.g. in (slightly worn) condition or in excellent condition |
| Repair budget | This item may be repaired N more times (on identify) |
There is no separate in-game help equipment deterioration entry. Wear phases are inferred from item text and tracking the same piece over time.