MapleStory/Spell Trace and Star Force

This page serves to cover the basic equipment upgrade systems: Scrolling and Star Force.

A calculator tool is provided for convenience to calculate the spell trace used consistently on a weapon. (Credits to AppleFlash of MapleSEA) https://www.appleflash.net/reversetrace.html

Scrolling
Scrolling is an upgrade system that consumes upgrade slots in an equipment. It is only available in Non-Reboot worlds (Reboot worlds can still obtain Spell Trace but it can only be sold to NPC for 5,000 meso each).

There are many types of scrolls, the most common of them being the spell trace.

Spell Trace
Spell Trace is used to consume upgrade slots to improve your equipment power. There are 3 possible upgrade choice (4 for weapons and armors, including shoulderpad) with varying success rates and stat enhancement. Enhanced stat values and Spell Trace Cost depends on equipment level and type. Generally, higher equipment level and lower success rates will cost more spell traces but provide higher stat boosts. During certain Sundays, success rates for spell traces may be increased (known as Spell Trace Fever Time) or spell trace consumption may be lowered.

Stats
There are 3 tiers of enhancement depending on equipment level.

For "All Stats", it is only available as a 30% and 15% option.

Armor (except gloves)
Includes Shoulderpads.
 * Stat Choices (Primary Stat)

On the 4th success, if you used Spell Traces for enhancement you will receive +1 Weapon Attack (Magic Attack for Magician equips, both for universal equips)
 * Stat Values

Gloves

 * Stat Choices (Primary Stat)


 * Stat Values

Accessories
Note: Shoulderpad follows Armor stat formulas and Hearts have their own stats.
 * Stat Choices (Primary Stat)


 * Stat Values

Hearts
Options: ATT and Magic ATT.

Job ATT refers to the type of ATT that your job uses. For hearts usable by magicians and non-magicians at the same time, both options are available, please choose the correct type.
 * Stat Values

Weapons

 * Stat Choices (Primary Stat)

Note: The following stat boost values do not apply in JMS.
 * Stat Values

Special Scrolls
There are 4 Special scrolls: Clean Slate Scroll 100%, Innocence Scroll 100% and Ark Innocence Scroll 100%, Golden Hammer 100%. Click on the Scroll button at top left of the enhancement UI to access these scroll options if your equipment is fully enhanced and is eligible for Star Force Enhancement.
 * Clean Slate Scroll 100%: Restores 1 failed upgrade slot. Cost 20,000 Spell Traces.
 * Innocence Scroll 100%: Reverts the equipment back to its original stats (except potential, bonus potential and bonus stats). Cost 12,000 Spell Traces.
 * Ark Innocence Scroll 100%: Works exactly like Innocence Scroll but Star Force (and its relevant stats) will be kept. Percentage based stat increases will also be adjusted spontaneously. Cost 24,000 Spell Traces.
 * Golden Hammer 100%: Uses up a hammer slot to expand 1 upgrade slot. Must be used as the 1st golden hammer slot for services with more than 1 golden hammer slot. Cost 24,000 Spell Traces.

Spell Trace Fever Time
During Spell Trace Fever Time, success rates of all Spell Traces are increased! Note that this increase effect stacks with other success rate increasing effects.

Upgrade Cost
Depending on the item level, type and base success rate, the number of spell trace needed changes. Does not apply to innocence scrolls of any type and clean slate scrolls.

Armors exclude gloves and include shoulderpads. Accessories exclude shoulderpads.

Other Scrolls
There are also other scrolls that consume upgrade slots.

Golden Hammer
Adds 1 upgrade slot on an equipment. It is only usable as the 1st hammer applied on the item. Not usable on Horntail or Chaos Horntail Necklaces.

If the Golden Hammer fails, it will still count as a hammer application and a Clean Slate Scroll can be used to recover the upgrade slot.

It is not affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects.

It is usually obtained from:
 * Elite Monsters and Champions (only in MSEA, 50% success, tradable and has no expiry)
 * Monster Park Tuesday/Saturday (50% or 100% success, untradeable, expires in 30 days)
 * Advanced or Premium Bounty Hunter Pouches (50% success, untradeable and expires in 7 days)
 * Event shops (usually 50% or 100% success, untradeable and expires in 7~10 days)
 * Oz Tower (only in MSEA, low chance, requires box Rank 6 or better)

Vicious Hammer
It is the cash version of Golden Hammer, only for GMS, MSEA and CMS (as other services only have 1 golden hammer slot). It can be used as either the 1st or the 2nd golden hammer applied to an item. Not usable on Horntail or Chaos Horntail Necklaces.

It is only found in the cash shop and has a 100% success rate. It is also the only way to apply a 2nd hammer on the same item (it is capped at 2 golden hammers applied per item for GMS, MSEA and CMS, and 1 golden hammer applied for other services).

Chaos Scroll
It comes in various forms. The most basic ones can adjust existing stats (including bonus stats) by up to 5 points up or down. The other forms are listed below. The detailed probability of adjustments are listed below.
 * "Goodness" type scroll: Where the adjustment would be downwards normally, it will reverse the outcome to increase the stat by the same amount instead.
 * "Incredible" or "Miraculous" type scroll: When an adjustment of 5 points is normally made, it would be 6 points instead.
 * "Karma" has the same function as the normal types, but it can only be used on untradeable items. (Can be traded only once, transferrable once within account, inter-account transactions only, cannot be traded once equipped are all not counted as untradeable)

It is not affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects.


 * Chaos Scroll


 * Miraculous Chaos Scroll


 * Chaos Scroll of Goodness


 * Incredible Chaos Scroll of Goodness, Karma Amazingly Positive Chaos Scroll

This scroll is obtained from a few ways.
 * Chaos Scroll
 * Elite Boss (60% success, tradable and has no expiry)
 * Monster Park Tuesday/Saturday (60% or 100% success, untradeable, expires in 30 days)
 * Basic Hunter Pouch (100% success, untradeable, expires in 7 days)


 * Miraculous Chaos Scroll
 * Golden Apple at a low chance (costs cash, 50%/60%/70% success, tradable)


 * Chaos Scroll of Goodness
 * Elite Boss (30% success, tradable and has no expiry)
 * Monster Park Tuesday/Saturday (50% success, untradeable, expires in 30 days)
 * Event shops (usually 50% success, untradeable and expires in 7~10 days)
 * Golden Apple at a low chance (costs cash, 30%/50% success, tradable)


 * Incredible Chaos Scroll of Goodness
 * Monster Park Tuesday/Saturday (60% success, untradeable, expires in 30 days)
 * Event shops (usually 60% success, untradeable and expires in 7~10 days)

Lucky Day Scroll
This scroll increases the success rate of the next normal scroll or spell trace enhancement by 10% added.

Obtainable from gachapon.

Shield Scroll
This scroll will prevent the upgrade slot from being consumed if the scroll fails. It must be used before the scroll and it is consumed even if the scroll succeed.

Obtainable either from cash shop or gachapon.

Protection Scroll (Shielding Ward)
This scroll prevents the equipment from being completely destroyed if the scroll fails. Not applied to Star Force Enhancement. It must be used before the scroll and it is consumed even if the scroll succeed. Can only be used on regular items 0~11 stars.

Obtainable from cash shop.

Superior Protection Scroll (Superior Shielding Ward)
This scroll prevents the equipment from being completely destroyed if the scroll fails. Not applied to Star Force Enhancement. It must be used before the scroll and it is consumed even if the scroll succeed. Can only be used on superior items 0~6 stars.

Obtainable from cash shop.

Return Scroll
This scroll lets you return the equipment to its state before the scroll is applied. It must be used before the scroll and it is consumed even if you want to accept the outcome of the scroll. Best used for chaos scroll types.

Obtainable from cash shop.

Guardian Scroll
This scroll lets you get back the scroll used in the event of a failure. It must be used before the scroll and it is consumed even if the scroll succeeds. Best used for expensive powerful scrolls or powerful scrolls which are limited in quantity or are no longer obtainable.

Obtainable from cash shop.

Clean Slate Scroll
This scroll reverts 1 failed upgrade slot at a small chance. It can be obtained from various ways. It is not affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects.
 * Elite Monsters and Elite Bosses (5% success for elite monsters, 10% success for elite bosses, tradable)
 * Advanced and Premium Hunter pouch (10% success, untradeable, expires in 7 days)
 * Union Coin Shop (10% success, untradeable, expires in 7 days)
 * Event shops (usually either 10% success or 100% success, untradeable, expires in 7~10 days)
 * Yu Garden Coin Shop (1% or 3% or 5% success but has a destroy chance if failed, untradeable, expires in 7 days)
 * Certain low level monster drop (1% success, tradable)
 * Golden Apple at a low chance (costs cash, 5%/10% success, tradable)

Innocence Scroll
This scroll removes the scrolled stats and star force (and stats) and returning all consumed scroll slots on the equipment. It can be obtained from various ways. It is not affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects.
 * Elite Bosses (50% success for elite bosses, tradable)
 * Advanced and Premium Hunter pouch (50% success, untradeable, expires in 7 days)
 * Event shops (usually 50% or 60% success, untradeable, expires in 7~10 days)

Pet Equipment Scroll
These are the only scrolls that can be used on pet equipment. Note that clean slate scroll and innocence scroll cannot be used on it. There are 4 types of scrolls mainly.
 * Movement Scrolls: Increases speed or jump. Obtainable from monster drops or Kenta in Danger PQ.
 * Stats Scrolls: Increases the stated stat. Obtainable from Kenta in Danger PQ.
 * Attack Scrolls: Increases ATT or Magic ATT. Obtainable from gachapon or events.
 * Pet Equipment Transfer Scrolls: Transfers the equipment's stats and scroll slots from 1 pet equipment to another. The only way to indirectly apply an innocence scroll on a pet equipment. Obtainable from events, however it seems to be discontinued after its last appearance more than 2 years ago.

Certain scrolls can also be obtained from event coin shops. However, karma scrolls can only be used on untradeable items. (Can be traded only once, transferrable once within account, inter-account transactions only, cannot be traded after equipped, are all not counted as untradeable). It either costs event currency or mesos.
 * Karma Scroll for Pet Equipment for ATT/Magic ATT
 * Karma Premium Scroll for Pet Equipment for ATT/Magic ATT

The other scrolls come from Golden Apple at a low chance, which costs cash.

The specific probabilities for some pet scrolls are listed below.
 * Premium Pet Equipment ATT/Magic ATT scroll, Karma Premium Pet Equipment ATT/Magic ATT scroll


 * Pet Equipment ATT/Magic ATT scroll, Karma Pet Equipment ATT/Magic ATT scroll

Success rate: 50%, not affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects.
 * Miracle Scroll for Pet Equipment for ATT/Magic ATT

Success rate: 70%, not affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects.
 * Scroll for Pet Equipment for ATT/Magic ATT

Accessory Scrolls
There are scrolls obtainable from gachapon systems, such as gachapon, web-based gachapon event, and gold apples. Namely,
 * Miracle Scrolls for weapons/accessories
 * Scrolls for weapon/accessories
 * Premium scroll for weapon/accessories
 * Black scroll for weapon/accessories
 * Amazing scroll for weapon
 * Destiny scroll for armor/accessories
 * X scroll for accessories

However, another good scroll for magician jobs that are obtained by '''exchanging 100 Nependeath Seed/Jr. Cerebes Tooth with Staff Sergeant Charlie in Orbis Park, at a low chance, is Scroll for Earring for INT 10% (10% success rate, affected by diligence and guild, INT +3, Magic ATT +5 on earrings)'''

Certain scrolls can also be obtained from event coin shops. However, karma scrolls can only be used on untradeable items. (Can be traded only once, transferrable once within account, inter-account transactions only, cannot be traded after equipped, are all not counted as untradeable). It either costs event currency or mesos.
 * Karma Scroll for Accessory for ATT/Magic ATT
 * Karma Premium Scroll for Accessory for ATT/Magic ATT

The other scrolls come from Golden Apple at a low chance, which costs cash.

The specific probabilities for some other scrolls are listed below. Success rate: 50%, affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects
 * Miracle Scroll for Gloves for ATT/Magic ATT, Miracle Scroll for Armor for ATT/Magic ATT

Success rate: 50%, affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects, all stats +3 is guaranteed
 * Miracle Scroll for specific weapon for ATT/Magic ATT


 * Accessory Scroll for ATT/Magic ATT, Karma Accessory Scroll for ATT/Magic ATT


 * Premium Accessory Scroll for ATT/Magic ATT, Karma Premium Accessory Scroll for ATT/Magic ATT

Success rate: 50%, affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects
 * Miracle Scroll for Accessories for ATT/Magic ATT

Success rate: 70%, affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects
 * Accessory Scroll for ATT/Magic ATT, Armor Scroll for ATT/Magic ATT

All stats +3 is guaranteed.
 * Amazing scroll for weapon for ATT/Magic ATT

Yggdrasil Blessing
These scrolls are obtainable from root abyss boxes. Specifically These scrolls have a 30% success rate (not affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects), and also consume an upgrade slot, and it can only be used successfully once per item hence it is not really advised due to random nature and the difference compared to a regular spell trace, which is much more readily available.
 * Usable on level 100~120 items: Normal mode boxes (costs 2~4 yggdrasil stones), for each item level achieved by killing monsters, adds 1~3 of the stated single stat at uniform probability, can be levelled up to 3 times
 * Usable on level 120+ items: Chaos mode boxes (costs 2~4 chaos yggdrasil stones), for each item level achieved by killing monsters, adds 1~3 of the stated single stat at uniform probability, can be levelled up to 5 times

Fragment of Distorted Time
A special scroll for Dominator Pendant. It always drops 3 at a time from Arkarium. It has a 70% success rate (affected by Diligence and Guild's success rate increasing effects), but destroys the item if it fails. It adds 3 both ATT and 3 All Stats.

Star Force Enhancement
Star Force Enhancement is the additional enhancement after the equipment's upgrade slots are fully used up. Infuse stars into your equipment for stat bonuses! This system costs mesos to use. Alternatively, star force scrolls can be used to bring up a fully scrolled item (may or may not have a level requirement depending on the scroll) to the stated star force directly (either given from events or gachapon).

Star force is used in Star Force maps to penetrate the defense system of starstruck monsters. Based on your Star Force and required Star Force, your final damage is adjusted to between 0% to 120% of the original damage and monster damage will hit between 100% to 300% of its original damage (not applied to %HP attacks).

To get star force:
 * Every 1 star in equipped non-overalls = 1 star force
 * Every 1 star in equipped overalls = 2 star force
 * Event titles
 * Guild passive skill (+5/10/15 for non-reboot, +5/10/15/20/25 for reboot)

Normal Equip
Based on the server, different rates are applied. There are 4 possible outcomes but only 3 possible outcome at any point: Success (+1★), Fail (Maintain), Fail (-1★), Destroy (Leaves an equipment trace which will be rolled back to 12★)

During 1+1 star force events, for equipments that are 10 stars or below, succeeding in star force enhancement will let the equipment gain 2 stars instead of 1 star with the stats added accordingly.

Success Rates
Non-bracket percentages are based on Overall % and not a % of non-success rate. Brackets show the % of non-success rates.

Note: Following success rates does not apply on CMS.

During certain events, some of the attempts may be 100% success rate during the event period (typically for 5★ → 6★, 10★ → 11★ and 15★ → 16★).

Certain event maps will also reduce the destroy chance to 0% for free for 12★ → 13★ to 14★ → 15★ if the enhancement is performed inside the map.

Meso Cost
Meso cost is rounded off to the nearest hundreds. Equip Level is rounded down to the nearest 10 levels.
 * Exceptions
 * For Zero weapons, price is capped at Equip Level 150.
 * For level 108~109 equipment, price is capped at 7 -> 8 stars (321,000 mesos)
 * For level 118~119 equipment, price is capped at 9 -> 10 stars (533,400 mesos)
 * For level 128~129 equipment, price is capped at 14 -> 15 stars (6,471,400 mesos)

'''Note: TMS Reboot meso costs do not increase after Lv150 (e.g. Arcane has same cost as Fafnir). CMS does not use mesos for star force enhancement, but an untradeable item named "Star" for star force enhancement.'''

For all servers, if you are an MVP or Internet Cafe/Premium Service Coupon player you can obtain further discounts (only applied to base price before destruction removal costs, up to 16★ → 17★). During certain events you can obtain a 30% discount (for all regular equips regardless of current stars, exclude destruction removal costs), multiplied with above discounts
 * MVP
 * Silver: 3% discount
 * Gold: 5% discount
 * Diamond: 10% discount
 * Premium Service (added with MVP): 5%


 * All servers except TMS Non-Reboot and CMS


 * TMS Non-Reboot

For 15★ → 16★ and 16★ → 17★, you can pay double the cost to remove the chance of destruction. However, if the success rate is already 100% (such as chance time, or during 5/10/15 events which provides 100% success rate when enhancing from 5/10/15 stars), this option is disabled for the attempt and the cost will not be doubled.

For Masteria's Legacy set items (Numenal's Willpower, Glona's Heart, Legacy of Light, Legacy of Darkness, Delgrund's Honor), an additional $$5 \times (CurrentStar+1)$$ Shadowknight Coins is needed per attempt.

Stats Boost
This section shows the stats increase by star force enhancement, which is why it is strongly encouraged since it is fairly cheap.

Scaled stats (increment based on proportion of item stat excluding Bonus Stats) are updated spontaneously when there is a change in stats due to scrolls, so the enhancement sequence will not affect the end state of an equipment.

For scaled stats, the calculation in numerical form for a particular attempt will be: $$1+RoundDown[ItemStat \times (Proportion\%/100)]$$


 * Definitions
 * Job: Increase the primary and secondary stat or ATT of the item's job type needed (for thieves, STR is not increased). The increase is only applied once if there are overlapping stats due to multiple job types.
 * Visible: Increase the stat so long as it is more than 0, excluding bonus stats.
 * Category A items: Items that will increase Max HP.
 * Hat
 * Top
 * Bottom
 * Overall
 * Cape
 * Ring
 * Pendant
 * Belt
 * Shoulderpad
 * Shield
 * Weapon (including Kataras)

Total Stats
For convenience, the total stats gained from enhancement will be listed below. Scaled stats are not shown.

For weapons, a consolidated table has been complied here. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/597028691830374410/759316576473972746/star_force.png

A calculator tool is provided for convenience. (Credits to AppleFlash of MapleSEA) https://www.appleflash.net/reversetrace.html

Superior Items
Similar to Normal equips but the rates are different from Normal equips. However the stat gained is tremendous.

Success Rates
Non-bracket percentages are based on Overall % and not a % of non-success rate. Brackets show the % of non-success rates.

Superior Shielding Ward cannot be used to remove destruction chance im star force for 5★ → 6★ and 6★ → 7★. However, it can still protect destruction from equip enhancement scrolls.

Meso Cost
Meso Cost for all stars for the same equipment is the same. Equip Level is rounded down to the nearest 10 levels.

Meso Cost = $$EquipLevel^{3.56}$$, rounded off to nearest hundreds.

Stats Boost
Scaled stats (increment based on proportion of item stat excluding Bonus Stats) are updated spontaneously when there is a change in stats due to scrolls, so the enhancement sequence will not affect the end state of an equipment.

For scaled stats, the calculation in numerical form for a particular attempt will be: $$1+RoundDown[ItemStat \times (Proportion%/100)]$$

"Visible" means the stat will be increased so long as it is more than 0, excluding bonus stats.

Total Stats
For convenience, the total stats gained from enhancement will be listed below. Table excludes non-damage stats.

Star Catching
Before each attempt, you will play a Star Catching minigame where a star moves side to side starting from the left. Click the "Stop" button or press Spacebar to stop the star. If it lands on the yellow region, the success rate will increase by 4.5% multiplicatively. Maintain/Decrease and Destroy rates will be redistributed at the same bracketed rates.

For example, at 18★, successfully Star Catching results in a Success rate of 30% × 104.5% = 31.35%, a Decrease rate of (1 - 31.35%) × 96% = 65.904%, and a Destroy rate of (1 - 31.35%) × 4% = 2.746%. Failing Star Catch results in the original, non-Star Catch rates being applied (failing does not decrease success rates compared to not Star Catching).


 * Note:
 * If you enhance 20 times successively within a short period (10 minute window based on server time, measured from 12am), star movement speed increases and the yellow region area decreases (difficulty increases by 1 level)
 * Every 10 minutes (measured from server time 12am), the difficulty will decrease by 2 levels.
 * There are 6 levels of difficulty.

Ticking "Cancel Star Catching" will skip the minigame, and the success rate increase will not be applied. Though skipping star catch allows for faster enhancement, the resulting lower rates of success may not save time in the long run. Star Catch difficulty increases even while "Cancel Star Catching" is ticked.

Chance Time
If your equipment decrease stars twice in a row, you enter this special state called Chance Time. In this state, success rate 100% and it lasts for 1 enhancement. (Effect will be gone if you either utilised it, did not enhance within 5 minutes, or enhanced another equipment)


 * Note:
 * Chance Time only applies to the equipment that triggers it (not transferrable to other equips)
 * If you are allowed to pay double mesos to remove destroy chance, for chance time you don't need to pay double mesos since there is no destroy chance if it is 100% success rate.
 * Star Catcher minigame will not appear during Chance Time since the success rate is already 100%.

Equipment Traces
When you destroy your equipment due to failure in star force enhancements, the equipment will leave a trace. You can use the "Equipment Transfer" in the Enhancement UI beside "Star Force Enhancement" (not to be confused with Transfer/Todd's Hammer) to transfer all stats on the trace into a new piece of the same equipment. All other non-star force stats are retained and will be transferred to the new copy of the same equipment: weapon soul, potential, additional potentials, scrolled stats, bonus stats and tradability (Untradeable/Tradable till worn/Can be traded once/Fully tradable)
 * For Normal equips, 12 Stars (as well as its relevant stats) are retained.
 * For Superior equips, stars as well as its relevant stats are not retained.

Equipment traces are only given for destroying due to star force enhancement attempts only. Destruction due to other means will not give any traces (so your equipment will be lost forever).
 * Warning

Star Force Conversion
For Xenons, since Star Force enhancement gives lesser stats if the item is restricted to thieves or pirates only, a small bonus is given to compensate for this.
 * Every 10 equipped star force, gain 7 STR, 7 DEX and 7 LUK, up to 100 equipped star force.

For Demon Avengers, since Star Force enhancement does not give HP that is actually meant for damage enhancement, additional HP is compensated for Demon Avengers only. Based on current equipped Star Force excluding medal and title, HP given is based on tiers. If you changed tiers, the HP difference for earlier stars will be compensated.

Only equipment star force is counted, excluding medal and title.

Note that Stars from Superior equipments are treated the same as Normal equip Stars, similarly for 16+ Stars and the lower stars. Overall stars are double counted.