Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura Wiki
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Containers are objects such as chests, barrels and industrial crates. During your adventures in the various dungeons of Arcanum, you will encounter many such containers.

Containers can oftentimes be trapped, so having a high Trap Disarm skill may prove useful.

The spells Unlocking Cantrip and See Contents are directly related to containers.

Types[]

Rubbish Bin[]

Picture22

An example of Rubbish Bin contents

Throughout Arcanum there are many rubbish bins (also known as garbage cans) in towns that can contain useful objects, which includes:

It is not safe to store items in rubbish bins as their contents regenerate over time.

Magickal chests[]

Chest Fancy-2

There are three types of magickal chests:

  • Magick Chest
  • Mystic Chest
  • Arcane Chest

Their contents are pseudo-random and are determined by your character (see Generation below).

Some of the items they may contain:

  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Robes
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Leather Armor
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Chainmail
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Platemail
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Sword
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Axe
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Mace
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Bow
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Staff
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Shield
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Helmet
  • Charmed/Magick/Mystic/Arcane Gauntlets
  • Mnura Coin
  • Kathorn Crystal
  • gems (Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond, etc.)
  • gold (around 150 on average)
  • jewelry (vanity rings and medallions, such as Silver Ring, Ruby Necklace, etc.)

Common containers[]

These have fixed content oftentimes, but may contain random items in dungeons.

List of common containers:

  • Wood Chest
  • Black Chest
  • Chest
  • Fancy Chest
  • Dwarven Chest
  • Barrel
  • Safe
    Safe-1
    Safe

Technological crates[]

The technological variant of the magickal chests. These will contain random crafting components or other such items.

List of technological crates:

  • Factory Discards
  • Industrial Salvage
  • Packaged Components
  • Parts Crate
  • Shipping Crate
  • Storage Crate

Some of the items they may contain:

  • ...

Altars[]

These are used for the Ancient Gods quest:

  • Altar Good
  • Altar Neutral
  • Altar Evil

Other containers[]

  • Body
    Ariaskeleton
    • does not refer to dead NPCs, but rather a special container with fixed items (Liam Cameron's skeleton is an example of this particular container)
  • Plant
  • Junk Pile
    • a player can create a Junk Pile type container by dropping multiple items on the same tile, it will disappear after all but one item from the pile are picked up

Generation[]

The loot in some containers in the game is generated based on your character's name and three other characteristics - gender, race and background. This means that if you start with the exact same character in every playthrough, you will get the same items loot from containers with randomly generated contents (containers with regenerating contents such as rubbish bins may not be affected by this mechanic). You can test this as soon as you start the game - on the west side of the Crash Site you will find a Magick Chest. Check its loot with your current character, then make the exact same character (same name, race, gender and background) and check it again.

Also, generic magickal items have 4 tiers:

  • Charmed
  • Magick
  • Mystic
  • Arcane

If the chest you are looting is a Magick Chest, and the game puts - for example - a staff in it, that staff cannot be a Mystic or Arcane staff. It can be either Charmed or Magick.

Useful Starting Character Seeds[]

Post the character seeds (name, gender, race and background used) which provide the best or most interesting starting equipment from the Magick Chest at Crash Site here:

These seeds are not guaranteed to work (and likely WON'T work) if you use any mods or patches like the Unofficial Arcanum Patch (UAP)!

Character Name Gender Race Background Loot Notes
SeedTest1 Male Human No significant background 149 Gold

Heal Lesser Wounds

Just an example...
chest1 Male Human No significant background Charmed Staff, Magick Gauntlets, Heal Poison, Ruby, Heal Lesser Wounds, Mnura Coin Amazing contents, but unfortunately with a quite generic character
Earl Male Dwarf Miracle Operation revolver parts, capacitor, revolver chamber; charmed helmet, heal poison; monroe's cleaner, corrosive acid, pure ore, fine hilt and guard; magick staff, charmed shield, small charmed plate mail, light fatigue restore; magnesium, railroad spike, charcoal approximately 2081 gold if you sell everything
Robert Male Dwarf Miracle Operation broken flintlock pistol, capacitor, varham's aqua vitae; charmed mace, large magick leather armour, 96 gold, greater fatigue restore; lantern, corrosive acid; small magick robe, small charmed leather armour, 52 gold, emerald, light fatigue restore; revolver parts, filament, kadura stem, saltpeter, thermometer, famous blood pills approximately 2704 gold if you sell everything
Jeremy Male Dwarf Miracle Operation revolver parts, kadura stem, pure ore, small spring; charmed staff, charmed great sword, magick dagger, kathorn crystal, light fatigue restore, greater fatigue restore, mnura coin; monroe's cleaner, corrosive acid, fine hilt and guard; 249 gold, mnura coin; nothing 33 mana, which is good if you want to use Agility of Fire to get more speed
Billy Male Half-Orc Miracle Operation revolver parts, lockpicks, revolver chamber; charmed platemail, 2 gold, kathorn crystal, heal lesser wounds, light fatigue restore, emerald, mnura coin; corrosive acid, capacitor, iron ore, saltpeter; magick great sword, charmed helmet, heal lesser wounds; ginka root, kadura stem, iron ore, steel, pure ore approximately 1147 gold if you sell everything
Darryl Male Human Miracle Operation monroe's cleaner, revolver parts, revolver chamber; small charmed chainmail, greater fatigue restore, light fatigue restore; spirit of camphor, charcoal; lockpicks, fine hilt and guard, spirit of camphor, metal plates approximately 699 gold if you sell everything
Terrence Male Human Miracle Operation revolver parts, varham's aqua vitae, capacitor, ginka root; magick mace, 243 gold, heal lesser wounds, heal poison, emerald; lantern, lockpicks, electrolyte solution; 200 gold, emerald, heal poison, charmed ring; filament, metal plates, saltpeter, migraine cure, famous blood pills approximately 1333 gold if you sell everything
Tracy Male Human Miracle Operation monroe's cleaner, railroad spike, large spring, pure ore, fine hilt and guard, revolver chamber; large charmed leather armour, 210 gold, kathorn crystal; broken flintlock pistol, ginka root, railroad spike, lockpicks, iron ore, migraine cure; charmed platemail, charmed chainmail, light fatigue restore, ruby, heal lesser wounds; lantern, revolver parts, corrosive acid, iron ore, coca leaves, revolver chamber, saltpeter approximately 2512 gold if you sell everything
Ned Male Dwarf Beat with an Ugly Stick metal shavings, pure ore, fine hilt and guard, spirit of camphor; 10 arrows, emerald; varham's aqua vitae, electrolyte solution; charmed great sword, kathorn crystal, light fatigue restore, ring of protection; railroad spike, charcoal
Oin Male Dwarf Beat with an Ugly Stick lantern, filament, magnesium, metal shavings, lock picks, fine hilt and guard, metal plates, coca leaves, tobacco leaves, charcoal; small charmed leather armor, 6 gold; monroe's cleaner, revolver parts, capacitor, spirit of camphor, charcoal; small charmed traveler's cloak, light fatigue restore; filament, spirit of camphor, famous blood pills, coca leaves more wealth than Ned, but can't make a sword at the very start
Joseph Male Half-Orc Beat with an Ugly Stick capacitor, large spring, steel, fine hilt and guard, electrolyte solution; emerald, heal lesser wounds, light fatigue restore, heal poison, mnura coin; corrosive acid, magnesium; charmed shield, charmed mace, heal lesser wounds, heal poison; lantern, kadura stem, capacitor, railroad spike, small metal tube, lockpicks, tobacco leaves, migraine cure
Edward Male Human Bookworm monroe's cleaner, ginka root, fine hilt and guard, thermometer; charmed axe, large charmed leather armour, emerald, light fatigue restore, magick ring; electrolyte solution; 21 gold, ruby, emerald, heal lesser wounds; broken flintlock pistol, filament, ginka root, metal plates, famous blood pills
Isaac Newton Male Human Bookworm monroe's cleaner, capacitor, lockpicks, fine hilt and guard, steel, pure ore, spirit of camphor, copper ring, coca leaves ; magick axe, charmed shield, 10 arrows, kathorn crystal, emerald, light fatigue restore, 248 gold ; empty factory discards ; emerald, kathorn crystal, silver ring, light fatigue restore ; capacitor, large spring, saltpeter, coca leaves, migraine cure, famous blood pills Very technological friendly from the start. You can craft a balanced sword right at the beginning. If you buy a copper ring at character creation, you'll be able to craft 2 charged rings really early too.
Anthony Male Elf Only Child steel, pure ore; magick staff, large charmed leather armour, 212 gold; ginka root, corrosive acid, varham's aqua vitae, large spring, fine hilt and guard, copper ring, metal plates, electrolyte solution, migraine cure; 168 gold, emerald necklace, emerald; magnesium, railroad spike, iron ore, fine hilt and guard, copper ring approximately 1722 gold if you sell everything; 40 mana if you keep the staff
Keith Male Elf Only Child broken flintlock pistol, ginka root; small magick platemail, charmed bow, charmed helmet, 92 gold, light fatigue restore, ruby, mnura coin; monroe's cleaner, filament, metal shavings, pure ore, fine hilt and guard; small charmed platemail, small magick leather armour, 49 gold, heal poison, mnura coin; lantern, fine hilt and guard, small spring, electrolyte solution, thermometer approximately 3779 gold if you sell everything; 0 mana
Violet Female Elf Only Child lantern, revolver parts, saltpeter, revolver chamber, thermometer; charmed staff, 140 gold, light fatigue restore, mnura coin; monroe's cleaner, metal shavings, iron ore, fine hilt and guard; magick staff, charmed plate mail, magick plate mail, light fatigue restore, small charmed robe, 97 gold; railroad spike, lockpicks, iron ore, steel, small spring, metal plates, revolver chamber, migraine cure approximately 3490 gold if you sell everything; 60 mana if you keep the staves
Terrence Male Gnome Only Child broken flintlock pistol; magick great sword, magick axe, magick gauntlets, 53 gold, heal poison; lantern, broken flintlock pistol, ginka root, copper ring, revolver chamber; magick staff, charmed great sword, 10 gold, light fatigue restore, heal poison, silver ring, emerald ring, mnura coin; iron ore, steel, pure ore, saltpeter, migraine cure approximately 2694 gold if you sell everything; 64 mana if you keep the mana weapons
asdf Male Elf Troll Offspring revolver parts, ginka root, electrolyte solution, famous blood pills; charmed chainmail, magick chainmail, 91 gold, emerald necklace, ring of protection, kathorn crystal, emerald ring; coca leaves, revolver chamber, famous blood pills; 47 gold, greater fatigue restore; nothing
John Snargle Male Half-Orc Troll Offspring ginka root, iron ore, steel, pure ore, saltpeter, tobacco leaves; magick axe, charmed leather armour, 128 gold, heal poison; capacitor, lockpicks, fine hilt and guard, spirit of camphor, saltpeter; 10 arrows, 85 gold, emerald, light fatigue restore; filament, capacitor, fine hilt and guard, metal plates, charcoal, electrolyte solution, migraine cure, thermometer
Oohlgrist Male Half-Ogre Troll Offspring varham's aqua vitae, filament, metal tube, electrolyte solution, revolver chamber; charmed great sword, magick platemail, small charmed leather armour, mnura coin, light fatigue restore, 154 gold ; railroad spike, lockpicks, fine hilt and guard, migraine cure ; charmed robes, mnura coin, 111 gold ; lantern, large spring, revolver chamber, famous blood pill approximately 1900 gold if you sell everything; 8 mana if you keep the mana great sword
Spork Male Half-Elf Hyperactive varham's aqua vitae, pure ore, fine hilt and guard; large magick leather armour, 27 gold, light fatigue restore, sapphire; broken flintlock pistol; charmed platemail, silver ring, kathorn crystal; filament, metal shavings, small spring half-elf is a good race for a magic-enhanced backstabber
Polo Bombfingers Male Halfling Hyperactive revolver parts, pure ore, electrolyte solution, copper ring, migraine cure, famous blood pills; 154 gold, heal poison; corrosive acid, filament, iron ore, spirit of camphor; magick platemail, 111 gold, mnura coin; monroe's cleaner, lockpicks, spirit of camphor, metal plates, tobacco leaves he's supposed to be a boomeranger & bombthrower

Where there are multiple lists separated by semicolons, 1st list is crash site factory discards, 2nd is crash site magick chest, 3rd is factory discards at Bessie Toone's ghost, 4th is magick chest at the wolf in the Toone mine, 5th is factory discards in the Toone mine's spider room. Things in bold are particularly valuable items, items that let you craft a suitable piece of equipment earlier than usual, or pure ore to do the pure ore quest early.

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