Scroll of Disenchantment

[TwilightPhoenix]

This literally just came to mind. Basically, this would be a scroll that, when read, strips the weapon of it's branding and applies a reverse EW III effect to it. This would be a bad scroll to read ID, but still a very useful one to keep around for strategic use just in case you come across a weapon you really want but with a brand you don't want. You could remove this brand and then use the Vorpalize Weapon Scroll and the branding spell of your choice to get what you want at the cost of some of the weapon's enchantment value and EW scrolls to get that value back. This scroll should probably be relatively uncommon or rare. It could also have similar effects on armor or, alternatively, have a similar counterpart specifically for armor.

[TwilightPhoenix]

Sooo... ummm... is everyone speechless from how amazing this idea is or how stupid this idea is?

[pratamawirya]

I'm speechless. I think this is a somewhat cool idea, but... not really sure.

[thenewflesh]

It will just encourage keeping junk armour and weapon to test for it making id-minigame even more exciting.

[Galefury]

The problem with this is that it encourages swapping to a bad weapon (or an artifact) before reading unidentified scrolls. If this scroll is rare enough to not often appear in the early game this is only counteracted by the possibility of a scroll being EW3, as by that point EW1, EW2, and curse weapon are most likely identified (these encourage you to wield a good weapon while identifying scrolls) and vorpalize is unlikely to work on a good weapon anyway (most likely already branded).

So if this is added it should start appearing early IMO, when the possibility of ruining the wielded weapon by reading an unidentified scroll is counteracted by the possibility of improving it. Also ID scrolls are usually only scarce in the early game and early midgame. I try to scroll-ID midgame scrolls, only if I lack ID scrolls I read-ID them. So adding a rather crippling midgame scroll would not change much IMO.

[TwilightPhoenix]

I'm thinking rarity and depth level being on par with EWIII, Vorpalize Weapon, Holy Word, etc. It's fairly painful to read ID, but it also has strategic value for swapping brands too (at a cost), which is the main part of the suggestion I'm focused on. If you did happen to find and read ID one early on, you could still find a replacement weapon easily enough since, other than lucky spawns, you do not have your final weapon yet.

If it affects armor, it'll likely have to bring up the "choose an item" screen, which would make IDing it easier. You'll know that you either have ID, Recharge, EA, or this one.

[Regnix]

Just a thought, but it could instead work like a scroll of amnesia. IE you pick which weapon in your inventory you would like to remove the brand from - or just press escape to cancel, with the scroll used, but no weapons modified.

Another alternative is that using a vorpalise weapon scroll on an already permanent branded weapon could remove the brand - instead of doing nothing as is currently the case.

[Kate]

A rare bad effect is no use if you can trivially avoid it by wielding a junk weapon before read-IDing scrolls - even if it would have a situational positive use (immolation used to burn scrolls in your inventory, to give a similar example, but that was easily and tediously worked around by just dropping all your scrolls and identifying stacks one at a time). I'm pretty sure a similar scroll suggestion has come up in the past and was shot down for the same reason.

[twelwe]

A rare bad effect is no use if you can trivially avoid it by wielding a junk weapon before read-IDing scrolls - even if it would have a situational positive use (immolation used to burn scrolls in your inventory, to give a similar example, but that was easily and tediously worked around by just dropping all your scrolls and identifying stacks one at a time). I'm pretty sure a similar scroll suggestion has come up in the past and was shot down for the same reason.

Seconding this, as far as the bad effects of this potential scroll goes, it serves only as a spoiler for people who are aware of their existence. Despite the rarity, people will still wield a chosen weapon while read-IDing scrolls if the beneficial outcome is desired, and there won't be any personal upset if something like an enchant scroll I/II/III is read while wielding that weapon since it will mitigate the bad effects when they finally discover that Scroll is Disenchantment.