Editing Hex Editing - Guide (section)

=== HotA Artifacts ===
Hota's new artifacts are coded in the Hota.dat. To edit their properties, you need to edit their text (or use hexadecimal values for ASCII to match their text in hex editing). Artifacts are coded as follows: 

==== artsinfo0 ==== 
This part of the file includes partial data on all HotA artifacts, written as follows: 

:<nowiki>#</nowiki>Artifact Name
:<ref_ID>
:X Y Z # Description:
:P Q R # Dif abl, S points
:-1

Note, that the ref_ID above is written in decimal system. 

The X Y Z applies a buff to the artifact, seemingly by coding first the bonus type with X, amount with Y and optional specification with Z. 
* 0 - Increase Attack / Defense
* 1 - Add Spell Power
* 2 - Add Knowledge
* 7 - Different Ability, Y = AI value {{unk}} (it's described as "points")
* 8 - Movement artifact?
* 13 - Restrict spells; Y = 1 for Cloak of Silence, 4 for Ring of Oblivion
* 16 - Add daily resource growth, Y = amount, Z = resource type (0 = wood, 6 = gold)
* 24 - Enemy morale bonus
* 25 - Enemy luck bonus

The P Q R are coded in the same way as above and refer to a second ability. 

However, the method above seems to suggest some artifacts have different bonuses than they actually possess: Ironfist of the Ogre doesn't increase either attack or defense; Trident of Dominion increases attack by 6, etc. 

This part of the file also includes definitions of all combo artifacts and their components. F.e. Diplomat's Cloak: 

:<nowiki># </nowiki>Diplomat's Cloak
:12 141 3 66 67 68

* 12 is the number of the combination artifact (including SoD ones)
* 141 is the decimal reference ID of the Diplomat's Cloak
* 3 is the number of components
* 66 67 68 are the reference IDs of components (decimal)

Note, that this can be used to effectively alter any base-game combination artifact! Simply add a line before these artifact definitions

:<nowiki># </nowiki>Sample Text
:N RIF C R+ R++ R+++ R++++,

where N is the number of combination artifact (counting the way they're placed in the .exe code), RIF is the reference ID of the final artifact, R+, R++ and so on are the additional components. To showcase adding an extra requirement to the Ring of the Magi (since a similar concept was used above) and replacing the Ring of the Magi with the AB blade and requiring a Sword of Hellfire:
:<nowiki>#</nowiki> Armageddon's Blade
:10 128 1 11

(11 is the reference ID of the new item - Sword of Hellfire). 

Sadly, new combination artifacts can't simply be added this way.