'''Augmentation''' is not a skill itself, but an important mechanic, with 4 different secondary Augmentation skills. It can be confusing at first; Augmentation as a mechanic involves breaking down Magic gear for materials, Extracting mods [[Treasure Effects]] from existing gear into Augments, and Applying these Augments to different pieces of gear in order to add the extracted mods. There are 4 different types of Augmentation: Jewelry, Weapon (which includes Gloves), Jewelry, Armor (Chest and Legs), and Ancillary-Armor (Helms and Boots). Each one is a skill with levels and experience that breaks down different gear types, and each is leveled independently.

While [[Transmutation]] lets you '''change''' the treasure effects (mods) on your gear, '''Augmentation''' lets you '''add''' one additional treasure effect (mod) to a piece of gear. With [[Transmutation]] , you ''distill'' items into {{ItemCategory|Phlogiston}} and use a transmutation table to make changes. With Augmentation , you ''decompose'' items into ornaments (jewelry), beads (weapons and gloves), ornaments (jewelry), baubles (chest and legs), and contraptions (helms and boots), in order to extract a mod from one item and place it onto a different item.

Decomposing {{ItemRarity|uncommon}} or higher rarity items breaks them down into baublesbeads, beadsornaments, contraptionsbaubles, or ornamentscontraptions, depending on item type (e.g. decomposing Level 1-30 jewelry produces {{Item|Small Ring Ornament}}s or {{Item|Small Necklace Ornament}}s). These constituent materials are then used when extracting or undoing augments. Decomposing may also yield {{ItemCategory|Prism}}, used in [[Transmutation]]. The type (size) and quantity of materials received depend on the level and rarity of the item being decomposed.====Decomposition Experience Points====The amount of experience received in the relevant Augmentation skill depends on the level range of the item decomposed, not the rarity. E.g., decomposing an {{ItemRarity|1}} level 5 ring will yield the same amount of Jewelry Augmentation xp as a {{ItemRarity|5}} level 30 ring, but (substantially) less than an {{ItemRarity|1}} level 35(-60) ring ^{needs confirmation}.{| class = "wikitable"! Level Range of Item !! XP|-| 1-30 || 50|-| 31-60 || 400|-| 61-90 || 3200|} 

Augmentation skills also allow you to extract "mods" from that specific equipment type. As an example, [[Weapon Augmentation]] teaches the player to extract "mods" from weapons (and gloves). Extracting a specific mod effect requires materials gained during the Decompose process. This material is usually specific to the equipment type. Weapons, as an example , give beads, while jewelry gives ornaments. The exact material for each augment extraction is listed on the respective skill's wiki page. An extraction takes 20 of the required material (e.g. 20 beads).

Extracting a specific effect requires a "crystal" as well. Putting the wrong type of crystal(e.g. using a redwall crystal because they're more readily available) will result in the item and crystal being destroyed, and the player will receive a message stating that they used the wrong type of crystal.

For instance, extracting a psychology effect from a sword, the player uses [[tourmaline]] as the crystal in the extract augment recipe. The weapon and crystal are both destroyed in the process, but create an augment that can be placed on another weapon. The player's augmentation skill level determines the success of the extraction; the skill level should be within 10 levels of the weapon's level.(A player with level N Augmentation has a 100% chance of extracting a level N+10 power, but only a 10% chance of extracting a level N+20 power, and a 0% chance of extracting anything higher.) If you fail to extract an augment, the item is lost anyway. Even if the weapon and crystal are destroyed, the player still receives Weapon Augmentation experience

Assuming everything went right, the player receives an augment which can be applied to a different main-hand weapon. (In the past, augmentation resulted in oils, which are no longer used in the mechanic.)

Note that applying an augment will bind the item to your account. Despite the item text reading that the item is bound to the character that augmented it, your other characters will be able to equip it. You can (currently) not augment an item that is bound to another character on your account. If you want to augment items without using the NPC install service , you should make sure that all items are bound to the character that can apply augments, by using that character to transmute the item for the first time (other characters can then transmute the item without rebinding).

Some NPCs can now (since [[Game_updates/2018-06-20#Augment-Installation_Services|June 2018]]) install Augments for you! By using one of these NPCs, you do '''not''' need to have learned the various Augment Installation recipes from [[Nightshade]]. Learning Nightshade's recipes will eventually be a cost-savings for max-level players who do a lot of augment-installing, but at the current max level of 80, most players will find it cheaper to just use these NPCs.