Can You Trade Bound Items in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO)? Your Comprehensive Guide

The short answer is no, you generally cannot trade bound items in Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) with other players. However, the concept of “bound” in ESO is nuanced, so let’s dive deep into what it means and how it impacts your gameplay.

Understanding Bound Items in ESO

In ESO, “bound” essentially means that an item is tied to either your account or a specific character. This restriction prevents you from selling or trading the item to other players. The purpose is to maintain the game’s economy, prevent exploitation, and ensure that certain valuable items are earned through gameplay rather than purchased.

Types of Binding in ESO

There are primarily two types of binding you’ll encounter:

• Account Bound: Items with this tag are bound to your entire ESO account. This means you can’t trade or sell them to other players, but you can transfer them between characters on the same account. You can typically move these items to your bank and then withdraw them on another character.

• Character Bound (Bind on Pickup or Bind on Equip): These items are bound to a specific character. Once bound (either immediately upon picking them up – Bind on Pickup – or when you equip them – Bind on Equip), they cannot be traded, sold to other players, or transferred to other characters on your account.

What Can You Do with Bound Items?

While you can’t trade bound items, you still have several options:

• Use them: Obviously, the primary purpose of most gear is to equip and use it on the character it’s bound to.

• Deconstruct them: If the item is no longer useful, deconstructing it at a crafting station will yield crafting materials and potentially increase your crafting skill.

• Research traits: If the item has a trait you haven’t yet researched, you can research it at a crafting station to learn the trait and apply it to crafted items.

• Sell to Vendors: You can sell most bound items to NPC vendors for a small amount of gold. This is often the best option for unwanted bound items.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Bound Items in ESO

1. Can I move Bind-on-Pickup (BoP) items to another character on my account?

No. Bind-on-Pickup items become bound to the character that picks them up and cannot be transferred to any other character, even on the same account.

2. Can I sell bound equipment on the Guild Trader Network (GTN)?

No, you cannot sell bound equipment on the GTN (also known as Guild Stores). Bound items cannot be listed for sale to other players.

3. Are there any ways to unbind a bound item in ESO?

Unfortunately, no. Once an item is bound, it is permanently bound to either your account or your character. There is no way to unbind it to allow trading or selling to other players.

4. Can I trade Bind-on-Equip (BoE) items before I equip them?

Yes, you can. Bind-on-Equip items are tradeable until you equip them. Once equipped, they become bound to that character.

5. Can I give a bound item to a friend to use?

No, you cannot give a bound item to another player. Bound items are restricted to your account or specific character.

6. What happens if I accidentally bind an item to the wrong character?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to transfer a character-bound item to another character. You’ll have to find another way to obtain the item on the correct character, or make use of the bound item with the current character it is bound to.

7. Are there any exceptions to the “no trading bound items” rule?

Yes, there is one notable exception: Items looted within a group. If you loot a Bind-on-Pickup item while in a group, you have a limited time (usually two hours) to trade it with other active members of the group who were present when the item dropped. This allows for distributing loot fairly among group members.

8. What are the most common types of items that are account-bound?

Common account-bound items include:

• Crown Store items: Many items purchased with Crowns (ESO’s premium currency) are account-bound.
• Some event rewards: Certain items obtained during in-game events may be account-bound.
• Items from Daily Rewards: Many of the rewards given out daily are account-bound.

9. What should I do with unwanted bound gear?

The best options for unwanted bound gear are usually:

• Deconstructing it: This is especially useful for crafting materials and improving your crafting skills.
• Selling it to a vendor: This provides a small amount of gold.

10. Can I use account-bound items across different servers or regions?

Account-bound items can be used across different servers or regions, provided that they are on the same platform (PC, Xbox, Playstation) and linked to the same ESO account.

11. Do set items drop as bound?

Whether set items drop as bound depends on where they are obtained from. Overland sets are usually Bind-on-Equip, meaning they can be traded until equipped. Dungeon and Trial sets are typically Bind-on-Pickup. Crafted sets are not bound.

12. Can I learn motifs or recipes from stolen items that are flagged as “stolen” before laundering them, even if they’re bound?

Yes! While you can’t trade, sell or bank stolen items, you can learn motifs or recipes directly from them, even if they’re bound. This saves you the laundering fee.

13. How do I know if an item is bound to my account or character?

The item’s tooltip will clearly state whether it is “Account Bound,” “Bind on Equip,” or “Bind on Pickup.” Always check the item description before equipping or using it.

14. Are legendary (mythic) items account bound?

Yes, Mythic items found through the Antiquities system in ESO are account bound, but only after you equip them. Therefore, they can be traded until they are first equipped.

15. Why does ESO use a binding system?

The binding system in ESO serves several important purposes:

• Preventing gold selling and RMT (Real Money Trading): By making valuable items untradeable, the system reduces the incentive for players to buy or sell items for real money, which can disrupt the game’s economy.
• Encouraging gameplay: The system encourages players to participate in in-game activities to earn their own gear, rather than simply buying it from other players.
• Maintaining the value of rewards: Binding helps ensure that valuable items retain their value by limiting their availability and preventing market saturation.

Understanding the nuances of bound items in ESO is crucial for effective inventory management, crafting, and overall gameplay. While you can’t trade most bound items, you can still make good use of them through deconstruction, research, selling to vendors, or by equipping them on the appropriate character. By understanding how binding works, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the world of Tamriel and make the most of your adventures.

Want to learn more about game mechanics and how they impact player behavior? Check out the work being done at the Games Learning Society, also accessible at GamesLearningSociety.org. It’s a great resource for understanding the deeper aspects of game design and their influence on the player experience.