Just wondering if this thing ever goes off without a wild surge?

No--that's precisely what Nahal's Reckless Dweomer does, creates a Wild Surge.

When a Wild Mage casts NRD isn't there a percentage chance that there will be a surge? And this percentage can be modified with Chaos Shield. Or, is there always a surge and the Chaos Shield improves the outcome on the surge table? I don't remember, but I do think the Amulet should correspond with whatever the spell does.

Well.
Every time a wild mage casts a spell there is a chance (I believe it's five percent, but I could be wrong) that the Wild Surge Table is used. 1d100 is rolled, and the result is plugged into the table. Every number on the table corresponds to an effect. Some are "Spell cast normally" "Spell cast normally and I feel refreshed" "Spell cast as an area effect" or, my personal favorite, "My legs! What have you done!"

There is no 'chance' that NRD uses the table; it's built right into the spell. That's why it's a blessing and a curse... No item should be able to 'fix' NRD completely, that would make the gambling idea of the spell moot and instead make it into "I can cast Power Word: Kill at level one with no drawback!"

[ 04-03-2004, 10:04 AM: Message edited by: Illumina Drathiran'ar ]

So basically when NRD is cast it's a normal wild surge but the caster's level is added to a wild surge dice so there is a higher chance of getting the "spell cast normally". for example with a level 10 wild wizard he will now get 100 on the wild surge whenever he rolls 90+ thus making his chance of spell cast normally 10%.

I believe so, yes, though it stacks with whatever Chaos Shield you have up gives you as well.