Dweomermetals: Difference between revisions
Line 639: | Line 639: | ||
|- | |- | ||
! align="left" | Ammunition | ! align="left" | Ammunition | ||
| +5 CMB || align="left" | - || align="right" | + | | +5 CMB || align="left" | - || align="right" | +2,500 gp/missile | ||
|- | |- | ||
! align="left" | Light Weapons | ! align="left" | Light Weapons |
Revision as of 00:06, 18 October 2015
- Go back to the Epic Path page.
- Go back to the Magic Item Crafting Rules page.
What Are Dweomermetals?
While iron, steel, copper, tin and lead are the building blocks of any fantasy setting, here find presented numerous special materials which exhibit extremely useful properties. Often, such materials are rare or difficult to acquire, such as mithril. Others are not rare, but are exceedingly difficult to work with, such as siegestone or adamantium. Others are well-adapted to accepting magical enhancements and are thus prized and highly sought after.
Below is a list of Dweomermetals and other special materials, which may be used as the raw materials for making armor, shields or weapons. Each listing provides details as to the material's features, and a listing of its effects when shaped into each implement. Costs are provided as well.
Special material costs are not factored into a magic armor or weapon's Absolute Bonus. Instead, these costs are simply 'tacked on' to the magical enhancement and magical properties costs of the item in question.
A Note On Armor Weight and Non-proficiency
Some Dweomermetals, such as Mithril Alloy, Peacemetal, and Puremetal in the Mithril family of alloys, change an armor to a different armor category. In the case of Mithril alloy, armor is changed to a lighter armor type for proficient use. In the case of Puremetal and Peacemetal, medium armor is treated as light armor, and heavy armor is treated as medium armor in all ways, including the movement penalties.
In all such cases, in order to wear the armor proficiently, the wearer needs to have proficiency in the base armor type, not the modified armor type.
For example, in order to wear a Mithril Alloy, Puremetal, or Peacemetal breastplate, the wearer must have proficiency with medium armor, despite the fact that such a breastplate is considered light armor due to the lightweight alloy used.
Failing to have the appropriate proficiency causes the wearer to take the non-proficient penalty (a penalty to attack rolls equal to the armor's armor check penalty or -4, whichever is larger). Proficient wearers then treat the armor as the modified armor type for purposes of using class abilities, spells and feats.
A Note On Weapon Effects
Some Dweomermetals add combat effects, such as bleeds or bonuses to forced movement. In all cases, to gain such effects the weapon must be wielded in combat by a proficient user to gain these bonuses. Simply holding a weapon grants no bonuses: that weapon must be actively used, with skill, to inflict the effect. In most cases these bonuses will not stack with multiple weapons, either.
Sunder
Some dweomermetals offer greater defense against the Sunder combat maneuver, while others, in the form of a weapon, grant a bonus to the wielder's CMB for Sunder maneuver checks. The bonuses listed in the Sunder column ONLY pertain to the wielder's CMB or CMD (as indicated) with regards to the Sunder maneuver. This bonus does NOT confer to other combat maneuvers such as trips, disarms, etc. The bonus type granted, if any, is a material bonus, which will not stack with any other material bonus to the same attribute (CMB or CMD). Instead, only the largest available bonus is used.
Similarly, some dweomermetals, notably the Mithril alloys, suffer a CMD penalty versus sunder attempts. As with the bonuses, these are a 'material' type penalty which doesn't stack with other 'material' penalties, so only the largest penalty is used. If a character is wearing/wielding multiple items, some inflicting a CMD material penalty to Sunder and some granting a CMB material bonus to Sunder, the largest penalty and the largest bonus available are both applied to the character's CMD to determine its value versus Sunder attempts.
Note that a Sunder CMD bonus granted by a dweomermetal applies to the wearer or wielder's CMD score versus any sunder attempt, not just sunder attempts against the object crafted of the dweomermetal. Dweomermetals which grant a bonus to CMB for Sunder attempts only grant that bonus if the item in question is wielded or worn at the time the sunder attempt is made. The wielder or wearer must be proficient with the weapon, armor or shield in question to enjoy the benefits to their CMB or CMD for Sunders, as with any other bonus granted by dweomermetal-crafted items. Non-proficient use of an item crafted from a material which inflicts a penalty to CMD versus Sunder attempts still inflict this penalty.
Argent and Its Alloys
Argent is a very attractive metal, so much so that it is widely recognized as the most beautiful of the dweomermetals. Argent is hard and shiny while being fairly malleable and can be polished to an extremely fine polish. The color of argent is a rich, mellow, buttery glow, similar to gold but having a richer luster than that lesser metal. The real beauty of argent comes from the way it seems to spread light falling upon it into a subtle pattern of glorious colors that play and dance over its surface. This effect is independent of the surface polish, and even a roughly finished ingot will show this effect.
Most argent is used in an alloy with steel, copper, or nickel. When it is alloyed with precious metals argent's rich luster is amplified. When it is alloyed with ferrous metals argent lends its golden color to the piece, but the surface lustre is somewhat muted.
One especially notable alloy of argent deserves mention, and that is ambergold. Ambergold is phenomenally useful for jewelry, weapons, and the like. When ambergold is created, it is a pleasure to look at indeed, as well as being phenomenally capable of fixing dweomers. Argent is unique in that it is used both as jewelry and as a structural metal. Argent is a versatile dweomermetal, and is used in many items and also in some magic weapons.
Argent is widely used where the appearance of an item is of importance, and is a primary ingredient in magical mirrors. Nearly every item can be made with argent, and if it were a little more effective at retaining enchantments it would be even in higher demand than it is, but it is only a little better at holding dweomer than is cuprium.
Argent Alloy
- Beauty: High (8 out of 10)
- Composition: 10% argent, 50% iron, 20% copper, 20% nickel
- Material Restrictions: None, can be applied to any material
- Weight: Object's base weight × 0.8 (round up to the nearest pound)
Argent Alloy Weapons
Weapons made with Argent alloy provide the wielder with greater finesse when using special combat maneuvers, such as trip, disarm and bull rush. This bonus to CMB is considered a material bonus, and thus will not stack if you have multiple weapons.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | - | +80 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | - | +1 CMB | +4,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | - | +1 CMB | +5,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | - | +1 CMB | +6,000 gp |
Argent Armor
Armors and shields crafted using Argent Alloy make the wearer more difficult to damage with damage which does not specifically make a to-hit roll against them, such as splash damage (e.g. an alchemist's bombs) or area of effect attacks (e.g. a dragon's breath weapon) centered on a nearby square. This reduction occurs before any saving throws are resolved, and this reduction applies to any damage type except Primal. It is neither ER nor DR, though it shares the properties of both. If a character also has DR or ER appropriate to the attack they are resisting, they choose the best of the resistances available to them, but only one such resistance can be applied to any one attack.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | +1 | -1 | - | reduce indirect damage by 1 point per two levels (round down, min 1) | +1,250 gp |
Medium Armor | - | +1 | -1 | - | reduce indirect damage by 1 point per 3/4 levels (i.e. 1 per level except those divisible by 4) | +3,500 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | +1 | -2 | - | reduce indirect damage by 1 point per level | +6,500 gp |
Shield | - | +1 | -1 | - | reduce indirect damage by 1 point per two levels (round down, min 1) | +2,000 gp |
Ambergold
- Beauty: Exquisite (10 out of 10)
- Composition: 16% argent, 17% gold, 67% copper
- Material Restrictions: None, can be applied to any material
- Weight: No change
Ambergold Weapons
Weapons crafted using Ambergold are especially attuned to dealing elemental damage. When enchanted with a magic weapon property that deals some form of energy damage (such as the +1 property, Flaming), the Ambergold weapon adds +1 additional point of base weapon damage of that energy type to the weapon's overall damage. Since this is base weapon damage, it increases at level 8, 15, 22 and 29 along with the physical damage of the weapon. This damage is also multiplied on a critical hit. Furthermore, the wielder may trade away enhancement bonuses for +1 additional point of base weapon energy damage of the same type as the magic weapon property provides (i.e. fire for Flaming, etc.), instead of gaining the standard +1 to attack and damage. Note that Ambergold does not provide any benefit to weapon damage unless it is also enchanted with an energy-damage weapon property.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | +1 base weapon energy damage of the same energy type granted by a magic weapon property | +200 gp/shot |
Light Weapons | - | +1 base weapon energy damage of the same energy type granted by a magic weapon property | +4,500 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | - | +1 base weapon energy damage of the same energy type granted by a magic weapon property | +5,500 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | - | +1 base weapon energy damage of the same energy type granted by a magic weapon property | +7,000 gp |
Ambergold Armor
The innate feature of Ambergold in armor is to increase positive energy healing applied to the wearer. This effect improves the efficacy of small heals, such as potions or wands of cure light wounds, but does not help with effects granting temporary hit points.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | - | -3 | - | Increase any instant healing received by 1 point per BAB of wearer | +4,000 gp |
Medium Armor | - | +1 | -1 | +5% | Increase any instant healing received by 1 point per BAB of wearer | +9,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | +2 | - | +10% | Increase any instant healing received by 1 point per BAB of wearer | +13,000 gp |
Shield | - | - | - | +5% | Increase any instant healing received by 1 point per BAB of wearer | +5,000 gp |
Aurium and Its Alloys
Aurium is very soft, even softer than cuprium, but it is also very malleable. It has the second highest affinity for dweomer of any of the dweomermetals. It is a brilliant red and ruddy metal that can be polished easily to an extremely bright finish. It is a very pretty and attractive metal that is often used in jewelry, even mundane jewelry, simply for the very attractive appearance it presents. Since it is far more valuable than gold, this jewelry is almost always enchanted in one way or another.
Because it is not a very sturdy metal, aurium is often mixed with another metal to strengthen it, usually gold or silver. Most alloys of aurium are of silver and/or gold. These alloys are harder and more durable than either pure aurium or pure gold, and are commonly called bloodgold.
Lesser grades of aurium alloy are called bloodsilver, and are also desired for their appearance since the aurium admixture remains the dominant effect. Bloodsilver may also be enchanted, and there is little technical difference between it and bloodgold, except esthetically. Bloodsilver has a very attractive color and luster, predominantly aurium's ruddiness with a golden or silvery sheen to the highlights. This alloy is the one most commonly used for magic jewelry.
Brooches, phylacteries, necklaces, bracelets, etc, are often made of aurium. But aurium is most commonly used in applications where it may be inlaid into a larger surface of a more robust non-magical material. The bright and strong color of aurium suit it well to such applications, and in such uses it is often found inlaid into wands, staves, rods, censors, bowls, doors, walls, etc. Nearly any surface can accept an aurium inlay, and as long as there is not an excessive amount of wear, it is quite durable when used this way.
A less common but even more decorative use of aurium is when it is drawn extremely fine and used as thread in clothing and tapestries. The beautiful color of aurium is especially well suited for these applications, and as long as there is a sturdy backing these sort of garments are usually very durable.
Bloodgold
- Beauty: Exquisite (9 out of 10)
- Composition: 10% aurium, 40% gold, 40% copper, 10% silver
- Material Restrictions: None, can be applied to any material
- Weight: Object's base weight × 1.25 (round up to the nearest pound)
Bloodgold Weapons
Because of the metal's softness, weapons are never made out of bloodgold. Instead, they have bloodgold inlays of intricate design and complex symbologies. Weapons that have a bloodgold inlay draw some of the life force of the foes they damage into the wielder. After damaging a foe, the wielder of a bloodgold weapon gains fast healing until the combat ends, they are disarmed, or they cease wielding the weapon for any reason. Ammunition traced in bloodgold does not provide any benefit, although they're the prettiest damned rocks you'll ever have smash you in the face.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | - | +80 gp/shot |
Light Weapons | - | grants fast healing 1 until the end of the encounter | +4,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | - | grants fast healing 1 until the end of the encounter | +5,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | - | grants fast healing 1 until the end of the encounter | +6,000 gp |
Bloodgold Armors
Just as with weapons, armors are never fashioned from the soft Bloodgold, but are instead inlaid with fine traceries and designs. When the wearer spends an action point, the armor provides her with a pool of temporary hit points in addition to the normal benefits the action point grants. If both a Bloodgold shield and Bloodgold armor is worn, both effects trigger when the action point is spent, but like always, temp hit points do not stack.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | - | -3 | - | When action point is spent, gain temp hit points equal to your level | +6,000 gp |
Medium Armor | - | +1 | -1 | +5% | When action point is spent, gain temp hit points equal to your level | +8,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | +2 | - | +10% | When action point is spent, gain temp hit points equal to your level | +11,500 gp |
Shield | - | - | - | +5% | When action point is spent, gain temp hit points equal to your level | +7,000 gp |
Bloodsilver
- Beauty: High (7 out of 10)
- Composition: 8% aurium, 92% silver
- Material Restrictions: None, can be applied to any material
- Weight: Object's base weight × 1.1 (round up to the nearest pound)
Bloodsilver Weapons
Bloodsilver is also a soft metal, and bloodsilver weapons, like bloodgold, are generally either coated or inlaid with the metal to gain its magical affinities. Weapons crafted from bloodsilver create ragged wounds, inflicting bleed effects on their targets. Indeed, ancient lore suggests that bloodsilver itself has an insatiable thirst for blood.
Bloodsilver weapons count as Silver for purposes of overcoming DR x/silver or exploiting a vulnerability to Silver. Lycanthropes often have this type of DR or vulnerability.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | inflict bleed 1 | +500 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | - | inflict bleed 2 | +10,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | - | inflict bleed 2 | +12,500 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | - | inflict bleed 3 | +17,000 gp |
Bloodsilver Armors
When the wearer spends an action point, the armor immediately ends one status condition she is suffering from, in addition to the normal benefits the action point grants. If both a Bloodsilver shield and Bloodsilver armor are worn, both effects trigger when the action point is spent, allowing up to two conditions to be cleared. Note that the following status conditions cannot be cured with Bloodsilver's features: bloodied, staggered and unconscious. It will, however, end a prone, grappled or pinned condition, cure all energy drain or ability damage currently afflicting the wearer, or any other single status condition they are suffering from.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | +1 | -1 | - | When action point is spent, end one condition on you | +5,500 gp |
Medium Armor | - | +1 | -1 | +5% | When action point is spent, end one condition on you | +7,500 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | +2 | -2 | +10% | When action point is spent, end one condition on you | +11,000 gp |
Shield | - | +1 | -1 | +5% | When action point is spent, end one condition on you | +6,500 gp |
Cuprium and Its Alloys
Cuprium has only a modest capacity for dweomer and is soft and brittle. Further, it is an unimpressive lackluster gray, and will not take a shine under even the best of conditions. However, it is readily dissolved in various acids, and can then be rendered into a powder and added to various paints, dyes, and coatings. It can also be soaked into cloth, wood, and leather, or added to various other ingredients to make powders, philters, potions, ointments, unguents,..well, you get the idea.
Cuprium is actually the most widely used dweomermetal, but most people have never seen the actual metal itself, even experienced mages who have been actively making items for years. Nearly every piece of enchanted clothing, most potions, many magic staves and rods and wands, all have cuprium helping to bind the enchantment. Cuprium is almost never alloyed with anything, but occasionally it is used with a small amount of silver added to improve its physical properties or to improve its performance when it is to be used as a pigment. The color cuprium adds on its own, with no further pigments, is a very subtle iridescence, that when used on spidersilk or linen gives a very nice effect.
As with all of the dweomermetals and special materials, cuprium-infused weapons and armors are masterwork. Cuprium is unique in the fact that it may be applied to an already-crafted cloth, leather, bone or wood weapon or armor to make it masterwork, even if it is mundane (non-masterwork) to begin with. This is useful if a weapon or armor has sentimental value, as with a family heirloom, allowing for a humble beginning that grows in power as the character grows in power (for the cost of actually enchanting it, of course). Weapons and armor which are primarily metal (such as longswords or chainmail) cannot be cuprium-infused, and thus cannot be upgraded from mundane to masterwork.
Cuprium-Infused Materials
- Beauty: Low (3 out of 10)
- Composition: 100%, powdered and infused
- Material Restrictions: Non-metal objects only
- Weight: No change
Cuprium-Infused Weapons
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | - | +75 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | +2 CMD | - | +350 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | +2 CMD | - | +450 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | +2 CMD | - | +600 gp |
Cuprium-Infused Armors
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | +1 | -3 | -10% | +1 material bonus to Reflex saves | +1,500 gp |
Medium Armor | - | +2 | -3 | -10% | +1 material bonus to Reflex saves | +3,500 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | +2 | -3 | -5% | +1 material bonus to Reflex saves | +8,000 gp |
Shield | - | +1 | -3 | -10% | +1 material bonus to Reflex saves | +2,500 gp |
Mithril and Its Alloys
Mithril is one of the oldest and best known of the dweomermetals, and for good reason. Mithril is hard, durable, resists shock well, has a high melting point, polishes to a nice sheen, and is a quite attractive metal. Mithril is often called true silver, due to its similarity to that metal, but to the trained eye it is immediately recognizable. The color of mithril is exactly like silver, a rich silvery luster, but the metal is actually shinier than silver and gives a sharper sheen.
When well polished, mithril begins to look almost transparent, as if you were looking down into the surface of the metal. It is a most unsettling effect and instantly recognizable once you have seen it. Mithril is only barely less strong than aurium at holding an enchantment, and is hugely more sturdy. Mithril is much stronger than steel and is the most common dweomermetal used in magical armors and weapons. Add in the fact that mithril is a lovely metal and it is easy to see why it is the most widely used in weapons, especially those used to impress as well as defeat a foe.
Unfortunately, demand for mithril is much too high to allow it to be used pure, for the cost would be prohibitive, not to mention that pure mithril is very difficult to keep from tarnishing. Basic mithril alloy is one tenth part mithril and nine tenths good quality steel. Better magic armors are made of an alloy called puremetal, which is one tenth part mithril, one tenth part argent, one tenth part copper, one tenth part nickel, one tenth part silver,and one half iron. This alloy is tough, very hard, easy to forge, can be heat treated to make it even harder while keeping its flexibility, and best of all, won't rust or tarnish even before it is enchanted.
Other common alloys of mithril use three parts mithril, three parts argent and four parts aurium to make peacemetal, and half mithril and half argent to make bladesilver. ( Most smiths feel bladesilver to produce the finest weapons of all, when the aesthetics of the weapon have any say in the matter.)
Mithril Alloy
- Beauty: Moderate (5 out of 10)
- Composition: 10% mithril, 90% iron
- Material Restrictions: Metal objects only
- Weight: Object's base weight × 0.5 (round up to the nearest pound)
Mithril Alloy Armors
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | -2 CMD | +2 | -1 | -10% | - | +1,000 gp |
Medium Armor | -2 CMD | +2 | -1 | -10% | Considered light armor; Speed penalty from armor reduced by 5 | +4,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | -2 CMD | +2 | -2 | -5% | Considered medium armor; Speed penalty from armor reduced by 5 | +9,000 gp |
Shield | -2 CMD | +2 | -1 | -10% | - | +1,000 gp |
Puremetal
- Beauty: Moderate (5 out of 10)
- Composition: 10% mithril, 10% argent, 10% copper, 10% nickel, 10% silver, 50% iron
- Material Restrictions: Metal objects only
- Weight: Object's base weight × 0.33 (round up to the nearest pound)
Puremetal Weapons
The bonus to initiative from puremetal weapons is considered a material bonus and only applies while the puremetal weapon is being wielded in combat. As a result, using multiple puremetal weapons does not stack this bonus, since multiple like bonuses do not stack.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | +2 to initiative when used in combat | +150 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | -2 CMD | +2 to initiative when used in combat | +12,500 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | -2 CMD | +2 to initiative when used in combat | +15,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | -2 CMD | +2 to initiative when used in combat | +20,000 gp |
Puremetal Armors
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | -2 CMD | +3 | -2 | -10% | - | +20,000 gp |
Medium Armor | -2 CMD | +3 | -2 | -10% | Considered light armor; Speed penalty from armor reduced by 5 | +35,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | -2 CMD | +3 | -3 | -5% | Considered medium armor; Speed penalty from armor reduced by 5 | +45,000 gp |
Shield | -2 CMD | +3 | -2 | -10% | - | +25,000 gp |
Peacemetal
- Beauty: Moderate (6 out of 10)
- Composition: 30% mithril, 30% argent, 40% aurium
- Material Restrictions: Metal objects only
- Weight: One third of object's base weight (round up to the nearest pound)
Peacemetal Weapons
Wielders of peacemetal weapons that spend an action point to make an attack gain a +2 bonus to their next to-hit roll. If the attack action taken via the action point requires multiple to-hit rolls (such as with the Monk's Echoing Strike attack), all to-hit rolls made get this bonus.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | +2 to initiative. When action point is spent, add +2 to attack roll | +800 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | -1 CMD | +2 to initiative. When action point is spent, add +2 to attack roll | +40,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | -1 CMD | +2 to initiative. When action point is spent, add +2 to attack roll | +50,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | -1 CMD | +2 to initiative. When action point is spent, add +2 to attack roll | +70,000 gp |
Peacemetal Armors
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | -1 CMD | +4 | -3 | -10% | - | +250,000 gp |
Medium Armor | -1 CMD | +4 | -4 | -10% | Considered light armor; Speed penalty from armor reduced by 5 | +350,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | -1 CMD | +4 | -5 | -5% | Considered medium armor; Speed penalty from armor reduced by 10 | +500,000 gp |
Shield | -1 CMD | +4 | -3 | -10% | - | +300,000 gp |
Bladesilver
- Beauty: High (8 out of 10)
- Composition: 50% mithril, 50% argent
- Material Restrictions: Slashing and piercing weapons only
- Weight: One half the object's base weight (round up to the nearest pound)
Bladesilver Weapons
The material bonus to-hit and damage from bladesilver only applies to the weapon being wielded in combat. Bladesilver weapons count as Silver for purposes of overcoming DR x/silver or exploiting a vulnerability to Silver.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | +1 material bonus to-hit and damage | +300 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | -1 CMD | +1 material bonus to-hit and damage | +5,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | -1 CMD | +1 material bonus to-hit and damage | +7,500 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | -1 CMD | +1 material bonus to-hit and damage | +10,000 gp |
Adamantium and Its Alloys
Adamantium is often called the king of metals, and with good reason. It is extremely tough, extremely hard, and is quite malleable, although the force required to forge it is excessive. It should be emphasized that adamantium is not rare. It can be found in small amounts in almost any stream or river as a heavy, black, sandy material. What makes adamantium so valuable is the ability to work it at all. It is so refractory that magic must be used to generate enough heat to melt it. A bowl of adamantium can be used to heat iron until it boils into a vapor, and the adamantium will still be unwarmed. Indeed, one of the biggest drawbacks of using adamantium to make anything is the difficulty in doing anything to it.
Adamantium is always used as an alloy, because the pure stuff is nigh impossible to work with. Creating an adamantium alloy requires magical heat and crucibles, so that the sandy adamantium may be hammered while metal vapor is blown through it. Adamantium is most often alloyed with steel and aurium.
Another problem with adamantium is that it is, to be frank, not a pretty metal at all. It is a dull dark gray, which sullenly refuses to accept any kind of high polish at all. It reflects light poorly, but it does betray its extraordinary nature by the electric blue highlights it displays under strong light, as well as having a sort of moire pattern to its surface which (if examined closely) seems to extend both above and below its surface. Adamantium is also brutally heavy, and has the charming property of granting its unlovely appearance to any alloy made of it, completely overwhelming the other metal's properties.
So why does anyone bother using the stuff at all? Because it can hold over triple the magic of aurium, its closest rival. It is almost perfect for armor and weapons, since an adamantium blade can be used to whittle a horseshoe even before it is enchanted.
The simplest and by far most common alloy of Adamantium is one third adamantium and two-thirds iron, and is called adamantine, a confusing situation to be sure. The alloy second most commonly used is the remarkably ugly Dolemetal, so called for the dolerous effect it has on appearance. Dolemetal consists of one third adamantium, one third copper, and one third iron. For really powerful devices, aurium is substituted for the copper, creating Truemetal. Very rarely, the greatest wizardsmiths have a technique for smithing an alloy which is one third each of adamantium, aurium, and mithril, referred to as paramount alloy. Given the difficulty of working paramount alloy, this explains the legendary reputations of those smiths quite handily!
Note: Any metal containing adamantium, including adamantine, dolemetal, truemetal, and paramount alloy is counted as 'adamantine' for the purpose of any feats, tactics, or abilities which count on adamantium as a material.
Adamantine
- Beauty: Ugly (2 out of 10)
- Composition: 34% adamantium, 66% iron
- Material Restrictions: Metal objects only
- Weight: Object's base weight × 2
Adamantine Weapons
Adamantine weapons are adept at sundering objects due to their extremely high hardness and ability to hold a strong edge. Furthermore weapons made of adamantine can penetrate DR x/adamantine, which is a defense common among constructs.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | +2 CMB | - | +60 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | +2 CMB | - | +2,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | +2 CMB | - | +3,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | +2 CMB | - | +5,000 gp |
Adamantine Armors
The DR provided by this armor is an item bonus that stacks with other permanent sources of identical DR (DR x/-). Permanent sources can be class abilities (e.g. the Brawler's "stick and move" stance), racial abilities and feats. DR from other magic items also provide an item bonus, so they cannot be stacked.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | +2 CMD | - | +1 | +10% | DR 1/- | +5,000 gp |
Medium Armor | +2 CMD | - | +1 | +15% | DR 2/- | +10,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | +2 CMD | - | +1 | +20% | DR 3/- | +15,000 gp |
Shield | +2 CMD | - | +1 | +10% | DR 1/- | +5,000 gp |
Dolemetal
- Beauty: From the Elemental Plane of Ugly (1 out of 10)
- Composition: 34% adamantium, 33% iron, 33% copper
- Material Restrictions: Metal objects only
- Weight: Object's base weight × 2.5 (round up to the nearest pound)
Dolemetal Weapons
The bonus to forced movement is considered a material bonus. Thus, wielding multiple dolemetal weapons does not stack this bonus. Additionally, the maneuver or ability you use to inflict forced movement must be made with the dolemetal weapon to take effect. Holding a dolemetal dagger will not allow a spellcaster to increase the forced movement of their spells, for example.
Dolemetal counts as Adamantine for purposes of overcoming DR x/adamantine or exploiting a vulnerability to Adamantine, as well as any feats, abilities or tactics which require Adamantine to be present.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | +3 CMB | - | +125 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | +3 CMB | adds +1 to forced movement | +10,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | +3 CMB | adds +1 to forced movement | +12,500 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | +3 CMB | adds +1 to forced movement | +15,000 gp |
Dolemetal Armors
The DR provided by this armor is an item bonus that stacks with other permanent sources of identical DR (DR x/-). Permanent sources can be class abilities (e.g. the Brawler's "stick and move" stance), racial abilities and feats. DR from other magic items also provide an item bonus, so they cannot be stacked.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | - | +1 | +10% | DR 2/-; CMD +1 | +20,000 gp |
Medium Armor | - | - | +1 | +15% | DR 3/-; CMD +1 | +35,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | - | +1 | +20% | DR 4/-; CMD +2 | +45,000 gp |
Shield | - | - | +1 | +10% | DR 2/-; CMD +1 | +25,000 gp |
Truemetal
- Beauty: Ugly (2 out of 10)
- Composition: 34% adamantium, 33% iron, 33% aurium
- Material Restrictions: Metal objects only
- Weight: Object's base weight × 3
Truemetal Weapons
The bonus to forced movement is considered a material bonus. Thus, wielding multiple truemetal weapons does not stack this bonus. Additionally, the maneuver or ability you use to inflict forced movement must be made with the truemetal weapon to take effect. Holding a truemetal dagger will not allow a spellcaster to increase the forced movement of their spells, for example.
Truemetal counts as Adamantine for purposes of overcoming DR x/adamantine or exploiting a vulnerability to Adamantine, as well as any feats, abilities or tactics which require Adamantine to be present.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | +4 CMB | adds +1 to forced movement | +180 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | +4 CMB | adds +1 to forced movement | +15,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | +4 CMB | adds +1 to forced movement | +17,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | +4 CMB | adds +1 to forced movement | +20,000 gp |
Truemetal Armors
The DR provided by this armor is an item bonus that stacks with other permanent sources of identical DR (DR x/-). Permanent sources can be class abilities (e.g. the Brawler's "stick and move" stance), racial abilities and feats. DR from other magic items also provide an item bonus, so they cannot be stacked.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | - | +2 | +20% | DR 3/-; CMD +1; Forced movement reduced by 1 square | +100,000 gp |
Medium Armor | - | - | +2 | +25% | DR 4/-; CMD +2; Forced movement reduced by 1 square | +150,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | - | +2 | +30% | DR 5/-; CMD +2; Forced movement reduced by 2 squares | +200,000 gp |
Shield | - | - | +2 | +20% | DR 3/-; CMD +1; Forced movement reduced by 1 square | +150,000 gp |
Paramount Alloy
- Beauty: Ugly (2 out of 10)
- Composition: 34% adamantium, 33% mithril, 33% aurium
- Material Restrictions: Metal objects only
- Weight: Object's base weight × 2.5 (round up to the nearest pound)
Paramount Alloy Weapons
Paramount Alloy counts as Adamantine for purposes of overcoming DR x/adamantine or exploiting a vulnerability to Adamantine, as well as any feats, abilities or tactics which require Adamantine to be present.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | +5 CMB | - | +2,500 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | +5 CMB | +1 material AC bonus | +300,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | +5 CMB | +1 material AC bonus | +500,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | +5 CMB | +2 material AC bonus | +700,000 gp |
Paramount Alloy Armors
The DR provided by this armor is an item bonus that stacks with other permanent sources of identical DR (DR x/-). Permanent sources can be class abilities (e.g. the Brawler's "stick and move" stance), racial abilities and feats. DR from other magic items also provide an item bonus, so they cannot be stacked.
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | +1 | +2 | +25% | DR 4/-; CMD +2; Forced movement reduced by 1 square | +300,000 gp |
Medium Armor | - | - | +2 | +30% | DR 5/-; CMD +3; Forced movement reduced by 1 square | +500,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | - | +2 | +40% | DR 6/-; CMD +3; Forced movement reduced by 2 squares | +700,000 gp |
Shield | - | +1 | +2 | +25% | DR 4/-; CMD +2; Forced movement reduced by 1 square | +350,000 gp |
Other Special Materials
There are many other special materials than those listed here, but most of them fall into one of three categories: they are so rare that it's difficult to amass enough to create a useful weapon or suit of armor from it, it's so difficult to work with that no one will craft with it, or it isn't a true 'material' per se, but instead a magical creation.
Common Materials
Silver Weapons
Silver weapons allow wielders to overcome Damage Resistance x/Silver, and exploit any vulnerabilities to Silver that a creature may have. Lycanthropes often have this type of DR or vulnerability.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | - | +5 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | - | - | +400 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | - | - | +600 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | - | - | +800 gp |
Cold Iron Weapons
Cold Iron weapons allow wielders to overcome Damage Resistance x/Cold Iron, and exploit any vulnerabilities to Silver that a creature may have. Fey creatures often have this type of DR or vulnerability.
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | - | +25 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | - | - | +2,000 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | - | - | +3,000 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | - | - | +4,000 gp |
Ultra-Rare Materials
There are a huge number of unique magic-affixing materials that have been found in extremely limited quantities. The most common of these are fallen stars, starmetal, pure fundaments, skyshards, void cysts, and mountainheart crystals. The utter lack of any kind of ore and the limited availability of samples of these materials has precluded the chance of searching out commercially useful amounts.
Unworkable Materials
Siegestone has the rather unique property of destroying or absorbing magic. As a result, this heavy stone must be quarried and cut by the use of hand tools and costly manual labor. Siegestone is twice as dense as normal stone, weighing roughly 800 lbs per cubic foot. Siegestone cleaves on 90-degree planes, and treated shapes are brittle and flake away easily, so crafting things other than walls or veneers is generally fruitless. However, its warding properties are highly prized as a means of protecting fortifications and other stoneworks from magical sieges and attacks. Despite its unattractive apppearance, veneers of siegestone are frequently found in aristocratic parlors whose curators value their privacy more highly than their treasury.
Another less widely used material is Dural. Dural is a type of stone found in the deepest mines which contains a very high proportion of fundamental Stone. Dural is not an especially good stone to work with in construction, (it fractures easily, has a difficult-to-find cleavage plane structure, and is friable) but its extreme heaviness (it is five times denser than lead) gives it a niche market in exotic Sling Bullets and Seige ammunition, as well as a few occasional uses in shipbuilding for keel weights.
Dural Stone
Metal | Cost | Sm Dmg | Med Dmg | Crit | Range | Wt | Type | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dural Ammo | x5 | +1 step | +1 step | +1 range | Halved, minimum 10 | x3 | Bludgeoning | |
Dural is a special stone mined from deep underground which is incredibly dense and heavy, five times as dense as lead. Dural is not a very useful building stone due to its poor physical properties, but can be formed into bullets or huckin'-rocks. Its extreme weight triples the weight per shot of bullets made from it, halves the range increment, but increases the damage die by one step. Due to the mass of Dural the smallest range penalty it inflicts is ten feet. If applied to a weapon with a range increment of ten or less, it removes the range completely as it becomes essentially unthrowable at that point. Even with the added weight, Dural bullets are smaller in diameter than lead Sling bullets, increasing the chance for critical damage. Note that dural ammunition is able to defeat a wind wall spell's deflection and miss chance effects due to its extreme density. |
Magically-Created Materials
The most prevalent of the artificial dweomermetals is glassteel. Glassteel is glass which has been ensorceled to retain the lightness and energy-absorbing properties of glass, but also have the durability of steel. Needless to say, this makes a pretty decent suit of armor, but can also make for interesting weapons and particularly ammunition, such as arrows. A very famous fairy-tale about Ascallarre Rift-Sealer tells of his shattering glassteel arrows, inflicting ten-thousand wounds with every shot. Surprisingly, glassteel can be used with fabric, hide, padded, and similar “soft” armors, as glass-smiths can magically spin glass so thin that it is flexible, and then the entire spool can be converted to glassteel.
Ancient lore also tells of magically altered wood, such as Stonewood, Ironwood and Steelwood, which altered natural wood to take on greater durability and magical affinity, but these methods have been lost to time.
Glassteel
- Beauty: Moderate (6 out of 10)
- Composition: Magically altered glass
- Material Restrictions: Any
- Weight: Object's base weight × 2.5 (round up to the nearest pound)
Glassteel Weapons
Item | Sunder | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | - | On a confirmed crit, deals 1d6 bonus damage | +120 gp/missile |
Light Weapons | - | On a confirmed crit, Break weapon to deal 1d8 bonus damage | +4,500 gp |
One-Handed Weapons | - | On a confirmed crit, Break weapon to deal 1d8 bonus damage | +5,500 gp |
Two-Handed Weapons | - | On a confirmed crit, Break weapon to deal 1d8 bonus damage | +7,000 gp |
Glassteel Armors
Item | Sunder | Max Dex | Armor Check Penalty | Spell Failure | Innate Features | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Light Armor | - | +1 | -2 | -10% | Break armor to negate one hit | +2,000 gp |
Medium Armor | - | +1 | -2 | -15% | Break armor to negate one hit; +1 material bonus to initiative | +5,000 gp |
Heavy Armor | - | +1 | -2 | -20% | Break armor to negate one hit; +2 material bonus to initiative | +9,000 gp |
Shield | - | +1 | -2 | -10% | Break armor to negate one hit | +2,500 gp |