Extrapolated Materials
When dealing with extrapolation, what you have are my best guess about how to create the following materials, using already existing materials as a template. By using existing materials, we can draw conclusions on how the followings would interact. Each set of extrapolated material has the explination behind it and the way it would be used as well as recommendations to DMs and players alike.
You may say to yourself, “this is nothing more then a bunch of house rules” and you would be correct, in one sense. However, these sets of house rules are explained in detail and include the chain of logic and math that brought me to the conclusions I have included here. If your DM accepts my base logic, then every extrapolated material is perfectly acceptable. If he disagrees with my base logic, then this is a nice thought experiment.
Why I encourage the use of said material
Two reasons. One, if you accept anything out of dragon magazine, a notorious 3.0/3.5 “cannon” source material, then I assure you, nothing here is worse then that. Two, they aren’t making anything new for 3.0/3.5 unless you are going to pathfinder. Some of us loath and despise pathfinder. So, if you want new material, it’s homebrew or nothing. So if you are going to homebrew, why not homebrew with some logic and reasoning behind it?
Combining Materials
It is important to recognize the stacking rules. When combining materials, it is always assumed that nothing stacks. You get the best values, but you never add values together. Two materials that give you improved ASF do not add. You would only get the better of the two. Counterpoint, the cost is always added together. So, where penalties are involved, it does stack, but when it works to the creator’s advantage, it doesn’t. You may want to play it differently, but that is the foundation of these extrapolations. I find it sensible to err on the side of caution.
Alloy or not to Alloy
Most of the materials are created based on assumptions of how the material is created. Any material that is an alloy is assumed to be something “added” to a base metal. So, I will be going through the list of metals and finding everything that is apparently a metal in an of itself, and then everything that is an alloy. Then the “alloy” material will be assumed to be able to be combined with all the “base” metals and the combinations will be presented.
Can you alloy more than one alloy and a base material together? For the purposes of this extrapolation, I will go with “No”. The reason being that at some point the material will break down from being diluted too much. If you could combine alloys, then someone would have already done such. However, there are some materials, like pure ore, oerthblood, and shift silver that can be alloyed with any other material. It is in their description. For this reason, those materials are not included in the extrapolated alloy list. Furthermore, because they can already be alloyed with alloys, it is assumed that you can freely combine all three AND any of the following extrapolated materials as you wish.
In fact, if you take nothing else away from this handbook, I suggest you combine Pure Ore, Oerthblood, and Shiftsilver with every metal item you create, if you have the WBL to spare. It may be overkill, but who doesn’t love a little overkill?
Alternate Alloy Methods
There are two exceptions to the above. One is extrapolated, the other is not.
Aurorum: This material always can be reformed no matter how much it is shattered. It is the same as steel in all other respects. Sunder it, take a full round action, you can put it back together. I have theorized that such a material would make a great “bridge” between two other metals. A flat 4,000 gp regardless of the amount of material needed to make any metallic item implies there is a certain amount of inherent magical property involved. If the same amount of material is needed to make a dagger as a suit of Mechanus Gear Armor, then that would make no sense, what so ever. The implication then is that it is the amount you need to make an alloy of something else. I will be listing it in the alloy materials list, but I also suggest that it would make it possible to combine two metals together into one new blended material, regardless of the two materials involved. If you use it in this fashion, you open up a whole new world of possibilities. It is our suggestion, that if you mix two alloys and two base metals together using Aurorum as the bridge, you have to pay the 4,000 gp cost, but you lose the “reform” power of the Aurorum. In effect, the “hold together” power is refocused on holding two incompatible materials together.
Wish: Finally, we come to the ultimate in rules breaking, the wish spell. With a wish you can create any non-magical object up to 25,000 gp. Even if you do not accept the rules and suggestions presented here, any player who wants to blow a wish on combining two materials should get his way. However, I have some suggestions on that.
Wish (Hard Limit): The hard limit approach assumes there is a reason for that 25,000 gp cap, and it also assumes that it doesn’t stack with itself. So, you can combine any material you want with any other material, including metal, stone, and wood, but the combined material for the use in question cannot exceed 25,000 gp, ever. So making Obdurium Heavy Armor already exceeds your expense limit. Still, even with a 25k limit, you can pull off some really strange combos.
Wish (WBL Limit): The soft limit says you can combine as many different materials as you wish, provided you factor in 27,500 gp against your wealth by level for each wish. Yes, you can combine Obdurium with coldwood and rimefire ice and it won’t melt and have the very best of all the properties. You also need to tack on 55,000 gp to the base cost of the weapon, on top of the cost of the raw materials for forging in the first place.
Wish (Five’s the Limit): Let us remember that if you use a wish to combine two materials, you are giving up a +1 Inherent bonus to an ability of your choice. That’s a hell of a price to pay for Adamantine bluewood, especially if it’s just because you like the color. If someone is willing to blow a wish on that sort of thing, then the limit would be just like any other inherent bonus, no more than 5 wishes on a weapon. I would say that one could do something crazy, like wish up an item’s Base AC. I’d give them a +1 Inherent bonus on said item. But an item is not a PC, and I would impose a limit of 5 regardless of what you wish together, or improve. You can have +5 inherent bonus to hit, or +5 inherent bonus to Damage, or reduce the ASF by 25%, but you can’t do all of that. Five wishes, MAX.
Other Material
I’ll be exploring some of the other material, but I’m going to assume without a wish, you can’t “blend” stone. I will be adding a section of combining plants, but we’ll address that later.
ABYSSAL
- PLANAR HANDBOOK (3.5)
ABYSSAL BLOODIRON
[Alloy (Metal), Masterwork]
Cost
Weapon: 10,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: 10
Hit Points: x1
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 30
Weight: x1
Abyssal bloodiron is formed by “Abyssal bloodiron is mined from thin deposits of mixed blood and ferrous mineral, compacted over the years, then forged at a low temperature to preserve its innate powers.” Which is a strong indication that it is an alloy instead of a base metal all on its own. Another strong indicator is that the material has a flat cost, regardless of the size and type of weapon created. This is a strong indicator that this is a property that can be added to any other base material that goes through the process. However, The problem is the “forged at low temperatures” aspect of this material. I suspect that actually the “cold iron” properties are actually an aspect of the base material, and not the material it is alloyed with. So, for the purposes of this alloy, We are treating Abyssal as an alloy that, as far as the original material is concerned, cold forged with cold iron. Thus this extrapolated material does not have cold iron properties. That said, it also does not have a cost reduction. The reason for not reducing the cost is because of the variable cost of cold iron, as well as game balance. As a DM, I will always err on the side of caution as to the costs of these materials when extrapolated. However, note that in the original material, it clearly states that masterwork is added into the 10,000 gp price tag, and ordinary cold iron is double masterwork cost. While not clear cut answer, it does indicate that the cost of masterwork is divided between the alloy and the base, so we don’t need to reduce the cost of the alloy for extrapolation purposes. Also, because the base material is the cold iron, we can remove the 2,000 gp penalty for enchanting weapons with this material.
Properties: It adds the masterwork property to the base material it is added to. It grants the weapon a +4 to confirmation of criticals.
Description: Weapons forged of the metal usually appear dark except for their cutting edges, which are as red as freshly spilled blood.
Editor (Criticals): I do not play with confirming criticals. If you crit, it’s always confirmed. Which makes this material useless in my campaign. So, I have a house rule where it instead improves your crit range by 1, which stacks with everything and can be multiplied with keen or other crit range multipliers.
ADAMANTINE
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.0)
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.5)
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
ADAMANTINE
[Base (Metal), Masterwork]
Cost
Ammunition: +60 gp
Weapon: +3,000 gp
Light Armor: +5,000 gp
Medium Armor: +10,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +15,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: 20
Hit Points: x1.333
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 40
Weight: x1
Found only in meteorites and the rarest of veins in magical areas, this ultra-hard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor. One of the most obvious examples of materials that are clearly base metals.
Properties: Weapons fashioned from adamantine have a natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 20. Armor made from adamantine grants its wearer damage reduction of 1/– if it’s light armor, 2/– if it’s medium armor, and 3/– if it’s heavy armor. Items without metal parts cannot be made from adamantine. An arrow could be made of adamantine, but a quarterstaff could not. Only weapons, armor, and shields normally made of metal can be fashioned from adamantine.
Description: None given.
Editor: What’s not to love about adamantine? It over comes hardness letting you saw your way through anything. As armor it gives you universal damage reduction. True, 1-3 HPs off every blow isn’t much, but over time it adds up. 5,000 gp a 1/- is a great deal. Alas, it has to be metal weapons and armor, but still it is so worth it for anyone who uses said items.
ALCHEMICAL SILVER
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.5)
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
ALCHEMICAL SILVER
[Base (Metal), Masterwork]
Cost
Ammunition: +2 gp
Light Weapon: +20 gp
One Handed or one head of a double weapon: +90
Two Handed or two heads of a double weapon: +180 gp
Armor: +1,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: 8
Hit Points: x1
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 10
Weight: x1
A complex process involving metallurgy and alchemy can bond silver to a weapon made of steel so that it bypasses the damage reduction of creatures such as lycanthropes.
Properties (Weapon): On a successful attack with a silvered weapon, the wielder takes a –1 penalty on the damage roll (with the usual minimum of 1 point of damage).
Limitations (Weapon): The alchemical silvering process can’t be applied to non-metal items, and it doesn’t work on rare metals such as adamantine, cold iron, and mithral.
Editor (Weapon): The fact that it doesn’t work on “rare metals” is the problem. What is a rare metal? Will it work with bronze? Will it work with alchemical gold? There are a fair number of questions as to what is and is not a “rare metal”. One could claim it’s all magical metals. I’m frankly not sure. However, there are other metals that do the same thing as Alchemical Silver, so I think I will just let it stand as is.
Properties (Armor): Armor made from silver grants electricity resistance 2.
Editor (Armor): And this is where it gets confusing. The flat cost for the armor lends this material to be an alloy rather than a base material. However, the armor qualities of Alchemical Silver are from 3.0, not 3.5. So, we must draw the conclusion that it became a base material in 3.5, but was an alloy in 3.0. There is no reason to assume that it lost it’s armor properties in 3.5, but it’s possible. The updated entry didn’t include it, but it didn’t exclude it either. So, you should take it with a grain of salt. To err on the side of caution, I have listed silver as a base material, and thus can be the target of alloys, but cannot be combined with other bases. It doesn’t feel quite right, but it’s my best guess.
ARANDUR
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
ARANDUR
[Base (Metal)]
Cost
Armor: +2,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: 12
Hit Points: x1
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 30
Weight: x1
Arandur is a rare natural metal found in igneous rock, usually as streaks of blue-green ore amid vitreous glass. Clearly this material is a base metal and not an alloy by the description
Properties: Armor made from arandur grants sonic resistance 2. Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected. (A suit of chainmail is affected, while a suit of studded leather is not).
Description: When refined and forged, the metal is silver-blue with a green reflective shine.
Editor: The material gives you sonic resistance 2, which unfortunately won’t stack with any magical sonic resistance, although it will work in an antimagic zone. By itself not a good choice, but if alloyed with other materials and you never plan on buying up your sonic resistance, that 2 points isn’t a horrible choice.
ASTRAL
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
- PLANAR HANDBOOK (3.5)
ASTRAL DRIFTMETAL
[Template]
Cost
Any: +12,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: x1
Hit Points: x1
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: x1
Weight: x1
Astral driftmetal is an oddity. It is a material that is mined in the astral plane “only on Tu’narath and other islands of matter floating in the Astral Plane“. In the original entry it states, “It is very similar to iron but has a single remarkable feature.” Then it goes on to state that it is affective against the incorporeal AND has limits on what metal armor it can be used with. So, it can only be mined in one location, and OTHER islands of matter floating about at random. It also has a SINGLE remarkable feature, then lists two differences with iron. Frankly, the original creator of this material does not understand the English language. He clearly does not know what “only” and “single” means. Because of the poor wording of this material, we have a bit of a quandary. I believe that driftmetal is a base metal that exists in the astral plane and that the affects of the astral plane has materials that naturally occur there are a template that can be placed on any materials.
Editor (Driftmetal): Drift metal has hardness 12 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness. driftmetal is not malleable enough to be worked into chainmail or scale mail; only a breastplate, shield, or any form of heavy armor can be made from it. A suit of driftmetal armor weighs the same as a suit of armor made of steel. Other statistics of the armor (maximum Dexterity bonus, armor check penalty, and arcane spell failure chance) are unchanged.
Origin: Astral is a template that can be placed on any material. It is an aspect of existing in the astral plane for extended periods of time. It isn’t something easily forced upon a material as the plane is timeless, so it make take moments or millennia for those who wait for such a thing on the prime material. Unfortunately, not all materials on the astral plane take on this trait, with driftmetal seeming to be the most common version. Any material can eventually pick up the astral template. It is far more common to get the material by creating it with magic or wishing a chunk into existence. The cost of this template is basically because of the extreme rarity of astral versions of materials.
Properties: Astral template when applied to a material then allows that material to be treated as if it was made of force against incorporeal attacks and targets. When used in Armor, you can use the full armor bonus against incorporeal touch attacks including enhancement bonuses. When used in a weapon, said weapon does not suffer from the miss chance of an incorporeal target.
Description: Same as base material
Editor: As a side note, this is very expensive property to have on any material. However, for some people, what is effectively ghost touch that works in an antimagic field is worth any price. Note, I have not limited it to just metal, but any material. Assuming you leave wood in the astral plane long enough, it could pick up the trait just as easily as any material.
AURORUM
- BOOK OF EXALTED DEEDS (3.5)
AURORUM
[Alloy (Metal)]
Cost
Any: +4,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: 10
Hit Points: x1
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 30
Weight: x1
This material appears to be an alloy, because of the flat cost regardless of what item you forge with it, but also because it is referred to as, “This luminous steel” which indicates it is an alloy that you add to steel to make it Aurorum.
Properties: An aurorum item that has been sundered can be reformed by bringing together its fragments (a full-round action). The broken pieces bond quickly and seamlessly, restoring the item to its previous state.
Description: This luminous steel gleams with varying hues of pink and indigo.
Editor: I see no reason why this alloy could not be used to hold together two different materials that normally are incompatible. However, that is not supported by any RAW source I can find. It’s just a judgment call. As it stands, it would be something you alloy with another base material. If you did use it to join together two bases (which would be the upward limit, as far as I would allow), it would lose it’s Aurorum properties. The aurorum’s ability to “reform” would be used to basically hold the normally incompatible metals together. I would not allow it to work with any non-metal.
BAATORIAN GREEN STEEL
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
- FIENDISH CODEX 2 (3.5)
BAATORIAN GREEN STEEL
[Base (Metal)]
Cost
Any: +1,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: 12
Hit Points: x1
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 30
Weight: x1
Mined in deep shafts on Avernus, Baatorian green steel is lighter and harder than normal metal. The near-continuous fighting or Hell’s first layer makes large-scale mining operations difficult, but because this metal is well-suited for use in weapon crafting, the effort is often worth the price. From the description, it clearly is a base metal and not some strange alloy of steel in spite what it’s called.
Properties: Any slashing or piercing weapon created with Baatorian green steel deals an extra 1 point of damage. This bonus stacks with enhancement bonuses provided by magic. Note this effect does not extend to any other sort of weapon. There is no in game benefit when this materials is used to make armor or any other item.
Description: It’s greenish.
Editor: It’s not masterwork, so you have to pay for that if you are making a magic weapon out of it. But that is more than made up for the +1 damage that stacks with everything is well worth 1,000 gp. This is up there on my list of best materials to make something out of as anything that adds to base damage can become a force multiplier.
QUARTZ
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
BLENDED QUARTZ
[Alloy (Metal)]
Cost
Any: +1,000 gp
Properties
Hardness: 12
Hit Points: x1
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 30
Weight: x1
Light Armor: +2,000 gp
Medium Armor: +5,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +10,000 gp
Shield: +2,000/lb
This is a bit of a headache, as is so many 3.0 materials. It ignores the rules on heavy weapons, yet doubles the weight of weapons. It’s a “naturally occurring blend of iron and quartz “, but is it an alloy? If so, can you alloy other forms of quartz and crystals together? Why not diamonds and metal? Quarts does not lend itself well to “forging” Since the material has a higher DC to work with, I assume that it is actually a bit of both. I suspect it is a naturally occurring mate
This rare, naturally occurring blend of iron and quartz is cumbersome and difficult to work. Armor and shields made from blended quartz weigh twice as much as normal and incur the normal armor check penalty. The DC of relevant Craft checks involving blended quartz increases by 5. But blended quartz is a surprisingly good conduit of magical energy. Spell failure chances for blended quartz armor and shields are reduced by 20%. Weapons made from blended quartz weigh twice as much as normal but gain no additional benefits. Blended quartz has a hardness of 8 and 15 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: First of all, why is the shield by weight but the armor not? A heavy steel shield is 15 lbs and a light wooden is 5 lbs. Do I use wooden or steel values? Why is a heavy shield +30,000 gp and a suit of Mechanus Gear Plate +10,000 gp. Second, it doesn’t cover masterwork, a huge oversight considering the cost to make. Okay, complaints aside, this is what Wizards Want. Add fae crafted and thistledown and your Spell arcane failure becomes -30%. That’s enough to let a wizard wear full plate. And who needs it in a shield anyways? A mithral buckler should be good enough.
Editor (Extrapolation): This is a blend of iron and quartz. So why not blend other metals? Again, the DM has to make a choice, could Mithral Quartz exist anywhere? If so, expect someone to wish it into existence someday. That said, I would not allow it’s spell failure reduction to stack with any other material. I would suggest that instead we have the price for shields be a flat 2,000 gp as that is more inline with 3.5 values. Futhermore, it clearly is an alloy so you should be able to forge it with any sort of base material. Due note, the -20% spell failure does not stack with any other spell failure reduction built into the base material, so combining this with mithril would be pointless.
BRONZE
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.5)
- DRAGON #319
BRONZE
[Base (Metal)]
Cost
Any: None
Properties
Hardness: 9
Hit Points: x2/3 (round up)
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 20
Weight: x1
Weapons of bronze, while clearly inferior to steel items, are not nearly as bad as stone or bone weapons. Their attack and damage penalty is only –1 rather than –2. Bronze has a hardness of 9 and 20 hit points per inch of thickness. Hafted weapons (that is, weapons with wooden shafts, such as axes and spears) use normal values. Weapons of bronze, while clearly inferior to steel items, are not nearly as bad as stone or bone weapons. Attacks with weapons made of bronze have a –1 penalty on attack and damage rolls (with a minimum damage of 1). Bronze shields have the same protective value as steel shields, and their cost and weight are the same. A bronze shield has hardness 9 (compared to iron’s 10), however. A small bronze shield has 7 hit points, and a large bronze shield has 14 hit points. While the relative softness of bronze diminishes its usefulness in weapons, it allows elaborately sculpted bronze breastplates. A bronze breastplate’s armor bonus is 1 lower than a steel breastplate’s (+4), but its maximum Dexterity bonus is 1 higher (also +4).
Editor: Again, there is no reason to ever use bronze, unless you are trapped in the bronze age, or some out of the way empire is still using bones and rocks and as it turns out, bronze is cutting edge stuff. Cost is the same, the material is just inferior. Just to point it out, basically what they are saying is that any weapon that is 95% wood and 5% metal can be made with bronze without any penalty. Unless of course for some reason you need to increase the max Dex on a breastplate (or tumbler’s breastplate, I imagine.)
Editor (Alternate Rules): I would suggest that if someone wishes, they can spend 300 gp to make the weapon masterwork, thus canceling out the -1 penalty. Then it would be a weapon with no penalties or bonuses, but still be masterwork, thus eligible for enchantments. Other then pure style, there is no reason to do this. Or maybe you are dealing with a demon with 50/Bronze damage reduction. Who knows?
BYESHK
- EBERRON CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.5)
BYESHK
[Base (Metal)]
Cost
Bludgeoning Weapon: +1,500 gp
Properties
Hardness: 17
Hit Points: x35/30
Hit Points Per Inch Thickness: 35
Weight: x1.5
Mined in the Byeshk and Graywall Mountains bordering Droaam, this rare metal is prized by smiths for use in jewelry and weapons. It has a lustrous purple sheen and is hard and dense. A bludgeoning weapon whose head is made of Byeshk has a +1 enhancement bonus on damage rolls. In addition, Byeshk weapons of any type are able to bypass the damage reduction of daelkyr, which are resistant to all other weapons. It is very difficult to work into armor, and offers no significant advantage over iron armor. Byeshk has a hardness of 17 and 35 hit points per inch of thickness. An item made of Byeshk weighs 50% more than the same item made of iron.
Editor: So we got ourselves a strange one. It’s a +1 EB on damage rolls, that won’t stack with the true +1 EB you need to enchant a weapon, but damn does it have a nice hardness. The damage reduction bypass for a specific creature is very niche. Oddly enough, there is no additional cost to making a normal weapon out of this material. Make of it what you will, I can’t figure out anything to do with this.
CALOMEL
- MAGIC OF EBERRON (3.5)
Weapon: Double Base Cost
Calomel is a hard white ore that is most often found and quarried in Argonnessen, at great expense and danger. Calomel was famously utilized by the famous adventurer Arthul Vernuthan prior to his single combat against the power-mad red dragon Xarkapastarthan. Secretly mined, refined, and forged into a blade of slender gray death, the ore’s special attributes carried Arthul to victory, but his defeat of Xarkapastarthan embittered other dragons of the region, who decried Arthul as an opponent of the draconic Prophecy itself. Presumably Arthul was slain, and his blade lost. However, knowledge of calomel, where to mine it, and how to refine it still persists. Raw calomel ore is distinctive in its whiteness. It can be almost translucent, and is lustrous in bright light. It is always found adjacent to subterranean springs. When forged in the appropriate secret fashion, the resultant metal cools to a consistency and ductility like that of a standard steel alloy. Though any item can be crafted from it, calomel’s particular qualities make it most suitable for weapons. A weapon forged from calomel is pale gray, almost translucent, and water droplets constantly condense on the naked item. A calomel weapon overcomes damage reduction of creatures with the fire subtype as if it were a magic weapon, even if it does not have an enhancement bonus. For example, a mundane calomel blade wielded against a mature adult red dragon (fire subtype) would overcome that creature’s damage reduction 10/magic as if it were a magic weapon. Weapons made of calomel cost twice as much as their normal counterparts. For example, a longsword made of calomel would cost 30 gp. Items without metal parts cannot be made from calomel (so that an arrow could be made of calomel, but a quarterstaff could not). A double weapon with only one half made of calomel increases its cost by 50%. For example, a two-bladed sword with one blade of calomel and the other of steel would cost 150 gp. Calomel has hardness 10 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Do you know what else over comes DR 10/magic? MAGIC. If you are in a campaign where you cannot afford a +1 weapon, what the hell are they doing sending you against dragons for, anyways?
COLD IRON
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.5)
Weapon: x2 cost
This iron mined deep underground, known for its effectiveness against fey creatures, is forged at a lower temperature to preserve its delicate properties. Weapons made of cold iron cost twice as much to make as their normal counterparts. Also, any magical enhancements cost an additional 2,000 gp. For example, a +2 longsword made of cold iron would cost 10,330 gp, because the price doubles for the longsword itself (15 gp to 30 gp), the +2 enhancement bonus costs 8,000 gp, and enhancing cold iron costs an additional 2,000 gp. (The price includes 300 gp for the masterwork component). Items without metal parts cannot be made from cold iron. An arrow could be made of cold iron, but a quarterstaff could not. A double weapon that has only half of it made of cold iron increases its cost by 50%. A two-bladed sword with one end of cold iron and the other end steel would cost 150 gp. Cold iron has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.
Editor: Yes, it’s expensive and makes it harder to enchant with WSAs, but frankly, when it comes to damage reduction, this, silver, and adamantine are the three best special materials.
COLORED METAL
- RACES OF THE DRAGON (3.5)
Cost, Basic: +10% base cost.
Cost, Custom: +25% base cost
Kobolds and spellscales working together have perfected the process of smelting certain minerals into metal ore to create colored or tinted ingots. Any shade of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, black, or white can be created to suit any preference with marginal effort. Though the effect is only superficial, colored metal items still typically cost 10% to 25% more due to the extra care required in creating the items. Spellscales are the primary purchasers of armor and weapons made from colored metal. Colored metal has no effect on a weapon or armor’s game statistics.
Editor: The Black Knight! So they aren’t that clear on how much this costs, I’m assuming it’s supposed to be the DM’s call. To give more definitive rules on it, I divided it up into basic and custom. Basic package is just one color over all the metal. Nothing special. If you want to be the black knight, there you go. Now custom means just that. Swirls, shimmering, and more importantly, a custom fit to the customer. Otherwise, think of it as Pimp My Armor. Maybe you can get something on your mount’s armor that keeps spinning after you come to a stop.
Editor (Evil Overlord): So you want your minions to have a special look to them, well pay for the custom fit and you won’t have to worry about heroes knocking out your minions and putting on the armor. It’ll be so obvious from how ill fitting the armor is that the infiltrator will stand out like a sore thumb.
COPPER, ALCHEMICAL
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Armor: +2,000 gp
Weapon: +2,000 gp
Quite familiar to poor folk across the world, copper is known by spellcasters to be a magical purifier, aiding in magic that negates sickness and poison. While its brilliant color makes it popular for ornamental items, its relative softness makes it unsuitable for armor or weapons unless magically treated (which also activates its resistance). However, it is often used in items that provide protection from cold. Armor made from magically treated copper grants cold resistance 2. Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected. (A suit of chainmail is affected, while a suit of studded leather is not). Magically treated copper weighs the same as steel, has hardness 10, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Cold resistance 2? Pity I can’t make a suit of this and blue ice, the two would cancel each other out and I could wear it safely. There is no point to making a copper weapon, but you might want to do it just for show. A pity it doesn’t count as masterwork in and of itself.
CRYSTAL, DEEP
- EXPANDED PSIONICS HANDBOOK (3.5)
- SECRETS OF SARLONA (3.5)
Weapon: +1,000 gp
Deep crystal is crystal of above-average quality found at the hearts of large veins or deposits of mundane crystal (see below). Deep crystal is renowned for its strength and its psionically resonant nature. Mundane crystal is used for many items of psionic manufacture, such as dorjes, power stones, and psicrystals. Deep crystal is a better grade. While a weapon made of deep crystal is no different from a mundane crystal weapon for a non-psionic character, a psionic wielder of a deep crystal weapon can focus psionic power through it, increasing the damage that weapon deals. As a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, the wielder can channel psionic power into a melee weapon or ranged weapon made of deep crystal. For 2 power points, the deep crystal weapon deals an extra 2d6 points of damage. The weapon will stay charged for 1 minute or until it scores its next hit. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this power on their ammunition. All missile weapons lose this effect if they miss. However, they may be recovered and charged again. Any weapon made of deep crystal costs 1,000 gp more than its non-crystal counterpart. Any item could potentially be made out of deep crystal. Because deep crystal armor is considered to be made out of metal, druids cannot wear it. Deep crystal has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and a hardness of 10.
Editor: If you are a psionic, it might be worth it, otherwise, it’s a waste of money.
CRYSTAL, MUNDANE
- EXPANDED PSIONICS HANDBOOK (3.5)
Mundane crystal can be used in place of metal in weapons or armor, using a special forging process. The fortified crystal possesses the properties of a similar masterwork steel weapon or armor, except for visual appearance. Weapons and armor made of mundane crystal cost the same amount to make as their masterwork counterparts. Any item could potentially be made with mundane crystal. Because mundane crystal armor is considered to be made out of metal, druids cannot wear it. Mundane crystal properly forged has 25 hit points per inch of thickness and a hardness of 8.
Editor: It costs the exact same amount of money, except it looks different. If you wanted to look like you rolled out of a geode, this is the material for you. On the other hand, it completely prevents rust at no cost at all. It’s weird, as it isn’t metal and cannot rust, since it is in fact, stone. Yet, druids cannot wear it, because of the “special forging process.”
CYRITE
- PLAYER’S GUIDE TO EBERRON (3.5)
Ammunition: +5 gp
Armor: +500 gp
Weapon: +250 gp
Cyre was home to House Cannith, the humans who possess the Mark of Making. The warforged are their most famous creation, but these living constructs are not Cannith's only accomplishment. Cannith mines and forges dotted Cyre, and workers constantly unearthed ore, refined it, and shaped it into the latest Cannith masterpieces. When the Day of Mourning came, the metals that were in the process of being refined absorbed the catastrophe's arcane power. Now, ingots and chunks of this magically imbued substance lie scattered throughout the Mournland. Scholars have termed this material cyrite. Cyrite resembles steel but is slightly darker. Multicolored lines run over its surface and pulse with strange light. It is as heavy as steel, holds an edge just as well, and retains some magic essence from its odd genesis. Smiths and adventurers value cyrite for its use in weapons and armor. Weapons fashioned from cyrite count as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Armor made from cyrite absorbs magical energy and grants its wearer a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities. Cyrite shields provide no special benefit, Items without metal parts, such as clubs, cannot be made from cyrite. Cyrite loses all its special properties in an antimagic field or similar area. Weapons, armor and shields that are made of cyrite have the same hit points and hardness as they do when made from metal of a normal sort (typically steel). The above features apply to most examples of cyrite that explorers have discovered. Rumors speak of other forms of cyrite with different properties.
Editor: Next to worthless. Although not working in an AMF is sort of pointless, because the +1 to saving throws only works against spells that would fail in an AMF. Poorly thought out and poorly executed.
DARKSTEEL
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Armor: +2,000 gp
Weapon: +1,500 gp
Darksteel is silvery in hue when polished or cut, but its exposed surfaces have a deep, gleaming purple luster. The process for making this type of steel was once lost, but has been recently rediscovered thanks to some ancient dwarven texts. The alloy is made from meteoric iron tempered with a variety of special oils. Armor made from darksteel grants acid resistance 2. Weapons forged of darksteel inflict +1 point of electricity damage each time they hit (this is cumulative with other abilities, such as shock or shocking burst). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected. (A longsword or a suit of chainmail is affected, while a spear or a suit of studded leather is not). Darksteel weighs the same as steel, has hardness 10, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Not good in armor, but kinda awesome in a weapon. Any extra damage, no matter how minor, could tip the scales. An extra +1 electrical is like a dragon tooth weapon, except dragons won’t kill you on sight. This one is a keeper.
DLARUN
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Armor: +2,000 gp
Weapon: +1,500 gp
This bone-white metal, sometimes known as icesteel, can take a high polish and is often mistaken for ivory when seen in finished items, but has a distinctive greenish sheen in candlelight. Dlarun ore is found in the clay dug from riverbanks, and when first refined it is soft and easily carved. A second heating makes it hard and durable. This property makes the metal ideal for decorative work and figurines. Armor made from dlarun grants fire resistance 2. Weapons forged of dlarun inflict +1 point of frost damage each time they hit (this is cumulative with other abilities, such as frost or icy burst). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected. (A longsword or a suit of chainmail is affected, while a spear or a suit of studded leather is not). Dlarun can never be used in a magic item that uses fire effects, such as a flaming or flaming burst weapon. Dlarun weighs the same as steel, has hardness 10, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Extra damage rocks. Fire resistance 2 might not be bad either, since fire is the most common attack.
ENTROPIUM
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
Light Armor: +750 gp
Medium Armor: +2,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +8,000 gp
Shield: +750 gp
Githzerai armor smiths in the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo have found a way to alloy ordinary iron with some of the shifting chaos-stuff of their native plane. The resulting metal, called entropium, is heavier than iron but can be used to make effective armor. A suit of entropium armor actually shifts as its wearer moves, allowing incredible flexibility at the cost of increased weight. Light entropium armor is considered medium and weighs 2 pounds more than normal, medium armor is heavy and weighs 5 pounds more than normal, and heavy armor is simply more so, weighing 10 pounds more than normal. Shields also weigh 2 pounds more than their steel counterparts. The armor check penalty of the armor increases by 2 for Strength-related skills (Climb and Jump) and decreases by 2 for Dexterity-related skills (Balance, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Pick Pockets, and Tumble). The arcane spell failure chance decreases by 10% (to a minimum of 5%), and the maximum Dexterity bonus increases by +2. Naturally, entropium improves only armors made primarily of metal, including chain shirts, all medium armors except hide, all heavy armors, and steel shields. Entropium has a hardness of 15 and 40 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Now, my question is, can I make entropium mithral? I can alloy chaos into my iron, why not my mithral? I know you can’t, but it would be cool. Otherwise, it’s okay, but if you are going to make armor out of this, add thistledown to take care of that last 5% ASF.
FERROPLASM
- PSIONICS HANDBOOK (3.0)
Light Armor (EB +1): +1,500 gp
Medium Armor (EB +2): +4,000 gp
Heavy Armor (EB +3): +8,000 gp
Shield (EB +1): +1,500 gp
Weapon Damage [1d4 or 1d6] (EB +1): +2,500 gp
Weapon Damage [More than 1d6] (EB +2): +7,500 gp
Mined from secret locations in the Astral Plane, this malleable metal holds its shape only in the hands of a psionic being. When an item forged with ferroplasm is unattended or held by a non-psionic creature, it melts and temporarily loses all special powers. But when wielded by, psionic creature, such an item immediately springs back into its true shape and regains all abilities. In its proper form, a ferroplasm item glows with a violet light (illuminating a 10-foot-radius), unless the item’s owner mentally quenches it. In an area where psionic powers do not function, it collapses as if in the hands of a non-psionic creature. Ferroplasm adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor based on how much of the material is used. Thus, ferroplasm full plate offers greater protection (as well as a greater cost) than ferroplasm chainmail, and a ferroplasm greatsword offers greater offensive capability than a ferroplasm quarterstaff. Weapons fashioned from ferroplasm have a natural enhancement bonus to attack and damage. Armor fashioned from ferroplasm has a natural enhancement bonus to AC. These bonuses do not stack with other enhancement bonuses. Weapons or armor fashioned from ferroplasm are treated as masterwork items with regard to creation times, but the masterwork quality does not affect the enhancement bonus of weapons or the armor check penalty of armor. Ferroplasm has hardness 20 and 40 hit points per inch of thickness when in its true form, and a hardness of 5 and 10 hit points per inch of thickness when soft.
Editor: Now, this actually is useful. A way to add EB to armor or weapons without having it affect the number of WSAs you can stack on it. Now, ever weapon, suit of armor and shield is required to have that initial +1 EB. However, the armor comes with it as part of the armor, so it doesn’t count against the WSAs you can put in the weapon, nor does it apply against the 200,000 gp limit you can put in a weapon. In fact, you can skip buying a +1 EB for a weapon or suit of armor all together, since it comes with it. That means you can stick one more WSA into your weapon or armor. The only thing that stops it from being perfect is that you have to be psionic to use it. But for psionic characters, it’s so awesome that you must buy it.
FEVER IRON
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Armor: +2,000 gp
Weapon: +1,500 gp
In some volcanic craters, pools of molten metal collect and are never allowed to fully cool. Sometimes these pools of semi-solid metal attract the raw energy of the Weave and are transformed into what the dwarves call fever iron. Fever iron can be made fully solid through a magical process that includes application of intense cold, after which it can be worked like normal iron. Armor made from fever iron grants fire resistance 2. Weapons forged of fever iron inflict +1 point of fire damage each time they hit (this is cumulative with other abilities, such as flaming or flaming burst). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected. (A longsword or a suit of chainmail is affected, while a spear or a suit of studded leather is not). Fever iron can never be used in a magic item that uses cold effects, such as a frost or icy burst weapon. Fever iron weighs the same as steel, has hardness 12, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Extra damage is always good.
Editor (Extrapolation): Why does it need to be limited to just iron? Why can’t you have a pool of fever obdurium? There are spells that let you make any material you want, so it is a question for the DM to ask, is it possible that somewhere in the universe Fever adamantine exists. If so, then it can be created with magic. A wish could make a lump of it appear, if nothing else. (up to 25,000 gp, that is) I would simply add the cost to whatever fever metal you wish to allow.
FLAMETOUCHED IRON
- EBERRON CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.5)
Armor or Weapon: +1,000 gp
Holy Symbol: 750 gp
Mined only in Thrane, flametouched iron is rare and considered sacred by the Church of the Silver Flame. When mined, this iron variety has a speckled dark red color, resembling rust, but when it is refined, it takes on a shimmering, silvery hue. Adherents of the Church of the Silver Flame believe that flametouched iron carries the particular blessing of their deity, and they use it to make holy symbols, weapons, and armor. Flametouched iron has the same weight and other physical characteristics as iron (hardness 10, 30 hit points per inch of thickness). It possesses magical qualities, however, that manifest in different ways depending on the item it is crafted into. A flametouched iron weapon is treated as a good-aligned weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Flametouched iron armor grants the wearer a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against the spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities of evil outsiders. A flametouched iron holy symbol allows a character who can turn undead or censure fiends to do so as if his class level were one higher than it actually is. A flametouched iron weapon or suit of armor has a market price modifier of +1,000 gp. A flametouched iron holy symbol costs 750 gp. Items without metal parts cannot be made from flametouched iron.
Editor: Okay, maybe good-aligned for 1,000 gp is a good deal, but over all this element sucks. I’d totally get me a Flametouched Iron Holy Symbol, however.
FRYSTALLINE
- BOOK OF EXALTED DEEDS (3.5)
Weapon: +2000 gp
This mineral grows in the icy mountain caves of Eronia, the second layer of the Blessed Fields of Elysium. Its resilient, pale-gold crystals contain divine energy that emanates from a god that sleeps beneath the mountains. Any weapon made of frystalline is treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Frystalline has 15 hp per inch of thickness and hardness 10.
Editor: Well, flametouched iron does the same thing for a 1,000 gp less.
FYRITE
- DRAGON #347 (3.5)
Light Armor: +200 gp
Medium Armor: +400 gp
Heavy Armor: +900 gp
Other: +50 gp/lb
Viens of Fyrite ore form near pools of cerulean magma, which is also the only substance a blacksmith can use to work it. This glittering red ore always feels cool to the touch. Normal forges cannot soften fyrite enough to shape it, but the intense heat of cerulean lava breaks it down enough that a blacksmith can use it. Fyrite armors and weapons are immune to all fire and heat, but take double damage from cold sources Fyrite armor does not grant it’s wearer any kind of protection for fire or heat; only the armor itself is immune. Fyrite items are automatically masterwork (the cost of which is included) and otherwise have the normal properties of the same item made from steel.
Editor: There are better materials to make items out of, although if you have a metal weapon that weighs only 1 pound, then this will give you masterwork (300 gp) for only 50 gp. So that’s a sweet spot. Although I would make a case that one could make a warforged out of this stuff.
GEHENNAN MORGHUTH-IRON
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
Weapon: +4,000 gp
This volcanic mineral is unique to the steep mountains of the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, where it is occasionally mined by neutral evil fiends called yugoloths and other creatures on that forbidding plane. It forges poorly, making weapons that appear pocked and pitted and have a –1 attack and damage penalty. However, morghuth-iron is extremely toxic, rapidly poisoning the blood. A slashing or piercing weapon made of Gehenna morghuth-iron is naturally poisonous. The weapon delivers its poison (Fortitude save DC 12) with each successful attack. The initial damage is 1 point of temporary Dexterity; the secondary damage is 1d4 points of temporary Dexterity.
Editor: Eternal poison is good, but unless you buy assassination or have poison use, you’ll accidentally poison yourself on a 1. That said, it’s poison of the metal so you can put poison on top of the poison.
GLASSTEEL
- CHAMPIONS OF VALOR (3.5)
- RACES OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Light armor: +2,000 gp
Medium armor: +6,000 gp
Heavy armor: +12,000 gp
Shield: +2,000 gp
Weapon: +500 gp
Other: +100 gp/lb.
Made by the avariels and sun elves in an alchemical process requiring extensive knowledge of both metallurgy and glassblowing, glassteel combines strength beyond iron with the transparency of glass. It mostly finds use as a building material in fantastic castles, but it can also be fashioned into weapons and armor (although glassteel armor is much more costly to craft than even the most ornate blade). Glassteel is stronger and lighter than iron and completely transparent, lacking the greenish tint of common glass. Items made of glassteel weigh only half what they otherwise would. Items not primarily made of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of glassteel. (A breastplate can be made of glassteel, but hide armor cannot). Glassteel armor counts as one armor category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. Arcane spell failure chances for armors and shields made of glassteel are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonus is increased by 2, and armor check penalties are lessened by 3 (to a minimum of 0). Glassteel has hardness 20 and 40 hit points per inch of thickness. Weapons and armor fashioned from glassteel are treated as masterwork items with regard to creation times, but the masterwork quality does not affect the enhancement bonus of weapons nor the armor check penalty of armor.
Editor: So it’s like mithral, but it makes your equipment lighter. There really is no reason to make a weapon out of it, unless you are trying to keep the weight down. Still, I just like the image of wearing see through armor. Of course, charisma is usually my dump stat.
GOLD, ALCHEMICAL
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Armor: +5,000 gp
Weapon (Up to 1d3): 1,500 gp
Weapon (1d4 to 1d6): 2,500 gp
Weapon (1d8 or higher): 7,000 gp
While most use gold as a currency, spellcasters know of gold’s magical properties. When magically refined and treated, gold can be made as hard as steel. The following information refers to magically treated gold. Armor made from treated gold grants acid and fire resistance 2. Gold armors are one category heavier than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations (for example, whether a barbarian can use his fast movement ability while wearing the armor or not). Light armors are treated as medium, and medium and heavy armors are treated as heavy. Spell failure chances for armor and shields made from gold are increased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonus is decreased by 2 (which may bring it below 0), and armor check penalties are increased by 3. Gold weapons are considered heavy weapons (see the sidebar on Heavy Weapons). Magically treated gold weighs twice as much as steel, has hardness 10, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor (Heavy Weapons): Heavy weapons, such as those made from gold or platinum, or unwieldy, but inflict additional damage. Without the property exotic weapon proficiency feat, you suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls with the weapon. Only weapons made largely of metal can become heavy weapons. You can wield a heavy weapon with one more hand than is needed to avoid the penalty. Basically a light weapon becomes a one-handed weapon. A one-handed becomes two-handed. You can never use the weapon finesse feat with a weapon made of heavy metal. Heavy metal weapons inflict increased damage. Use the following chart:
1 to 1d2
1d2 to 1d3
1d3 to 1d4
1d6 to 1d8
1d8 to 2d6
1d10 to 2d6
1d12 to 2d8
2d8 to 2d10
Editor: Why is it alchemical Gold? Because it has to be “treated” before it can be used as armor or a weapon. Note about the weapons. Let’s say you take an exotic weapon and make it into gold. Do you need to take two exotic weapon feats? No. Take the orc double axe, for instance. If you make it out of gold, then you have to take Exotic Weapon (Heavy Orc Double Axe) feat. However, you cannot wield an orc double axe that is not made of gold. So for the cost of a feat (that you may have had to buy anyways) you can increase the dice of damage for your weapon by one size class. Nice.
HIZAGKUUR
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
- UNDERDARK (3.5)
Armor: +2,000 gp
Weapon: +1,500 gp
This rare pale silvery gray metal is named for its discoverer, a dwarf from long ago. It is found only in scattered, but very rich, deposits deep in the Underdark as a soft, greenish-gray clay-like ore or a flaky mud. One misstep in its refining, and it remains useless mud. Armor made from hizagkuur grants cold resistance 2. Weapons forged of hizagkuur inflict +1 point of electricity damage and +1 point of fire damage each time they hit (this is cumulative with other abilities). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected. (A longsword or a suit of chainmail is affected, while a spear or a suit of studded leather is not). Hizagkuur can never be used in a magic item that uses cold effects, such as a frost or icy burst weapon. Hizagkuur weighs the same as steel, has hardness 10, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: You ever think the author just smashed his head against the keyboard? Any rate, extra damage is good. +1 and +1 damage is even better. I wouldn’t bother with the armor, but the weapon is definitely a step up over these only +1 damage materials.
JADE
- ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0)
Weapon (1d6 or lower): +6,500 gp
Weapon (1d8 or higher): +7,000 gp
Oni cannot regenerate damage dealt by a jade weapon, and their damage reduction does not apply to even non-magical jade weapons. Jade is also effective at staving off the effects of the Shadowlands Taint, at harming ghosts, and at binding other spirits. Jade weapons have the properties of a ghost touch weapon, except that incorporeal creatures cannot use jade weapons themselves. A character who possesses a jade weapon receives a +4 sacred bonus on Fortitude saving throws made to resist the Shadowlands Taint. (Even unworked jade is effective in staving off the Taint).
Editor: Free ghost touch is good, but the cost is fairly high. Still, if you plan on adding any other WSAs on top of ghost touch, the cost swings back in your favor.
KHEFERU
- SANDSTORM (3.5)
Weapon: x2 cost
Quarried from rare meteorite craters, kheferu ore is an extremely hard, red substance. When forged as an alloy with iron, carbon, and other trace metals, the resultant material has a consistency and ductility like that of a standard steel alloy. This final product, simply called kheferu, is distinctive in its glossy sheen and crimson hue. Many kinds of items can be crafted from kheferu, but weapons are the best choice because of the alloy’s particular qualities. A weapon forged from kheferu is bright red. Salt crystals grow on the sides of the weapon if it is left untended for more than a few months, but these are easily wiped away. A kheferu weapon bypasses the damage reduction of any creature of the earth subtype, regardless of the type of damage reduction the creature possesses. Weapons made of kheferu cost twice as much to make as their normal counterparts. Also, any magical enhancements placed on the weapon cost an additional 2,000 gp. Items without metal parts cannot be made from kheferu. An arrow could be made of kheferu, but a quarterstaff could not. A double weapon that is only half made of kheferu increases its cost by 50%. Kheferu has hardness 10 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Unless you hate earth subtypes and they happen to have damage reduction, this is mostly useless in combat. However, in some parts of the campaign setting, salt is worth more then gold. (salt is necessary to live as well as an excellent preservative.) This weapon grows salt, so you could slowly grow salt. It’d be like a gold mine.
LIVING METAL
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Light Armor: +700 gp
Medium Armor: +2,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +4,500 gp
Other Item: +100 gp/lb
Powerful sources of life energy, such as druid circles or sites holy to Chauntea, sometimes leach energy into the soil, which changes the properties of the natural deposits of iron buried nearby. This living metal usually has a light gray-green color and has properties of natural repair and reshaping. It is favored in the construction of rings of regeneration. Over time, armor made of living metal naturally shapes itself to fit its wearer. After one tenday of regular wearing, increase the maximum Dexterity bonus by 1, reduce the armor check penalty by 1, and reduce the arcane spell failure chance by 5% for living metal armor. Armor not primarily of metal is not meaningfully affected. (A suit of chainmail is affected, while a suit of studded leather is not). In addition, an item made of living metal naturally repairs damage to itself, healing 1 hit point per minute. It cannot repair itself if brought to 0 hit points or destroyed (such as through disintegration). Living metal weighs the same as steel, has hardness 12, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: A good deal for what it does. What I want to know is, why does it have to be living iron? Why can’t I make living mithral? By RAW you can’t, but boy would that be fun.
MITHRAL
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.0)
- DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.5)
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Light Armor: +1000 gp
Medium Armor: +4000 gp
Heavy Armor: +9000 gp
Shield: +1000 gp
Other Items: 500 gp/lb
Mithral is a very rare silvery, glistening metal that is lighter than iron but just as hard. When worked like steel, it becomes a wonderful material from which to create armor and is occasionally used for other items as well. Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations (for example, whether a barbarian can use her fast movement ability while wearing the armor or not). Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. Spell failure chances for armors and shields made from mithral are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonus is increased by 2, and armor check penalties are lessened by 3 (to a minimum of 0). An item made from mithral weighs half as much as the same item made from other metals. In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral. (A longsword can be a mithral weapon, while a scythe cannot be). Weapons or armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given above. Mithral has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.
Editor: Do I even need to point out that this is a godsend for arcane spellcasters? Mithral bucker allows you to put all sorts of armor special abilities on it and it doesn’t interfere with your spellcasting, or even using your spell components. There is no point into making weapons out of it, but armor can get rather usable when you stack this with anything else that decreases arcane spell failure.
MOURNLODE, PURPLE
- MAGIC OF EBERRON (3.5)
Armor or Weapon: +700 gp
Holy Symbol: 400 gp
Mined only in the Mournland in and under the Field of Ruins, mournlode is something of a rarity, and considered by many churches to be an ideal tool for combating undead manifestations. When mined, this iron ore has a mottled purple color, resembling some awful blight. When it is refined, it takes on a more vibrant silvery hue, streaked with veins of purple. In fact, various grades of mournlode exist, each with a slightly different appearance. To date, purple mournlode is by far the most well known (to the point where it is often referred to simply as “mournlode”). Many people (including members of a number of good-aligned organizations) are confident that mournlode is touched with a protective presence, and they use it to make armor, holy symbols, weapons, and other implements. Mournlode has the same weight and other physical characteristics as iron (hardness 10, 30 hit points per inch of thickness), but displays special qualities depending on the type of item it is forged into. A mournlode weapon overcomes the damage reduction of undead creatures as if it were crafted of either cold iron or alchemical silver, whichever is more appropriate. Mournlode armor grants the wearer a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws against any spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used by undead. A character who uses a mournlode holy symbol to turn undead deals damage equal to her turning level to undead affected by the turning attempt. For example, a 9th-level paladin (effective turning level 6th) using a mournlode holy symbol would deal 6 points of damage to any undead creature she successfully turns. A mournlode weapon or suit of armor costs an extra 700 gp. A mournlode holy symbol costs 400 gp. Items without metal parts cannot be made from mournlode.
Editor: Actually, as an anti-undead material goes, it’s not bad. If damage reduction is a problem for you, then you could do worse then drop 700 gp and use this material in your weapon.
NEPHELIUM
- SUNLESS CITADEL (3.5)
Cost: 100 gp
Found only in the rarest of veins of areas saturated with magic, nephelium has all the attributes of iron (it is ferrous), except that it is transparent. It does not add to the quality of a weapon or a suit of armor, but alloys made from nephelium are transparent. Thus, nephelium plate appears glasslike, as does a nephelium battleaxe. Purposely adding mineral impurities to nephelium can produce shades of sapphire, emerald, and ruby. Nephclium can be enchanted just like standard iron. Weapons or armor fashioned from nephelium cost 100 gp more than weapons or armor fashioned from standard materials, due to its scarcity.
Editor: it’s just for show, but I could see a case for making a nephelium wallshield. Total cover AND line of sight.
OBDURIUM
- STRONGHOLD BUILDERS GUIDE (3.0)
Ammunition: +120 gp
Light Armor: +10,000 gp
Medium Armor: +20,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +30,000 gp
Weapon: +6,000 gp
This incredibly rare and hard metal represents the pinnacle of non-magical strength. Treat weapons and armor crafted from obdurium as adamantine, except for hardness (30), hit points (60 per inch of thickness, or twice as many hit points as a typical item), and price (twice the listed price for adamantine).
Editor: When it comes to weapons, there is no real advantage of this over adamantine. They both overcome the same hardness (20). However, when it comes to making armor, you definitely want this over adamantine, because the additional 10 points of hardness will certainly make sundering much more of a problem.
OERTHBLOOD
- DRAGON #351 (3.5)
Ammunition: +150 gp
Light Armor or Shield: +10,000 gp
Medium Armor: +20,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +30,000 gp
Weapon: +6,000 gp
Oerthblooded iron, so called “blood-iron” is an exceedingly rare and precious material, created from an amalgam of iron and oerthblood. Discovered as early as the age of Queen Ehlissa, oerthblood is a highly magical element found only on Oerth and thought by some to be the residue of creation. Oerthblood is extremely rare even on Oerth, and Irongate is one of the few locations where it can be found and forged. By reputation, it’s as strong as adamantine and just as effective. Shimmering black flecks on their surface distinguished Oerthblooded items.
Items made from Oerthblooded metals are more easily enhanced than other substances, requiring 25% less time and xp. Due to the cost and rarity of Oerthblooded items, all are considered to be masterwork. They have twice the hardness of the base metal the Oerth is alloyed with (oerthblood iron, mithril, and steel have a hardness of 20). Oerthblooded metal items have hit points equal to 1.5 times the base hit points for a normal item of the base metal’s type.
Weapons: Weapons made primarily from Oerthblood grant a +1 luck bonus on attack and damage rolls. A target that takes damage from an Oerthblooded weapon takes -1 penalty on all saves made against magical effects for 1 round. Penalties from multiple hits stack.
Armor: Light Armor: DR 1/-, +1 Luck bonus on saves vs magic effects.
Medium Armor: DR 2/-, +2 Luck bonus on saves vs magic effects.
Heavy Armor: DR 3/-, +3 Luck bonus on saves vs magic effects.
PANDEMONIC SILVER
- COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5)
Light Slashing or Piercing Weapon: +9,000 gp
One-Handed Slashing or Piercing Weapon: +11,000 gp
One Head of a Slashing or Piercing Double Weapon: +11,000 gp
Two-Handed Slashing or Piercing Weapon: +13,000 gp
Both Heads of a Slashing or Piercing Double Weapon: +13,000 gp
Mined from thin veins of ore on the plane of Pandemonium, pandemonic silver has all the properties of alchemical silver. In addition, a thin, unearthly scream issues forth from a bladed weapon made of pandemonic silver whenever it’s unsheathed in at least a light breeze. This scream is a sonic, mind-affecting compulsion that is a fear effect. Other than the wielder, those within 30 feet who hear the scream must succeed on a Will save or cower for 1d4 rounds. The DC of the Will save depends on the strength of the wind, as indicated on the table below. Pandemonic silver can be used to coat the striking surface of any slashing or piercing weapon made of steel. The cost of the weapon increases as shown below.
Wind Force [Speed] (Save DC)
Light [0-10 mph] (10)
Moderate [11-20 mph] (13)
Strong [21-30 mph] (16)
Severe [31-50 mph] (19)
Windstorm [51-74 mph] (22)
Hurricane [75-174 mph] (25)
Tornado [175+ mph] (28)
Editor (Cower): The victim is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class and loses her Dexterity bonus (if any).
Editor: Expensive and difficult to use, but cower is such an amazing condition to inflict on your enemies it isn’t funny. Combine this with haboob and you got yourself a scary combination. Remember, haboob requires you to swing it around over your head, it doesn’t mean it has to be out of it’s sheath at the time. And this material is begging for eager WSA. Then you can draw the weapon as a free action. Sweet. The problem is if you are using this inside. As it’s written, there has to be a breeze. By the chart, it works even at 0 mph. Unfortunately, WotC states that text trumps charts. So by RAW, it won’t work indoors, unless there is some sort of air flow. Check with your DM for clarification.
Editor (Combining Materials): The description of this material is that it is a coating on steel. So by RAI, I see no reason you cannot coat it on any other material. Technically by RAW, you can only put it on steel, but there are a number of steel alloys out there, so you should consider those.
PEARLSTEEL
- STORMWRACK (3.5)
Light Armor: +500 gp
Medium Armor: +1,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +1,500 gp
Shield: +500 gp
Weapon: +1,500 gp
A strange metal crafted by secretive aventi metallurgists working near volcanic vents in the ocean floor, pearlsteel is gleaming, shining steel covered with a blue-white sheen like mother of pearl. Created from fine steel and rare silvery pearls found only in the ocean depths where the pressures alone would kill a land walker, pearlsteel is highly prized by all undersea races and constitutes a major trade item for the aventi. Pearlsteel is very light, especially in water. Pearlsteel items weigh 25% less than their normal equivalents. Pearlsteel also slices more smoothly through the resistance that water presents. When a slashing weapon made of pearlsteel is used in the water, its damage is reduced by –1 rather than the normal – 2 for fighting in the water with a slashing weapon, and its damage is reduced by –2 instead of half. Likewise, damage dealt underwater by a bludgeoning weapon made of pearlsteel is reduced by –2 rather than reduced by half.
Editor: If for some reason you feel the need to adventure underwater and not use piercing weapons, then you might wish to use this. Frankly, I’m disappointed that didn’t consider it’s use in ranged weapons. I’d simply buy aquatic WSA and be done with it.
Editor (Combining Materials): I want to know if I can use the technique to combine pearls with other materials. If I could have adamantine that weighed 25% less, that would be worth 1,500 gp. Talk to your DM about allowing it. Frankly, I think there need to be more alloys.
PLATINUM, ALCHEMICAL
- MAGIC OF FAERÛN (3.0)
Armor: +5,000 gp
Weapon (Up to 1d3): 1,500 gp
Weapon (1d4 to 1d6): 2,500 gp
Weapon (1d8 or higher): 7,000 gp
This silvery-white metal superficially resembles aluminum but is extremely heavy. Because it is so malleable, it must be magically altered to the rigidity of steel so it can maintain its shape even when used in combat. This process also catalyzes its magical properties. The following information refers to magically treated platinum. Armor made from treated platinum grants cold and sonic resistance 2. Platinum armors are one category heavier than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations (for example, whether a barbarian can use his fast movement ability while wearing the armor or not). Light armors are treated as medium, and medium and heavy armors are treated as heavy. Spell failure chances for armor and shields made from platinum are increased by 10%, the maximum Dexterity bonus is decreased by 2 (which may bring it below 0), and armor check penalties are increased by 3. Armor not primarily of metal is not meaningfully affected. (A suit of chainmail is affected, while a suit of studded leather is not). Platinum weapons are considered heavy weapons. Magically treated platinum weighs twice as much as steel, has hardness 10, and has 30 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor (Heavy Weapons): Heavy weapons, such as those made from gold or platinum, or unwieldy, but inflict additional damage. Without the property exotic weapon proficiency feat, you suffer a -4 penalty on attack rolls with the weapon. Only weapons made largely of metal can become heavy weapons. You can wield a heavy weapon with one more hand than is needed to avoid the penalty. Basically a light weapon becomes a one-handed weapon. A one-handed becomes two-handed. You can never use the weapon finesse feat with a weapon made of heavy metal. Heavy metal weapons inflict increased damage. Use the following chart:
1 to 1d2
1d2 to 1d3
1d3 to 1d4
1d6 to 1d8
1d8 to 2d6
1d10 to 2d6
1d12 to 2d8
2d8 to 2d10
Editor: See Gold.
PURE ORE
Light Armor: +800 gp
Medium Armor: +3,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +7,000 gp
Other Items: +400 gp/lb
Ores on the material plane have purer counterparts on the elemental plane of earth. Items made of metal forged with at least an ounce of pure ore are of masterwork quality (including the cost of the ore) and have twice as many hit points and double the hardness of items made only from normal ore.
Editor: If you are magically creating the material you need to forge something, there is no reason not to drop the extra coin and make it pure ore. It comes with masterwork, if it didn’t have it, and it doubles the HP and hardness. Consider Pure Ore Oerthblood Obdurium. As possibly the hardest substance ever in d20.
RED STEEL
Light armor: +2,000 gp
Medium armor: +4,000 gp
Heavy armor: +10,000 gp
Shield: +1,500 gp
Weapon: +3,000 gp
Other items: +600 gp/lb.
Red steel is actually the same substance but has two different states in it’s “life cycle”
Cinnabryl: This lambent red metal flickers with blood-red light equivalent to that of a candle. It is slick to the touch and slightly less dense than gold, although considerably rarer. Although it is both malleable and ductile, cinnabryl does not hold an edge well, so it is rarely used for weapons. Those who are fortunate, skilled, or wealthy enough to acquire cinnabryl wear it in medallions or bracelets to protect themselves against the full effects of the Red Curse. When used in this manner, cinnabryl depletes at the rate of 1 ounce per week. Thus, an adventurer who purchases an 8-ounce amulet of cinnabryl loses its protection after 8 weeks. At that point, he must acquire a fresh cinnabryl talisman or risk becoming an afflicted. Completely depleted cinnabryl is known as red steel. Cinnabryl has 20 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 8. The cost of cinnabryl fluctuates wildly based upon availability, but when it is in reasonable supply, it averages 25 gp per ounce.
Red Steel: Several wars have been fought over red steel, and many lands beyond the Savage Coast actively seek agents willing to export this precious metal. Red steel is the substance remaining after the protective qualities of cinnabryl have been depleted. This hard, dull-red metal does not glow the way cinnabryl does, but when struck, it flickers vivid crimson, as if red lightning were flashing deep within it. Red steel holds an edge and a shape much better than cinnabryl does - so well, in fact, that red steel weapons and armor are always masterwork items. Red steel's greatest value, however, is its ability to take enchantment. An artificer who crafts a magic weapon or armor from red steel pays only 75% of the normal XP cost. This benefit does not stack with other effects, such as the Magical Artisan feat. Red Steel has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15. More expensive even than mithral, its pricing depends on the item made from it, as indicated on the table below.
Editor: 75% off normal XP cost for crafting a magic item. Nuff said. Although pound for pound, Oerthblood is superior.
RIEDRAN CRYSTEEL
- EBERRON CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.5)
Weapon: +1,500 gp
The Inspired lords of Riedra supervise the mining of a crystalline substance that can be alloyed with iron to form Riedran crysteel. Crysteel makes excellent weapons, and the crystalline component makes them resonate with psionic power. When wielded by a character who has at least 1 power point, a crysteel weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus on damage rolls. Riedran crysteel has hardness 10 and 20 hit points per inch of thickness. Items made of crysteel are susceptible to the shatter spell, but gain a + 4 bonus on their saving throws to resist it because the crystal is alloyed with iron. Items without metal parts cannot be made from Riedran crysteel.
Editor: If you never plan on enhancing the weapon, maybe. As it stands, it sucks.
SENTIRA
- SECRETS OF SARLONA (3.5)
This bizarre material is wrought by Chosen, Inspired, and (rarely) kalashtar who use powdered crystal and the power of their thoughts and emotions, also drawing on the essence of Dal Quor. Sentira items are literally grown into their final form. They have an organic, whorled appearance, much like horn or shell, with a shimmering, opalescent surface. Color varies based on the emotion used to create the particular batch. Sentira is light weight and almost unbreakable. Because of its resonant properties, it is an ideal material for emotional armor. For purposes other than those described in this chapter, sentira is treated as mithral. Sentira can be formed, sculpted, and repaired only by psionic creatures that have the Craft (sentira) skill. Such crafts persons, known in Riedra as thought-weavers, must expend 1 power point for each day of work on a sentira object, whether building or repairing it.
Editor (Emotional Armor): Sentira doesn’t actually cost anything more then the base armor. Ironically, even though it is listed as “lightweight and almost unbreakable” it isn’t actually listed as any lighter or harder then any other material. The reason for buying sentira armor is so you can put emotions into the armor. All of the following are Armor special abilities that only are usable on sentira. So you must at least buy the armor as masterwork and have a base +1 EB before you can put any of the following into the armor.
Editor (Calming): The emotional resonance of calming armor helps its wearer to clear his mind and focus his thoughts. The sentira shell of the armor is deep blue in color. It has a strange sense of depth; an observer can stare into the shell, as if looking into the shifting depths of an ocean. The calming property can be applied only to armor made from sentira. The powers of calming armor are automatically activated when it is worn. Calming armor grants its wearer a +5 competence bonus on Concentration checks. It has an aura of Minor telepathy and manifester level of 5th. To construct you need Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, empty mind, caster must be Inspired, Chosen, or kalashtar. It costs an additional +4,000 gp.
Editor (Dreadful): This special quality allows the wielder to change the form of his weapon. The sentira shell of the armor is matte black. If anyone studies it, the surface seems to shift; it's as if the armor is formed from shadow, and something terrible is hidden just beneath, preparing to pull the observer into the depths. The dreadful property can be applied only to armor made from sentira. The powers of dreadful armor come into effect any time the wearer is attacked. Anyone making a melee attack against the wearer of dreadful armor takes a —1 morale penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. This penalty stacks with the penalty imposed by the Quori Dread feat, though not with any other morale penalties. It has an aura of Minor telepathy and manifester level of 5th. To construct you must have Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, aversion, and caster must be Chosen, Inspired, or kalashtar. This is an additional +1 bonus to any armor it is put into.
Editor (Vengeful): Vengeful armor harnesses and amplifies the wearer's desire for revenge on those who wrong him. The armor shell is the color of fresh blood, and it appears wet to the touch (although it is not). Anyone who strikes the wearer of the armor in melee combat feels an immediate telepathic surge of anger. The vengeful property can be applied only to armor made from sentira. The power of vengeful armor is activated whenever the wearer takes damage or is targeted by a hostile spell, psionic power, or other aggressive effect. The wearer of vengeful armor receives a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls made against anyone who damaged her or targeted her with a hostile effect since her last turn. She also receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against effects generated by these enemies. It has an aura of Minor telepathy and manifester level of 5th. Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, prowess, caster must be Chosen, Inspired, or kalashtar. This is an additional +1 bonus to any armor it is put into.
Editor: The dreadful armor actually might not be that bad, if it was a flat cost. As it stands, there are much better things to spend a +1 bonus on. Over all, it sucks.
SHIFTSILVER
- DRAGON #355 (3.5)
Cost: +1,500 gp
Forged in the light of the full moon by mixing silver, steel, and the blood of a willing shifter donor, shiftsilver makes for highly sought-after weapons. Both members of the Way of the Shackled Beast and followers of the Silver Flame seek out shiftsilver weapons. Shiftsilver is pliable and flexible while remaining strong as normal steel. Weapons made of this material possess a mystical ability to find weak points in armor, skidding along the surface and weaving their way into joints or gaps. Shiftsilver weapons bypass silver damage reduction as a silvered weapon and actually deal an extra +2 points of damage to creatures with silver damage reduction. If a shifter forges her own shiftsilver weapon with her own blood as a component, she gains a permanent +1 bonus on attack rolls with the weapon. Forging a shiftsilver weapon is the same as forging a masterwork silvered weapon, but the work must be done under the light of a full moon and requires a DC 25 Craft (weaponsmithing) check by the person crafting it. All shiftsilver weapons are automatically masterwork.
SOLANIAN TRUE STEEL
- BOOK OF EXALTED DEEDS (3.5)
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
Weapon: +1,000 gp
Mined on the fourth layer of the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, this fine iron needs no alloy and shines with a silvery gleam. When forged into a weapon, it gives the wielder a +1 bonus on the confirmation roll for a critical hit. True steel has a hardness of 11 and 25 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Wow. How… pointless. Next.
STARMETAL
- COMPLETE ARCANE (3.5)
Ammunition: +60 gp
Light Armor: +5,000 gp
Medium Armor: +10,000 gp
Heavy Armor: +15,000 gp
Weapon: +5,000 gp
This superior alloy is made from meteoric iron— specifically, ore refined from meteors that fall during the rare appearances of the comet Alhazarde. Starmetal is extraordinarily hard, and is equal to adamantine for all purposes, including overcoming damage reduction or granting damage reduction when used in armor construction. Starmetal also possesses an inherent magical connection to the Material Plane, meaning that weapons made of the alloy are especially effective against creatures from other planes. Weapons made of Starmetal deal an extra 1d6 points of damage to any extra-planar creatures while they are on the Material Plane.
Editor: An extra 2,000 gp for an extra 1d6 against extra-planar critters. You know, that could be useful to some people, but for the most part you need to tie it to your campaign setting. Depending on how much WBL you have to spare, you might be better of with adamantine.
TARGATH
- EBERRON CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.5)
Ammunition: +3 gp
Light Weapon: +30 gp
One Handed Weapon, or One Head of a Double Weapon: +100 gp
Two Handed Weapon, or Both Heads of a Double Weapon: +200 gp
Targath is a soft metal mined on the northern coast of Argonnessen. Often fashioned into periapts of health, targath naturally possesses some of the qualities of those magic items: Even a small amount of targath worn or carried on the body grants a character a +2 resistance bonus on Fortitude saves against disease. Targath is, for reasons that are not clear, anathema to the deathless of Aerenal: They shrink from its touch, and a weapon fashioned from targath can overcome their damage reduction. Perhaps fortunately for the Undying Court, weapons made of targath are inferior to steel weapons, imposing a -1 penalty on attack rolls and damage rolls. Targath has hardness 9 and 20 hit points per inch of thickness.
Editor: Can you use it against all undead or just those undead? Useless.
THINAUN
- COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5)
Light Weapon: +10,000 gp
One-Handed Weapon or One Head of a Double Weapon: +15,000 gp
Two-Handed Weapon or Both Heads of a Double Weapon: +20,000 gp
This dark, glittering steel alloy holds an attraction to souls recently released from their bodies. Obviously, this has application for melee weapons. If a thinaun melee weapon is touching a creature when it dies, that creature’s soul is sucked into the weapon rather than passing on to its final reward. The soul remains in the thinaun weapon until the weapon is destroyed or another creature dies while touching the thinaun weapon (the new soul displaces the old one). Raise dead, resurrection, and similar spells won’t bring back a creature whose soul is trapped by a thinaun weapon unless the caster has the weapon in his possession. Because the soul is nearby, fewer material components are required for such spells: Reincarnation, raise dead, resurrection, and true resurrection require half as much of the relevant material component (unguents or diamonds) to cast if the soul is within a thinaun weapon. A thinaun weapon captures a soul from anyone killed while touching the weapon. This means that if the thinaun weapon’s wielder dies, her weapon captures her soul. Only melee weapons made primarily of metal can be crafted as thinaun weapons.
Editor: Despite the belief that you can make ammunition out of this, you cannot. The RAW of it is that you have to make a weapon out of them. Still, the ability to capture a soul is a rare one and hard to duplicate by any other means.. What better way to keep a recurring enemy from recurring by sticking him in a dagger then leaving it in a box.
TOUCHSTONE BLADE
- PLANAR HANDBOOK (3.5)
Accessory
Cost: +200 gp
A touchstone blade is a non-magical masterwork sword or other weapon forged from metal found at the site of a planar touchstone—thus qualifying it as the portable object required by the Planar Touchstone feat. The cost of a touchstone blade is equal to the cost of the weapon plus 500 gp (300 gp for the masterwork weapon, plus another 200 gp for the connection to the planar touchstone). Such items are understandably rare and sold even more rarely, given the magical benefit they can provide.
Editor: Campaign specific and in most cases not very useful. Technically speaking, any type of metal can be touchstone.
URDRUKAR
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
Armor and Shield: +500 gp/lb
Urdrukar, often referred to as “mind steel”, is a dark metal found only in the deepest recesses of the Underdark. Naturally resistant to divination magic, items made from urdrukar are greatly prized by those who do not wish to be found. Every 5 pounds of urdrukar that a character wears or carries increases the DC for all attempts to scry on that character by +2. Armor and shields made from urdrukar have double the normal arcane spell failure chance. Urdrukar is heavier and harder to work with than most other metals: Armor made from it tends to be somewhat clumsier, making gestures more difficult. Urdrukar has a hardness of 15 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness. Metal items made from urdrukar cost an additional 500 gp per pound.
Editor: Get a Nondetection spell cast on you.
YSGARDIAN HEARTWIRE
- ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
- BOOK OF EXALTED DEEDS (3.5)
Chain shirt, chain mail, heavy armor: +1,500 gp
This incredibly fine, flexible metal is found only in the deep mines of Nidavellir in the Heroic Domains of Ysgard. It is not suitable for making an entire suit of armor, but small sections of heartwire mail can be incorporated into chain shirts, chainmail, or heavy armor to reinforce vital areas. This reinforcement has the effect of increasing the wearer’s AC by +2 solely for purposes of the roll to confirm a critical hit. The heartwire is so fine and light that it does not increase the armor’s weight.
Editor: If you use confirm criticals, this might be of use, but you have to keep track of it. This is one of those perks that you won’t use much, so I can see forgetting to tell the DM when it comes up.
