Smithing & Tinkering Materials - Metal

Smithing & Tinkering Materials - Metals

The fine arts of smithing and tinkering on the continent of Keruznikal date back to ancient times. Throughout time, any and all manner of materials have been utilized by the myriad cultures that inhabit this place to create both weaponry and protective equipment. Below, a list of those materials that I have noted in the markets of the Adirean Empire is provided, though other places outside of the Empire may have access to different and more exotic materials.
  - Grenwop Figgleswern,
Curator, Researcher & Archeologist,
Imperial Museum of Keruznikalian History
  Materials below are provided with a brief description, as well as the cost one might incur if trying to obtain a sample, and the benefits that can be expected when they are used in crafting. Auxiliary benefits do not stack unless specified. (Armor:) and (Weapon:) mark special effects for specifically armor and weapons. Other effects are listed outside of these.
 

Metals

Items in this section can be used in any place that calls for buckles, plates, scales, blades, tool heads, gun barrels, hand-guards, crossbow mechanisms, chains, rings, studs, banding, or anything else that could conceivably be created from metal. Metals can also be used as an additional material by adding inlays or decorative metalwork.
  Used for countless centuries, iron has been a staple of smithing for the majority of the time the races of Keruznikal have practiced the art. Iron is a strong metal, but it is not particularly flexible, and may be prone to breaking under stress or corroding. Its only major saving grace is its incredibly low cost compared to other metals, and its abundance in the markets of the Empire.   Cost Multiplier: x0.8
Unit Price: 5 av
Aux. Cost: 5 av
  Armor:
-1 AC
Weapons:
-1 to damage rolls
Ammunition:
-1 to damage rolls
Auxiliary Material:
Normal Stats
  Run of the mill, good quality steel. Produced by introducing carbon to iron during the smelting process, steel is made more durable and more corrosion resistant than the ore it comes from. In modern times, steel is the standard material used for the majority of weapons and armor, but iron can still be found at a lower cost.   Cost Multiplier: x1
Unit Price: 10 av
Aux. Cost: 10 av
  Armor:
Normal stats
Weapons:
Normal stats
Ammunition:
Normal stats
Auxiliary Material:
Normal stats
  Steel produced by the finest smelteries the Empire has to offer. Imperial steel is known to be less brittle and more flexible than regular steel, and holds a keen edge for much longer.   Cost Multiplier: x1.1
Unit Price: 25 av
Aux. Cost: 25 av
  Armor:
+1 AC
Weapons:
+2 to damage rolls
Ammunition:
+1 to damage rolls
Auxiliary Material:
+1 to Persuasion checks against Imperial soldiers and nobles.
 

Cold Iron:

Cold iron is a semi rare metal that is sought after primarily by the religious for its uses against the undead, fiends, and fey. It takes longer to work than normal iron, and cannot be heated, lest it lose its supernatural properties.   Cost Multiplier: x1.2
Unit Price: 200 av
Aux. Cost: 200 av
  Armor:
Fey, fiends, and undead take 1d4 radiant damage when landing a melee attack against an opponent wearing cold iron armor.
Weapons:
When making an attack against fey, undead, or fiends with a weapon made with cold iron, you may roll your damage die twice and choose which result to use. It is also considered magical for use against these creatures.
Ammunition:
+4 damage against fey, undead, or fiends. It is also considered magical for use against these creatures. Against creatures outside these types, deals half damage.
Barriers:
Fey, fiends, and undead must make a DC 15 CON save to pass a barrier made of cold iron. On a failure, they become turned until they see a living being of any kind that they are hostile to.
Auxiliary Component:
+1 to save DC when you cast Turn Undead. This effect stacks with multiple pieces of equipment.
 

Silver:

Silver is a precious metal often used in currency, but sometimes used to coat armor and weapons to ward against the undead or certain cursed creatures.
  Silvering Cost Multiplier: x1.1
Unit Price: 25 av
Aux. Cost: 25 av
  Armor:
+2 AC when being attacked in melee by undead, fiends, or cursed creatures.
Weapons:
Counts as magical against undead, fiends, and cursed creatures. Deals half damage against creatures outside of these types.
Ammunition:
Counts as magical against undead, fiends, and cursed creatures. Deals half damage to
Auxiliary Component:
+1 to Intimidation checks made against sentient undead, fiends, or cursed creatures.
 

Magically Enhanced Silver:

Silver can be improved through the use of abjuration magic to make it a viable material for crafting weapons and armor.   Cost Multiplier: x1.3
Unit Price: 300 av
Aux. Cost: 300 av
  Armor:
Add your proficiency bonus to your AC when being attacked in melee by undead, fiends, or cursed creatures.
Weapons:
Counts as magical against undead, fiends, and cursed creatures, and add an additional damage die of your weapon's type when you successfully land a hit on any of these types of creatures.
Ammunition:
Counts as magical against undead, fiends, and cursed creatures, and add an additional damage die of your weapon's type when you successfully land a hit on any of these types of creatures. Against targets outside of these types, this ammunition does not deal additional damage.
Auxiliary Component:
+1 to All Saves made against effects/attacks from undead, fiends, and cursed creatures.
 

Mithryll:

A rare metal, lighter and stronger than steel, that is often found in higher elevations, near wellsprings of magical power. It has many uses in smithing and crafting, and mages and alchemists alike seek it out for its ability to make items more enchantable when applied as a powder. Items made from mithryll instead of steel are only half as heavy.   Cost Multiplier: x1.4
Unit Price: 400 av
Aux. Cost: 400 av
  Armor:
Mithryll armor never imposes stealth disadvantage or has a strength requirement, and breastplates and chainmail made of it can be worn under normal clothes.
Weapons:
Mithryll weapons are one weight class lighter than their steel counterparts. Light weapons instead gain Finesse.
Ammunition:
Mithryll ammunition is half as heavy as its normal counterpart, and considered magical. Range is doubled for shots made with Mithryll ammunition.
Auxiliary Component:
(Armor: Take 1 less hit die of fall damage. This effect stacks if multiple items are equipped with this effect.)
(Weapon: +1 to AC when being attacked in melee with a Mithryll weapon equipped in your main hand.)
 

Adamant:

This very rare, heavy, alloy was originally created by the ancient Tavnosians by using adamantite ore, gold, silver, a magical ritual, and specialized smelting equipment. It is primarily used by nobles in modern times, smelted from old scrap found in Tavnosian ruins, or produced in small amounts by the Inizii Senek of the Ilnor Collective.   Cost Multiplier: x1.8
Unit Price: 800 av
Aux. Cost: 800 av
  Armor:
Immunity to critical hits.
Weapons:
Attacks are criticals on a roll of 19 or 20, and all attacks against objects are criticals.
Ammunition:
Adamant ammunition hits like a bull. +1 to damage rolls, and deals a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. This ammunition has half the range of traditional rounds.
Auxiliary Component:
(Armor: +1 to All Saves against being moved or knocked over.)
(Weapon: +1 to Any Rolls made to move or shove another creature.)
 

Keruz:

Keruz is another of the ancient Tavnosian secrets. Keruz is an incredibly dense, heavy, and durable metal that resembles gold. It is perhaps the rarest metal one can find in any ancient ruin, and has shimmering swirls that seem to move beneath the surface of the metal, as though the magic within can barely be contained. All equipment made of Keruz as a core component will eventually experience an Awakening - a special event which permanently alters the item to benefit its wearer, usually in a moment of great duress.   Cost Multiplier: x2.2
Unit Price: 1200 av
Aux. Cost: 1200 av
  Armor:
Requires attunement. Considered +1 by default. All Keruz armor weighs double its normal counterpart and grants +2 AC above the normal values associated with the armor. Light armor, with the exception of studded leather, cannot be made of Keruz, and all Keruz armor has a strength requirement, gives stealth disadvantage, and reduces movement speed by 5ft. Strength requirements by weight class: Light(13), Medium(15), Heavy(18). Heavy armor made of Keruz is considered Super-Heavy. Players wearing heavy Keruz armor with a strength score of 20 or above will feel comfortable in it, gaining an additional +1 AC. The wearer of any Keruz armor is immune to critical hits and cannot be moved by another creature in combat without a successful DC 18 Strength roll.
Weapons:
Requires attunement. Considered +1 by default. All Keruz weapons are double their normal weight, and are one weight class heavier. Keruz weapons lose any weight-based traits in favor of the next weight class up, as follows: Finesse>Light>None>Heavy>Super-Heavy. Super-Heavy weapons have a strength requirement of 18, and any player wielding a super-heavy weapon with a strength score of 20 or above will feel like they can easily heft its massive weight, adding an additional damage die of the weapon's type to their damage rolls.
Ammunition:
+1 to attack and damage rolls. Twice as heavy as normal ammunition. Targets of medium size struck by Keruz ammunition make a DC 12 STR save. On a failure, the target is knocked by 5ft. Targets smaller than medium are not able to save against this effect, and targets larger than medium are immune. Keruz ammunition is considered magical, but does not require attunement and will never Awaken.
Auxiliary Component:
(Armor: -2 to DEX saves, +4 to STR saves, +2 to Persuasion checks toward Artavites, Artavians, nobles, and the wealthy. You cannot be moved by creatures of the same size class.)
(Weapon: All Attacks against medium targets require a DC 12 STR save. Targets smaller than medium are not able to save against this effect, and targets larger than medium are immune. If failed, the target is moved at the will of its attacker 5ft either straight back or diagonally backward.)
 

Vespirium:

Called "elf metal" in the Empire, this material is a somewhat uncommon metal in the Elven territories, but even rarer in Imperial lands. It is an off-white, creamy color, and often has swirling patterns in the metal. Prized for its ability to hold an edge, it is often used by the wealthier Imperial artisans to make cutting implements. A special effect of armor made from Vespirium is that, if struck just right, it can cause a resonant feedback loop in an attacker's weapon - shattering it.
  Cost Multiplier: x1.35
Unit Price: 350 av
Aux. Cost: 350 av
Ammunition:
+1 to damage rolls, and considered magical. Enemies struck by a Vespirium weapon make a DC 10 CON save. On a failure, they gain the Bleeding condition. This effect lasts for 1 minute, and they may make the save again at the start of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. Bleeding causes 1d4 bleed damage at the start of each of the creature's turn. Undead and creatures with no blood are immune to this condition. If a firearm misfires while firing Vespirium ammunition, the wielder rolls 1d4. On an odd roll, their weapon cracks and splinters, reducing all of its damage die by 1 tier (d10 becomes d8, d8 becomes d6, etc.) If the damage is reduced below 1d4, the weapon breaks and becomes useless. Magic weapons are immune to this property.
Armor:
Enemies that critically fail an attack roll against a target in Vespirium roll 1d4. On an odd roll, their weapon cracks and splinters, reducing all of its damage die by 1 tier (d10 becomes d8, d8 becomes d6, etc.) If the damage is reduced below 1d4, the weapon breaks and becomes useless. If the attack was made with claws, teeth, or a body part, the attacker takes damage equal to 1/2 the wearer's current AC in addition to reducing their attack damage with the body part until it is healed by magical means. Magic weapons are immune to this property.
Weapons:
Enemies struck by a Vespirium weapon make a DC 10 CON save. On a failure, they gain the Bleeding condition. This effect lasts for 1 minute, and they may make the save again at the start of each of their turns, ending the effect on a success. Bleeding causes 1d4 bleed damage at the start of each of the creature's turn. Undead and creatures with no blood are immune to this condition.
Auxiliary Component:
+1 to Persuasion, Intimidation, and Deception checks against Elves and Fey. +1 to All Saves to resist charming effects by Elves and Fey.
 

Durzolyte:

An odd greyish-green metal made by the Durzolygg and used to create powerful equipment. The secret to this maddening alloy is held closely by the smiths that produce it, thus this metal can be somewhat costly to acquire in Imperial lands. Weapons and armor made of Durzolyte are said to drive sensible men into a battle-lust.   Cost Multiplier: x1.4
Unit Price: 400 av
Aux. Cost: 400 av
  Armor:
+1 AC per enemy targeting the wearer. If the wearer is flanked, reduce damage taken by 1d4 per attack.
Weapons:
+1 to attack and damage rolls per enemy targeting the wielder. If flanked, increase damage dealt by 1d4 per attack.
Ammunition:
Considered magical. Durzolyte ammunition removes disadvantage from ranged attacks made at targets within 5ft, and instead adds 1d6 to the weapon's normal damage rolls. Durzolyte ammunition doubles the chance of misfire (a weapon with a misfire of 3 will have a misfire of 6 while firing Durzolyte ammunition.)
Auxiliary Component:
+2 to Intimidation rolls within 6 hours after combat. Stacks with the Armor effect of Durzolyte.
(Armor: +1 to DEX and STR saves made during combat.)
 

Gold:

A very soft, valuable, and heavy metal. It cannot be used to create equipment directly, but confers some benefits when used as an auxiliary material.   Unit Price: 50 av
Aux. Cost: 50 av
  Auxiliary Component:
+1 to Persuasion and Deception checks made against the affluent and criminals. Gain +2 to Persuasion checks when bartering with merchants.
 

Tainted Steel:

Metal imbued with necrotic energy, it is similar in appearance to cast-iron, and cold to the touch. Generally outlawed in Imperial territory, though a few museum pieces do exist. This metal is the result of those wearing armor being killed during the creation of The Spire. Those who perished tainted their equipment with their own shattered souls, irrevocably altering the material. Rumors and legends say that those who use equipment made from this material may find that it has a mind of its own - a cacophony of whispering voices. Almost impossible to obtain outside of the seedier parts of society, but not difficult to disguise once worn.
  Cost Multiplier: x1.4
Unit Price: 400 av
Aux. Cost: 400 av
  Armor:
The wearer of Tainted Steel armor gains resistance to necrotic damage, and the whispers in the armor predict incoming attacks. Enemies gain no benefit from flanking you, and you have +1 AC. If you drop to 0 hit points, flip a coin. On tails, you remain conscious, and regain 1/4 of your maximum hp. Your armor falls silent, reverts to normal steel, and you become Inhabited. A voice constantly whispers in your head, and your DM tells you what exactly lives inside you. On heads, you begin making death saves as usual and nothing happens to your armor. If you die while wearing Tainted Steel armor, your soul is trapped inside of the armor and can be recovered by a sufficiently skilled necromancer or cleric. Unfortunately, a cleric will be unable to recover the soul without destroying the equipment in the process, erasing all other souls trapped within. A necromancer will be able to extract the soul of the recently deceased without damaging the item.
Weapons:
Your weapon tells you in hushed, nearly imperceptible whispers where best to aim it at your foes. You gain +1 to attack and damage rolls, and when flanking an enemy, you add 1d4 necrotic damage to your damage rolls. If you drop to 0 hit points while wielding a Tainted Steel weapon, flip a coin. On tails, you remain conscious and regain 1/4 of your maximum hp. Your weapon falls silent, reverts to normal steel, and you become Inhabited. You can hear the voices in your head now, even after your weapon has gone silent. On heads, you begin making death saves as usual and nothing happens to your weapon. If you die while wielding a Tainted Steel weapon, your soul is trapped inside of the armor and can be recovered by a sufficiently skilled necromancer or cleric. Unfortunately, a cleric will be unable to recover the soul without destroying the equipment in the process, erasing all other souls trapped within. A necromancer will be able to extract the soul of the recently deceased without damaging the item.
Ammunition:
Enemies struck by tainted steel ammunition take 1d4 additional necrotic damage. Targets of a divine nature, or those affiliated closely with religion (clerics, paladins) take 2d4 additional necrotic damage instead. Targets immune to necrotic damage take no additional damage. Undead shot with tainted steel ammunition take minimum damage and no additional necrotic damage. Misfiring while using tainted steel ammunition causes 1d6 necrotic damage to the weapon's wielder.
Auxiliary Component:
You gain resistance to necrotic damage, and +1 to Persuasion checks against Fiends and Sentient Undead. You gain a single use of Animate Dead, which you cast at 3rd level, and regain use of after a long rest.