• Crafting
  • XP Costs
• Magic Item Crafting
• Materials
  • Metal
  • Wood
  • Other

This ultrahard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor. 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. Adamantine is so costly that weapons and armor made from it are always of masterwork quality; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below. Thus, adamantine weapons and ammunition have a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls, and the armor check penalty of adamantine armor is lessened by 1 compared to ordinary armor of its type. 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. Weapons, armor and shields normally made of steel that are made of adamantine have one-third more hit points than normal. Adamantine has 40 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 20.

DMG 283

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.

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%.

Cold iron has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.

DMG 284

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. 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 below.

Mithral has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.

DMG 284

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.

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). The alchemical silvering process can’t be applied to nonmetal items, and it doesn’t work on rare metals such as adamantine, cold iron, and mithral.

Alchemical silver has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 8.

SRD

This exceptionally hard wood, is useful in the manufacture of armor and weapons. Unlike most woods, bronzewood can be used instead of metal to fashion heavy armor and weapons–it is somewhat shapeable during manufacturing, and it keeps a sharp edge. Although dense and weighty compared to other woods, it is still lighter than steel: Items weigh 10% less when made from bronzewood rather than metal.

Breastplate, banded mail, splint mail, half-plate, and full plate can be made from bronzewood. Armor made of bronzewood is somewhat less obtrusive than similar armor made of metal. The armor check penalty from bronzewood armor and shields does not affect Hide checks made in woodland environments.

Although bronzewood can replace metal in most weapons, chain weapons such as the spiked chain cannot be made from it. Weapons made from bronzewood have no special characteristics apart from their lighter weight.

Bronzewood has hardness 10 and 20 hit points per inch of thickness.

ECS 126

This rare magic wood is as hard as normal wood but very light. Any wooden or mostly wooden item (such as a bow, an arrow, or a spear) made from darkwood is considered a masterwork item and weighs only half as much as a normal wooden item of that type. Items not normally made of wood or only partially of wood (such as a battleaxe or a mace) either cannot be made from darkwood or do not gain any special benefit from being made of darkwood. The armor check penalty of a darkwood shield is lessened by 2 compared to an ordinary shield of its type. To determine the price of a darkwood item, use the original weight but add 10 gp per pound to the price of a masterwork version of that item.

Darkwood has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 5.

DMG 238

Similar to leafweave armor, darkleaf armor is made of carefully cured and beautifully carved pieces of darkwood, supplemented by alchemically treated leaves from the darkwood tree.

Making armor out of darkleaf reduces its arcane spell failure chance by 5% because the armor is so flexible. The maximum Dexterity bonus of darkleaf armor is increased by 1, and armor check penalties are reduced by 2.

Darkleaf heavy armor is treated as medium armor for purposes of movement and other limitations, while darkleaf medium armor is considered to be light armor. Only medium and heavy armors normally made of metal can be constructed from darkleaf, and the most common forms are breastplates and banded mail.

Creating darkleaf armor requires a DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check in addition to the normal Craft (armor-smithing) checks required to make armor.

ECS 120

Densewood is a strong, hard, heavy wood similar to iron in its properties. It has hardness 8 (comparable to stone) and 20 hit points per inch of thickness. The DC for breaking a densewood item with a Strength check increases by 5 compared to a normal wooden item.

A densewood item weighs twice as much as the same item made from normal wood, and costs twice as much (before adding any cost for a masterwork component or an enhancement bonus). Items without wooden parts, including armor and bladed weapons, cannot be made from densewood.

ECS 126

Livewood is a green-colored hardwood with a highly magical nature. When livewood trees are felled, they do not die, though they stop all growth. Livewood can be worked like normal hardwood, while it remains completely alive.

In most respects, livewood is just like normal wood. A few spells affect livewood in different ways from normal wood, however. Plant growth causes worked livewood to sprout small branches and leaves, though diminish plants has no effect. Speak with plants allows a character to communicate with a livewood object, though such an object has no more awareness of its surroundings than most normal plants. Blight deals damage to a livewood object as if the object were a plant creature (1d6 points of damage per level; the wood’s hardness does not apply). A character can use tree stride to move from one livewood object to another, or from a livewood tree to a livewood object (and vice versa), as long as the livewood object is large enough. Animate plants can animate a livewood object.

Livewood has hardness 6 and 10 hit points per inch of thickness. The cost of a livewood item is half again as much (+50%) as a normal wooden item. Items without wooden parts, including armor and bladed weapons, cannot be made from livewood.

ECS 127

As the name suggests, leafweave armor is made from bronzewood leaves, which are then treated with a special alchemical process that makes them as tough and flexible as leather, with considerably less weight and encumbrance.

The arcane spell failure chance for leafweave armor is reduced by 5% compared to ordinary armor of the same sort, due to its increased flexibility. The armor’s maximum Dexterity bonus is increased by +1, and its armor check penalty (if any) is lessened by 2. Leafweave versions of padded, leather, studded leather, and hide armor exist; leafweave studded leather typically incorporates bronzewood studs to make it druid-friendly.

Creating leafweave armor requires a single successful DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check in addition to the normal Craft (armorsmithing) checks.

Leafweave armor costs 740 gp more than ordinary armor of the same sort. It has hardness 2 and 5 hit points per inch of thickness.

RotW 168

The rare saelas tree (saelas is an Elven word that translates as “wildwood” in Common) produces wood with a peculiar set of qualities. Not only is it extraordinarily flexible for days after harvesting, but items crafted of wildwood regrow after being damaged. At the hands of an armorsmith also skilled in woodworking, wildwood can be crafted into light-weight armor nearly as strong as steel. It is prized by druids, who can wear it without sacrificing their class abilities.

Wildwood armor provides 1 less point of armor bonus than ordinary armor of the same sort. However, the armor’s maximum Dex bonus increases by 1, its armor check penalty is reduced by 1 (minimum 0), and its arcane spell failure chance is reduced by 5%. In addition, the wearer of a suit of wildwood armor can ignore its armor check penalty on Hide checks made in areas of undergrowth or heavy undergrowth.

Armor made from wildwood weighs three-quarters as much as the same item made from metal. Armor not primarily made of metal is not meaningfully affected by being partially made from wildwood.

As long as it is exposed to sunlight for at least 1 hour per day, a suit of wildwood armor naturally “heals” 1 point of damage every 24 hours. If it is left to soak in at least one gallon of water while exposed to sunlight for 8 hours, it heals 5 points of damage.

Armor made from wildwood is always of masterwork quality (the masterwork cost is included in the armor’s given cost). Wildwood armor costs double what ordinary masterwork armor of the same sort costs, but it takes no longer to make than masterwork armor of that sort. For each Craft (armorsmithing) check required to create a suit of wildwood armor, a Craft (woodworking) check against the same DC is also required (though the same character need not make both checks). Wildwood has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 6.

RotW 169

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 nonpsionic 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 noncrystal 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.

SRD

Armorsmiths can work with the hides of dragons to produce armor or shields of masterwork quality. One dragon produces enough hide for a single suit of masterwork hide armor for a creature one size category smaller than the dragon. By selecting only choice scales and bits of hide, an armorsmith can produce one suit of masterwork banded mail for a creature two sizes smaller, one suit of masterwork half-plate for a creature three sizes smaller, or one masterwork breastplate or suit of full plate for a creature four sizes smaller. In each case, enough hide is available to produce a small or large masterwork shield in addition to the armor, provided that the dragon is Large or larger.

Because dragonhide armor isn’t made of metal, druids can wear it without penalty.

Dragonhide armor costs double what masterwork armor of that type ordinarily costs, but it takes no longer to make than ordinary armor of that type.

Dragonhide has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.

SRD

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.

SRD