Adamantine Weapons and cutting through walls

[JoelF847]

One thing that's always been a problem in my games is adamantine weapons and their ability to ignore hardness up to 20. This allows adamantine weapons to literally cut through doors and walls with a small time investment, especially in the hands of a high strength character using power attack.

In addition, I think it makes adamantine weapons TOO good for sundering any non-adamantine weapon.

I'd propose making adamantine either count hardness at 1/2 actual value, or have it ignore the first 5 points of hardness. It would still allow adamantine weapons to be superior for sundering, but at least give the defender a chance of their weapon surviving, and would prevent using an adamantine sword as a lightsaber and cutting through bulkheads.

[Xaaon of Xen'Drik]

Then no one would pay the 3000gp for one...

I haven't had a problem with it personally. cutting through things with any weapon is very noisy.

[Tamec]

Xaaon of Xen'Drik wrote:

Then no one would pay the 3000gp for one...

I haven't had a problem with it personally. cutting through things with any weapon is very noisy.

Yeah, it's not like lightsabers....granted an adamantine greatsword in the hands of a raging barbarian can cut it as easily just not as quietly.

[anthony Valente]

On this one, I don't know if anything can easily be done, or if it needs to be done, but it would be nice if a solution can be had. In one of our sessions, the players used an adamantine longsword to cut through a 10' diameter boulder in their way. It just seems wonky.

I know wonky things happen in this game... falling 100', getting up and walking away, and all that... but cutting through a boulder with a sword?

[Fischkopp]

Heck, it's ADAMANTINE. It cuts through a diamond with ease (and it's real expensive). By the way, how many hitpoints does a 10' diameter boulder have? 900 RAW (maybe 600 if you adjust for it being a round object and not a 10' by 10' section... Ignoring hardness is only half of the process...

[Abraham spalding]

Think that's bad wait until the cleric is bashing through them with an adamantine warhammer. ;D

Seriously I don't think this is too much of a problem. Don't forget most players don't sunder (they want that loot) and every + 1 enhancment of a weapon adds to the hardness and hit points too... if you find it nessecary in some places you could have the walls enchanted so that their hardness is over 20. I wouldn't do it too often but it is doable. The noise factor others have mention is also a good point, by the time the PC's get through the wall whatever is on the other side is going to know they are coming and have prepared accordingly.

Finally if your players are cutting down every wall in sight they might just cut out some main support tresses bringing the whole place down on their own heads, that could be painful if not deadly.

[Enygmatic_me]

There are existing rules for this, to an extent. Rules for Adamantine hacksaws and drills exist, I think in Dungeonscape (don't have the books handy at the moment). The basics are the sawblade and drillbit only last for so long before becoming useless, and these are items actually built for the task in question. A sword, even an Adamantine one, will dull if you slam it into a granite wall long enough. Reduce the damage the weapon does by a die type for every ten or twenty rounds of improper use. Leave it that way until the player gets it sharpened by someone with sufficient ranks to repair it per the rules. If the are really stubborn make cumulative saves verse breaking every five or ten rounds. Use a combo of rules if you must. Even if this is not to your liking there is still the main avenue open to you. The primary rule, if something doesn't work in your campaign then change it.

[selios]

I was thinking the same thing. Adamantine is a little too good. And I've thought too to reduce its ability to ignore only half hardness.
And 3000GP is very cheap for an adamantine weapon, once you get to mid levels.
A save for not using the weapon should be is also a good idea I think.