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Okay the Core Rulebook has info for Adamantine, Darkwood, Dragonhide, Cold Iron, Mithral, and Alchemical Silver materials.
But what about Brass, Copper, Gold, Stone, Ivory, Jade, Bamboo or Bronze? I need costs and material effects. For example I assume that Gold would add to costs of the item (about 5gp per pound of the item) but would have an AC Penalty or Damage Penalty. What would be about right?
Same for Bronze and Brass (Isn't brass strong but brittle?), but no idea of costs either.
Would a Copper Light Mace only add an extra 2 Silver to price (or would it be even cheaper than a normal item)? Would it conduct electricity well, perhaps adding an extra d6 of electrical damage if hit with an electricity spell?
When was Golarion's Bronze age and what does Bronze do? How about the Stone Age?
Any other materials are welcomed...
Also, we have normal items, and masterwork items, what about inferior items?
Okay the Core Rulebook has info for Adamantine, Darkwood, Dragonhide, Cold Iron, Mithral, and Alchemical Silver materials.
But what about Brass, Copper, Gold, Stone, Ivory, Jade, Bamboo or Bronze? I need costs and material effects. For example I assume that Gold would add to costs of the item (about 5gp per pound of the item) but would have an AC Penalty or Damage Penalty. What would be about right?
Same for Bronze and Brass (Isn't brass strong but brittle?), but no idea of costs either.
Would a Copper Light Mace only add an extra 2 Silver to price (or would it be even cheaper than a normal item)? Would it conduct electricity well, perhaps adding an extra d6 of electrical damage if hit with an electricity spell?
When was Golarion's Bronze age and what does Bronze do? How about the Stone Age?
Any other materials are welcomed...
Also, we have normal items, and masterwork items, what about inferior items?
Gold
I think gold is 10gp in a pound, so you'd up it by at least that. If it's an edged weapon, it won't do damage. Gold won't hold an edge, not past a single hit. It's like lead. A maul or mace or bludgeon of gold would actually do a bit more damage (again, like swinging a lead mace). But, you have to remember, gold is DENSER than steel, so you'd increase the weight of any weapon by about double. Then use that new weight to determine the gold price. Of course, a gold mace or maul is going to be beaten out of shape with every hit. Basically, gold is a lousy choice for a weapon or armor, it's like trying to use butter. Boost the damage by one level (as if it had gone up a size) and make it one hit with an edge weapon, and give a mace or maul 30hps and no hardness. So it will fail quickly.[b}copper[/b]
Copper is lighter than steel, but not as strong by a long shot. I don't know that the copper would do anymore for electrical though. It's a better conductor, but at the amperage you're talking about for a lightning bolt, you won't tell the difference between steel and copper. Copper has less resistence, so it's better for low voltage (like DC in your car, or to convey AC from the power plant over a long distance). Over short distances with high voltage, you won't notice much difference. Copper would do about the same as steel, but it wouldn't last long (again, low hardness, low hitpoints). Also depends on what you're hitting it against. Hit full plate with a copper sword, and you need a new sword. Hit copper breastplate with a steel sword, bury the guy in the copper breastplate.
You know, I could go on, but honestly, unusual components should only come into play in primitive cultures (who are going to get slaughtered by people with steel and mithral and adamantine), like the Aztecs and the Conquistadors. Alternately, you'd be looking at enchanted items only (the magic making them work). The only reason you'd have is if you had some shapeshifters vulnerable to gold instead of silver, or if dragon hide could only be pierced by obsidian. I'd reserve all that stuff for primitive cultures, RP out that when the player's steel swords hit the PC's copper shields, they slice right through them (basically, copper gives no AC bonus, and copper weapons or gold or whatever weapons are destroyed by steel or adamantine defenses).
I would think that if the situation came up that you needed to know the effects of having a weapon made from those kinds of materials, you could just throw on a -2 penalty to their rolls on the basis that it's an inferior substance.
On a related note - an inferior item should just be the opposite of a masterwork item; -2 penalty to the roll.
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The idea I am working with is magically enhanced ceremonial items.
They are not designed for actual combat, but knowing PCs they will try it anyway. So I wanted an idea of what such items would do. And they are from a primitive society (relatively anyway).
You just know some PC is going to try and wear the +2 Gold Plate Armor to see what happens. :)
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I would think that if the situation came up that you needed to know the effects of having a weapon made from those kinds of materials, you could just throw on a -2 penalty to their rolls on the basis that it's an inferior substance.On a related note - an inferior item should just be the opposite of a masterwork item; -2 penalty to the roll.
That is what I was thinking too. Sells at half normal price I am thinking. Again a primitive society thing. These are NOT the ceremonial items, but arms and armor created in a rush for war.
Well, the old Arms & Equipment Guide had a whole bunch of other materials listed - bronze, bone, coral, some kind of mud that hardened..
You could look there for inspiration too.
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Good ideas!
I did find the 3.0 and 3.5 DMGs had Stone, Bone and Bronze.
BTW did you guys know Jade was once used for weapons? I thought thought it would have been too brittle... go figure.
I know obsidian was used as the bladed part of Mayan swords and also as daggers. That would be an interesting one as well.
Thanks. :)
I'll keep looking.
And what about the other skymetals in Golarion? Any ideas on some of their properties?
Okay, with ivory, this is something I had to price myself for my games.
According to the 1st ed DMG, p. 27, ivory is worth 3-6 gp per lb.
According to p. 113 of the Wheel of Time RPG (which was d20 from Wizards, and thus basically 3.0 without saying it for licensing reasons) ivory is worth 6 gc per lb, a gc being a "gold crown." Assuming that's the same as a gp, we're still dealing with Gygax's 1st ed pricing.
But wait, there's more! In 1st ed, in the MM2, p. 70, the Gloomwing has "a double set of ivory mandibles (value 25 gp per gloomwing). That's 2 lbs per mandible if they're expensive 6 gp per lb ivory, or 4 lbs for cheap 3 gp per lb ivory.
Of course, this gets a bit problematic when you get the focus for Legend Lore being "four strips of ivory worth 50 GP each." On has to assuming that this is an art object and there's some significant craftsmanship. Otherwise the diviner is lugging around four 8+ lb tusks.
Honestly, I'd go with Gygax's original pricing, and give it as 6 GP per lb for premium elephant ivory or something particularly nice like hippo teeth and less for fossil ivory, whale teeth and so on. And divide the weight by 3 for art objects made with it, which should keep the diviners from having heart attacks.