Making a Weapon Unbreakable: Is it possible?

[Rossebay]

I've got an Imbued, Sword Focus, Item Familiar Heavy Metal Bastard Sword.

If I lose the thing, my character shrivels away into nothing, basically.
I don't want that to happen. Any suggestions?

[Igneel]

Only thing that comes to mind doesn't make it technically 'indestructible' but it at least doesn't stay broken. Its called Aurorum from the Book of Exalted Deeds (pg 38) which basically allows you to take the pieces of a broken weapon, armor, shield (and technically anything else) made of this stuff as a full-round action lets it reshape into the item it previous state. All for an additional price of +4,000.

Other then that, I guess there is always adamantine to make it harder to break.

[Zaq]

Making it out of Riverine (probably mutually exclusive with your "heavy metal," but oh well) will make it immune to everything except Disintegrate and Disjunction, and frankly, if you find something that IS immune to those two, lemme know.

[satorian]

If you can reforge it, yeah, adamantium or, depending on DM rulings, Riverine, would be the best choice. If you can't, well, it depends on the DM. I would rule that a carefully worded limited wish or wish could permanently add hardness. Then of course your only worries are disjunction (a VERY carefully worded wish might make it almost as hard to disjoin as an artifact, but for reliability you would need epic magic) or simply losing it, which can only be protected from by holding the DM's family hostage. I do not recommend that course of action.

[tyckspoon]

Assuming having it remade or transmuted into another material is not possible, because you need to keep the Heavy construction (although you could perhaps have it Polymorph Any Object'd into Obdurium, which is certainly quite heavy..)

Increasing the base enhancement adds both HP and Hardness. The Everbright property in Magic Item Compendium gives a minor ability and, more importantly to you, makes it immune to acid and rust (so you can stick it in an Ooze and don't have to run screaming from a Rust Monster/Dragon/whatever.) The psionic power Matter Manipulation can (very expensively- it's an 8th level power with an XP cost, which seems pretty absurd for what it actually does) add Hardness, and the imaginatively-named spell Harden in the Spell Compendium can do the same for a much more reasonable cost; if you can afford to buy both, do so. The main difference in effects is Matter Manipulation is Instantaneous while Harden is Permanent and so is subject do dispelling.

If you can pump your weapon's Hardness high enough, it'll be pretty much immune to incidental damage and most Sunder attempts, and Everbright will cover the most common sources of "lol no it just disappears" effects. Not a lot you can do about truly dedicated Sunder builds that can ignore Hardness altogether or certain other nuclear options in equipment destroying (targeted Disintegrates, Disjunction, etc) but assuming your DM is basically ok with your build you shouldn't really have to worry about them. If he's not, you need to have a chat with him about rebuilding your character to something less dependent on that one specific sword anyway.

[Andion Isurand]

The Dwarvencraft template from Races of Stone adds 2 hardness, 10 hp/inch and a +2 bonus on saving throws.

[JKTrickster]

Is this still in character creation? Or have you moved onto the actual game?

If you can, remake it into a Cursed -2 Sword :smallamused:

[Igneel]

Dragon Mag #358 has several ways to modify weapons and armor, one of which is called Folded Metal which gives and additional +4 hardness. There is also Acid Washed which adds +4 bonus to saves against acid, rust, and disintegration, Blood Grove that lessens the weight by 20% or 1/2lb and gives +2 Hardness, and Resilient for +5HP.

Somewhat wondering if you can add most if not all of these together for a Folded Metal, Acid Washed, Blood Grove, Resilient, Dwarvencraft, X weapon. Get something like +8 hardness, +15 (or more) hp, +6 bonus to saves, plus whatever the weapon's material is.

[Andion Isurand]

Obdurium (Stronghold Builder's Guidebook) has 30 hardness and 60 hp/inch, but is otherwise like Adamantine.

When alloyed with Oerthblood (Dragon Magazine 351 pg 45) its hardness is doubled to 60 and its hit points increase by 50% up to 90.

----------------------------------------------------

Great Crafter [Ancestor] feat (Dragon Magazine 318 pg 37) = +2 hardness / +10 HP

Dwarvencraft (Races of Stone) = +2 hardness / +10 HP / +2 all saves.

Acid Washed (Dragon Magazine 358 pg 39) = +4 saves against acid, rust & disintegration
Blood Groove (Dragon Magazine 358 pg 39) = +2 hardness / -20% weight or 1/2 lb
Folded Metal (Dragon Magazine 358 pg 40) = +4 hardness.
Resilient (Dragon Magazine 358 pg 42) = +5 HP.

Matter Manipulation power = +5 hardness / +15 HP.

+5 enhancement bonus = +10 hardness / +50 HP.

85 Hardness / 170 HP before spells

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For spells I would recommend...

Augment Object (Stronghold Builder's Guidebook) which doubles an object's hardness and HP for 1/day per level, while also increasing its break DC by 20

Fortify Metal or Stone (Secrets of Sarlona 127) which does almost the same thing for 1 hour/level

Hardening (Spell Compendium 109)

[kardar233]

If you've got a fairly ridiculous amount of gold on hand or a convenient Polymorph Any Object as well as a Strength of at least 25, then I'd suggest adding in an Orichalcum inlay of 0.0004%. That'll quadruple the hit points of the weapon, and it multiplies your base weapon dice by 1.5, which should stack with the Heavy quality.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Making it out of Riverine (probably mutually exclusive with your "heavy metal," but oh well) will make it immune to everything except Disintegrate and Disjunction, and frankly, if you find something that IS immune to those two, lemme know.

A lead sheet is good enough to block LoE for Disjunction (hence Tin Foil Hat trick), and Disintegrate can be avoided with a decent Fort save, since it is never going to be Unattended.

[kardar233]

I thought the Tinfoil Hat trick didn't work for Disjunction as all MDJ's effects happen simultaneously and permanently. Sure, it works for AMFs, but they only suppress things.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I thought the Tinfoil Hat trick didn't work for Disjunction as all MDJ's effects happen simultaneously and permanently. Sure, it works for AMFs, but they only suppress things.

Contingent a tinfoil hat upon being targeted by MDJ, so it goes off before the MDJ lands. Now you are no longer in Line of Effect, so it doesn't touch you to begin with.

[Rossebay]

A lead sheet is good enough to block LoE for Disjunction (hence Tin Foil Hat trick), and Disintegrate can be avoided with a decent Fort save, since it is never going to be Unattended.

Also, disintegrate can be foiled by Celerity+Spellfire Wielder.
I'll just absorb that, thank you very much...

And, Disjunction is long, long off.

Okay, so a compiled list:

Adamantium
Riverine (Immune to everything?)
Aurorum (still breaks, but fixes itself)
Harden
Matter Manipulation
Dwarvencraft
Folded Metal
Blood Groove
Acid Wash
Orichalcum Inlay
Resilient
Obdurium
Oerthblood


Did I miss anything?

How many of these things stack? And (I can't access Dragon Magazine) what do they cost?
We start at 6th level, so what should I do now, and what can I put in later?


Also, does a -2 Cursed Sword actually do anything for me? o.O

[herrhauptmann]

Dragon Mag #358 has several ways to modify weapons and armor, one of which is called Folded Metal which gives and additional +4 hardness. There is also Acid Washed which adds +4 bonus to saves against acid, rust, and disintegration, Blood Grove that lessens the weight by 20% or 1/2lb and gives +2 Hardness, and Resilient for +5HP.

Somewhat wondering if you can add most if not all of these together for a Folded Metal, Acid Washed, Blood Grove, Resilient, Dwarvencraft, X weapon. Get something like +8 hardness, +15 (or more) hp, +6 bonus to saves, plus whatever the weapon's material is.
Blood Grove? Or Blood Groove. The one sounds like a stand of trees, the other sounds like a mall-ninja talking about the fullers in a blade.

Also, disintegrate can be foiled by Celerity+Spellfire Wielder.
I'll just absorb that, thank you very much...

And, Disjunction is long, long off.

Okay, so a compiled list:

Adamantium
Riverine (tiny walls offorce, not immune to disintegrate. Not that it matters, disintegrate takes down most items)
Aurorum (still breaks, but fixes itself)
Harden
Matter Manipulation
Dwarvencraft
Folded Metal
Blood Groove
Acid Wash
Orichalcum Inlay
Resilient
Obdurium
Oerthblood


Did I miss anything?

How many of these things stack? And (I can't access Dragon Magazine) what do they cost?
We start at 6th level, so what should I do now, and what can I put in later?


Also, does a -2 Cursed Sword actually do anything for me? o.O

Celerity fixes a lot of things, you know? :smalltongue:
Weapon crystal in mic boosts weapon hardness by 2, 5 or 10. (Away from books)
Everbright weapons (mic). Weapon is immune to acid/rust. Important if your DM is old school (there's an ooze trap in dungeonscape that has no save, but destroys almost all your equipment)

Cursed sword, I believe that is so that the sword always comes back to you.
However, I think the curse only says you have to draw the sword, and can't throw it away or sell it. Nothing stopping someone from stealing it from you.

I'd say that most of the 'material' things in that list are exclusive. No aurorum adamant weapons and such. Orihalcum should be able to be applied to most metal weapons.
My opinion is that riverine is armor but not weapons. Since most special material tables include an entry for weapons made of the material. Riverine has armor types, and 'other materialsitems.'

Most 'construction' techniques could be applied together. Blood groove, folded, dwarfcraft, etc. On theother hand, I'd say if you want a githcraft and dwarfcraft weapon, you'd have to quest to find a gith with levels in the stoneblessed PrC.
Of course, finding 'oerthblood' while in Eberron or the Forgotten Realms might bea little difficult. Especially at level 6.

[Andion Isurand]

If you've got a fairly ridiculous amount of gold on hand or a convenient Polymorph Any Object as well as a Strength of at least 25, then I'd suggest adding in an Orichalcum inlay of 0.0004%. That'll quadruple the hit points of the weapon, and it multiplies your base weapon dice by 1.5, which should stack with the Heavy quality.

Where is the d20 basis for this material and its effect on hit points?

[Kuulvheysoon]

Another possibility is to grab an Aurorum weapon and apply the Metalline enhancement (+2, Und) so that it can act as any metal type that you wish. IF it get busted, then it reverts back to the original source metal... which happens to be aurorum.

[herrhauptmann]

Another possibility is to grab an Aurorum weapon and apply the Metalline enhancement (+2, Und) so that it can act as any metal type that you wish. IF it get busted, then it reverts back to the original source metal... which happens to be aurorum.

I think it might've been updated to limit itself to steel and mithril or something, but that's actually a really good idea.
metalline: aurorum and adamant? Great!

[Igneel]

Blood Grove? Or Blood Groove. The one sounds like a stand of trees, the other sounds like a mall-ninja talking about the fullers in a blade.

Lol, and that's what I get for typing up several things while looking back and forth between the screen and book without checking my typing. :smalltongue: I enjoyed the joke all the same.


Weapon crystal in mic boosts weapon hardness by 2, 5 or 10. (Away from books)
Correct, and you need at least a Masterwork weapon for the +2, a +1 or higher for the +5, and a +3 or higher for the 10.


Where is the d20 basis for this material and its effect on hit points?
From what I can see, starmetal has nothing to add to hit points other then that its basically adamantine with a +1d6 damage against extraplanar creatures while on the Material plane. +5,000gp to make the weapon only out of this is the price tag they give. Nothing about sprinkling dust and such.


Another possibility is to grab an Aurorum weapon and apply the Metalline enhancement (+2, Und) so that it can act as any metal type that you wish. IF it get busted, then it reverts back to the original source metal... which happens to be aurorum.
Indeed it was updated in the MIC so that it no longer can be any metal material. Same enchantment price though.

FR: Underdark- The wielder can alter the composition of a metalline weapon from one kind of metal to another as a standards action. For instance, a metalline bastard sword can become an adamantine bastard sword or an iron bastard sword.

MIC- When you activate a metalline weapon, you can change its composition to adamantine, alchemical silver, cold iron, or ordinary steel.

[Golden Ladybug]

Cursed sword, I believe that is so that the sword always comes back to you.
However, I think the curse only says you have to draw the sword, and can't throw it away or sell it. Nothing stopping someone from stealing it from you.

Last time I brought the glourious -2 Cursed Sword up we got into a large row over RAW and how the text should be interpreted.

The short answer is; they can steal it, it just won't matter, one way or the other. The ONLY way to get rid of it is Limited Wish, Wish or Miracle. Even if it draws you halfway across the globe instantly to retrieve your sword as one of the interpretations of it went :smallannoyed:

From earlier editions, it was clear that it just teleported to your hand when you wanted to draw a weapon, which is probably the simplest way of ruling it. Instantaneous Travel and No-Save Compulsions make headaches.

But yeah, throw -2 Cursed on top of all that other stuff and never worry about losing it ever again.

[Coidzor]

Making it out of Riverine (probably mutually exclusive with your "heavy metal," but oh well) will make it immune to everything except Disintegrate and Disjunction, and frankly, if you find something that IS immune to those two, lemme know.

Only thing I know of that could be immune to Disintegrate is Livewood, as it is still living when removed from the tree and Disintegrate does bad things to creatures, living and non-living, and non-living objects but doesn't do jack all to living objects.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Indeed it was updated in the MIC so that it no longer can be any metal material. Same enchantment price though.

FR: Underdark- The wielder can alter the composition of a metalline weapon from one kind of metal to another as a standards action. For instance, a metalline bastard sword can become an adamantine bastard sword or an iron bastard sword.

MIC- When you activate a metalline weapon, you can change its composition to adamantine, alchemical silver, cold iron, or ordinary steel.

Still, it's kinda handy to have an 'unbreakable' adamantine weapon. Shame about the nerf, though - talk to your DM and see if you can't get the Underdark one.

Edit: Otherwise the Shadowstriking +3 enhancement (ToM) is a better buy - and additional +1 to overcome any DR. Personally, I'd give the Underdark one as-is or downgrade the MIC one to a +1 enhancement.

[Telonius]

Lots of good advice for preventing breakage. I'd only add that you should seriously consider getting a locked gauntlet. Not breaking is good; not flying out of your hand when a Large foe tries to Disarm you is also good.

[Darrin]

Only thing I know of that could be immune to Disintegrate is Livewood, as it is still living when removed from the tree and Disintegrate does bad things to creatures, living and non-living, and non-living objects but doesn't do jack all to living objects.

Make it a Spellblade (+6000 GP, MoF/PGtF) and you should be immune to disintegrate. Still vulnerable to disjunction, but if your DM is throwing that around, well, things may be beyond saving at that point.

[Rossebay]

Make it a Spellblade (+6000 GP, MoF/PGtF) and you should be immune to disintegrate. Still vulnerable to disjunction, but if your DM is throwing that around, well, things may be beyond saving at that point.

Too expensive to warrant such an enchantment at this level.

Definitely applying it later!

[herrhauptmann]

Glad there's no hard feelings Igneel. :smallwink:
Though the writers of Dragon Mag still have a lot to answer for. All steel weapons should already be folded. Even if hte smith didn't chose to emphasize the fact by oxidizing the layers or something.
Anyway,


From what I can see, starmetal has nothing to add to hit points other then that its basically adamantine with a +1d6 damage against extraplanar creatures while on the Material plane. +5,000gp to make the weapon only out of this is the price tag they give. Nothing about sprinkling dust and such.

Orihalcum isn't starmetal, even if the fluff from orihalcum (dragon quest among others) is that it is metal from a shooting star.
Sounds like there's no d20 version of orihalcum.

[The Winter King]

Orichalchum is in the Immortals handbook AKA the book of really big numbers. Also neutronium.

As for indestructablility...make its insides an undead ant farm. Then use a lyre of building. That should qualify as construction and gives you 30 minutes of real indestructability each day. Alternatively trap the sword with a spell for every possible problem.

[olentu]

Too expensive to warrant such an enchantment at this level.

Definitely applying it later!

Spell blades won't work against disintegrate for a variety of reasons.

[Rossebay]

Spell blades won't work against disintegrate for a variety of reasons.

Well then, Celerity+Spellfire Wielder will always save me.

[Igneel]

Glad there's no hard feelings Igneel. :smallwink:
Though the writers of Dragon Mag still have a lot to answer for. All steel weapons should already be folded. Even if hte smith didn't chose to emphasize the fact by oxidizing the layers or something.
Anyway,

Orihalcum isn't starmetal, even if the fluff from orihalcum (dragon quest among others) is that it is metal from a shooting star.
Sounds like there's no d20 version of orihalcum.

Pfft... :smalltongue: Why do I keep doing this to myself? I think I'll just stop giving advice while I'm ahead of myself. :smallsigh:

And technically Starmetal is metal from a fallen/shooting star.

[TypoNinja]

Obdurium is probably your best bet to make it immune to non-magical destruction(and some magical risks). 30 hardness and 60 HP.

Augment Object is the spell behind the Magically Treated enchantment, so grab some craft (or hire it) and make the thing magically treated, and shed the pesky time limit on Augment Object.

That way you get doubled hardness and HP, +20 break DC and the unattended save, and no pesky time limit.

At 60 hardness you might as well call it immune to normal damage.

From there just secure it against whatever magical sources you fear.

[Rossebay]

Alright... So, Aurorum is nice and all, but what of the -2 Cursed Sword? Say it breaks, then I go to draw it again (well, draw a dagger). What happens? Does the whole sword appear in my hand (as it seems it should), molecularly the same as it always is, or does it appear as just the handle and what's left of the blade?

[Andorax]

Have you tried buying a mini of your character, weapon in hand, and painting it in intricate detail?

[Rossebay]

Have you tried buying a mini of your character, weapon in hand, and painting it in intricate detail?

What do you mean?