Materials to produce non-magical "magic"

[dethkruzer]

So, one potential end-game sidequest I was thinking about for one of my ongoing games, is to have the player seek out materials for a new weapon. The purpose of this is for the end result to reproduce the the benefits and effects of a magic weapon, with no actual magic being involved, but rather the power of the weapon being an innate property of the materials and superior craftsmanship.

Now, the reason I'm making this thread is because I'm having trouble coming up with suitable materials. The idea was that the materials he would need would be... not so much physical objects, but rather physical substances that somehow encapsulate some deed, idea, or concept. Things like "The promise of victory", or the like.

Now, I don't know what kind of weapon the player would intend to create through this, but a reasonable guess would be something similar to his current weapon, which was something along the lines of a +6 Corrosive Ghost Touch Holy Surge spiked chain.

I'm really just asking for ideas with this. what kind of idea or concept could reproduce effects similar to this, what would the materials to best symbolize those concept be?

[Zancloufer]

The most obvious answer would be to make the weapon, or at least imbue it with, parts of actual magical creatures. Perhaps the remains of an ancient earth elemental would make for a good base material to give the basic +enhancement bonus.

Dragon scales or Dragon blood can provide elemental damage based off the type of dragon, and if you want something corrosive why not a specific organ from a Rust Monster?

Ghost touch, probably the remains of something incorporeal. Of course this is still somewhat magic, but it's more so taking parts of powerful magical creatures and using their naturally magical remains to make something that takes on a supernatural aspect they had in life.

[rgrekejin]

I don't know if this is really what you're looking for, but there was a special material called Glassteel in the Races of Faerun book that granted nonmagical enhancement bonuses to weapons and armor that were made of it just because they were so exquisitely made. But it sounds like you're looking for something a little more homebrew-y.

[daremetoidareyo]

Ghost touch, probably the remains of something incorporeal. Of course this is still somewhat magic, but it's more so taking parts of powerful magical creatures and using their naturally magical remains to make something that takes on a supernatural aspect they had in life.

Nah duuude. You want a few links from the anchor chain to a ghostship full of betrayed undead privateers if you want ghost touch. Laying those souls to rest also grants xp . Also, holy burst might be achievable if that ghost ship was the angry souls of good people. The anchor is symbolic of tethering two worlds together...and it comes with a chain.


This will help if you'rd doing RAW.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?442820-Special-Materials-Index

[SwordChucks]

In the norse myth about the binding of Fenrir, Gleipnir the chain that bound him, was made of some interesting things that might give you ideas. Each thing was supposedly an impossibility:

The sound of a cat's footsteps
The beard of a woman
The roots of a mountain
The sinew of a bear
The breath of a fish
The spittle of a bird

As you can see, norse cats must not have been as fat and carnival sideshows weren't a thing at the time this was thought of. The real hard part is trying to collect these items and some how carry them with you.

[dethkruzer]

Nah duuude. You want a few links from the anchor chain to a ghostship full of betrayed undead privateers if you want ghost touch. Laying those souls to rest also grants xp . Also, holy burst might be achievable if that ghost ship was the angry souls of good people. The anchor is symbolic of tethering two worlds together...and it comes with a chain.



In the norse myth about the binding of Fenrir, Gleipnir the chain that bound him, was made of some interesting things that might give you ideas. Each thing was supposedly an impossibility:

The sound of a cat's footsteps
The beard of a woman
The roots of a mountain
The sinew of a bear
The breath of a fish
The spittle of a bird

As you can see, norse cats must not have been as fat and carnival sideshows weren't a thing at the time this was thought of. The real hard part is trying to collect these items and some how carry them with you.

yeah, it's pretty much things like this that I am looking for.

[Red Fel]

Now, I don't know what kind of weapon the player would intend to create through this, but a reasonable guess would be something similar to his current weapon, which was something along the lines of a +6 Corrosive Ghost Touch Holy Surge spiked chain.

I'm really just asking for ideas with this. what kind of idea or concept could reproduce effects similar to this, what would the materials to best symbolize those concept be?

Well, let's assume that the DM has made available to you a craftsman who can take esoteric concepts and manufacture them into magical objects, and that you have a way of transporting those esoteric concepts.

Let's look at the pieces you've listed.
+X: The numerical enhancements are pure power. For every +1, bring a fragment of a being of concentrated power. Depending on your level, that could be an Outsider, a powerful Wizard, or a Dragon of some kind.
Corrosive: Okay, it deals acid damage. A more literal method of communicating this would be to bring the gland of a monster with an acid weapon or ability, but if you want to go esoteric, I would say, "The tongue of a corrupt politician." The idea being that this represents corruption and rot on a grand scale.
Ghost Touch: Again, a more literal object would be, say, the finger of an Ethereal Filcher. But for the esoteric, I would say, "The memory of a lover's last caress." This represents something that was already gentle to begin with (a lover's caress), but now that the lover is gone, all that remains is something even more ephemeral (a memory).
Holy Surge: This is basically a mini-Smite. Accordingly, "A Paladin's sense of righteous judgment" would be perfect, representing the vindicating sensation of finding and extinguishing Evil. For a more physical object, take any portion of an Archon - which is a pretty big challenge, given the fact that they don't properly corpse, if memory serves.
Spiked Chain: Go out and buy a spiked chain. Sheesh.

[daremetoidareyo]

Well, let's assume that the DM has made available to you a craftsman who can take esoteric concepts and manufacture them into magical objects, and that you have a way of transporting those esoteric concepts.

Let's look at the pieces you've listed.
+X: The numerical enhancements are pure power. For every +1, bring a fragment of a being of concentrated power. Depending on your level, that could be an Outsider, a powerful Wizard, or a Dragon of some kind.
Corrosive: Okay, it deals acid damage. A more literal method of communicating this would be to bring the gland of a monster with an acid weapon or ability, but if you want to go esoteric, I would say, "The tongue of a corrupt politician." The idea being that this represents corruption and rot on a grand scale.
Ghost Touch: Again, a more literal object would be, say, the finger of an Ethereal Filcher. But for the esoteric, I would say, "The memory of a lover's last caress." This represents something that was already gentle to begin with (a lover's caress), but now that the lover is gone, all that remains is something even more ephemeral (a memory).
Holy Surge: This is basically a mini-Smite. Accordingly, "A Paladin's sense of righteous judgment" would be perfect, representing the vindicating sensation of finding and extinguishing Evil. For a more physical object, take any portion of an Archon - which is a pretty big challenge, given the fact that they don't properly corpse, if memory serves.
Spiked Chain: Go out and buy a spiked chain. Sheesh.

You know who can probably turn esoteric concepts real?

Nighthags.

You know who probably has the most bombastic fear of holy wrath?

New paladins.

Mix em together for a nice adventure.

[Red Fel]

You know who can probably turn esoteric concepts real?

Nighthags.

For bonus points, when the PCs meet the Nighthag crafter, reenact a scene from Hocus Pocus.

Any scene. Seriously, any scene.

[Bohandas]

If it wasn't a spiked chain (and environmental conditions of the campaign permitting) you could freeze holy water to get the holy property.

EDIT:
BTW, did this campaign start out as/with a run of Temple of Elemental Evil? Because I seem to remember a holy spiked chain being a piece of loot in that adventure.