How does one "Silver" a weapon?

[Ralanr]

So I'm running a gothic horror campaign with the first set of baddies involving mainly werebeasts. My problem is that werebeasts are immune to nonmagical nonsilvered weapons so I need to get my group some silver weapons.

I was originally planning to have their NPC benefactor have a lot of molten silver so they can just dip their weapons into it to silver it, but in hindsight this feels...really dumb.

Does anyone know the actual process to silvering a weapon? I know it costs 100G (which is something that I'm avoiding).

[Unoriginal]

So I'm running a gothic horror campaign with the first set of baddies involving mainly werebeasts. My problem is that werebeasts are immune to nonmagical nonsilvered weapons so I need to get my group some silver weapons.

I was originally planning to have their NPC benefactor have a lot of molten silver so they can just dip their weapons into it to silver it, but in hindsight this feels...really dumb.

Does anyone know the actual process to silvering a weapon? I know it costs 100G (which is something that I'm avoiding).

There is no "actual process", if you're talking about real life.

In the game, it's about melting the steel, melting the silver, mixing the two to make an alloy, then forging weapons out of it.

[A Fat Dragon]

In the game, it's about melting the steel, melting the silver, mixing the two to make an alloy, then forging weapons out of it.

You could do it that way, or...

You could just stick the blade in a vat of molten silver, wet-stone it to a sharpened point, and voila! Silvered Blade. The adventurer didn’t ask for the blade to be silvered well, if I may add.

[JackPhoenix]

To cover something in silver instead of making it from silver or silver alloy from the start, you'll have to use electroplating, which in fantasy setting pretty much means magic. Which is propably why it is so expensive.

If you don't want to cover it in silver, you may engrave grooves into the weapon's surface and then beat silver wire into it, but that wouldn't work on an actual blade.

[The_Snark]

In previous editions it was called alchemical silver, which implied there was something a little weirder than standard smithing going on. Could always go with that. Have their benefactor hire an alchemist to do mysterious alchemist things to their weapons. (Alternatively, if one of your PCs is proficient, you could ask them if they want to invent a process for it.)

[Nifft]

Dipping a weapon in silver is no dumber than being scary by turning into an angry pig.

Electroplating (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroplating) might be an IRL / "smarter" way to coat a steel weapon, but the result is probably almost identical for something with a surface as simple as a blade.

[Kane0]

The 'classic' trope is dipping your existing weapon in molten silver and coating it that way. Not really realistic but it's D&D, this is hardly the biggest offender on that front.

Other methods involve alchemy, magic, highly advanced smithing techniques or a combination thereof to alloy the silver or otherwise 'stick' it to the weapon.

[Delicious Taffy]

Why not just have them start with silvered weapons?

[Kane0]

For extra flavor, have one shop selling clubs with silver coins shoved in them and calling them something fancy like 'silver maquahuitl'

[Delicious Taffy]

For extra flavor, have one shop selling clubs with silver coins shoved in them and calling them something fancy like 'silver maquahuitl'

That's a good idea, with historical precedent to back it up. Plenty of cultures used gems and precious metals in their weapons like this in real life, and it could add flavor to the setting.

[Ralanr]

Why not just have them start with silvered weapons?

Because one of the aspects of gothic horror I wanted to present is that the setting is terrifying. They’re alone in the dark with monsters.

Later the monsters are going to be in the dark with them.

[pdegan2814]

So I'm running a gothic horror campaign with the first set of baddies involving mainly werebeasts. My problem is that werebeasts are immune to nonmagical nonsilvered weapons so I need to get my group some silver weapons.

I was originally planning to have their NPC benefactor have a lot of molten silver so they can just dip their weapons into it to silver it, but in hindsight this feels...really dumb.

Does anyone know the actual process to silvering a weapon? I know it costs 100G (which is something that I'm avoiding).

Does the party know lots of werebeasts will be involved? And how much handholding do you want to provide when it comes to such things. If you just don't want to hear the players complain about not having silvered weapons, have the person hiring offer to "silver" their regular weapons and be done with it. If they don't know up front, and you want to make them earn it, have a blacksmith or two in town who can do the job, and have ways the party can find out about the benefits of silvered weapons, let the party get them on their own initiative. If they're just starting out then it's going to be expensive, maybe they've got to take a quick job or two to earn enough coin. It's all about how you want it to factor into both the story and gameplay.

[Ralanr]

For extra flavor, have one shop selling clubs with silver coins shoved in them and calling them something fancy like 'silver maquahuitl'

Tempting, but the area is ruled by a werebear duke who had banned silver in his province.

[danpit2991]

i would look up the process of damascene here is a link to the wiki page and i could explain the price

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascening

basically it is an inlay technique that forces soft metal into scratches in a steel surface

[Sigreid]

There are blacksmith techniques that twist different kinds of metals together to form a better whole.

An easy way to do it though would be to have a cultist, or other non were opponent that's working with the weres have some silvered weapons for "insurance".

[Ganymede]

The process for silvering a weapon is not too difficult as long as you have an understanding of alchemy and the proper equipment.

The first step is to dissolve lunar caustic, at least one ounce per pound of metal to be silvered, in distilled water.

Second, immerse the metal to be silvered into the vat with wooden tongs dusted in ash to prevent corrosion.

Third, pour oil of vitriol into the vat, one ounce per pound of metal to be silvered, then bring the vat to a rolling boil.

Maintain this boil for a full hour and the resulting weapon will be coated in a layer of silver. A more durable coating can be achieved by applying an electric current during the boiling process; shorten the boiling time to 10 minutes in this case.

[Psikerlord]

As others have suggested, I like the silver/steel alloy mix approach.

But possibly you could also say that silver runes etched down the blade somehow make the weapon affect lycanthropes? A kind of ancient blessing/ritual, not dissimilar to salt in doorways keeping evil spirits at bay, or wolfbane keepings wolves away, that sort of thing.

[Kane0]

Black market featuring silver coins melted into sling bullets or shod onto staves.

[EvilAnagram]

In summary:

Smithing
A blacksmith combines silver and steel into an alloy or somehow inlays the silver into the weapon. Might involve a slight magic.

Alchemical
An alchemist goes through an arcane process, infusing blades with the "essence" of silver or magically plating the blade.

Brute Force
Affix silver bits to the ends of sticks.

Boring
Dip weapons into molten silver.

[danpit2991]

In summary:

Smithing
A blacksmith combines silver and steel into an alloy or somehow inlays the silver into the weapon. Might involve a slight magic.
this would result in a very weak alloy..but with magic i guess maybe it would work
Alchemical
An alchemist goes through an arcane process, infusing blades with the "essence" of silver or magically plating the blade.
i think the plating is more likely
Brute Force
Affix silver bits to the ends of sticks.
good in a pinch
Boring
Dip weapons into molten silver.
i agree boring and it wouldn't stick to steel very well or for very long

so without a specialized alchemist i think the damascene technique would be the most effective and IRL it has been used to cover steel in precious metal for centuries

[rbstr]

If you want something that's scientific-ish but not electroplating there is such a thing as "electroless" plating. You can do it with silver.
Basically you dunk something in a specially mixed chemical bath and the chemicals react on the surface and deposit a metal.

[Coidzor]

So I'm running a gothic horror campaign with the first set of baddies involving mainly werebeasts. My problem is that werebeasts are immune to nonmagical nonsilvered weapons so I need to get my group some silver weapons.

I was originally planning to have their NPC benefactor have a lot of molten silver so they can just dip their weapons into it to silver it, but in hindsight this feels...really dumb.

Does anyone know the actual process to silvering a weapon? I know it costs 100G (which is something that I'm avoiding).

Make it magical wells of moonlight that silver the weapon when dipped into them, then, and then take months to recharge again, since you don't want it to be a mundane service available.

That makes it sufficiently rare and non-reproducible and special and also gets around the whole "silver has been completely removed from the local culture, economy, etc." issue.

Or, I suppose, you could run with the electroplating idea and have it be something special that requires a lightning storm and mad doctor and at least one Igor.

On the bright side, if you have a way to keep them from easily moving around it generally takes between 2 and 4 gold pieces worth of oil and torches to kill an individual werecreature.

[Arkhios]

You could do it that way, or...

You could just stick the blade in a vat of molten silver, wet-stone it to a sharpened point, and voila! Silvered Blade. The adventurer didn’t ask for the blade to be silvered well, if I may add.

Metallurgy ain't really my forté, but I think doing that would only cause the silver layer to eventually fall off as the surface gets dented from repeated blows. I honestly believe smelting an alloy from steel and silver is the way to create a more durable silver weapon, even though silver itself is quite malleable metal even while cold and thus would make the weapon weaker compared to steel. But that's where fantasy differs from reality, and I'd let it slide. :smallsmile:

Edit: reading forth, I see my point of view has some support. On the plus side, compared to alchemy, I think blacksmiths would charge a bit less from the work than alchemists. I would call it a "Flammability Fee". In my mind Alchemist Labs are prone to explode when the nutjobs "experiment" with things xD

[qube]

The process for silvering a weapon is not too difficult as long as you have an understanding of alchemy and the proper equipment.

The first step is to dissolve lunar caustic, at least one ounce per pound of metal to be silvered, in distilled water.

Second, immerse the metal to be silvered into the vat with wooden tongs dusted in ash to prevent corrosion.

Third, pour oil of vitriol into the vat, one ounce per pound of metal to be silvered, then bring the vat to a rolling boil.

Maintain this boil for a full hour and the resulting weapon will be coated in a layer of silver. A more durable coating can be achieved by applying an electric current during the boiling process; shorten the boiling time to 10 minutes in this case.I was thinking the exact same thing (though, having a chemist background, I was thinking with terms like redox reaction and silver nitrate )

[Dr. Cliché]

Because one of the aspects of gothic horror I wanted to present is that the setting is terrifying. They’re alone in the dark with monsters.

Later the monsters are going to be in the dark with them.

In that case, shouldn't silvered weapons be very rare?

Perhaps the werebeasts have brutally murdered anyone who silvers weapons? Or even anyone who owns a silvered weapon? To the point where no blacksmith (or Alchemist or whatever) will touch silver now.

So the party is going to have to try extremely hard to persuade anyone to silver so much as a breadknife.

Possibly they'd be better off trying to find/buy some silver weapons that people managed to hide?


My point is, if you want to go for horror, then don't hand your players the tools they need to defeat your monsters on a silver platter (pun very much intended).

[Knaight]

Sticking to known ancient metals, a silver-mercury amalgam should work for this. Better yet, the techniques are likely to be known, given that gold-mercury amalgams started cropping up all over the place in armor decoration by the late 15th century.

[Unoriginal]

Because one of the aspects of gothic horror I wanted to present is that the setting is terrifying. They’re alone in the dark with monsters.

Later the monsters are going to be in the dark with them.

Why not have the noble patron give/loan them silvered weapons?

[Zanthy1]

First i'll preface that I did not read all the previous posts, so if my answer is a repeat I apologize.

My idea would be to have an alchemist (probably in the hire of the benefactor) be able to make a special concoction that could be poured over a weapon to grant it the "silvered" condition for 1 hour. Make sure that this alchemist only has a limited amount of resources, so that silvering weapons becomes a resource for the players to manage (which will add to the gothic horror vibe). Maybe the alchemist teaches a PC how to make the concoction, but the specific materials needed for it are rare (silver being the easiest one to find). My suggestion would be a special herb or something that can be found in the wild, just in very secluded and not easy to find places.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

Im pretty sure that silvering a weapon involves infusing the metal of the sword with the silver. The process would be best if you got a blacksmith to do it. If one of you are proficient with smiths tools then one of you could do it if you had 50-100 gp worth of silver per person.

[KorvinStarmast]

To cover something in silver instead of making it from silver or silver alloy from the start, you'll have to use electroplating, which in fantasy setting pretty much means magic. Which is propably why it is so expensive.

If you don't want to cover it in silver, you may engrave grooves into the weapon's surface and then beat silver wire into it, but that wouldn't work on an actual blade. Jack covered it pretty well.
Or don't worry about the grainy details. Go to a weaponsmith, and pay them


Silvered Weapons
Some monsters that have immunity or resistance to non-magical weapons are susceptible to silver weapons,
so cautious adventurers invest extra coin to plate their weapons with silver. You can silver a single weapon or ten pieces of ammunition for 100 gp. This cost represents not only the price of the silver, but the time and expertise needed to add silver to the weapon without making it less effective.
Don't try this in your own home, take it to a professional. :smallbiggrin:

Back when we were getting all simulationist, our usual "silver sword" method was the etched in runes with silver bonded into them so that the steel edge would stay hard/tempered. Based on some short stories we'd read at the time, the metal opened the wound and the silver exploited the wound to inflict its awesomeness on the werewolf. We also made sling stones out of melted sliver pieces.

[JackPhoenix]

Back when we were getting all simulationist, our usual "silver sword" method was the etched in runes with silver bonded into them so that the steel edge would stay hard/tempered. Based on some short stories we'd read at the time, the metal opened the wound and the silver exploited the wound to inflict its awesomeness on the werewolf. We also made sling stones out of melted sliver pieces.

I second the silver bullet idea. It's pretty easy to do, and you don't care if silver is too soft to hold a proper edge for more than one hit. You can do the "dip it into molten silver" bit with arrowheads too: they'll be a little worse than before, but they'll be still pointy, and you wouldn't use them more than once anyway.

Also, when in doubt, set it on fire. Unless it's fire elemental, red dragon or a devil, it works just fine a solution to weapon-resistant monsters. Also, RAI, enviromental damage still works against lycanthropes... push it into a hole (preferably filled with something flammable), drop a house on it (set the house on fire first), or just immobilize it somehow and poke it to death with a lit torch. (or crush it with motorized observatory roof, for fans of VtM: Bloodlines)

[strangebloke]

For extra flavor, have one shop selling clubs with silver coins shoved in them and calling them something fancy like 'silver maquahuitl'

This is the key. If you're making a club, dipping the thing in molten silver is probably good enough.

Pretty easy to make a silver weapon that way, but... in reality it'd be pretty brittle. So if you want to be an evil DM, make the shoddy silvered weapons break on a nat 1.

[Vogie]

Allow Forge Clerics to silver weapons using silver and their Channel Divinity. One of the PCs may consider dipping into that class as a way to tap into that. Also, the Fabricate spell could be used in a similar manner.

Allow Silver as an elemental option, for "Elemental Weapon" or "elemental Bane" castings. Also, as a variant of Magic Weapon, possibly... instead of giving +1 to a weapon, it gives the weapon the silver property.

In UA, the Archfey warlock patron could give a 'lock a "moon bow", which gives advantage on lycanthropes. The party, or just one of the PCs, may strike up a bargain with an Archfey for reliable access to silvered weapons.

An exceptionally old hermit can be discovered who has the ability to cast Moonlight, which is an __-level version of the Light spell, but gives the weapon the silvered property. (the level of the spell is DM fiat for gating purposes)

You could have the party come across a lackey (or lackeys) for the Werebear leader, who has a collection of silvered weapons that they're heading to destroy.

Perhaps the Lycanthropes ONLY have their immunity to nonmagical nonsilvered weapons in their full animal form, and it takes two bonus actions (instead of 1 action) to fully become the beast form:
First Bonus action turns them into the Hybrid form
The second bonus action turns them into the beast.
This gives the players a small window of opportunity to eliminate or stop the transformation. This would allow them, at early levels, to dispatch lycanthropes, without silver weapons, as long as they contain the threat and think it through. If that's too depowering, perhaps the hybrids have resistance to nonmagical nonsilvered physical damage.

For example, a Lycan gets the drop on the players, and gets a surprise round. They use their bonus action to become a hybrid, and attack. Then, the group's caster can use Hold Person to paralyze them, and the normal weapons can still hurt them as long as the lycan is stuck in Hybrid or humanoid form.

Also, introducing weapons that disrupt polymorph effects. For example, a magical nonsilvered hammer that makes the target shift back to a hybrid or human form. It would act as a weapon attack, but wouldn't deal damage to a fully transformed Lycan... but would deal damage to them in human or hybrid form.

[GlenSmash!]

But possibly you could also say that silver runes etched down the blade somehow make the weapon affect lycanthropes? A kind of ancient blessing/ritual, not dissimilar to salt in doorways keeping evil spirits at bay, or wolfbane keepings wolves away, that sort of thing.

This is my favorite way of doing it.

I think of it as the close presence of the silver 'disables' the immunity allowing the regular old steel to damage the flesh.

[Amdy_vill]

How does one "Silver" a weapon? this really depends on the dm but you can always just go the blacksmith and ask for one to be made or if they have it

[Trum4n1208]

You could go kind of a different route, if you want. Instead of silvered weapons, the players have to collect certain herbs and such and make an alchemical concoction that is applied to blade before a fight, a la 'The Witcher.' I've used this in my games. It's flavorful, and provides a low cost, temporary alternative to silvering. It also kind of backs up the horror aspect by making your weapons only temporarily effective. You might run into something you can't hurt, escape to coat your weapon, and find that you're out of your coating. What was once a fight is now an attempt to escape undetected.

[Gorgo]

How about skipping the silvering process and have the benefactor own a small cache of silvered weapons that he/she is willing to share? That would let you create more of a horror feel by forcing the party to work with sub-optimal weapons at first. "My grandfather had a pair of silvered daggers and this quiver of silver arrows that he managed to hide from the weres. They're yours if you're willing to help."

[Ralanr]

How about skipping the silvering process and have the benefactor own a small cache of silvered weapons that he/she is willing to share? That would let you create more of a horror feel by forcing the party to work with sub-optimal weapons at first. "My grandfather had a pair of silvered daggers and this quiver of silver arrows that he managed to hide from the weres. They're yours if you're willing to help."

That’s a good idea, but one of my players is using a halberd and I don’t want to screw over his intended playstyle this early.

Granted they won’t need silver for all of the campaign. The big bad lycanthrope is just the first step to the vampire final boss.

[Hecuba]

So I'm running a gothic horror campaign with the first set of baddies involving mainly werebeasts. My problem is that werebeasts are immune to nonmagical nonsilvered weapons so I need to get my group some silver weapons.

I was originally planning to have their NPC benefactor have a lot of molten silver so they can just dip their weapons into it to silver it, but in hindsight this feels...really dumb.

Does anyone know the actual process to silvering a weapon? I know it costs 100G (which is something that I'm avoiding).

Historically? Like this: https://imgur.com/a/KlqHC
It's Damascene (not Damascus - just a similar process, notably with some cooling elements cut out to allow the inlay) steel with silver inlay. This one appears to be a 20th century reproduction, but the general method is not novel. The inlay will eventually fade, but it will do so comparatively slowly.

You can do less robust inlays with less complicated metalworking, but silver inlaid into steel is the best historical example.

Alternately, my understanding is that there are some historical methods of cold-forging silver with annealing that could make a functional blade that would not deform like silversmithing. But my understanding is also that that would result in a very brittle blade - and thus a very limited lifetime for the weapon.

[HandofBlades]

"So you wish ta know the secrets of silvering eh. Want to fight them nasty beasties that been plaguing the land. Well," the old man turns and spits across the ground towards the lords manner. "Ain't quite safe ta talk o the old ways. Before the night came. But if ya buy old Hemlrich a pint and a bowl o brown we might can discuss."

A few hours later and a few pints in. The old gnarled man finally speaks. "''Tis an ancient secret. Passed down through the church and by the lunarchs. Taint something you can go about as simple as dunking a blade in some hot silver. No, tisnt the metal that they be hurt by. No. it is the magic o faith. Ya see. To silver a weapon ya need more than just the shinny. You need wolfsbane and peppermint oil. Yellow acid from the trunga root and white rose petals from a lunar grove. It is a long process. Ya first have to soak the wolfsbane in holy water from the church. Certain prayers have ta be spoken at the new and full moon over the water. After a month well the water be ready but the rest still need ta be got. Ya take your silver and you dissolve it in the acid. Let it bubble and boil till it turns from yellow to blue. Once ya got the color right you add the peppermint oil ta it. Just a few drops. No more than three. Ya then drop in the rose petals. Those soft flowers soften the acid make it not eat so much as score. Now you take your holy wolfsbane water and bring it to the lunarch or ta a priest. Lunarch is better. More faith to power da magic. Have him bless the water again and only then will with water go from clear to silver. Now. Now ya got all ya need. You take the weapon and ya dip it into the blue silver acid water. Let her sit for o five turns o the small hand on da clock. From there draw it out slowly. Take at least three heart beats but no more than nine. Da blade will be scored and swirled. Looking like da rats have been at it. Nibbling and chewing like de do on me fingers. From there you pour the silver holy wolfsbane across the blade. All them pretty scores and swirls are gonna drink tha liquid in like dirt. Soaking in all the magic and all the faith. From there well this is where folks get squimish. Ya take the blade and run it across your own thumb and let the life drop o cross it. Then and most important ya got to let it dry in moonlight. Not a half moon or a new moon. Full. When everything be said and done well," the old man stopped drawing out a dagger which he threw onto the table. The blade was old worn but so beautiful it nearly brought a tear to the eye. A swirl of silver and blue coated the blade from hilt to tip, a dazzling pattern of rose petals, vines and thorns filled in with gouts of silver and deep blue hues. A single line of red ran through the center of the blade though right to the point. Pulling the whole design together in a thing of eloquent beautify and deadly use.

"Now that blade. That blade has saved me life time and time again. Cut the heart out o more of them beasties than I have grand youngins. It be yours now. Use her well. I call her Moondancer as I danced with her in my hand so many nights. Now go they be watching us even now. Take the secrets and go. Don't worry about me. I had a bowl of brown and a good pint. I lived a long life and I be tired. Now go make the roads safe again. I am tired of being scared o the dark."

[Nifft]

Allow Forge Clerics to silver weapons using silver and their Channel Divinity.

... or Tempest Clerics.

"I CAST ELECTROPLATE!"

[danpit2991]

Historically? Like this: https://imgur.com/a/KlqHC
It's Damascene (not Damascus - just a similar process, notably with some cooling elements cut out to allow the inlay) steel with silver inlay. This one appears to be a 20th century reproduction, but the general method is not novel. The inlay will eventually fade, but it will do so comparatively slowly.

You can do less robust inlays with less complicated metalworking, but silver inlaid into steel is the best historical example.

Alternately, my understanding is that there are some historical methods of cold-forging silver with annealing that could make a functional blade that would not deform like silversmithing. But my understanding is also that that would result in a very brittle blade - and thus a very limited lifetime for the weapon.

my point exactly and damascene would account for the cost as well

[Hecuba]

my point exactly and damascene would account for the cost as well

It's worth noting that, while such blades exist historically, they tend to be largely ceremonial and/or decorative. The best inlay options can make them usable, but they won't stop the silver inlay from wearing out faster than the rest of the blade - nor prevent the process of adding the inlay from weakening the blade relative to an otherwise equally well forged blade.

The main barrier here is that (short of advanced modern powder metallurgy), there are no useful and viable alloys of silver with iron/steel (and that silver itself is unsuitable).
If you are working within the constrains of actual metallurgy, your options are:

Hot Forged silver, which will need to be quite pure and end up easily damaged
Cold Forged silver, which will end up quite brittle and too easily broken
Silver plating, which will end up wearing off quickly
Silver inlay, which will wear off less quickly but is only nominally a silver blade (and see above)
Non-iron based alloys containing silver: Corinthian Bronze being the most prevalent in actual history, which moves you back to bronze-age-quality blade

[JackPhoenix]

It's worth noting that, while such blades exist historically, they tend to be largely ceremonial and/or decorative. The best inlay options can make them usable, but they won't stop the silver inlay from wearing out faster than the rest of the blade - nor prevent the process of adding the inlay from weakening the blade relative to an otherwise equally well forged blade.

You can solve that by using something more robust than a sword, though... say, an axe. It still won't last forever, but it's a bit better if you're hitting werebeasts instead of shields or armored warriors.

[Knaight]

Non-iron based alloys containing silver: Corinthian Bronze being the most prevalent in actual history, which moves you back to bronze-age-quality blade


It's worth noting that bronzes were used preferentially to steels for mace heads well into the medieval period, due to better material properties - the loss of flexibility and faster dulling matter a whole lot less, the limits on material size stop being problems at all, and the higher density actually helps.

[Hecuba]

It's worth noting that bronzes were used preferentially to steels for mace heads well into the medieval period, due to better material properties - the loss of flexibility and faster dulling matter a whole lot less, the limits on material size stop being problems at all, and the higher density actually helps.

Corinthian Bronze in particular was effectively a lost technology by the time of Pliny. Imperial Rome treated examples as tresured antiques.

China and Japan both retained seperate similar alloys, but it still looks kinda well if you want to use the rare/lost art angle to explain the technology.

[Azgeroth]

personally, i would simply have the weapons reforged, with runes stamped into the blade, then infill those with silver, have some rites read out during the process, in an old temple ruin..

its up to you really, getting silver on to the blade can be as simple or complicated as you like, remember in dnd science < magic.

my reasoning for the above method is as below.

they have to figure out what those runes are, lets say this process is the initiation test for warriors of a lost order(religion/sect), who have to select the correct runes from a collection of various runes, present those to the forge master, who then does the smithing work.

the rites I would have the players (or NPC) read, would not be the traditional/correct rites, but more of a battle rite from that sect.

(i would have any druid,ranger, or ancients paladin roll religion to get a sense that there is words on there part to be spoken here, but they don't know them, this is expected by the same presence imposing this intuition on them.. on a fail, they just get the feeling something is missing, but that was obvious)

(the players don't need to know any of this, just that this is how they get silver weapons, they get some fetchy quests, puzzles, RP, and reward. yummy yummy.)

bonus point, they just unwittingly conscripted themselves to the service of some lost/ancient being, and who knows! maybe that will come up, and those runes etched into the blade might just be their ticket to allies later on.


edited : typo, doh