Slayer Lord
2018-11-27, 11:06 AM
I'd like to get some feedback on this list of weapon and armor materials for an Elder Scrolls campaign I'm working on. Do the properties I've assigned them fit game lore? Do they stand out enough from default steel items? Is anything significantly under or overpowered? What are some guidelines for pricing?
I've included materials that already exist in Pathfinder (i.e. adamant, mithril, etc.) for completion's sake.
-Adamantium- A valuable ore found in limited deposits in High Rock and Morrowind. This dark-silvery metal is incredibly resilient and can be honed to a microscopic edge. The oldest known structure in Tamriel, the Adamantine Tower in High Rock, is said to be made almost entirely of this metal. Adamantium has the same statistics as in core Pathfinder.
-Bone- The material of choice for the elves of Valenwood. Because the Greenpact forbids harm to plant life, the Bosmer traditionally used the bones of animals and fallen enemies to make tools, weapons and armor. While imported wood is now widely available, many Bosmer still prefer the use of bone and horn. Items made from bone follow the rules found in Ultimate Combat.
-Bonemold- A peculiar material unique to Morrowind, this sandy-yellow substance is made from animal bones and treated with an alchemic resin that makes it as strong and flexible as steel. Treated with a different process, bonemold can be made flexible enough to create high quality bows. Bonemold is highly prized by Dunmer nobility and their retainers. Bonemold can only be made into breastplates, full-plate, all shields, bows, arrows and bolts. Slightly lighter than steel of the same type, more expensive.
-Chitin- Made from the shells of giant insects, weapons and armor made from chitin are favored by peoples with limited resources for metal or leatherworking. While most famously seen amongst the barbaric Ashlander tribes of Morrowind, it is also used extensively by the grisly Falmer. Chitin can be used to make leather armor, scale mail, breastplates, plate armor, clubs, maces, short swords, spears, battleaxes, all shields except tower shields, all bows, and all ammunition and throwing weapons.
-Daedric- The rarest of all metals on the mortal plane, daedric metal is made by binding the souls of weak daedra to ebony ore during forging. Its void-black surface constantly pulses with a fiendish light. Daedric metal can be made into all the same items as steel, although due to its scarcity few armorers with the skill to work it will bother with anything less than full-plate armor. Because of its intensely magical nature, items made from daedric metal always begin with a +1-enchantment bonus and requires the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat to craft. Additional enhancements cost the same as if it were one tier lower, with +1 enhancements costing half as much. Daedric armor grants DR 5/Magic and Law, while daedric weapons are treated as Adamant and Chaotic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
-Dragonbone and Dragonscale- The most coveted of all materials by adventurers. Although dragons are believed long extinct, a few pieces made from their bones and scales can still be found in museums or as heirlooms of noble houses. Even with a minimum of care, weapons and armor made from dragons seem curiously resistant to the march of time. Armor made of dragonbone or dragonscale follow the same rules as dragonhide in core Pathfinder, and cost half as much to add energy resistance enchantments. These materials can be made into any type of armor or weapon. Elemental, alignment, and Bane: Dragon enhancements cost half as much to add to dragonbone weapons.
-Dwarven- While the secrets of dwarf-forged metal have been lost with the dwemer themselves, its abundance in dwemer ruins and near-indestructability has allowed craftsmen to tinker with it well into the modern age. This bronze-gold alloy is only found in dwemer ruins or from artifacts of dwemer origin. Complete sets of original armor are rare even amongst collectors, and a number of suits of “armor” on the market are actually cobbled together from animunculi and assorted scrap. Modern smiths have only been able to approximate the quality of the originals from melted-down scrap, but even these works are sturdier than most modern steel. Dwarven metal has minor magical properties and reacts particularly well with spells used in making constructs. Dwarven metal can be used for any item that steel can. Dwarven equipment is resistant to acid and corrosive effects and are not considered broken until they have taken damage in excess of ¾ of their total hitpoints. Dwarven armor provides DR 1/-. Constructs made with dwarven metal gain DR 1/- and Energy Resistance 5 to Acid. These effects stacks with other forms of damage reduction or energy resistance.
-Ebony- This volcanic glass is perhaps the single-most valuable resource in the Empire. While useful for its alchemic properties, ebony is most valued for its ability to be smelted with iron to create an alloy of incredible strength. Found mainly on the island of Vvardenfell in Morrowind, the Empire maintains very strict control of its mining and distribution. Ebony can be used in any item that steel can but has twice the item hit points. Armor made from ebony has DR 2/magic and adamant, while ebony weapons are treated as adamant for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and grant a +2 bonus to sundering attempts.
-Elven- The traditional material of the high elves, the creation of elven arms and armor was long a closely guarded secret, though in recent times it has been discovered to be an alloy of iron, mithril and moonstone. Flexible and easy to move in compared to other metals, elven armor is favored by spellswords and other spellcasters that frequent the front lines. Elven metal can be made into any item as steel. Elven armor has the same properties as mithril, with spell failure chance reduced by an additional 10%. Weapons made of elven metal are treated as silver for the purpose of damage reduction. Items made of elven metal are not applicable to the Weapon Familiarity racial ability unless it is the appropriate weapon.
-Glass- Malachite, more commonly known as glass, is a rare metallic glass favored by the elves for the creation of lightweight arms and armor. While naturally stronger than normal glass, malachite can be further refined into a ceramic-like material stronger than steel and with blades of unmatched sharpness. It requires constant maintenance due to its brittle nature. Glass can be used in any material as steel but has ¾ item HP. Glass armor provides DR 2/bludgeoning. The critical hit range of slashing or piercing weapons made from glass is increased by one.
-Mithril- An uncommon metal found in Cyrodiil and the Summerset Isles, this silvery metal is a favorite of the elves for its light weight and strength. Mithril has the same properties as Pathfinder core.
-Orichalcum- The favored metal of the orcs, this dark-green ore is difficult to smelt properly but produces items of superior quality. Orichalcum can be used to create any item as steel. Items made of orichalcum has ¾ the weight and 1.5x the item HP as steel and have a +2 bonus against sundering attempts. Because of the superior skill needed to make weapons or armor from orichalcum, all items made from it are considered masterwork.
-Silver- It has long been known that silver is particularly dangerous to the darker creatures of the world, and those who hunt such monsters coat their weapons in silver to combat them. Silver weapons are treated as alchemic silver per Pathfinder core, but the normal -1 damage penalty is replaced with a +1 damage bonus when used against lycanthropes and undead. This is applied to bludgeoning weapons as well as piercing and slashing ones. In addition, silver weapons may harm incorporeal undead as if they were magic weapons.
-Stalhrim- In ancient times, Nord mages knew the secrets of the enchanted ice known as stalhrim. While once widely used in the north, knowledge of it is now limited to the island of Solstheim, where the native Skaal reserve limited supplies to outfit their strongest champions. Stalhrim can be made into any item as steel. Items made from stalhrim require the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat to create and always start out as +1 items. Enchantments that provide protection against Cold are 50% stronger, and enchantments which deal Cold damage do 50% more. Spells that deal Cold damage which are channeled through a Stalhrim weapon (as with the Spellstrike class feature) also deal 50% more.
I've included materials that already exist in Pathfinder (i.e. adamant, mithril, etc.) for completion's sake.
-Adamantium- A valuable ore found in limited deposits in High Rock and Morrowind. This dark-silvery metal is incredibly resilient and can be honed to a microscopic edge. The oldest known structure in Tamriel, the Adamantine Tower in High Rock, is said to be made almost entirely of this metal. Adamantium has the same statistics as in core Pathfinder.
-Bone- The material of choice for the elves of Valenwood. Because the Greenpact forbids harm to plant life, the Bosmer traditionally used the bones of animals and fallen enemies to make tools, weapons and armor. While imported wood is now widely available, many Bosmer still prefer the use of bone and horn. Items made from bone follow the rules found in Ultimate Combat.
-Bonemold- A peculiar material unique to Morrowind, this sandy-yellow substance is made from animal bones and treated with an alchemic resin that makes it as strong and flexible as steel. Treated with a different process, bonemold can be made flexible enough to create high quality bows. Bonemold is highly prized by Dunmer nobility and their retainers. Bonemold can only be made into breastplates, full-plate, all shields, bows, arrows and bolts. Slightly lighter than steel of the same type, more expensive.
-Chitin- Made from the shells of giant insects, weapons and armor made from chitin are favored by peoples with limited resources for metal or leatherworking. While most famously seen amongst the barbaric Ashlander tribes of Morrowind, it is also used extensively by the grisly Falmer. Chitin can be used to make leather armor, scale mail, breastplates, plate armor, clubs, maces, short swords, spears, battleaxes, all shields except tower shields, all bows, and all ammunition and throwing weapons.
-Daedric- The rarest of all metals on the mortal plane, daedric metal is made by binding the souls of weak daedra to ebony ore during forging. Its void-black surface constantly pulses with a fiendish light. Daedric metal can be made into all the same items as steel, although due to its scarcity few armorers with the skill to work it will bother with anything less than full-plate armor. Because of its intensely magical nature, items made from daedric metal always begin with a +1-enchantment bonus and requires the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat to craft. Additional enhancements cost the same as if it were one tier lower, with +1 enhancements costing half as much. Daedric armor grants DR 5/Magic and Law, while daedric weapons are treated as Adamant and Chaotic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
-Dragonbone and Dragonscale- The most coveted of all materials by adventurers. Although dragons are believed long extinct, a few pieces made from their bones and scales can still be found in museums or as heirlooms of noble houses. Even with a minimum of care, weapons and armor made from dragons seem curiously resistant to the march of time. Armor made of dragonbone or dragonscale follow the same rules as dragonhide in core Pathfinder, and cost half as much to add energy resistance enchantments. These materials can be made into any type of armor or weapon. Elemental, alignment, and Bane: Dragon enhancements cost half as much to add to dragonbone weapons.
-Dwarven- While the secrets of dwarf-forged metal have been lost with the dwemer themselves, its abundance in dwemer ruins and near-indestructability has allowed craftsmen to tinker with it well into the modern age. This bronze-gold alloy is only found in dwemer ruins or from artifacts of dwemer origin. Complete sets of original armor are rare even amongst collectors, and a number of suits of “armor” on the market are actually cobbled together from animunculi and assorted scrap. Modern smiths have only been able to approximate the quality of the originals from melted-down scrap, but even these works are sturdier than most modern steel. Dwarven metal has minor magical properties and reacts particularly well with spells used in making constructs. Dwarven metal can be used for any item that steel can. Dwarven equipment is resistant to acid and corrosive effects and are not considered broken until they have taken damage in excess of ¾ of their total hitpoints. Dwarven armor provides DR 1/-. Constructs made with dwarven metal gain DR 1/- and Energy Resistance 5 to Acid. These effects stacks with other forms of damage reduction or energy resistance.
-Ebony- This volcanic glass is perhaps the single-most valuable resource in the Empire. While useful for its alchemic properties, ebony is most valued for its ability to be smelted with iron to create an alloy of incredible strength. Found mainly on the island of Vvardenfell in Morrowind, the Empire maintains very strict control of its mining and distribution. Ebony can be used in any item that steel can but has twice the item hit points. Armor made from ebony has DR 2/magic and adamant, while ebony weapons are treated as adamant for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and grant a +2 bonus to sundering attempts.
-Elven- The traditional material of the high elves, the creation of elven arms and armor was long a closely guarded secret, though in recent times it has been discovered to be an alloy of iron, mithril and moonstone. Flexible and easy to move in compared to other metals, elven armor is favored by spellswords and other spellcasters that frequent the front lines. Elven metal can be made into any item as steel. Elven armor has the same properties as mithril, with spell failure chance reduced by an additional 10%. Weapons made of elven metal are treated as silver for the purpose of damage reduction. Items made of elven metal are not applicable to the Weapon Familiarity racial ability unless it is the appropriate weapon.
-Glass- Malachite, more commonly known as glass, is a rare metallic glass favored by the elves for the creation of lightweight arms and armor. While naturally stronger than normal glass, malachite can be further refined into a ceramic-like material stronger than steel and with blades of unmatched sharpness. It requires constant maintenance due to its brittle nature. Glass can be used in any material as steel but has ¾ item HP. Glass armor provides DR 2/bludgeoning. The critical hit range of slashing or piercing weapons made from glass is increased by one.
-Mithril- An uncommon metal found in Cyrodiil and the Summerset Isles, this silvery metal is a favorite of the elves for its light weight and strength. Mithril has the same properties as Pathfinder core.
-Orichalcum- The favored metal of the orcs, this dark-green ore is difficult to smelt properly but produces items of superior quality. Orichalcum can be used to create any item as steel. Items made of orichalcum has ¾ the weight and 1.5x the item HP as steel and have a +2 bonus against sundering attempts. Because of the superior skill needed to make weapons or armor from orichalcum, all items made from it are considered masterwork.
-Silver- It has long been known that silver is particularly dangerous to the darker creatures of the world, and those who hunt such monsters coat their weapons in silver to combat them. Silver weapons are treated as alchemic silver per Pathfinder core, but the normal -1 damage penalty is replaced with a +1 damage bonus when used against lycanthropes and undead. This is applied to bludgeoning weapons as well as piercing and slashing ones. In addition, silver weapons may harm incorporeal undead as if they were magic weapons.
-Stalhrim- In ancient times, Nord mages knew the secrets of the enchanted ice known as stalhrim. While once widely used in the north, knowledge of it is now limited to the island of Solstheim, where the native Skaal reserve limited supplies to outfit their strongest champions. Stalhrim can be made into any item as steel. Items made from stalhrim require the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat to create and always start out as +1 items. Enchantments that provide protection against Cold are 50% stronger, and enchantments which deal Cold damage do 50% more. Spells that deal Cold damage which are channeled through a Stalhrim weapon (as with the Spellstrike class feature) also deal 50% more.