Multi-Material Spiked Chain

[Magnera]

Alright here is the idea. A spiked chain is made up of many different links. What if said links were to be made of different materials?
For example: A cold iron, Silver and Adamantine chain.
I think that it should be made like so.

Price= Half of material + Half of second material + Half of third material, all times the number of materials.

It would equate to this. (3025/2 + 350/2 + 505/2)3=5820

The goal of this is to have all advantages/disadvantages of each material.
So this chain would bypass DR cold iron, silver and Adamantine. It would bypass hardness less than 20, Magical enchantments would cost an additional 2000 gp and finally have a -1 to damage.
What hardness should it have? 8? 20?
How can this be abused?
What should I change to balance it?

Thoughts?

Also for balance this would be limited to 3 different materials.

[Eurus]

Well, if you're fighting something with DR X/Cold Iron or DR X/Silver or whatever, most of your chain's spikes wouldn't be getting through. So it's unlikely that the weapon as a whole would be bypassing DR, logically. Balance-wise I doubt it would be too much of an issue, with the various magical ways of bypassing DR.

[Magnera]

So then mabey have it reduce the damage reduction by a certain amount? How much should we reduce it by? I think 5 would work, but I belive damage reduction is based off the fact that the material is not present and that the wound would heal as fast as it was being cut or the cut would not form.
So with the material being present the cut would form or not heal.

Image the first two links of the chain don't cut the skin of our target. But the third would, as it is the type that the DR is affected by. Then the next two links cut deeper into the wound as the DR has been breached. Next the wound would start to heal, but the next link peirces the DR again and stops the healing proces AND makes the wound deeper. This continues on until the chain leaves the wound.

[Seerow]

Why not just get a spiked chain with the metalline property? Or whatever the one is called that lets you change the weapon to being made out of whatever material you want.

[Magnera]

Ah yes, that would address the problem of getting through DR and such but still leaves the issue of the weapon its self and opens a problem to our eyes.

What if this chain was to be enchanted with this property you speak of? Could you change each individual link to be somthing else or would the whole chain be changed to only one material? I.e Silver, Cold Iron and Mithral to Deep Crystal, Steel and Darkwood or just Deep Crystal.

Still a great suggestion none the less. Thank you for showing us a possible problem Seerow
Eurus I also greatly appreciate your assistance in this endeavor of mine.

[Yitzi]

The rules require something to be made wholly of the material to bypass DR.

And spiked chains are a horrible weapon for breaking things anyway (in fact, they cannot sunder at all), because they do piercing damage.

[Fizban]

I'll be the guy that points out how the spiked chain in the book is ridiculous and impossible to wield. A proper spiked chain would be a chain with a spiked ball at the end, in which case the equivalent would be having each spike made of a different metal. My answer to either would be, "Congratulations, you now have a very expensive weapon with absolutely no benefits."

[Magnera]

The rules require something to be made wholly of the material to bypass DR.

And spiked chains are a horrible weapon for breaking things anyway (in fact, they cannot sunder at all), because they do piercing damage.

So where can I find this ruling? For both sets of rules that you describe.
Although I can see an arrow not being able to sunder a sword, what I can't see is a chain not being able to sunder a weapon. Oh well the rules are the rules.

Fizban, we are here to discuss how this weapon in the game not how it's
supposed to function in the world. But in RL our group sometimes takes part in fights with swords and such. My current DM is actually quite skilled with a spiked chain (although we use heavy rope.) The weapon is marked with tape to show where one can and can't grab it, the tape extends 2 feet on said rope/chain. Ask if you want the rest of the details.

Point is, DND=/= Real life

Now can we please resume discussing our topic! You deserve a cookie if you catch the reference from ots.

[NeoSeraphi]

So where can I find this ruling? For both sets of rules that you describe.

Sunder. Sundering can only be performed with slashing or bludgeoning weapons, which means that spiked chains cannot, in fact, break anything, by RAW.

Edit: Also, Varsuuvius would be proud of your OotS reference.

Spoiler

Show

But not as proud as he was when he disintegrated Kubata, and then gust of winded his dust off the ship.

[Glimbur]

If you make a suit of armor or weapon out of more than one special material, you get the benefit of only the most prevalent material.

Source. So, RAW, it won't work.

As a house rule... you are paying for 3/2 of a chain, and it's still cheaper than an equivalent magical property. It would be slightly better than existing options, but all it does is help one weapon (one of the best weapons, to be fair) pierce DR. It's probably ok for game balance. It is also silly, but so is the spiked chain in general.