Orichalcum[]
And that which is now only a name and was then something more than a name, orichalcum . . .” — Critias
Orichalcum is an exceedingly rare noble metal that has the unique ability to absorb ambient essence from the environment; this absorbed essence will hereafter be referred to as inherent essence. Inherent essence does not count towards an object’s essence capacity, or effects based on invested essence, except as follows and constitutes a separate pool that can not be invested with essence normally. A creature in possession of an item made of orichalcum can as a move action absorb the inherent essence contained in such an item. The absorbed inherent essence becomes temporary essence and lasts for 1 hour.
If an object made of orichalcum is an akashic receptacle, it's inherent essence does not count as essence invested in it. However, as long as it contains at least 1 point of inherent essence, the essence invested in the object is treated as being +1 higher for all mechanical effects. This increases by an additional +1 for every 2 points of inherent essence it contains past the first. This virtual essence can not cause an item to have an effective number of essence invested higher than the normal essence capacity of the creature in possession of the item (minimum 1).
Objects made from this material contain 1 point of inherent essence +1 point per 20 lbs. of its weight. Objects weighing less than 1 lb. never contain a usable quantity of inherent essence. Weapons, armor, and shields that have had all of their inherent essence absorbed gain the fragile quality until they recover at least 1 point of inherent essence. All other items, instead reduce their maximum hit points and hardness by half, until they recover at least 1 point of inherent essence.
An orichalcum object recovers its inherent essence at a rate of 1 point per week.
Orichalcum items weigh 25% more than normal items of their type.
Weapons and armors fashioned from orichalcum are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Orichalcum has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.
Example: If magic item Sovereign Blade were to be made of orichalcum, it would cost 18,000gp to buy or 10,500gp to craft, would weigh 19lbs (18.75 rounded up), and so long as it retained its 1 point of inherent essence, if the wielder invested it with a point of essence they would gain the benefits of having two points of essence invested in it.
| Type of Item | Price Modifier |
|---|---|
| Light Armor | +5000gp |
| Medium Armor | +10000gp |
| Heavy Armor | +15000gp |
| Shield | +5000gp |
| Weapon | +3000gp |
| Other Items | +2500gp /lb. |
Platinum[]
Description: Crafted into weapons and armor only by the obscenely wealthy, platinum equipment is almost exclusively used as symbols of status. Due to the material being very malleable, it is a poor choice for true combat weapons or protective gear. For this reason, it is often used to decorate equipment in small amounts rather than be crafted out of it.
The rules shown here are for the rare item constructed entirely of platinum rather than being decorated with platinum. Platinum-plated items quintuple (x5) the base cost of weapons and armor and have the same properties as the item the platinum is plating. Items constructed purely of platinum cost 20 times the normal cost for items of their type.
Weapons: Platinum is often too soft to hold a decent edge, but light weapons that do piercing or slashing damage can be constructed of platinum or some nearly platinum alloy. They take a -2 penalty on damage rolls (minimum 1 damage). Platinum weapons have a hardness of 1/2 their base weapons’ and also have the fragile quality.
Armor: Platinum can be fashioned into light or medium metal armor. The softness of the metal decreases the armor/shield bonus by -2 and increases the armor check penalty by +2. Platinum armor has a hardness of 5.
Legendary Special Materials[]
Blood Iron
Price: +1500 GP (weapon), +750 GP (armor) or +30 GP (ammunition)
This rust-red metal is a special form of steel (despite the name) that is infused with blood in the forging process, usually that of a ritualistically-sacrificed and oftentimes sacred animal such as a rooster or bull; in evil societies or particularly desperate situations, a human sacrifice might be used.
This ritual involves both costly materials (such as special incense to burn during the entirety of the process) and a skilled craftsman, hence the high price f o r such a weapon. The end result is a metal that always seems to be slick with blood and has a distinctive iron- and-copper scent, no matter how much it is cleaned. A weapon made of blood-iron is always considered masterwork.
As long as an individual is wielding a weapon made of blood-iron (merely carrying one is not enough), they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Intimidate checks; multiple wielded weapons grant multiple instances of this bonus. On any turn where the wielder has drawn the weapon from its sheath (or has otherwise drawn their weapon from an unready position, as described in the sidebar “Sheathed”), the bonus to Intimidate that wielding that weapon grants is increased by +1; the light plays off a blade in a sinister manner, a hammer drips blood as if it had recently crushed a skull, and so forth. In addition, whenever the weapon would threaten a critical hit, the wielder gains a +4 circumstance bonus to confirm the critical (which stacks with effects such as Critical Focus). Finally, the weapon gains the deadly quality; if the weapon would already have the deadly quality, the benefits stack.
Any armor primarily made of metal (such as a chain shirt or breastplate) can also be made out of blood-iron. Armor that is made of blood-iron grants a +2 circumstance bonus to Intimidate while worn, and grants a +4 circumstance bonus to saving throws against effects that would cause the wearer to take hit point damage from bleeding. It also grants a +2 circumstance bonus to Constitution checks made to stabilize. Unlike other special materials, the process of creating blood-iron allows a weapon to be formed from it even after its initial creation. A masterwork weapon that is primarily made of metal (including the heads of arrows or spears, or other wooden-hafted but metal-tipped weapons) and is not otherwise a special material (such as bronze, cold iron, or silver) can be converted into a blood-iron weapon by paying the additional cost and using the normal rules for crafting mundane equipment. As fresh blood must be provided in order to create such a weapon, the character must either find a noteworthy sacrifice (which may prove more difficult than first assumed) or give some of their own blood; 3 hit points per character level is enough.
Mineralite Special Materials[]
Shaped Crystalline: x50 cost multiplier
Grown Crystalline: x200 cost multiplier
Most items function normally if made of crystals, whether they were grown-to-purpose, or merely shaped out of naturally-occurring formations.
Weapons made out of naturally-occurring formations, called shaped crystalline weapons, are capable of slicing through the toughest of hides and armors. A shaped crystalline weapon ignores half of the armor bonus granted by armor (round up, so armor that grants +1 bonus instead grants none, +3 instead grants +1, etc). This does not affect shields. Against magical armor, this applies only to the armor, not the enhancement bonus of the armor, but the weapon itself needs to have an enhancement bonus equal to or greater than that of the armor to enjoy this effect, otherwise it’s treated as a normal weapon. Furthermore, if used to sunder a weapon or strike an inanimate object the weapon deals an additional +1d6 points of its normal type of damage.
Grown crystalline weaponry is rarer, but involves crystal weapons grown-to-purpose. These weapons are fragile but very lethal weapons. A grown crystalline blade is typically made of diamond or similarly hard mineral but still has the fragile weapon quality. It ignores armor bonuses of both mundane and magical armor, as well as deflection bonuses from magical items. Against magical armor, the weapon needs to have an enhancement bonus equal to or greater than that of the armor in order to have any special effect; otherwise, it is treated as a normal weapon.
Fragile: Fragile weapons cannot take the beating that sturdier weapons can. A fragile weapon gains the broken condition if the wielder rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll with the weapon. If a fragile weapon is already broken, the roll of a natural 1 destroys it instead. Masterwork and magical fragile weapons lack these flaws unless otherwise noted in the item description.
If a weapon gains the broken condition in this way, that weapon is considered to have taken damage equal to half its hit points +1. This damage is repaired either by something that addresses the effect that granted the weapon the broken condition (like quick clear in the case of firearm misfires or the Field Repair feat) or by the repair methods described in the broken condition. When an effect that grants the broken condition is removed, the weapon regains the hit points it lost when the broken condition was applied. Damage done by an attack against a weapon (such as from a sunder combat maneuver) cannot be repaired by an effect that removes the broken condition.
Crystalline objects have 5 hit points per inch of thickness and a hardness of 20.
Psionic Special Materials[]
In addition to psionic items with imbedded powers, some substances have innate special properties.
Brill[]
This unusual and extremely rare material has a few secrets that those uninitiated to psionic sciences are typically unaware of. First, all brill radiates a faint psychokinetic aura. Second, the material can be tapped for power points, though doing so can be very dangerous and it may even destroy the stone. To tap into the power of a brillstone, the own must place it in his mouth and expend psionic focus as a standard action. The owner then gains 1d6 temporary power points.
On a roll of a 6, the owner gains another 1d6 point points. On subsequent rolls of 6, another d6 is rolled and that many power points are gained until something other than a 6 is rolled. Any time the owner gains more than 9 power points from a brillstone, the stone is utterly destroyed. If the stone is not destroyed, it cannot be tapped for power points again until 24 hours has passed.
Immediately upon receiving power points, regardless of the number of times a d6 was rolled, the owner then takes energy damage equal to the total number of temporary power points he has gained (no save). The type of energy is determined by the last roll of the d6: 1: cold, 2: steam, 3: electricity, 4: sonic, 5: acid.
Crystal, Deep[]
Deep crystal is crystal of above-average quality found at the hearts of large veins or deposits of mundane crystal (see below). Deep crystal is renowned for its strength and its psionically resonant nature. Mundane crystal is used for many items of psionic manufacture, such as dorjes, power stones, and psicrystals. Deep crystal is a better grade.
While a weapon made of deep crystal is no different from a mundane crystal weapon for a nonpsionic character, a psionic wielder of a deep crystal weapon can focus psionic power through it, increasing the damage that weapon deals. As a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, the wielder can channel psionic power into a melee weapon or ranged weapon made of deep crystal. For 2 power points, the deep crystal weapon deals an extra 2d6 points of damage. The weapon will stay charged for 1 minute or until it scores its next hit. Bows, crossbows, and slings bestow this power on their ammunition. All missile weapons lose this effect if they miss. However, they may be recovered and charged again.
Any weapon made of deep crystal costs 1,000 gp more than its noncrystal counterpart. Any item could potentially be made out of deep crystal. Because deep crystal armor is considered to be made out of metal, druids cannot wear it.
Deep crystal has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and a hardness of 10.
Crystal, Mundane[]
Mundane crystal can be used in place of metal in weapons or armor, using a special forging process. The fortified crystal possesses the properties of a similar masterwork steel weapon or armor, except for visual appearance.
Weapons and armor made of mundane crystal cost the same amount to make as their masterwork counterparts. Any item could potentially be made with mundane crystal. Because mundane crystal armor is considered to be made out of metal, druids cannot wear it.
Mundane crystal properly forged has 25 hit points per inch of thickness and a hardness of 8.