Weapon and Armor Materials

[420]

I'm putting together a list of the different materials and their effects on weapons and armor.

Updated to include armor, if a material isn't listed it isn't a valid recipe,  no such thing as Alchemical Silver armor for instance.

Last Update: 1/15/07

Armor/Shields[/span]

Adamantine Armor/Shield
Only found in meteorites and the rarest veins in magical areas, adamantine is an ultra-hard metal that adds to the quality of weapons and armor. Dwarves love to work with adamantine, fashioning it into sturdy armor and deadly, beautiful weapons.

Damage Reduction: 1/- Light Armor/Light Shield Only[/span]
Damage Reduction: 2/- [span style=\'color:red\']Medium Armor/Heavy Shield Only[/span]
Damage Reduction: 3/- [span style=\'color:red\']Heavy Armor/Tower Shield Only[/span]
Material: Metal (Adamantine)


Darksteel Armor/Shield
Darksteel is silvery in hue when polished or cut, but its exposed surfaces have a deep, gleaming purple luster. This alloy of meteoric iron and steel is tempered with rare, magical oils to give the metal its uncanny ability. Darksteel is commonly used in the crafting of magical items related to storms or lightning.

Damage Resistance: Acid 5/-
Material: Metal (Darksteel) [span style=\'color:red\']Armor Only[/span]


Duskwood Shield
Duskwood is a dark, silvery wood that [sic] is light and strong, but yields easily to the craftman's hands.

Weight Reduction: 40% of Weight


Mithral Armor/Shield
Mithral is a rare, silvery metal that is lighter than iron but just as hard. When worked like steel, it becomes a wonderful material from which to create armor and is occasionally used for other items as well. It is commonly used in elven armorsmithing, and elven suits of mithral armor are often enchanted.

Mithral Armor
Max Dex Bonus: +2
Armor Check Penalty: +3 [span style=\'color:red\']Minimum: 0[/span]
Spell Casting Failure: -10%
Feat Required: One Armor Category Lighter [span style=\'color:red\']Minimum: Light[/span]
Weight: 50% of Weight
Material: Metal (Mithral)

Normal Full Plate Stats
Armor: 8
Max Dex Bonus: 1
Armor Check Penalty: -6
Spell Casting Failure: 35%
Feat Required: Heavy Armor
Weight: 50 lbs.

Mithral Full Plate Stats
Armor: 8
Max Dex Bonus: 3
Armor Check Penalty: -3
Spell Casting Failure: 25%
Feat Required: Medium Armor
Weight: 25 lbs.

Material: Metal (Mithral)

Mithral Shields
Arcane Spell Failure:  -05% [span style=\'color:red\']Light Shield Only[/span]
Arcane Spell Failure:  -15% [span style=\'color:red\']Heavy Shield Only[/span]
Arcane Spell Failure:  -20% [span style=\'color:red\']Tower Shield Only[/span]
Base Item Weight Reduction: 60% of Weight


Red Dragon Armor [span style=\'color:red\']Scale Mail, Breastplate and Half Plate Only[/span]
The thick skin and iron-hard scales of a red dragon's hide can be made into extremely strong, fire-resistant armor by a skilled craftsman.

Armor Bonus: +3
Damage Resistance: Fire 20/-
Weight Reduction: 80% of Weight
Material: Creature (Red Dragon)


Salamander Hide Armor [span style=\'color:red\']Used in place of Leather Hides[/span]
This hide of the salamander, a lizard-like creature native to the Elemental Plane of Fire, is supple and easier to work than dragon hide. Armor crafted from salamander hide offers the wearer some protection from fire.

Armor Bonus: +1
Damage Resistance: Fire 10/-
Weight Reduction: 60% of Weight
Material: Creature (Salamander)


Umber Hulk Hide Armor/Shield [span style=\'color:red\']Breastplate, Half Plate and Shields Only[/span]
The thick, tough plates of an umber hulk's hide can be used to craft sturdy, powerful armor and shields that can protect the wearer from psychic attacks.

Armor Bonus: +2
Immunity: Mind-Affecting Spells
Material: Creature (Umber Hulk) [span style=\'color:red\']Breastplate and Half Plate Only[/span]


Wyvern Hide Armor [span style=\'color:red\']Scale Mail, Breastplate, Half Plate and Full Plate Only[/span]
The scaled, leathery hide of the wyvern is lightweight but strong, and well suited to crafting a variety of armors.

Armor Bonus: +2
Saving Throws: Poison +4
Weight Reduction: 80% of Weight
Material: Creature (Wyvern)


Zalantar Shield
Zalantar, called blackwood in the North, is a very strong, lightweight wood that ranges from dark chestnut to nearly black. Zalantar trees are found in sub-tropical regions, but the immense utility of their wood means Zalantar lumber is exported all over Faer�»n. Arcane energies seem to flow easily through Zalantar wood, and many blackwood items are also magically enhanced.

Arcane Spell Failure: -10%
Armor Bonus: +2

[span style=\'font-size:14pt;line-height:100%\']Weapons[/span]

Adamantine Weapon
Only found in meteorites and the rarest veins in magical areas, adamantine is an ultra-hard metal that adds to the quality of weapons and armor. Dwarves love to work with adamantine, fashioning it into sturdy armor and deadly, beautiful weapons.

Damage Bonus: Magical 2
Material: Metal (Adamantine)


Alchemical Silver Weapon
Lore holds that shapeshifters and some fiends are especially vulnerable to the bite of silver weaponry.

Material: Metal (Alchemical Silver)


Cold Iron Weapon
Cold-forged iron is beaten into shape with nothing but raw, brute strength. Popular lore asserts that fey creatures and some fiends are especially vulnerable to cold iron.

Material: Metal (Cold Iron)


Darksteel Weapon
Darksteel is silvery in hue when polished or cut, but its exposed surfaces have a deep, gleaming purple luster. This alloy of meteoric iron and steel is tempered with rare, magical oils to give the metal its uncanny ability. Darksteel is commonly used in the crafting of magical items related to storms or lightning.

Damage Bonus: Electrical 1
Material: Metal (Darksteel)


Duskwood Weapon
Duskwood is a smooth, hard wood named for the eerie appearance of its tightly-spaced grooves, which give it a dusky coloration. Duskwood is nearly as hard as steel and quite light. Duskwood weapons are extremely well balanced and often bite deeper than even a steel blade.

Mighty: +6 [span style=\'color:red\']Bows Only[/span]
Attack Bonus: +3 [span style=\'color:red\']Crossbows Only[/span]
Weight Reduction: 60% of Weight
Material: Wood (Duskwood) [span style=\'color:red\']Melee Weapons Only[/span]


Mithral Weapon
Mithral is a rare, silvery metal that is lighter than iron but just as hard. When worked like steel, it becomes a wonderful material from which to create armor and is occasionally used for other items as well. It is commonly used in elven armorsmithing, and elven suits of mithral armor are often enchanted.

Weight Reduction: 60% of Weight
Material: Metal (Mithral)


Shederran Weapon [span style=\'color:red\']Bow/Crossbow Only[/span]
Uses default item description, here is the description from the Shederran Plank:
Harvested only from Neverwinter Wood, the pale, greenish wood of Shederran is prized by craftsmen seeking to make the highest quality of bows and crossbows.

Mighty: +4 [span style=\'color:red\']Bows Only[/span]
Attack Bonus: +2 [span style=\'color:red\']Crossbows Only[/span]


Zalantar Weapon
Zalantar, called blackwood in the North, is a very strong, lightweight wood that ranges from dark chestnut to nearly black. Zalantar trees are found in sub-tropical regions, but the immense utility of their wood means Zalantar lumber is exported all over Faer�»n. Arcane energies seem to flow easily through Zalantar wood, and many blackwood items are also magically enhanced.

Mighty: +2 [span style=\'color:red\']Bows Only[/span]
Attack Bonus: +1 [span style=\'color:red\']Crossbows Only[/span]
Damage Bonus: Magical 1 [span style=\'color:red\']Melee Weapons Only[/size]
Material: Wood (Zalantar) [span style=\'color:red\']Melee Weapons Only[/color]

[Frank10LR]

Really Useful, thanks so much

[420]

EDIT: Removed foaming ranting.

Daedalus was kind enough to provide the stats for armor crafting! What a nice old geezer.

-420

[420]

Fixed the Duskwood weapon description for bows and crossbows. Thanks to Reillan on the Bioware forums for pointing out the +6 Mighty for bows. I discovered the attack bonus for crossbows while confirming the mighty property.

-420

EDIT: After more testing added fixes to Shederran and Zalantar weapon crafting descriptions.

[420]

Updated the guide to provide more details on Adamantine and Mithral armor and shields.  Also included new information on Darksteel shields and changed the Duskwood and Zalantar "Armor" entries into "Shield" entries.

If anyone sees any mistakes or typos please report them to me as I plan on making this guide into an in-game book that will be sold from the crafting supplies bench in the training room.

-420