Special Materials

Some items can be crafted from odd or rare materials, including silver, gold, adamantine, etc. Listed below are some sample materials. Many of the entries below are from “unofficial” sources (publishers OTHER than Wizards of the Coast.

Some items can be crafted from odd or rare materials, including silver, gold, adamantine, etc. Listed below are some sample materials. The only “official” material described in the SRD is silver. The other materials are from other publishers. Use at your GM’s discretion.

Though leather and iron are the most common materials for creating armor and weapons, artisans in fantasy worlds can have access to a wide variety of crafting materials. Some monsters that have immunity or resistance to nonmagical weapons are susceptible to weapons made from other materials. Likewise, some materials are more resilient, lighter, or can enhance the wielder’s abilities, making them more ideal than traditional weapons in specific situations.

Consult with your GM before choosing armor or weapons made of special materials, as they might not exist or might be more or less scarce (and therefore more or less expensive) in the campaign world.

Identifying Special Materials

With a successful Arcana check, a character can attempt to identify and understand strange substances such as the ones listed here:

Material	DC
Aethel	22
Black adamantine	25
Firestone	15
Heliothil	19
Ithildin	18
Ithilnaur	18
Liquid light	23
Liquid shadow	24
Marlite	24
Moonsilver	20
Vallis	22

Everything Breaks Eventually

Source VKCS

Using a broken piece of equipment isn’t ideal, but when wielding primitive weaponry and shields it’s often the case during combat that a warrior must make do with what’s at hand.

A broken weapon or shield can be repaired with a DC 12 Dexterity or Wisdom check over the course of a long rest. This check can be attempted during a short rest by making it with disadvantage, but rushing endangers the repair and on a failure all the materials become useless.

Broken Weapon. When you hit with a weapon attack using a broken weapon, you deal half damage.

Broken Shield. While wielding a broken shield, you only gain a +1 bonus to your armor class.

Special Material Descriptions

Acidean Ore

Source The Ceaseless Caravan – Underground Oracle Publishing

Acidean ore is actually a material that is made from the various minerals and sediments that collect in the stomachs of boarwulves. These large omnivores spend most of their time eating nearly anything that fits into their mouths, coughing up the combined remains in the form of large, amber pellets. Talented smiths can turn the material into weapons that don’t rust and armor that offers natural protection against acid.

• Weapon. Acidean ore weapons are completely immune to corrosive effects from either natural or magical sources.
• Armor. Acidean ore armor is completely immune to corrosive effects from either natural or magical sources. Additionally, acidean ore armor grants its wearer resistance to acid damage.

Adamantine

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Mined from rocks that fell from the heavens, this ultrahard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor.

• Invulnerable. Unattended objects, structures, and vehicles made from this material are immune to critical hits. Items bestows a similar property to its wearer, and weapons made of the material inflict critical hits on objects and structures.

Aethel

Source Pt-MCCbtS

One of the rarest and most valuable substances isn’t a drug or a weapon, but a mineral. While the greenish stone of the absent moon is a natural power source on its own, the clear crystals of aethel absorb magical energy and even light.

Aethel can absorb one to ten spell levels (depending on the size of the crystal). Once the crystal has absorbed this many spell levels of energy, it can’t ever absorb more.

Spellcasters can use the energy stored within aethel to power their own spells, as though the crystal were a rod of absorption. The aethel stone does not require attunement. A crystal that can no longer absorb energy and has no energy remaining becomes inert forever.

If a character tries to absorb more spell levels than a piece of aethel can hold, the stone bursts in a 10-foot radius, inflicting 10 (3d6) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) piercing damage for each spell level stored within the crystal (characters in the area can attempt a DC 18 Dexterity save for half damage).

The value of aethel stone is equal to the number of potential spell levels absorbed squared × 1,000 gp.

A character who makes a DC 25 Arcana check can figure out a way to use an aethel crystal full of absorbed energy as a crafting component for a magic item. The exact use of the stone is up to the Gm, but is generally the equivalent of a spell scroll of a spell whose level is equal to the stone’s stored spell levels.

Antler/Horn

Source VKCS

Mostly suited for piercing weapons, with care and time an antler or horn can be hewn and worked into a fearsome edge.

• Creatures with the evil primal element take a –2 penalty on attack rolls using antler or horn weapons.

Asereqbas

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Asereqbas is a wondrous material that falls to the earth from space. It has a crystal-like texture that exhibits a rainbow sheen in sunlight. The elkara have perfected the art of refining asereqbas, and these “sky crystals” are present in all the devices that power their flight. The asereqbas is also used on a much greater scale on their flying ships.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.
• Translucent. Creatures can see through to the other side of this material.

Black Adamantine

Source Pt-MCCbtS

Black adamantine is one of the hardest substances in existence, and it has additional antimagical qualities. It is immensely expensive, usually about 1,000 gp per ounce.

Black adamantine has resistance to all damage, and advantage on saves against magic.

A DC 25 Arcana check reveals that a wish spell can make black adamantine completely impervious to physical force or spells. Black adamantine armor is equivalent to adamantine armor, but the wearer also gains the metal’s advantage on saves against magic.

Bone

Source VKCS

Grisly as it may be, bone is a strong material frequently hewn into weaponry. Usually it’s meant to pierce or slash, but the femur of a massive creature can easily become a greatclub or even perfected into a maul.

• A bone weapon functions as magical when striking a creature with immunity or resistance to nonmagical weapons.
• When an attacker rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll using a bone weapon, it rolls an attack roll against AC 10. On a failure, the bone weapon becomes broken.
• Creatures with the Good primal element take a –2 penalty on attack rolls using bone weapons.
• Bone weapons cost 50% more than their listed price in the core Fifth Edition rules.

Bronze

Source DH28

Before the advent of iron and steel, bronze was the most common metal for weapons and armor. One-handed weapons and ammunition can be crafted of bronze, as can heads for spears and pikes, but it is not strong enough to craft other two-handed weapons. It can be used to craft shields and any of the following types of armor: studded leather, scale mail, breastplate, half plate, splint, plate. In a campaign with bronze weapons and armor as the standard, they function as steel weapons do in a standard 5E campaign. However, if steel weapons and bronze weapons both exist in the same game, the following rules apply to demonstrate the metallurgical superiority of iron weapons. The wielder of a bronze weapon takes a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against a target wearing medium or heavy armor of iron or steel, and if the wielder rolls a natural 1 on their attack roll their weapon is damaged, taking an additional -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against all foes. If the weapon is already damaged and the wielder rolls another natural 1, the weapon becomes warped and has disadvantage on attack rolls and deals only half damage to all foes (in addition to the penalty against foes in iron or steel armor). A creature wielding a steel weapon or magical weapon gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls against a creature wearing bronze armor, and on a critical hit they damage the target’s armor, reducing the AC it provides by 1. Bronze weapons and armor cost the usual amount in a campaign where bronze is the standard. In campaign with iron and steel available, bronze weapons and armor cost 20% less than those made of steel.

Copper and tin can be mined then melted down, mixed together into a malleable material, and cast into blades and shapes of all sorts.

• When a bronze weapon or shield takes 20 or more fire damage (30 or more if it has the Heavy property) in one round it becomes broken.

Bronze, Elysian

Source DH28

First crafted in the deeps of time by the titans and bestowed as gifts to monster-slaying heroes among the lesser races, Elysian bronze retains the brazen coloration of its namesake but is as hard as steel. A weapon made of Elysian bronze adds a +1 bonus on weapon damage rolls against monstrosities, or +2 on a critical hit. After a creature uses an Elysian bronze weapon to deal damage to a monstrosity, the wielder gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls against that specific creature type (for example, against chimeras) for the next 24 hours, or until the weapon deals damage to a different kind of monstrosity.

Armor made of Elysian bronze also protects its wearer against the natural weapons of monstrosities, causing them to take a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls with claw, bite, tail, wing, and similar melee attacks. Elysian bronze is as strong as steel. Weapons made of Elysian bronze cost an extra 1,000 gp (or 20 gp per piece of ammunition), while Elysian bronze armor costs an additional 2,000 gp.

Candy

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Candy is sometimes used as a building material. It is less nutritious but often more visually appealing.

• Edible. This innovation can be eaten even by creatures who don’t have a bite attack but have a mouth, inflicting 1 point of piercing damage to the item on a hit. Food that is eaten in this fashion is a meal that will nourish a creature as if it had eaten a fourth of a pound of food.

Ceramic

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Clay can be turned into ceramics by fire-treating it. It requires potter’s tools and a forge.

• Heavy. This material weighs 50% more when incorporated into an innovation.

Cloth

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Cloth includes padded armor, cloaks, hats, gloves, pants, and shirts.

Flammable. When an unattended cloth item, object, or structure fails its save vs. fire or lightning attacks, it ignites. The target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.

Coccineum

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

This gray, iron-like stone, is the hardest known substance in the universe. The secrets of crafting it are closely guarded by celestials.

• Heavy. This material weighs 50% more when incorporated into an innovation.

Coddleweb

Source The Ceaseless Caravan – Underground Oracle Publishing

Coddleweb is a silk that drapes the branches of trees deep within enchanted forests. Because of the inherent danger that comes from harvesting it from such wild areas, and the expertise required to work with such a delicate material, coddleweb is very rare. Those that do own clothing spun from coddleweb or armor laced with it are provided with extraordinary protection from a nearly weightless fabric.

• Item. Coddleweb clothing grants its wearer resistance to piercing and slashing damage.
• Item. Coddleweb padded armor provides an AC of 16 + Dexterity modifier, has no Strength requirement, and poses no Disadvantage to skill checks.

Cold Iron

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

This iron, mined deep underground and known for its effectiveness against demons and fey creatures, is forged at a lower temperature to preserve its delicate properties.

• Feybane. A weapon or ten pieces of ammunition made of this material bypasses damage resistance of certain fey.

Cork

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Cork is made from the bark of a cork oak. It can grow quite large and has thick bark. Cork is fire resistant and makes a great sound-dampening material.

Darksteel

Source DH28

This alloy blends steel with a navy-blue magical ore called aszite that is found only in the Shadow Realm. It is not suitable for use in forging weapons, but when crafted into armor its dark bluish veins absorb and intensify magical darkness while also strengthening the metal. Darksteel armor has a damage threshold of 15 and 10 hit points for every point of AC the armor grants above 10. A creature wearing darksteel armor has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks in areas of magical darkness, and if a darkness spell is cast on the armor, the darkness persists without requiring concentration for up to 1 minute. As long as the caster spends at least one round each minute concentrating on the darkness spell cast on the armor, they can extend the spell’s duration up to 20 minutes. Alternatively, the wearer of the aszite armor can concentrate on the spell and maintain it as if they were the cast, though if this is done they must concentrate at least 2 rounds (which need not be consecutive) per minute, and the maximum duration of the darkness is only 10 minutes. A suit of darksteel armor costs 1,000 gp more than a typical suit.

Dough

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Dough is a material used by bakers to create all sorts of things, many of which aren’t meant to be used in that fashion. Still, the bakers do it anyway with mixed results.

• Edible. This innovation can be eaten even by creatures who don’t have a bite attack but have a mouth, inflicting 1 point of piercing damage to the item on a hit. Food that is eaten in this fashion is a meal that will nourish a creature as if it had eaten a third of a pound of food.

Earth/Clay

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

The most abundant material anywhere, earth includes loose dirt and gravel.

Clay can be used as a building material or to create pottery. Clay be crafted using potter’s tools and a heat source like a campfire.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.
• Shards of pottery (1 lb., Tiny size) can be converted to a clay object with the right tools. The following mundane equipment can be made of clay using potter’s tools.

Fireforged Steel

Source DH30

Dwarves stumbled across the secret of crafting fire-forged steel in an effort to make forge-friendly tools. It didn’t take them long to adapt its unique properties to arms and armor. Fire-forged steel channels heat in one direction to protect its wearer or wielder. When it is crafted into armor, heat is channeled away from the wearer, offering some limited protection and reducing any fire damage taken by the wearer by 3.

Weapons crafted from fire-forged steel similarly channel heat away from the wearer. This does not grant the wielder resistance to fire damage; instead, the blade absorbs and channels heat to the parts of the weapon that contact enemies. If the weapon is exposed to 10 points or more of fire damage (such as from an opponent’s fireball or by holding it in a campfire for 1 full round), the weapon adds +1d4 points of fire damage to its attacks for the next 2 rounds. If the wielder is wearing fire-forged armor and using a fire-forged weapon, this bonus damage increases to 1d6 points of fire damage and lasts for 4 rounds. This bonus damage does not stack with fire damage a weapon that already deals fire damage, such as a flame tongue. A weapon made of fireforged steel costs 600 gp more than normal (15 gp per piece of ammunition), while a suit of fireforged steel armor costs 2,500 gp more than normal. Frostforged Steel. This material is the same substance as fireforged steel with a subtle difference in the alignment of the metal during crafting. Instead of channeling heat away from the wearer, it channels heat toward the wearer. Frostforged steel works similarly to fireforged steel, except its effects apply to cold damage rather than fire damage. This means frostforged steel weapons are less useful than their fireforged counterparts, as there are few non-magical sources of cold that can quickly imbue it with enough cold energy to deal bonus damage.

Firestone

Source Pt-MCCbtS

The mineral known as firestone can be created only through magic. It burns with great efficiency, which causes technologists to desire it greatly to fuel their devices. A small stone weighs 1 pound and can burn hotly for twenty-four hours.

Food

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Although it might seem odd to some, innovations of all types can be made of food. Sometimes this food isn’t even meant to be eaten (like cigars or gum) but functionally is still used in the mouth.

• Edible. This innovation can be eaten even by creatures who don’t have a bite attack but have a mouth, inflicting 1 point of piercing damage to the item on a hit. Food that is eaten in this fashion is a meal that will nourish a creature as if it had eaten a third of a pound of food.

Glass

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Glass encompasses all types of crystals, including the typically transparent, fragile glass.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.
• Translucent. Creatures can see through to the other side of this material.

Glassteel

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Glassteel is a hardened form of glass that has the strength and durability of steel. Keygnomes use glassteel for their roving underwater fortress known as the Egg, which can withstand the pressure of being submerged while allowing visibility in and out of the city’s glassteel walls.

• Translucent. Creatures can see through to the other side of this material.

Gold

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Typically only used for ceremonial weapons and armor and for display, metal equipment made from gold is fragile, heavy, and expensive.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.
• Heavy. This material weighs 50% more when incorporated into an innovation.

Heliothil

Source Pt-MCCbtS

Heliothil is a pale violet stone that has negative weight. A stone that should weigh about 1 pound has in fact 5 pounds of negative weight.

This means that, if a piece of pure heliothil were unsecured, it would fall upward at a great rate and disappear into the sky. It also means that securing 5 pounds of normal material to a 1-pound chunk of heliothil renders the normal material effectively weightless. The heliothil and attached material float in midair.

When dwarven miners discovered heliothil, much of it initially was lost—once mined and freed from surrounding minerals, the loosed heliothil floated up into space.

Eventually, the dwarves developed safe mining and transporting practices, and engineers began using heliothil to create floating castles, flying ships, hovering (virtually) weightless chariots, and so on.

Heliothil is not magical, at least not in the technical sense of the word. It retains its negative weight even in antimagic areas.

Heliothil is worth 100 gp per negative pound.

Ice

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Snow’s hardier, more translucent cousin, ice is more vulnerable to shattering.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.
• Meltable. In above freezing conditions, this material loses 1 point from its damage threshold per round. When its damage threshold reaches 0, the material turns to water.

Inubrix

Source DH30

This metal’s structure allows it to pass through iron and steel without touching them, seeming to shift in and out of phase with reality. Inubrix is the softest of the solid skymetals, being only slightly less malleable than lead. As a result, it doesn’t function well for crafting armor. Though inubrix weapons can penetrate most metal armors with relative ease, the weapons tend to break easily. A weapon primarily crafted of inubrix has only 10 hit points and a damage threshold of 5.

Because of its softness, all attack rolls with an inubrix weapon have disadvantage and the weapon deals only half normal damage. However, attacks with an inubrix weapon ignore the presence of iron and steel armor and shields, passing through them entirely. A target wearing metal armor instead has AC 11 (similar to wearing padded armor), with a Dexterity modifier based on the actual armor they are wearing. If the target is wearing magical armor or using a magical shield, any bonus to AC that those provide due to their magic still applies. Hence, a target wearing +1 plate mail and using a +1 shield (if the shield is metal) would have an AC of 13: 11 for the padding under their armor, +1 for the magical bonus of the armor, and +1 for the magical bonus of the shield. Non-metal armor and shields retain their full AC benefits. Inubrix weapons cannot damage iron or steel, nor can they harm creatures made of such materials, including iron golems and certain animated objects. Using inubrix increases a weapon’s cost by 5,000 gp.

Iron

Source VKCS

This metal’s ore is common enough, but melting the useful parts out requires tremendous heat and sophisticated equipment far beyond the ken of most mortals. Those who do know the process and are capable of forging iron weapons are wont to share the knowledge.

• Iron weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
• Iron weapons cost 25% more than their listed price in the core Fifth Edition rules.
• Iron rusts when not protected from air and water. For every week that an iron weapon or shield is not treated with oil over the course of a short rest, or for every day it is exposed to the open air or in water, it gains one level of rusting. For each level of rusting a weapon has, it takes a permanent and cumulative ?1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to ?5, the weapon is destroyed. An iron shield reduces its bonus to armor class by 1 for every two levels of rusting it has, and is destroyed when it has 5 levels of rusting.

Ironwood

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

While remaining natural wood in every way, ironwood is as strong and heavy as steel. Spells that affect metal or iron do not function on ironwood. Spells that affect wood do affect ironwood, although ironwood is not vulnerable to fire.

Ithildin And Ithilnaur

Source Pt-MCCbtS

The elves know of many special minerals, materials, and herbs. In particular, they are known for two metals: ithildin (a decorative silver that glows at night but is dull and almost invisible during the day) and ithilnaur (a thin, strong material with the same properties as ithildin). Both metals’ glow is equal to that of candlelight.

Ithildin is like silver but costs twice as much.

Ithilnaur is like silver, but harder and lighter than steel of the same thickness, and costs five times as much.

Leather

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Leather armor includes leather, studded leather, and hide armor. Creatures with scales, including certain fish-like or reptilian beasts, monstrosities, and dragons can be turned into scale mail. The default leather is made from cowhide. For more details on armor made from the skins of other creatures, see the leatherworker specialty of the artisan class.

Liquid Light

In the earliest days of creation, when air, earth, fire, and water had not yet reached their final states, sunlight shone into pockets of air that eventually became trapped deep underground.

This air turned naturally into liquid light as a result of tremendous good done in the world; the residue seeps up from the depths of the earth and takes on a physical substance. Thus, deep in the earth one can encounter pools of bright sunlight, preserved forever as a thick, milky liquid. One pint of this fluid shines as if full daylight in just over a 100-foot radius without ever losing its brightness.

Liquid light is worth 1,000 gp per pint and is usually found only in amounts of six to ten pints at a time.

One can use liquid light to enhance spells that create or amplify light and goodness; any spell cast with liquid light added as an optional material component counts as a spell of light and good. A pint of the material used as a spell component modifies a spell so that its effective spell slot level is 2 higher than normal (maximum 9th level), and increases the spell save DC by +2.

Liquid light can be used like holy water against fiends, undead, and evil-aligned creatures native to other planes. Each pint inflicts 10 (3d6) radiant damage, or 70 (20d6) radiant damage per round for full immersion.

Liquid Shadow

Source Pt-MCCbtS

Liquid shadow is a vile substance that pools in the darkest corners of the world—usually at the heartrock of a massive mountain or in a cave at the bottom of the deepest lake. It exists naturally as a result of evil done in the world; the residue seeps into the earth and takes on a physical substance in the deep darkness.

Liquid shadow is worth 1,000 gp per pint and is usually found in amounts of only one or two pints at a time.

One can use liquid shadow to enhance spells that create or amplify darkness, evil, or shadow; any spell cast with liquid shadow added as an optional material component counts as a spell of darkness, evil, and shadow. A pint of the material used as a spell component modifies a spell so that its effective spell slot level is 2 higher than normal (maximum 9th level), and increases the spell save DC by +2.

Like splashing undead with holy water, liquid shadow can be used to harm blessed children, celestials, and good-aligned creatures native to other planes. Each pint inflicts 10 (3d6) necrotic damage, or 70 (20d6) necrotic damage per round for full immersion. If used against fiends or undead, it heals them instead of harms them.

Marlite

Source Pt-MCCbtS

Marlite shines like blue-tinted iron and can be processed into a metal as hard and resilient as steel. It is far more valuable than steel, however, due to its secondary property: marlite is a magic-dead material. It has no natural magic within it, and it cannot be affected by spells, magic items, or magical abilities. In effect, it is completely immune to magic. A sword made of marlite couldn’t be affected by a spell designed to make it too hot to hold or turn to dust. No one could magically yank such a sword from the wielder’s hand with magical telekinesis.

This means, of course, that magic can’t affect it in beneficial ways, either—the sword couldn’t be made magically sharper or more likely to hit.

Armor made of marlite gives the wearer no special properties. Spells can still affect the wearer, just not the armor directly.

An item made with marlite instead of iron or steel costs ten times the normal price.

Mindglass

Source DH30

Mindglass is a special material as strong as steel that also provides the bearer with protection against an opponent’s psychic abilities. It can be crafted into a one-handed weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage. When a creature wielding a melee weapon made of mindglass succeeds at a saving throw against a harmful effect that would cause them to become charmed, frightened, or take psychic damage, the weapon stores some of that energy and holds it for a future attack. A mindglass weapon can store this energy for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell, or half the creature’s Hit Dice (maximum 1 minute) if the effect wasn’t a spell. If the weapon hits a creature while still holding this energy, it discharges a psychically disruptive energy surge into the target for 1 round, or 2 rounds on a critical hit. While affected by this surge, a target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw if it tries to cast a spell (DC 10 + the spell’s level). If the saving throw fails, the target’s concentration on its spellcasting is disrupted and the spell is wasted without effect. Once the mindglass weapon discharges its energy, it must be recharged before it can deliver another energy surge. A mindglass weapon costs 6,000 gp more than normal.

Mithral

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Mithral is a rare, silvery metal that is lighter than steel but just as hard. When worked like steel, it can be used to create amazing armor, and is occasionally used for other items as well.

• Lightweight. Medium armor made of this material can be worn under normal clothes. If the armor normally imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks or has a Strength requirement, armor made of this material doesn’t. Weapons gain the Light property and Light weapons gain the Finesse property. Items, objects, structures, and vehicles crafted with this material weighs half as much.
• Werebane. Items made from this material makes the wearer immune to critical hits from lycanthropes. A weapon made of this material can overcome the damage resistance of certain lycanthropes.

Moonsilver

Source Pt-MCCbtS

Called “ithilirid” by the elves, this metal is always found in liquid form, looking similar to mercury. One can use it to coat a solid surface, to which it then adheres, protecting the surface as if it were made of iron. The surface retains all normal flexibility. Thus, one could apply it to a person to grant them the benefits of wearing plate with none of the drawbacks that heavier armor usually exacts. The effects of moonsilver are as fleeting as the moon’s reign in the night sky, however—the substance fades away approximately four hours after it adheres to a surface.

Moonsilver will not adhere to ithildin or ithilnaur, so sealed containers made of these materials can be used to store the liquid.

Moonsilver forms in droplets among the dew of heavily forested areas on nights of the full moon. If no one collects it, the trees, grass, and other plants in such regions sometimes have silvery drops clinging to them after daybreak, as hard as metal. However, they fade by mid-morning.

Moonsilver prices depend on the amount of the substance. Enough for a full suit of armor costs about 600 gp. Partial doses fail to work, and multiple doses do not add up.

Necratite

Source The Ceaseless Caravan – Underground Oracle Publishing

Necratite is a crystal that grows on land that is tainted and blighted by the presence of undead and necrotic energies. Use of necratite can increase necromantic power, and for that reason, it’s outlawed in areas that take issue with wizards who dabble in necromancy. When found in the wild, the light violet crystal is said to give off a phosphorescent blue mist that can be collected and used alchemically.

• Focus Item. Necratite arcane focus items provide a bonus to the damage of necromancy spells equal to the wielder’s proficiency bonus. Additionally, Necratite arcane focus items provide a +2 bonus to the spell save DC of necromancy spells cast by the wielder.

Nickel

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Usually mixed with iron, this metal can be buffed to a shine, which makes it particularly attractive for those who can’t afford to embellish their equipment but want a fine polish.

Noqual

Source DH30

Noqual looks like a pale green crystal to the untrained eye but can be worked as iron despite its appearance. Noqual is light—half as heavy as iron, yet just as strong. More importantly, noqual is strangely resistant to magic. An object made of noqual gains advantage on any saving throw made against a magical source.

Weapons made of noqual weigh half as much as normal, gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls, and deal an additional die of weapon damage against constructs and undead created by spells. Noqual armor weighs half as much as other armors of its type. Armor created from noqual grants a +1 bonus to AC when worn, and it does not confer disadvantage on Dexterity 8 (Stealth) checks if it otherwise would. Spellcasters wearing noqual armor cannot cast spells, even if they are proficient with that armor. The wearer of a suit of noqual armor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Noqual ore is worth 50 gp per pound. Noqual increases the cost of light armor by 4,000 gp, medium armor by 8,000 gp, heavy armor by 12,000 gp, a shield by 2,000 gp, and a weapon or other item by 500 gp. Creating a magic item that incorporates any amount of noqual into it increases the price of creation by 5,000 gp, as costly reagents and alchemical supplies must be used to treat the metal during the process.

Obsidian

Source VKCS

When expertly flaked, the edge of this rock becomes lethally sharp, and though it only sometimes matters those fell kaviyans who engage in blood rituals prefer to do so with an obsidian blade.

• When an obsidian weapon is used to score a critical hit, the wielder can choose for a part of it to break off into the target. If the target is a living creature it takes 1d4 damage at the start of its turn every round until the wound is stanched with a successful Wisdom (Medicine) check (DC equal to damage from the critical hit) or the target receives magical healing. The obsidian weapon takes a permanent and cumulative ?1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to ?5, the weapon is destroyed.
• When an attacker rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll using an obsidian weapon, it rolls an attack roll against AC 14. On a failure, the obsidian weapon becomes broken.
• Creatures with the Air primal element take a –2 penalty on attack rolls using obsidian weapons.
• Obsidian weapons cost 25% less than their listed price in the core Fifth Edition rules.

Orgonite

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Used to power orgone engines, orgonite is a psychic crystal that channels the wearer’s mental energies. As such, orgonite creates a harmonic resonance with living creatures near it and is capable of being destroyed if exposed to too much mental energy. Orgonite can power most natural objects made of wood or stone, giving it a semblance of life.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.
• Translucent. Creatures can see through to the other side of this material.

Orichalcum

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Orichalcum looks like a darker, smoother brass, producing a dull shine when light is cast upon its surface. It is solid, strong, and very hard, and surprisingly light.

• Lightweight. Medium armor made of this material can be worn under normal clothes. If the armor normally imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks or has a Strength requirement, armor made of this material doesn’t. Normal weapons gain the Light property and Light weapons gain the Finesse property. Items, objects, structures, and vehicles crafted with this material weighs half as much.
• Springy. Orichalcum makes for excellent springs, doubling a clockwork device’s power duration after it has been wound.

Peachwood

Source OD:TOH

Wood from fragrant peach trees is sometimes used to create weapons against the undead. Peachwood is no different than oak or pine if crafted into any other type of item. Any weapon can be made of peachwood, and a weapon made of peachwood deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage on a hit, regardless of its size or shape. However, when you hit an undead creature with a peachwood weapon, it is a magic weapon that deals damage as if it were the weapon of the type it resembles. For example, a peachwood greatsword deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage when it hits a human, but it deals 2d6 slashing damage when it hits a ghost

Plutite

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Plutite is the specialty of the Duke of Infernus’ circle known as Avarus, named after its ruler, Plutus. This gives Plutus a monopoly on materials throughout Infernus, forcing other lords to beg, borrow, and steal it for their own uses. Plutite is found in the consolidated magma furnaces beneath the factories in Avarus. In its natural form, plutite is a highly flexible material, slate gray in color. It is extraordinarily light but extremely resilient.

• Lightweight. Medium armor made of this material can be worn under normal clothes. If the armor normally imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks or has a Strength requirement, armor made of this material doesn’t. Normal weapons gain the Light property and Light weapons gain the Finesse property. Items, objects, structures, and vehicles crafted with this material weighs half as much.

Rubber

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Rubber is made by extracting a liquid sap, called latex, from rubber tree plants. Latex is gathered from the trees by making a cut in the bark and collecting the runny sap in cups. It is mixed with ammonia and acid, drained of excess water, and then left to dry.

Silver(ed)

Some monsters that have immunity or resistance to nonmagical 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.

Snow

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Falling from the sky, snow can make a surprisingly good material for structures when formed into blocks.

• Heavy. This material weighs 50% more when incorporated into an innovation.
• Meltable. In above freezing conditions, this material loses 1 point from its damage threshold per round. When its damage threshold reaches 0, the material turns to water.

Soulbound Steel

Source OD:TOH

Steel forged with the carefully prepared ashes of the fallen dead creates a special alloy known as soulbound steel. The steel is said to contain a sliver of the spirit of a warrior rendered into ashes. The strong, flexible metal has a light gray color and a beautiful, powdery finish, sometimes worked into frost-like patterns.

Soulbound Steel is used to craft weapons and, rarely, shields. A weapon made of soulbound steel costs an additional 500 gp to create. This cost represents not only the price of the material used to make it, but the time, care, and expertise required to keep the sliver of soul intact without making the weapon less effective. When you make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw while holding or carrying an item made of soulbound steel, you can use a reaction to have advantage on the saving throw. Once you use this property of the item, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. You can benefit from this property only once each day, regardless of how many soulbound steel items you possess

Spirit Stone

Source The Ceaseless Caravan – Underground Oracle Publishing

Primarily sought after by wraith hunters, Spirit Stone is a welcome sight to any adventurers that have ever found themselves in the presence of a malevolent ghost. Known by its deep blue color and silvery grey swirls, Spirit Stone is most often found near areas where Hirakhal – the Plane of Spirits – has made contact with the Material Plane. Whether used for armor or for weapons, Spirit Stone offers significant protection against all types of incorporeal undead.

• Weapon. Spirit Stone weapons and ammunition count as magical weapons when targeting incorporeal undead. Additionally, on a critical hit with a Spirit Stone weapon against an incorporeal undead, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw equal to 10 plus the wielder’s proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the target creature is turned.
• Armor. Spirit Stone armor grants its wearer advantage on all saving throws to resist possession and prevents incorporeal creatures from passing through the wearer.

Stailinn

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Dwarven steel, called “stailinn” in their tongue, is incredibly dense. This makes it resistant to vibrations, grounding structures and objects such that they are very difficult to move.

Solid. Items, objects, structures, and vehicles made of this material is so solid that it cannot be easily moved, reducing movement by 5 feet per size (5 for Tiny, 10 for Small, etc.). Armor bestows a similar effect, allowing the wearer to use a reaction to resist movement. Weapons made of dwarven steel add 5 feet per size of the weapon to shove attacks.

Stone

Source VKCS

The vast majority of stone weapons are made of knapped flint or chert.

• When an attacker rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll using a stone weapon, it rolls an attack roll against AC 12. On a failure, the stone weapon becomes broken.
• Stone weapons cost 50% less than their listed price in the core Fifth Edition rules.

Tin

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

This metal is always mixed with bronze to produce better results than the base arsenic bronze.

Vallis

Source Pt-MCCbtS

Vallis stones are raw magical power in solid form and can be used to fuel spells, magic items, and mighty rituals.

Vallis dust can be used to create spell slots just like using the stored energy of a rod of absorption. The larger the speck of dust, the more spell levels it can create; most specks range from one to six spell levels in capacity. As the piece of Vallis is used, it diminishes. So if a bit of Vallis dust with the capacity for four spell levels is used to create a 2nd-level spell slot, it grows noticeably smaller, but still has two spell levels left and can be used to create another 2nd-level spell slot or two 1st-level spell slots. Exhausted Vallis disappears entirely.

For proper use, one must prepare the dust in a magical ritual that takes twenty-four hours. Unprepared Vallis can power spells, but at a less efficient rate. A piece of unprepared Vallis weighing 1 ounce holds power for one spell level, while a prepared Vallis stone that same size could power twenty spell levels.

Should one find a significantly large piece of unprepared Vallis, using it would pose a real danger. Once tapped, the stone literally leaks power. Further, the Vallis loses one potential spell level of power per day as the stone’s capacity leaks away. Anyone touching a leaking Vallis stone must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw each round or gain one level of exhaustion.

Someone who succeeds at a DC 25 Arcana check can figure out how to use a Vallis stone as a crafting component for a magic item. The exact use of the stone is up to the Gm, but is generally the equivalent of a spell scroll of a spell whose level is equal to the stone’s stored spell levels.

The value of Vallis stone or dust is equal to its number of spell levels squared × 50. Thus, a piece of Vallis that could power one spell level costs 50 gp; one that could power two spell levels costs 200 gp; three spell levels is 450 gp; and so on.

Vermite

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Vermite is created when vermi are squeezed for their juices into a mixture of Pluton. The combination retains the sins of the vermi, traumatizing them even further. Vermite weapons, armor, and equipment are stronger, harder, and nastier than Pluton alone.

• Fiendbane. Armor made from vermite makes the wearer immune to critical hits from fiends. A melee weapon or ten pieces of ammunition made from vermite ignores necrotic resistance.

Vrilgonite

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

A magical crystal that comes in green, blue, and red colors, vrilgonite is rare and highly coveted by mages and artisans alike. With the right tools and rituals, vrilgonite can power virtually anything, even unlikely objects or structures.

• Fragile. A critical hit against an unattended item or object made of this material is destroyed. A critical hit against armor made of this material permanently reduces its AC by 1. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material causes it to take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls after inflicting damage. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed.
• Translucent. Creatures can see through to the other side of this material.

Wave-Washed Steel

Source OD:TOH

Wave-washed steel, made from combining iron, wood ash, and a rare metal from deep within ancient mountains, has a unique wave-like pattern and is light, flexible, and very strong. It is used to craft weapons, never armor. A weapon made of wave-washed steel costs an additional 250 gp to create. This cost represents not only the price of the rare metal, but also the time and specialized expertise needed to craft the weapon from it. Only weapons made primarily of metal can be crafted from wave-washed steel (a longsword can be a wavewashed weapon, but a quarterstaff can’t). When you score a critical hit with a weapon made of wave-washed steel against a creature wearing armor or that has natural armor, the target’s armor is damaged and takes a cumulative –1 penalty to the AC it offers as the wave-washed steel weapon cuts through it. This reduction lasts until the armor is repaired (if crafted armor) or the creature finishes a long rest (if natural armor). A wave-washed steel weapon can’t reduce a creature’s AC below 10

Wax

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

Made from animal and plant fats, wax is most often used in candles but can also be used to carve surprisingly lifelike sculptures, including prosthetic limbs and even heads.

• Flammable. When an unattended innovation fails its save vs. fire or lightning attacks, it ignites. The target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.

Webweave

Source DH30

The silken fibers extruded by monstrous spiders and similar creatures can be gathered and alchemically treated and then woven or quilted into a light and free-flowing but extremely durable type of armor. Webweave used on its own can be dyed and tailored to be nearly indistinguishable from ordinary clothing, requiring a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the difference, while still providing the protection of leather armor. Basic webweave armor costs 25 gp and weighs 4 pounds. Webweave also can be sewn with plates and ribbing of metal. This “plated webweave” protects as studded leather, but creatures have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to recognize it as armor. Plated webweave costs 75 gp and weighs 8 pounds. Finally, webweave can be alchemically hardened and molded into a rigid cuirass of amber-colored fibrous crystal. In its natural state it is faintly translucent, but it can be dyed black, brown, or other dark colors. A webweave cuirass protects as a breastplate but costs 500 gp and weighs only 12 pounds. Behold the marvelous magics contained within the curated collection of the great and powerful master of the mystic arts and collector of curios, the legendary Basker V. Holmes! He has brought together an assortment of strange spells and unusual enchantments to spice up any spellcaster’s repertoire!

Windforged Steel

Source OD:TOH

Windforged steel is manufactured only in clifftop forges and is very strong and lightweight. It has a deep blue, nearly black color, never rusts, and has a remarkable ability to survive blows and magical effects that would destroy lesser metals. This remarkable metal is made into weapons and shields but seldom armor.

An item made of windforged steel has advantage on saving throws to resist being damaged or destroyed, and attacks against it are made with disadvantage.

Windforged steel items are immune to rust, including that caused by rust monsters and similar creatures.

Windforged steel items weigh 25 percent less and have twice as many hit points as their counterparts made of more traditional metals. An item made from windforged steel costs 25 percent more than a standard item of that type

Wood

Source 5E RPG: Steampunk Adventures

One of the most common building materials, wood encompasses a wide range of objects and structures, as well as armor and weapons. It can be an arcane, druidic foci, or holy symbols like amulets, emblems, mistletoe, staves, totems, or wands; armor like breastplates and shields; and weapons like arrows, battleaxes, clubs, crossbow bolts, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, pickaxes, quarterstaffs, sling bullets, and spears. It can be even turned into tools like pickaxes and shovels, and in a pinch, longswords. Most commonly, wood is used to create barrels, buckets, chests, ladders, poles, and torches.

• Flammable. When an unattended innovation fails its save vs. fire or lightning attacks, it ignites. The target takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames.
• Unwieldy. A critical hit against an unattended item or object destroys it. An attack roll of a natural 1 made with a weapon of this material destroys it.