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 – Legendary Games

[Source]

This unusual metal is typically mined deep underground and forged at a lower temperature to preserve its delicate properties when crafted into weapons. It is as durable as steel and is treated as if it was a magic weapon when used to attack a demon (though not other kinds of fiends) or fey creature with resistance to damage from weapons that are not magical.

If the GM chooses to include cold iron in a campaign, they could determine that some creatures whose resistance to damage can be bypassed with a silvered weapon could instead require a cold iron weapon.

Cold iron weapons cost twice the normal amount.

Cold Iron – Mal and Tal

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.

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.

Horacalcum

[Source]

This dull, coppery substance warps time around it, making things seem to speed up or slow down. It can be alloyed with steel to form a sturdy metal suitable for weapons and armor that are primarily made of metal. A melee weapon made of horacalcum grants the wielder a +1 bonus on attack rolls as they perceive a target’s movements moments before they make them, allowing them to bypass their guard. If the horacalcum weapon is also magical, this is in addition to any bonus that its enchantment provides.

A suit of horacalcum armor grants the wearer a +1 bonus on initiative rolls and on Dexterity saving throws, as they perceive time moving at a slower rate and thus can react more quickly.

Horacalcum has a damage threshold of 15 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness.

Horacalcum weapons cost 5,000 gp more than normal, while horacalcum armor costs 25,000 gp more than normal.

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.

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.

Metallurgic Amber

[Source]

Metallurgic amber is a radioactive heavy metal with a crystalline structure, Though the unusual ore shares many characteristics with more common radioactive materials such as uranium and radium, it differs in several important respects. Unlike other isotopes, metallurgic amber’s atomic structure allows the metal to be grown from a seed crystal.

It takes an entire week and a successful DC 21 Alchemist’s Supplies check to crystallize metallurgic amber and yield 1d4 x 10% more metallurgic amber in the process.

Prolonged exposure to metallurgic amber causes telltale radiation burns like most other radioactive substances, but that is the general extent of its similarities to other unstable ores. Outside of superficial burns, metallurgic amber causes no other damage to humanoid tissue and structures except for one critical organ — the brain. Metallurgic amber would be generally safe if not for its debilitating effects on the humanoid brain and, to a lesser extent, those of animals.

Every time a humanoid creature comes within 20 feet of metallurgic amber for 2d4 hours over the course of a 24-hour period, they must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw to avoid suffering radiation burns that deal 1d4 poison damage. These hours need not be consecutive, and the creature may be required to make multiple saves over the course of a 24-hour period. If the individual fails this save, he must then succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw to avoid developing a short-term madness. (See madness).

Failing the Constitution saving throw by 5 or more forces the creature to make the Wisdom saving throw with disadvantage.

Once a creature has developed a short-term madness, no further Wisdom saving throws need to be made for this effect.

If the madness is later cured and a cured creature is exposed to metallurgic amber again, they must resume attempting Wisdom saving throws to avoid going mad once more.

Strangely, most non-humanoid creatures suffer no ill effects whatsoever from long-term exposure to the odd substance with the exception of beasts; metallurgic amber makes them highly aggressive.

Lead absorbs metallurgic amber’s radioactive emissions, a fact a PC can determine with a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check. The lead contained in a pewter ring or pendant is sufficient to nullify metallurgic amber’s debilitating effects within a 5-foot radius of the lead object. Larger quantities of lead provide no additional beneficial effects and do not extend the metal’s shielding properties beyond 5 feet. Positioning a lead object within 5 feet of the metallurgic amber completely absorbs all of the radiation emitted by the object, thus completely nullifying its effects. This does not, however, protect from the radiation damage caused by creatures infused with metallurgic amber.

Metallurgic amber melts at a temperature of 1,050° F, roughly one-third that of iron, and half that of copper.

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.

Nanoweave

[Source]

Nanoweave is a light, durable material constructed of interwoven carbon nanofibers. This versatile material can be crafted into a number of useful forms and tools. These can be compressed down into small, easily portable forms for travel. Items made from nanoweave weigh 1/4 as much as the same item made from normal cloth, fiber, or leather. Fixed structures normally made of cloth, leather, or wood can also be constructed from nanoweave. Nanoweave is extraordinarily resistant to damage from standard blades and tools, but easily worked with energy weapons and tools or with monofilament items. (Fire and electricity bypass the hardness of nanoweave.) Structures such as shelters can be crafted of nanoweave, compressed into packages small enough to fit in a pocket or belt pouch. The owner can expand them to full size at the touch of a button, using a small device filled with liquid oxygen or nitrogen to produce the gas necessary to inflate the structure. Air pressure between layers of nanoweave keep the shelter rigid. Then it merely needs to be weighted down-typically by filling small pouches at the corners with earth, rocks, or sand–or staked to keep it from blowing away in the wind. A prepackaged boat could be dropped into a body of water after the inflation unit is activated, with osmosis providing rigidity and shape.

Nanoweave objects have a damage threshold of 10 and 20 hit points per inch of thickness. The cost of such items is 20x the standard cost of the item (30x if in prepackaged, inflatable form).

Sample item: Nanoweave rope; Price 20 gp; Weight 2.5 lbs. This thin, black rope has 10 hit points.

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.

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.

Orium

[Source]

Orium is a space metal slightly harder than steel with a high melting point and the ability to hold a blade without sharpening, about twice as long iron. Despite its base qualities, what makes orium so prized its natural ability to absorb and store psionic energies. The amount of psionic power an orium weapon can store depends on the version of psionics in use but should not exceed 1 psi point for every 3 pounds of orium the weapon contains. Items without metal parts cannot be made from orium, and metal weapons without at least 3 pounds of orium do not gain the benefit of its psi point storing ability. The user may cast psionic powers using the points stored in the orium object, but no power may draw psi points from more than one source.

Orium objects have an AC of 20 and a damage threshold of 12.

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.

Silver/Silvered

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.

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

Singing Steel

[Source]

This marvelous metal is not truly steel at all, but rather a melding of mithral and gold devised by elves into a lustrous golden alloy that emits beautiful, bell-like tones when struck. A weapon of singing steel is considered silvered but is as strong as steel. If the wielder is a bard, they can strike the weapon like a tuning fork against an adjacent creature as part of the bonus action to give that creature bardic inspiration, allowing that creature to add 1 to the result of its die roll for inspiration. This ability does not function within magical silence. After striking the singing steel in this fashion, it must be carefully brushed to remove any lingering vibrations that might interfere with its perfect tone. This takes 10 minutes, or it can be accomplished as part of a short rest or long rest.

A weapon of singing steel costs 600 gp more than the normal price.

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.

Varinian Coral

[Source]

Locathah cultivate a living pink coral that survives on the deepest ocean floor. Objects made of this coral regenerate 1 hit point per day in fresh water, slowly regrowing until cracks and severed edges are healed. The coral is resilient like bone, having a damage threshold of 1 and 15 hp per inch of thickness. The price above is for a cubic foot of coral.

The locathah grow a porous version of this coral that absorbs and flushes water in response to electrical stimulus, purging it of impurities and making it safe to drink (and breathe, for water-breathing creatures). Such blocks of coral are run through with small wires and treated with mild acids to encourage this feature. A cubic foot of coral can drain through one block in a single round. Porous coral has no damage threshold and only 10 hp perinch of thickness.

One cubic foot of Varinian coral costs 50 gp and weighs 20 pounds.

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.

Voidglass

[Source]

Voidglass is a transparent material as hard as steel but made of crystals that voidglass shapers on unknown worlds grow into the desired shapes. Voidglass resonates with a creature’s mind, bolstering thought and mental defenses. A voidglass melee weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage adds 1 psychic damage on every hit, or 1d4 psychic damage on a critical hit.

Any suit of armor normally made from metal can be made of voidglass, and a creature wearing a suit of voidglass armor has a +1 bonus on saving throws against becoming charmed or frightened, or against any enchantment or effect that deals psychic damage. They also do not take psychic damage from a hit with a voidglass weapon. The wearer also gains a +1 bonus to AC against ranged spell attacks that deal psychic damage.

A voidglass weapon increases the cost of the base weapon by 1,000 gp, while voidglass armor is 2,000 gp more expensive than a typical suit of armor.

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.

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.

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

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.