Craft (metallurgy) is an unusual skill in that it requires prerequisites. The metallurgist must have ranks in both Craft (alchemy) and Craft (any kind of smithing) equal to or higher than her ranks in the Craft (metallurgy) skill. Metallurgists need to maintain labs like Alchemists in order to practice their trade. For each material, there is listed a Craft (metallurgy) DC to produce or work items from that metal.

In the Saltwave campaign, some exotic metals and materials might be mass produced. The descriptive text will specifically state if a method has been found to mass produce the material.

Special materials grant either enhancement or unnamed bonuses to items made from those materials. Unnamed bonuses stack with all other bonus types. The description of each special material notes which type or types of bonuses apply. Note that any weapon made of an exotic metal requires masterwork craftsmanship. Unless the metal description specifically says otherwise, the masterwork bonus does not stack with the metal's enhancement bonus.

Enchanting Exotic Metals

Most of the very exotic metals carry natural, non-magical enhancement bonuses. These count as magical weapons in respect to damage resistance and attack or defense bonuses. Consider them to have a "plus" equal to their enhancement bonus.

Enchanting these exotic metals tends to be rather redundant, since enhancement bonuses do not stack. Only if the enchantment placed upon the item exceeds its "natural" properties does the item increase in power. In these cases, the enchantment supercedes the metal’s properties, but does not add to them.

Enchanting magically resistant metal takes a lot of effort. Slight magic resistance increases the XP cost and time to the enchanter by 10%, like cold iron, and strong magic resistance increases it by 50%, unless the description of the metal states otherwise. Any metal that readily takes enchantment can be enspelled in the regular amount of time. Irridesium is an exception, in that it actually facilitates empowerment, decreasing enchantment XP cost and time by 10%.

Magic Resistance in Metals

Slight: Gives a bonus of +2 to the item’s roll to resist any magical effect, even those for which no roll is usually allowed. Armor of this metal may provide a +1 enhancement bonus to saves. See the description of the metal for details.

Strong: As Slight, but +4 for the item’s resistance roll and +2 to the wearer protected by it.

Absolute: Cannot be affected by magic at all, including teleportation, detection, and manipulation. This metal provides full protection against all magical effects to body parts armored in it, at the DM’s discretion. These metals cannot be enchanted through mortal means, so don't ask.

Magic-Psionics Transparency

Unless specifically noted, all notes and rules describing magic or magical effects also have the same effect for psionics and psionic effects. The Saltwave campaign uses the transparency rules to maintain game balance.

Availability of Exotic Metals

The price of exotic metals dictates their availability, per the rules in the DMG. Note that none of these exotic metals will be available as randomly generated treasure. All exotic metals must be either: (1) placed specifically by the DM, or (2) allowed by the DM if a character tries to create or find a source of the metal in question.

The Exotic Metals

Adamantine: See the DMG for details. Craft (metallurgy) DC 25.

Aluminum (aluminium): Definitely a not-very-exotic metal, aluminum is very cheap to mass produce. Buyers need to know about its qualities. Aluminum is lighter (about 50% of the mass) and softer (hardness 7) than steel, and weapons made mostly of aluminim suffer a -1 penalty to hit and damage, compared to normal steel versions. Aluminum medium and heavy armors suffer a -1 penalty to the armor bonus, but light armors have normal values. Aluminum armor has +1 max Dex, -1 armor check penalty, -10% arcane spell failure chance, and is 50% of the weight of standard armor of the same type. Aluminum weapons and armor are always mass produced versions (because it doesn't make sense to hand craft aluminum) costing only 20% of the price of standard items.

Irridesium: Irridesium is a hard but resiliant metal (hardness 12) that appears black with iridesence playing along surfaces that reflect or catch the light. The primary source for irridesium was the kzin manufacturing citadels, destroyed in the War of Falling Stars. Several human metallurgists have learned how to rework captured irridesium into new forms, but until LY 2137, only the kzin engineers knew what went into the alloy or how to make it. Irridesium is very easy to enchant, reducing item creation XP cost and time by 20%.

Before additional magic is taken into account, irridesium weapons enjoy a +1 enhancement bonus to hit and damage, and cost half as much as a +1 magic weapon of the same type. Greatswords are usually available at only ten times the standard price (500 gp) because they were made in great numbers and are quite common. Irridesium armor is masterwork armor, and gains a +1 armor bonus (not an enhancement bonus) per category, +1 max Dex, 2 point reduction of armor check, and is 75% of the weight of standard armor. This adds +500 gp to the price of light armor, +1,500 gp to the price of heavy armor, and +3,000 gp to the price of heavy armor. The weight reduction may improve the category of the armor from heavy to medium or medium to light. Irridesium may be mass produced if sufficient quantities of ores are available. Craft (metallurgy) DC 22.

Duralloy: Naturally a non-reflective white (but may be tinted for color) duralloy is a non-ferrous, rustproof metal. Metallurgically alloyed from aluminum, titanium, and trace amounts of mithral with hardness 12. The Kraanicher Brotherhood of Thought discovered this alloy in LY 2094 and made wide use of it in arms, armor, and construction materials. The formula spread throughout Jaastenland and to other major nations following the War of Falling Stars in LY 2143. Weapons of duralloy enjoy a +1 bonus to hit and cost four times the price of a regular (non-masterwork) weapon of the same type. Duralloy armor has normal max dexterity, -1 armor check, -10% arcane spell failure, and 60% of the weight of normal armor and costs twice as much as regular armor. Medium duralloy has a bonus of +1. Heavy duralloy has a bonus of +2. Duralloy is often mass produced. Craft (metallurgy) DC 25.

Darksteel: Darksteel behaves like steel but is lighter, and when coated in certain oils whose formula is known to few and heated in even a small fire, it becomes molten, and can be poured into molds–even simple sand molds–to be cast into a new shape. Remarkably, this does not destroy or (usually) alter existing enchantments on the metal. Moreover, darksteel is durable and takes new enchantments readily, even if it is already dweomer-laden. All of this makes darksteel very valuable to those who know of its existence. It is silvery in hue when polished or cut, but its exposed surfaces have a deep, gleaming purple luster. It has the unusual property of absorbing all natural and magical lightning or electrical energy (not heat, and not magic missles or other pure energy pulses) into itself, without conducting any of it–or its damage–to the one who bears it. Weapons have no automatic bonuses, 1200 gp/lb, with hardness 10. Items made of darksteel automatically succeed in any saving throw vs. electricity and lightning. Darksteel may be mass produced if sufficient quantities of ores and minerals are available, but the process produces toxic byproducts that are extremely costly to neutralize. Craft (metallurgy) DC 20.

True Iron: Shiny gray, rustproof. Metallurgically distilled from iron. The best Trobyn Armories weapons are forged from True Iron by master crafters. These masterwork blades have a +2 enhancement bonus to hit and damage, and cost 120 times the normal price for a weapon of the same type, plus masterwork workmanship costs. True Iron weapons bypass damage reduction as adamantine with hardness 20. True Iron armor has normal max dexterity, armor check, arcane spell failure, and weight, but has a +2 enhancement per category (+2 for light armor, +4 for medium armor, and +6 for heavy armor). True Iron adds +3,000 gp to the cost for light armor, +9,000 gp for medium, and +18,000 gp for heavy armor. True Iron may not be mass produced. Craft (metallurgy) DC 30.

True Copper: Shiny and bright coppery red. Metallurgically distilled from copper. Uncommon in the Four Kingdoms, but highly prized in the Honuran Empire. Weapons made from True Copper are masterworks that have a +1 enhancement bonus to hit and damage and 50% of the weight of regular weapons. Such weapons cost 100 times the normal price for a weapon of the same type, plus masterwork costs. Armor made from True Copper has a +1 enhancement bonus per category, and increases the max dexterity bonus by +2, reduces the armor check penalty by 2, reduces the arcane spell failure by 10%, weighs half as much, and counts as the next higher armor category (heavy becomes medium, medium becomes light) for movement purposes. True Copper adds +2,500 gp to the cost of light armor, +5,000 gp to medium armor, and +10,000 to heavy armor. True Copper may not be mass produced. Craft (metallurgy) DC 30.

Mithral: Also (incorrectly) called True Silver by master metallurgists seeking to mislead the uninitiated or sell their wares for inflated prices. See the DMG for details. Craft (metallurgy) DC 22.

True Gold: Also called Novagold. Shiny yellow gold that holds a polish. Metallurgically distilled from gold. True Gold has properties that make it an excellent choice for holy objects and items representing powers of purity, goodness, or light. Divine casters using True Gold as the primary metal for enchanted objects enjoy a 20% decrease XP cost and enchanting time, but only if the enchanted item will have holy properties. Weapons made from True Gold are masterwork items that gain a +2 enhancement bonus to hit and damage at a cost 150 times that of a normal item of the same type, plus masterwork costs. Weapons of True Gold bypass damage reduction as good weapons and have hardness 15. Armor made from True Gold has a +1 enhancement bonus per category, weighs the same as steel, and has no effect on max Dex or armor check penalty. True Gold eliminates the arcane spellcasting failure chance for casters of good alignment only, and only while they remain true to their alignment. True Gold adds +6,000 to the cost of light armor, +30,000 to the cost of medium armor, and +60,000 to the cost of heavy armor. The formula for True Gold is not widely known, and it is not possible to mass produce it. True Gold has strong magic resistant properties, and confers this resistance upon creatures armored mostly in metal of this type. Craft (metallurgy) DC 35.

Iron Absolute: Also known as Mold Metal. Toughest of all known materials; has an effectively infinite hardness and will even resist force and disintegrate effects. (However, weapons made of Iron Absolute will not necessarily penetrate force effects such as a wall of force, mage armor, etc.) Iron Absolute is rustproof. An object of Iron Absolute must be made in the shape it is to have, and cannot be reshaped or broken thereafter, except by divine power or by someone who drinks a special potion that will allow him to easily mold the metal to any desired form for a few minutes. (The molding potion is a DC 45 Alchemical creation, with a cost of 3,300 gp.) The quality of the item produced is appropriate to the appropriate Craft skill check made by the one creating the item. Iron Absolute is typically rough and dark gray in color. Metallurgically distilled from True Iron. Iron Absolute weapons ignore hardness and damage reduction as adamantine and cold iron weapons. They have a +3 enhancement bonus to hit and damage and cost roughly 1,500 times the normal price of a weapon of the same type. Iron Absolute armor must be masterwork quality and has normal characteristics for armor of its type, with a +3 enhancement bonus and DR 5/- per category (+3 and DR 5/- for light armor, +6 and DR 10/- for medium armor, and +9 and DR 15/- for heavy armor). Iron Absolute adds +50,000 gp to the cost for light armor, +150,000 gp for medium, and +450,000 gp for heavy armor. Iron Absolute may not be mass produced. Craft (metallurgy) DC 45 to create, impossible to work once formed.

Copper Absolute: Metallurgically distilled from True Copper, retaining and deepening its ruddy color. Superconducts heat and electricity; no protection whatsoever against heat, cold, or electricity attacks, and will conduct heat, cold, and electricity back to the wielder’s hand, increasing damage from these energy types by 50%. This increase to damage applies even if the wielder is merely holding an item of Copper Absolute when in the area of effect of a damaging cold, electricity, or fire effect and renders evasion and improved evasion useless to negate damage. Despite this major disadvantage, it has a lot of value for technomancers. It also holds powers of quickness, and weapons made from Copper Absolute strike at the wielder's full attack value for all attacks made in a round (no -5 penalty applies for the each additional attack made during a full attack action). Weapons made from Copper Absolute are masterworks that have a +4 enhancement bonus to hit and damage, 25% of the weight of regular weapons, and hardness 10. Such weapons cost roughly 1,000 times the normal price for a masterwork weapon of the same type. Copper Absolute may not be mass produced. Craft (metallurgy) DC 40.

Silver Absolute: Sometimes called Local Adamantite, but this metal is not actually an alloy of adamant. Metallic black in color and very shiny, with hardness 20. Metallurgically distilled from darksteel, silver, and mithral. Weapons must be masterwork. They gain a +3 enhancement bonus to hit and damage and their threat ranges are doubled (an unnamed bonus that may be further enhanced by other effects). The price of a Silver Absolute weapon is 1,100 times that of a normal weapon of the same type. Silver Absolute weapons bypass damage reduction as silver and cold iron. Silver Absolute armor has +4 max Dex, -4 armor check, half the arcane spell failure chance, and 50% weight. It has a +2 enhancement bonus per category (+2 for light armor, +4 for medium armor, and +6 for heavy armor). Silver Absolute adds +20,000 gp to the cost for light armor, +60,000 gp for medium, and +180,000 gp for heavy armor. Strong magic resistant properties (+4 to own saves, +2 to armored creature saves), but takes enchantment readily (-10% XP cost and enchanting time). Silver Absolute cannot be polymorphed, disintegrated, or changed in form by any type of magic. Strangely, two distinct processes have been found to mass produce Silver Absolute, but it has not proven economical to do so. Craft (metallurgy) DC 40.

Gold Absolute: Also called Megametal, this alloy was originally discovered in the aftermath of the fiery destruction of an evil god in the midst of a vast treasure hoard. Megametal resists all change. Its hardness is 50. Persons fully armored in Gold Absolute (medium or heavy armor) have damage reduction 15/-. Does not conduct heat, cold, or electricity. Strong magic resistant properties. Weapons made of Gold Absolute conduct all to hit rolls as touch attacks and bypass damage reduction as good adamantine weapons. Gold Absolute gives weapons a +5 enhancement bonus to hit and damage, and gives medium and heavy armor a +5 enhancement bonus, in addition to the save bonus versus magic effects. It adds +10,000 gp/lb. to the cost of items, as a guideline. The formula is unknown. Only specifically undertaken quests of 20th level or above may have a chance of acquiring Gold Absolute.

Bloodsteel: Also known as Zardazil in Faerun, bloodsteel comes from a rare, amber-to-red ferromagnetic metal found in several places in Jaastenland and Honura. It is exceptionally rare and often overlooked even where the ore may be obtained. It is a very soft metal, and because of this is never used in pure form, but rather alloyed or used to sheath other metals. In can be added to other metals in perfect bondings, apparently vanishing into them in alloys that have all the properties of the other metal–plus the one benefit of zardazil: the ability of any item partially or wholly composed of it to body phase with the first being whose blood it spills.

When a zardazil blade wounds its first creature, it inexorably begins a spell-like internal alteration that takes a full turn. At the end of that time, the zardazil weapon behaves as it has always done for and to all other beings, but it cannot ever harm the being it first wounded again. Instead, the weapon passes through the body of that being harmlessly, as though the body is not present. Such woundings are often done deliberately to enable a being to carry a concealed weapon. The weapon is simply slid into the body and carried internally until needed, whereupon–without bloodshed or internal damage–it is plucked forth for use. At least three noble ladies of Lieno have drawn forth daggers tied to throat jewelry in recent years to defend themselves against attackers, and it is suspected that Ardreatha Laurindar, a professional slayer who has posed as an evening escort in Cherry End and Catalina to gain access to her targets, also employs such a weapon.

No matter how small the amount of zardazil used in the making of the weapon, the entire weapon enters a state of body phase. It is able to coexist with the body it is linked to, and out of the reach of all magics such as heat metal, enlarge, or other spells that casters may apply to attempt to do harm to the weapon carrier. This causes it to fall right through the body of the carrier unless a non-metal part of the weapon is present. Usually a leather hilt grip or a loop of cord strung through a hole in the pommel is used to prevent this. The weapon hangs, swinging freely inside the body, from this non-metal part, so the part is usually fastened to an anchor on body armor or a harness in the shoulder area.

Zardazil has no special hit or damage bonuses of its own. It saves and acts, body phase aside, as a weapon of the metal it is bonded with. Zardazil costs 500 gp/lb. Craft (metallurgy) DC 28.

Soul Steel: [Section to be revised. Cuts nonliving material like air, but does not exist for living tissue: it merely passes though living matter like a ghost, inflicting no harm at all. Great for use against doors and Undead, simply chopping inanimate matter up without resistance, doing effectively infinite damage to whatever it hits. The only exception is material that has toughness equal to or higher than that of Soul Steel. +2 hit, +2 DAM. Price subjective; no known terrestrial ore sources. Expect to pay at least $80,000/lb if you find some for sale. It has been theorized that Soul Steel can only be created through divine intervention, and it seems to require the trapping of the soul of an intelligent creature for each pound of metal. Formula is not known, nor has it been discovered how to release the trapped souls from the metal, although communication with them (they are almost always wise and benevolent) is possible.]

Demonsteel: [Section to be revised. This horrible alloy is forged in certain Hells and allowed to enter the real world for the purpose of spreading fear and death. It does continuous damage, screaming and moaning when it touches blood. A piece of Demonsteel stuck in a creature will do full maximum weapon damage every round after it first strikes. Each pound of Demonsteel requires the soul of an intelligent creature to make, but this is not a problem in Hell. Release of the trapped souls does not seem possible, but communication with them (they are almost always selfish and evil) is. Demonsteel has +4 hit (it likes to seek flesh) and +4 DAM. Fairly commonplace, but outlawed nearly everywhere. Costs typically $6000/lb, availability 25.]

Glowiesteel: Not available except as an adventure plot item. This material was only recently distinguished from Megametal, and the formula for its creation is unknown. Its main feature is its absolute resistance to all magic, except divine intervention. It will never be affected in any way by any normal magic or psionics. It cannot be teleported or moved by magic, cannot be located with magic, and ignores any direct magic effect upon it. It also glows with a faint yellow nimbus of light. The source of ore seems to be the marrow from the bones of a specific dead god, mined from a god island in the Astral. Glowiesteel is also a fine weapon metal, with a +3 enhancement bonus. Price subjective but at least 40,000 gp/lb.

Exotic Adamantium: Not available except as an adventure plot item. Disintegrates a target (up to 100 times the weight of the impacting weapon) on a natural 20, plus is strongly magic resistant, and conveys some magic resistance to anyone holding even a small piece. Exotic Adamantium is brought here from a different plane, where it is created by divine intervention. Extremely rare. Every known piece has a stylized logo on it that seems to be a merger of the letters A and C. Weapons have a +3 enhancement bonus, price subjective but at least 100,000 gp/lb. Exotic Adamantium is dull black and lusterless.

Hard Water: Ripples like water, and is reflective and neutrally buoyant, but keeps its shape. The rippling is mainly a special effect, though, and Hard Water is not a particularly potent metal. No hit or damage bonuses. Made from alchemically treated glacier ice that is altered to have a melting point of roughly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Costs 8,000 gp/lb. More a curiosity than a practically useful material. Craft (metallurgy) DC 30.

Follows here the Mineral Metals

They are made by Metallurgists using steel, the appropriate gemstones, and other catalysts and reagents. All of the mineral metals require no magical techniques to create, just knowledge, patience, skill, and the right tools. Additionally, all of the Mineral Metals are somewhat difficult to enchant (+10% to item XP cost and creation time).

Diamondsteel: Best of the so-called Mineral Metals, which are commonly known and often used for weapons. Transparent. Diamondsteel is extremely tough and resiliant, with hardness 35, and granting a +4 enhancement bonus. Diamondsteel weapons also have an expanded threat range, as if they had the keen ability. The threat range cannot be further expanded by other magic enhancements and effects. 7,500 gp/lb. Its cost and rarity makes it an extremely uncommon choice for armor, where much larger quantities of metal must be used. Craft (metallurgy) DC 40.

Emeraldsteel: Second best of the Mineral Metals. Although natural emeralds are very brittle, the green translucent emeraldsteel overcomes this disadvantage. Emeraldsteel has hardness 22 and grants a +3 enhancement bonus. Cost 1,000 gp/lb. Craft (metallurgy) DC 35.

Rubysteel and Sapphiresteel: These two corundum alloys are tied for third best Mineral Metal. Transparent red and blue respectively. Items have a +2 enhancement bonus. Cost 800 gp/lb. Craft (metallurgy) DC 30.

Jadeite: Also called Greensteel. The most easily created mineral metal, but possibly the most beautiful. Looks like normal green jade shot with veins of silver. Surprisingly tough, with hardness 15, and carries a +1 enhancement bonus. Cost 100 gp/pound. Craft (metallurgy) DC 25.