5 New materials for weapons and armor

There exist 5 alchemically transmuted alloys, inherently magical, known collectively as the Arcanum Alloys.

The 5 alloys are Acidium, Arcanite, Electrite, Frostite, Infernium. Except for Arcanite, the other 4 alloys are elementally attuned and are called "Elemental Alloys." All Elemental Alloys are alchemically transmuted with Arcanite as their base.

Each of the 5 alloys has a particular physical sensation associated with holding it. At lower levels of purity, the physical sensation can be difficult to detect, but at higher levels it is quite noticable and, while not enough to harm someone, can be extremely uncomfortable. The physical sensations are entirely magical in nature only occur through direct skin contact. Even a thin layer of a material such as leather is sufficient to insulate a wielder/wearer from the effects of even the most potent Arcanum Alloy. Armor is often fur-lined, while weapons typically have leather wrapped around their hilts.

Additionally, all alloys come in multiple different purities and grades. Weapons grade alloys are far more volatile and thus are excellent for use as weapons, while Armor grade alloys are specially formulated for use in armor. In the case of Arcanite, weapons grade arcanite is actually significantly more potent than armor grade arcanite, leading to a higher cost. Among the elementally-attuned alloys, the opposite is true. In order to make the alloy suitable for armor, significant steps must be taken to limit its volatility and so armor grades of these alloys are much more expensive. In game terms, just use the standard costs for whichever abilities and bonuses an item has.

Arcanite

Arcanite is actually quite special, as it is the basis for each of the other 4 alloys. Arcanite is an inherently magical metal, appearing much like steel but giving off a slight, bluish glow. When held, a dull vibration can be felt running through it. Arcanite comes in 5 different levels of purity. Items forged of arcanite have an inherent bonus, as listed below:

Minor Arcanite: +1
Lesser Arcanite: +2
Arcanite: +3
Greater Arcanite: +4
Draconic Arcanite: +5

Minor arcanite gives off a glow barely comparable to a candle, while Draconic Arcanite glows almost as boldly as a sunrod. The vibration felt when wielding minor arcanite is barely perceptible, but Draconic Arcanite is practically enough to rattle your bones and can be quite uncomfortable when held for more than a short time.

Elemental Alloys

Acidium
Acidium is a dull green in coloration, with an odd texture looking almost like wood grain with an abundance of knotholes. Acidium constantly gives off smoke, and when held irritates skin. It comes in 5 different levels of purity, and gives inherent bonuses as listed below.

Weapons Grade
Minor Acidium: +1 Acid*
Lesser Acidium: +2 Acid*
Acidium: +2 Acidic Burst**
Greater Acidium: +3 Acidic Burst**
Elemental Acidium: +4 Acidic Burst**

Armor Grade

Minor Acidium: +1 Resistance
Lesser Acidium: +2 Acid Resistance
Acidium: +2 Acid Resistance, Improved
Greater Acidium: +3 Acid Resistance, Improved
Elemental Acidium: +3 Acid Resistance, Greater

Minor Acidium gives off faint streams of smoke, as from a pipe, while Elemental Acidum gives off strong white plumes of smoke. This smoke is very weak and dissipates quickly, providing no worries about breathing in closed quarters and offering no opportuinites to obscure vision. Minor acidium only slightly irritates skin, while Elemental Acidium leaves large red marks with even brief contact.

*Acid: Upon command, an acid weapon is sheathed in viscous green acid. The acid does not harm the wielder. The effect remains until another command is given. An acid weapon deals an extra 1d6 points of acid damage on a successful hit. Bows, crossbows, and slings so crafted bestow the acid energy upon their ammunition.

**Acidic Burst: An acidic burst weapon functions as an acid weapon that also explodes with acid upon striking a successful critical hit. The acid does not harm the wielder. In addition to the extra acid damage from the acid ability, an acidic burst weapon deals an extra 1d10 points of acid damage on a successful critical hit. If the weapon’s critical multiplier is x3, add an extra 2d10 points of acid damage instead, and if the multiplier is x4, add an extra 3d10 points. Bows, crossbows, and slings so crafted bestow the acid energy upon their ammunition. Even if the acid ability is not active, the weapon still deals its extra acid damage on a successful critical hit.

Electrite
Electrite behaves exactly as Acidium, replacing acid-based abilities with electrical (Electricity Resistance, Shocking, Shocking Burst).

Electrite is dark blue in coloration with long, jagged bright blue lines racing through it. Crackles of energy skitter across the surface randomly, and when held it causes your hairs to stand on end.

Minor Electrite crackles only rarely (a couple times a minute) and is very faint, while Elemental Electrite seems to be constantly on fire with a blaze of electricity, casting light as a torch. Minor Electrite might send a small tingle through your hand, while Elemental Electrite makes all the hairs on your body stand on end.

Frostite
Frostite behaves exactly as Acidium, replacing acid-based abilities with cold (Cold Resistance, Frost, Icy Burst).

Frostite is light blue in coloration with jagged white patterns evoking ice crystals. It is cold to the touch, and water in the air constantly condenses on it like a glass of a cold beverage.

Minor Frostite gathers small amounts of condensation while Elemental Frostite is practically dripping. Minor Electrite might seems slightly cool to the touch, while Elemental Frostite is almost cold enough to give you frostbite!

Infernium
Infernium behaves exactly as Acidium, replacing acid-based abilities with fire (Fire Resistance, Flaming, Flaming Burst).

Infernium is dark orange in coloration with smoky red swirls throughout. It gives off a smoldering black smoke not unlike Acidium.

Minor Infernium gives off faint streams of smoke like a smoldering camp fire, while Elemental Infernium gives offoily black plumes of smoke. This smoke is very weak and dissipates quickly, providing no worries about breathing and offering no opportunities to obscure vision. Minor Infernium is noticable warm to the touch, while Elemental Electrite is almot hot enough to burn.

While I am generally a fan of unique materials and such, I think you might be leaving yourself open for abuse if you don't have the the material count as magic enchantment. For instance, if I buy a minor acidium weapon it's effectively +1 acid. What if I have it enchanted to +1 fire? As I understand what you have written I would have paid 16000 gp for an effective +4 weapon which should cost 32000. If you didn't mean it to work that way then I just missed it. Also with the way this material works it exactly mimics item creation which costs xp. This just circumvented that with no down side. One last thing with the material plus magic, I could end up with an effective +15 weapon, which seems a little wierd to me. All in all, the idea for elemental ore is cool, but I personally think you might be better off with a unique mechanic to go with your unique material. Maybe the weapon grade stuff could add a point of elemental damage that effects the victim for a number of rounds dependent on the grade, like 1 round for the weak grade but 5 rounds for the draconic stuff (much like a wounding weapon). Maybe the armor could grant a bonus to saves versus the opposing element, or similar element. The bonus increasing by grade.

I apologize for not making things more clear. I wasn't really in the mood when I wrote this up to do a whole rules thing, it was mostly just a "got an idea in my head, wanna get it out of there" kind of thing.

My intention with these is that they are entirely flavor, no crunch whatsoever. They are considered magic enchantments. Instead of just saying "Ok, you spend X on materials and Y experience points to make the magic sword" you say "Ok, you spend X on materials and Y experience points to transmute the alloy which you'll use to make the magic sword."

I also like the idea that the alloys can be made without defining a specific magic weapon. Could lead to interesting storylines, say, hijacking a shipment of Electrite Bars which are, essentially, magic items that just haven't been formed yet. Also could help with treasure. It can be a bit silly when there just happens to be a Large Greatsword, a pair of enchanted kamas, a holy mace and a staff of arcane buttkicking for the party consisting of a warrior with monkey grip, a monk, a cleric and a wizard. Instead, they find a bar of electrite, a bar of arcanite, a bar of infernium, etc. It's a much more plausible thing to be sitting around in a treasure horde, and they can still forge it into whatever weapon suits them best when they get to town for a nominal fee.

If you want to add enchantments to the created items, follow the standard rules. Adding an extra +1 to lesser arcanite would cost 18,000 gp (8,000 for the lesser arcanite bar, 10,000 on enchanting it further). Throw in some fluff about how, given they're magical nature, they're more difficult to enchant.

If I decide to implement this idea in my current campaign, most if not all metallic magic weapons and armor will be made from some Arcanum Alloy.

Well in that case, as far as flavor goes, sounds cool and more power to ya...hehe.

flavour wise very cool.
while you're at it why not think up some special matirials that have unique effects on what ever is made out of them and not only mimic energy enhancments.
what happens when an artificer with the transmute energy feat uses these alloys?
Z

Not familiar with the artificer class. Eberron, right?

What would give it something a bit more special is if the bars you find as treasure or whatever not only helped reduce the gold cost of forging the item but helped reduce the cost in XP. Since when they find all that character specific stuff (wich we know always happens) the party item crafter doesn't spend xp then. Plus just adds to the magical quality of the metal it stores magical essence and therfore reduces the amount of magical energy the crafter has to place in the items.

I like your idea alot, what about composite alloys since it funtions just like enchating can I have a multiple metals in one weapon.

Well, that would be my point. The entire cost of item creation is wrapped up in the bars themselves. I'm actually going to be using this tomorrow night. One of the rooms has 4 bars that they can bring to a black smith and have forged into magic items for just a couple hundred gp a piece (price of a masterwork item of appropriate type). The cost of the "magic" has already been taken care of by whatever kind person decided to leave the loot in the dungeon.