Rust - Rustmonsters

[Goolpsy]

During a very exciting sesson last night, our party encountered two Rustmonsters...

We quickly realised though, that the Definition of what Metals can be "Rusted" is nonexistent ...

An existing definition would be very welcome (If there is one)..

Our Main Question is/was Can Mithril Rust? Can Adamantine?

Our logical sence and knowledge tells us that things such as Gold and silver should be unaffected by the usual "Rust".. BUT the only other refence about the rust we got other than "metals" is that it also works on Gold and Silver... Hence.. realism is kinda out the window at this point?

Any help would be Greatly Appreciated

 

[Crothian]

It's a rust monster. That alone should tell you realism is out the window. It rusts any metal.

 

[Goolpsy]

So lets take another metal.. like... Sodium (from Salt) should be rusted as well...

So by that.. Salt rusts? Normal ionised water gets rusted too? Furthermore a cave/dirt/(whatever) contains a variety of metals too, hence they rust too, mean a rustmonster should leave a VERY visible trail of rust ANYWHERE it walks ?

Gotta be a consist ability...

 

[Crothian]

I really think you are over thinking this. It's D&D not a science class.

 

[Deset Gled]

This is a subject that has been debated before, and is truly left up to the DM to decide.

Personally, I look at the rules for acid damage as a precedent. In the core rules, all chemical damage is simply called "acid" damage, whether the damage is caused by a strong acid, a strong base, or just a volatile compound. For the sake of the simplicity, the game says any chemical that causes damage is an "acid", even if the chemical is actually the exact opposite of an acid. This is done to make the game more playable, even if it will make a few chemists upset.

In the same what that all chemicals are "acids", I would say that all metals "rust". It follows the spirit of the rules, keeps things simple, and doesn't require a full analysis of what elements and alloys are used to make mithral or adamantine, nor an explanation for what type of chemical reaction magical rust causes.

 

[papakee]

DMs choice

The DM can just decide on the fly ... everything doesn't have to be spelled out precisely by the rules. Just wing it.

 

[werk]

So lets take another metal.. like... Sodium (from Salt) should be rusted as well...

So by that.. Salt rusts? Normal ionised water gets rusted too? Furthermore a cave/dirt/(whatever) contains a variety of metals too, hence they rust too, mean a rustmonster should leave a VERY visible trail of rust ANYWHERE it walks ?

Gotta be a consist ability...

There was once a great and mighty king named Midas...but with rust.

 

[isoChron]

So lets take another metal.. like... Sodium (from Salt) should be rusted as well...

So by that.. Salt rusts? Normal ionised water gets rusted too? Furthermore a cave/dirt/(whatever) contains a variety of metals too, hence they rust too, mean a rustmonster should leave a VERY visible trail of rust ANYWHERE it walks ?

Gotta be a consist ability...

Well not to be snippy but you talk about 2 different things: Sodium IS a metal and will "rust" if a rust monsters touches it (it will "rust" even if you expose it to air alone ). Sodiumchlorid (Salt) isn't metal in any case, it's an chemical substance containing metal ions.
You wouldn't say you are made of metal because there are metal ions (calcium) in your skeleton.
The same with minerals (except pure metals like gold, copper, silver, and so on).

Since all metals are affected, Adamantine and Cold Iron and Mithril and Platinum can be rusted by a rust monster, too. No chemistry or physics in D&D

EDIT: Metals are only affected if they are touched by the antennae of the monster, not it's feet.

 

[Nail]

Is mithril a metal? Is adamantine a metal?

...if so, it is affected by the the rust monster's rust ability:

Rust (Ex): A rust monster that makes a successful touch attack with its antennae causes the target metal to corrode,...

You will note the word "corrode" in the description. As a matter of RL science, all metals can corrode.

so, continuing:

Is "rock" a metal?

Is a salt water solution a metal?

Etc.

 

[Goolpsy]

Well according to simple Chemistry, Sodiumsalt would be findable as sodiumsalt, sodium(aq) and chlorid(aq) in any Enviroment with water in the "air"... Soi Chemistry Still prevails...

But You all seem to Agree that Mithril, Cold Iron, Adamantine, Platinum and the like (in most simple cases used by weapons and armors etc. or whatever should be important in context) is affected by the rust Attack..

Thank you for the Answers