Weapons and armor can be crafted using materials that have innate special properties. If you make a suit of armor or a weapon out of more than one special material, you get the benefit of only the most prevalent material. However, you can build a double weapon with each head made of a different special material.
Each of the special materials described below has a definite game effect. Some creatures have damage reduction that makes them resistant to all but a special type of damage, such as that dealt by evil-aligned weapons or bludgeoning weapons. Others are vulnerable to weapons of a particular material. Characters may choose to carry several different types of weapons, depending upon the types of creatures they most commonly encounter.
AbysiumSource Pathfinder #61: Shards of Sin pg. 70
Known also as feverstone (a somewhat misleading name, as abysium is a metal like all the others), this glowing, blue-green substance can be a source of great energy. However, it also causes those who spend extended amounts of time near it to grow ill and die unless proper precautions are taken. Abysium is associated with conjuration magic, zeal, and sloth. Abysium functions as steel when used to craft weapons and armor, but anyone who carries or wears abysium arms or armor becomes sickened for as long as the gear is carried or worn, plus an additional 1d4 hours after it is removed. Likewise, a character in an area with heavy concentrations of abysium becomes sickened as long as he remains in the area. This is a poison effect. In Thassilon, wealthy lords often built manacles or prison bars out of Abysium in order to keep their prisoners debilitated.
Weapons and armor made from abysium glow with an intensity equal to that of a candle. Scholars have long debated where the glow and associated sickening effect come from, but most agree that the source of the power comes from the Abyss itself, due to the nature of the energy contained in abysium. Pure or properly refined abysium produces this energy in a way that can be harnessed by arcane engines and technologies to generate energy sources strong enough to power extensive magical creations like golems, traps, or magical items the size of buildings. Most secrets of harnessing this power have long been lost, but as the Shattered Star Adventure Path continues, the PCs will have many chances to learn more about this dangerous technology.
Abysium can also be powdered and alchemically distilled with other rare catalysts and chemicals to form a much more potent toxin. It was in this form that the metal was most traditionally used in ancient Thassilon. A pound of Abysium is enough to make 1 dose of abysium powder.
Abysium Powder: Poison—ingested; save Fortitude DC 18; onset 10 minutes; frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes; effect 1d4 Con plus nausea; cure 2 saves; cost 900 gp.
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 Adamantine
Source Ultimate Equipment pg. 48, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 154
Mined from rocks that fell from the heavens, this ultrahard metal adds to the quality of a weapon or suit of armor. Weapons fashioned from adamantine have a natural ability to bypass hardness when sundering weapons or attacking objects, ignoring hardness less than 20. Armor made from adamantine grants its wearer damage reduction of 1/— if it’s light armor, 2/— if it’s medium armor, and 3/— if it’s heavy armor. Adamantine is so costly that weapons and armor made from it are always of masterwork quality; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below. Thus, adamantine weapons and ammunition have a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls, and the armor check penalty of adamantine armor is lessened by 1 compared to ordinary armor of its type. Items without metal parts cannot be made from adamantine. An arrow could be made of adamantine, but a quarterstaff could not.
Weapons and armor normally made of steel that are made of adamantine have one-third more hit points than normal. Adamantine has 40 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 20.
| Type of Adamantine Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +60 gp per item | | Light armor | +5,000 gp | | Medium armor | +10,000 gp | | Heavy armor | +15,000 gp | | Weapon | +3,000 gp |
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Alchemical SilverSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 48, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 155
A complex process involving metallurgy and alchemy can bond silver to a weapon made of steel so that it bypasses the damage reduction of creatures such as lycanthropes.
On a successful attack with a silvered slashing or piercing weapon, the wielder takes a –1 penalty on the damage roll (with a minimum of 1 point of damage). The alchemical silvering process can’t be applied to nonmetal items, and it doesn’t work on rare metals such as adamantine, cold iron, and mithral.
Alchemical silver has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 8.
| Type of Alchemical Silver Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +2 gp per item | | Light weapon | +20 gp | | One-handed weapon, or one head of a double weapon | +90 gp | | Two-handed weapon, or both heads of a double weapon | +180 gp |
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AngelskinSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 48
The preserved skin of an angel retains a portion of celestial grace and can be crafted into leather, hide, or studded leather armor. Angelskin radiates a moderate good aura that masks malign auras. Any evil aura radiated by the wearer is reduced in strength by 10 Hit Dice. Auras reduced below 1 Hit Die can’t be detected by means such as detect evil; the creature doesn’t detect as evil, though this has no effect on other aspects of the creature’s alignment. For example, a weak chaotic creature wearing angelskin armor detects as chaotic, but not evil.
Spells and supernatural abilities that have special effects when cast on or used against creatures with evil alignments (even beneficial effects) have a 20% chance of treating an evil wearer as neutral instead. Ongoing effects such as smite evil make this roll the first time they are used against the creature; if the effect treats the target as neutral, it does so for the remainder of the effect’s duration. If the ongoing effect applies to an area and the wearer leaves that area, the percentage chance should be rolled again. Permanent magic items such as holy weapons always treat the wearer as evil. Armor constructed from angelskin is always of masterwork quality; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Angelskin has 5 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 5.
| Type of Angelskin Item | Item Price Modifier | | Light armor | +1,000 gp | | Medium armor | +2,000 gp |
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AsziteSource Distant Realms pg. 43
The navy-blue ore known as aszite is often used to reinforce buildings. While aszite cannot be properly worked into weapons, it can be added in the form of veinlike reinforcements to armor, where it absorbs and amplifies certain unique magical properties.
Adding aszite veins to armor increases the item’s weight by 10%. The added veins are capable of absorbing extra power from spells with the darkness descriptor. The wearer of aszite-veined armor gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Stealth checks when affected by a spell with the darkness descriptor. In addition, spells with the darkness descriptor that last multiple rounds last 1 round longer when affecting a creature with aszite-veined armor. If the spell affects an object (such as a darkness spell) then targeting a piece of aszite-veined armor instead increases the spell’s duration by 50%.
Aszite has hardness 15 and has 20 hit points per inch of thickness.| Type of Aszite-Beined Item | Item Price Modifier | | Light armor | +750 gp | | Medium armor | +750 gp | | Heavy armor | +1,000 gp |
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BlackwoodSource Merchant's Manifest pg. 9
Any wooden or mostly wooden item (such as a bow or quarterstaff) made from blackwood is considered a masterwork item and weighs only half as much as a normal wooden item of that type. Items not normally made of wood or only partially of wood (such as a battleaxe, mace, or other metal item with a wooden haft) either cannot be made from blackwood or do not gain any special benefit. The armor check penalty of a blackwood shield is reduced by 2 compared to an ordinary shield of its type. When wielded against creatures with the water subtype, mundane blackwood weapons ignore 1 point of the creature’s DR (if any), and enchanted blackwood weapons ignore a number of DR equal to 2 times the weapon’s enhancement bonus. To determine the price of a blackwood item, use the original weight but add 20 gp per pound to the price of a masterwork version of that item. Blackwood has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 7.
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Blight QuartzSource Planar Adventures pg. 116
Deposits of solidified negative energy, formed by the precipitation of the plane’s substance in regions oversaturated by raw entropy, can be found throughout the Negative Energy Plane. Known as blight quartz (although the crystals are not a form of traditional elemental material), these crystals appear as black or smoky gray gemstones that periodically shimmer or crackle with eerie, dark purple energy.
The majority of blight quartz deposits are no larger than the size of a human fist. The process of crystallization diffuses the negative energy inherent in the material somewhat, but in large quantities the stuff can be debilitating. As long as a creature carries a pound or more of blight quartz or is within 5 feet of a deposit of blight quartz of a minimum of 10 pounds, that creature incurs 1 negative level. This negative level remains as long as the proximity to blight quartz continues, and disappears when these conditions end. This negative
level never results in actual level loss, but cannot be overcome in any way (including via restoration) while proximity to the quartz continues. This is a negative energy effect.
While blight quartz cannot be worked into armor, the material can be used to augment melee weapons, as well as arrowheads, spear tips, and similar ammunition. Doing so costs an additional 200 gp per piece of ammunition or an additional 2,500 gp for a weapon. A creature hit with a blight quartz weapon must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 1 negative level. A negative level imparted by a blight quartz weapon or ammunition lasts for 1 minute before fading and never results in permanent level loss. Negative levels imparted by multiple hits reset the duration but do not otherwise stack, nor do they stack with any other negative levels the weapon may otherwise impart, or with any negative levels the creature struck may already have. This is a negative energy effect.
Blight quartz has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10, but the material decays rapidly when taken from the Negative Material Plane, taking 2d6 points of damage that bypasses its hardness each round until it crumbles away into nothingness.
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BlightburnSource Heroes of the Darklands pg. 24
Blightburn is a highly radioactive crystalline mineral that grows in isolated pockets throughout the Darklands, from Nar-Voth all the way down to Orv. When exposed to air, blightburn crystals give off a deep green glow as bright as a candle. Any creature coming into physical contact with a blightburn crystal takes 2d6 points of fire damage per round, and creatures within 60 feet of blightburn crystals are exposed to blightburn radiation. Blightburn radiation interferes with spells of the teleportation subschool. A character attempting to teleport into or out of an area of blightburn radiation must succeed at a caster level check (DC = the Fortitude save DC for the radiation) to successfully cast the spell. | Radiation Level | Fort DC | Initial Effect | Secondary Effect | | Low | 13 | 1 Con drain | 1 Cha damage/day | | Medium | 17 | 1d4 Con drain | 1d4 Cha damage/day | | High | 22 | 2d4 Con drain | 1d6 Cha damage/day | | Severe | 30 | 4d6 Con drain | 2d6 Cha damage/day |
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Blood CrystalSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 48
Mysterious radiation deep below the surface of the earth warps once-ordinary quartz into bloodcraving stone. If an attack with a piercing or slashing blood crystal weapon hits a target suffering from a bleed effect, the creature takes 1 additional point of damage from the attack as the blood crystal drains blood from the wound. This applies even if the creature was taking bleed damage before the attack with the blood crystal weapon. This does not increase the amount of the bleed effect.
Unfed blood crystal has a pale pink hue, darkening toward deep crimson as it becomes saturated with blood. Piercing or slashing weapons composed entirely or partially of metal can be made from blood crystal. Unworked blood crystal has a value of 500 gp per pound. Weapons made with blood crystal have one-half the normal hit points. Armor and shields cannot be made of blood crystal, as they would feed on the wearer’s own wounds.
Blood crystal has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.
| Type of Blood Crystal Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +30 gp per item | | Weapon | +1,500 gp |
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 Bulette Armor
Source Dungeon Denizens Revisited pg. 7
Dwarves have long treasured bulettes for their thick hides and armor plating. In fact, some dwarf clans require their young to travel on long pilgrimages to areas thick with land sharks to hunt the reclusive and vicious beasts, intent on harvesting their plates for armor. A single adult male bulette has enough armor plating and hide to produce two sets of Medium bulette plate mail and four sets of Medium leather or studded leather armor. These armor sets are more often than not imbued with the delving armor quality, and veteran dwarf bulette hunters are rarely seen without their +1 delving bulette full plate while on the hunt. Creating bulette armor from the creature’s hide requires a skilled armorer; crafted bulette armor may be normal or masterwork quality.
A set of bulette plate is functionally similar to metal full plate, but is prized by wealthy collectors and military commanders the world over, and tends to sell for up to 10 times more than a normal set. Bulette full plate is slightly heavier (65 pounds) than regular steel plate, but is more flexible and durable (max Dex bonus +2, hardness 12).
A suit of bulette leather armor weighs 20 pounds, and its appearance matches the coloration of the landshark from which it was made. It sells for 50 gp, but has the same statistics as studded leather.
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CaphoriteSource Heroes of the Darklands pg. 24
Caphorite, also known as drowstone, is a supernatural metallic ore found in large deposits in Sekamina. This radioactive mineral emits a magical radiation that registers a faint aura of transmutation magic to detect magic, though caphorite itself has no magical qualities and no effective caster level. Living creatures suffer no ill effects from caphorite radiation; however, plants exposed to caphorite radiation tend to grow more quickly, and with long-term exposure (over the course of several generations), they sometimes develop rudimentary sentience. Additionally, anyone attempting to cast a spell with the light descriptor within 30 feet of caphorite must succeed at a DC 15 caster level check or have the spell disrupted.
Caphorite Ammunition: This ammunition typically consists of crossbow bolts, often employed by drow house guards. A caphorite arrow or bolt detonates on impact, its head shattering in a mass of fine caphorite particulate. Any nonmagical light in a 10-foot radius is immediately extinguished, while spells of 2nd level or lower with the light descriptor are rendered inactive for 1d4+1 rounds. Higher-level spells with the light descriptor are unaffected. Caphorite ammunition has a cost of +10 gp per item.
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Cold IronSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 49, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 154
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. Weapons made of cold iron cost twice as much to make as their normal counterparts. Also, adding any magical enhancements to a cold iron weapon increases its price by 2,000 gp. This increase is applied the first time the item is enhanced, not once per ability added.
Items without metal parts cannot be made from cold iron. An arrow could be made of cold iron, but a quarterstaff could not. A double weapon with one cold iron half costs 50% more than normal.
Cold iron has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.
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CryptstoneSource Pathfinder #139: The Dead Road pg. 63
Cryptstone is a dense gray stone scavenged from the mausoleums of the Graveyard of Souls in the Boneyard. While cryptstone may appear ancient and pitted, the supernatural essence of the Boneyard has infused it with power over the eons. A weapon made of cryptstone grants a +1 bonus on weapon damage rolls against undead creatures; this damage is multiplied on a critical hit. Additionally, any nonmagical weapon made of cryptstone affects incorporeal undead as if it were a magic weapon, and weapons made of cryptstone that have the disruption special ability increase the DC of that ability by +1.
Cryptstone can be used to craft bludgeoning melee weapons and ammunition that deals bludgeoning damage. Weapons made of cryptstone are always considered masterwork, and the masterwork costs are included in the listed prices. Items not primarily made from stone are not meaningfully affected by being partially made from cryptstone.
Cryptstone has the same hit points and hardness as steel.
| Type of Cryptstone Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +10 gp per item | | Weapon | +500 gp |
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Darkleaf ClothSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 49, Advanced Race Guide pg. 27
Darkleaf cloth is a special form of flexible material made by weaving together leaves and thin strips of bark from darkwood trees, then treating the resulting fabric with special alchemical processes. The resulting material is tough as cured hide but much lighter, making it an excellent material from which to create armor. Spell failure chances for armors made from darkleaf cloth decrease by 10% (to a minimum of 5%), maximum Dexterity bonuses increase by 2, and armor check penalties decrease by 3 (to a minimum of 0).
An item made from darkleaf cloth weighs half as much as the same item made from leather, furs, or hides. Items not primarily constructed of leather, fur, or hide are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of darkleaf cloth. As such, padded armor, leather armor, studded leather armor, and hide armor can be made out of darkleaf cloth (although other types of armor made of leather or hide might be possible). Because darkleaf cloth remains flexible, it cannot be used to construct rigid items such as shields or metal armors. Armors fashioned from darkleaf cloth are always masterwork items; the masterwork cost is included in the listed prices.
Darkleaf cloth has 20 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.
| Type of Darkleaf Cloth Item | Item Price Modifier | | Clothing | +500 gp | | Light armor | +750 gp | | Medium armor | +1,500 gp | | Other items | +375 gp/lb. |
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DarkwoodSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 49, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 154
This rare magic wood is as hard as normal wood but very light. Any wooden or mostly wooden item (such as a bow or spear) made from darkwood is considered a masterwork item and weighs only half as much as a normal wooden item of that type. Items not normally made of wood or only partially of wood (such as a battleaxe or a mace) either cannot be made from darkwood or do not gain any special benefit from being made of darkwood. The armor check penalty of a darkwood shield is lessened by 2 compared to an ordinary shield of its type. To determine the price of a darkwood item, use the original weight but add 10 gp per pound to the price of a masterwork version of that item. Darkwood has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 5.
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DjezetSource Pathfinder #61: Shards of Sin pg. 70
One of the strangest of the seven known types of skymetal, rust-red djezet is liquid at all temperatures. This makes the metal relatively useless for crafting metal objects (although many gifted metallurgists, such as Xin himself, have had some success creating djezet alloys), but most who seek out this metal intend to use it instead as an additional material component for spellcasting, since it possesses an ability to enhance magic. Djezet is associated with enchantment magic, love, and lust. Used as an additional material component, a dose of djezet increases the effective level of a spell by +1, as if it were being modified by the Heighten Spell feat. In order to function as an additional material component, the spellcaster must use a number of doses of djezet equal to the spell’s level—additional djezet used beyond this amount does nothing. Djezet costs 200 gp per dose.
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DragonhideSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 49, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 154
Armorsmiths can work with the hides of dragons to produce armor or shields of masterwork quality. One dragon produces enough hide to make a single suit of masterwork hide armor for a creature one size category smaller than the dragon. By selecting only choice scales and bits of hide, an armorsmith can produce one suit of masterwork banded mail for a creature two sizes smaller, one suit of masterwork half-plate for a creature three sizes smaller, or one masterwork breastplate or suit of full plate for a creature four sizes smaller. In each case, enough hide is available to produce a light or heavy masterwork shield in addition to the armor, provided that the dragon is Large or larger. If the dragonhide comes from a dragon that had immunity to an energy type, the armor is also immune to that energy type, although this does not confer any protection to the wearer. If the armor or shield is later given the ability to protect the wearer against that energy type, the cost to add such protection is reduced by 25%.
Because dragonhide armor isn’t made of metal, druids can wear it without penalty.
Dragonhide armor costs twice as much as masterwork armor of that type, but it takes no longer to make than ordinary armor of that type (double all Craft results).
Dragonhide has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10. The hide of a dragon is typically between 1/2 inch and 1 inch thick.
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DruchiteSource Distant Realms pg. 43
The black-and-violet ore known as druchite is synonymous with Shadow Absalom’s towering spires. The ore is so dark that even creatures that are adapted to see in lightless conditions can have extreme difficulty perceiving it. Druchite ore can be worked into armor and weapons by applying it in delicate veins or inlaid patterns across the equipment.
Druchite-veined armor grants the wearer additional defenses against creatures with darkvision. The wearer always benefits from a 10% miss chance while in an area of dim light or darkness, even if she is perceived by a creature using darkvision. Other sensory abilities, such as blindsense or true seeing, bypass this effect entirely. Druchite-veined weapons grant their wielder a +2 circumstance bonus on attack rolls against creatures perceiving them with darkvision. The wielder receives no bonus when attacking creatures using other senses, such as blindsense, or benefitting from true seeing.
Druchite has hardness 10 and 40 hit points per inch of thickness.| Type of Druchite-Veined Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +12 gp | | Light armor | +1,000 gp | | Medium armor | +1,500 gp | | Heavy armor | +2,000 gp | | Weapon | +1,200 gp |
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Eel HideSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 50
This supple material offers as much protection as leather, but is more flexible and resistant to electricity. Leather, hide, or studded leather armor can be produced with eel hide. The armor check penalty of such armor is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and the maximum Dexterity bonus of the armor is increased by 1. Additionally, wearing eel hide grants the wearer electricity resistance 2. Armor crafted from eel hide is always considered masterwork, and the masterwork costs are included in the listed prices.
Eel hide has the same hit points and hardness as leather.
| Type of Eel Hide Item | Item Price Modifier | | Light armor | +1,200 gp | | Medium armor | +1,800 gp |
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Elysian BronzeSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 50
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 magical beasts and monstrous humanoids; this damage is multiplied on a critical hit. After a creature uses an Elysian bronze weapon to deal damage to a magical beast or monstrous humanoid, the wielder gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls against that specific creature type (for example, against chimeras, not all magical beasts) for the next 24 hours, or until the weapon deals damage to a different kind of magical beast or monstrous humanoid.
Armor made of Elysian bronze also protects its wearer against the natural weapons or unarmed strikes of magical beasts and monstrous humanoids, providing damage reduction as if it were adamantine (1/— for light armor, 2/— for medium armor, or 3/— for heavy armor). It does not provide this protection against creatures of other types.
Elysian bronze has the same hit points and hardness as steel.
| Type of Elysian Bronze Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +20 gp per item | | Light armor | +1,000 gp | | Medium armor | +2,000 gp | | Heavy armor | +3,000 gp | | Weapon | +1,000 gp |
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Fire-Forged SteelSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 50
Dwarves stumbled across the secret of crafting fire-forged steel in an effort to make forge-friendly tools. It didn’t take them long to adapt its unique properties to arms and armor. Fire-forged steel channels heat in one direction to protect its wearer or wielder. When it is crafted into armor, heat is channeled away from the wearer, offering some limited protection. Armor crafted from fire-forged steel grants the wearer fire resistance 2.
Weapons crafted from fire-forged steel similarly channel heat away from the wearer; this does not grant the wielder energy resistance. Instead, the blade absorbs and channels heat to the parts of the weapon that contact enemies. If the weapon is exposed to 10 points or more of fire damage (such as from an opponent’s fireball or by holding it in a campfire for 1 full round), the weapon adds +1d4 points of fire damage to its attacks for the next 2 rounds. If the wielder is wearing fire-forged armor and using a fire-forged weapon, this bonus damage increases to 1d6 points of fire damage and lasts for 4 rounds. This bonus damage does not stack with fire damage from weapon enhancements such as flaming.
Armor or weapons made from fire-forged steel are always considered masterwork, and the masterwork costs are included in the listed prices.
Fire-forged steel has the same hit points and hardness as steel.
| Type of Fire-Forged Steel Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +15 gp per item | | Light armor | +1,000 gp | | Medium armor | +2,500 gp | | Heavy armor | +3,000 gp | | Weapon | +600 gp |
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Frost-Forged SteelSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 50
This material is the same substance as fire-forged steel with a subtle difference in the alignment of the metal during crafting. Instead of channeling heat away from the wearer, it channels heat toward the wearer. Frost-forged steel works similarly to fire-forged steel, except its effects apply to cold damage rather than fire damage. This means frost-forged steel weapons are less useful than their fire-forged counterparts, as there are few nonmagical sources of cold that can quickly imbue it with enough cold energy to deal bonus damage.
Armor and weapons made from frost-forged steel are always considered masterwork, and the masterwork costs are included in the listed prices.
Frost-forged steel has the same hit points and hardness as steel. Frost-forged steel costs the same as fire-forged steel.
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GlauciteSource Pathfinder #85: Fires of Creation pg. 18
When the phrase “Numerian Steel” is used, the speaker is usually, knowingly or not, referring to an iron/adamantine alloy called glaucite. This dark gray metal is the material of choice for hulls and starship superstructures, and is what constitutes the walls, floors, and ceilings of the strange ruins found throughout Numeria. Without more advanced technology, glaucite is extremely difficult to work with. Because the metal isn’t much better than steel for forging weapons or armor, and the process of extracting the adamantine from it is so expensive and time consuming that the resulting adamantine isn’t worth the effort, Numerian scavengers have, by and large, left the walls and floors of the structures buried in the region untouched. It’s simply easier to scavenge smaller objects or work with normal iron or steel in the long run.
Glaucite has 30 hit points per inch of thickness (the same as steel) and hardness 15. It is half again as heavy as steel, and the difficulty of working with the material triples the object’s total cost to create. As a result, glaucite armor and weapons are generally commissioned only by eccentrics and collectors and rarely see use in the field, given that steel weapons and armor work just as well and are less encumbering.
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GreenwoodSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 50
The secret of greenwood lies in its harvesting. Each length is taken, with leaves still attached, from a tree animated by a treant and cut with care to avoid the death of the tree. A dryad then speaks to and shapes the wood, coaxing the living green of the leaves into the grain of the wood itself. The resulting wood remains alive as long as it is doused with at least one gallon of water (plus 1 gallon for every 10 pounds of the item’s weight) once per week and allowed to rest for an hour in contact with fertile soil. Any wooden or mostly wooden item (such as a bow or spear) made from greenwood is considered a masterwork item. Items not normally made of wood or only partially of wood (such as a battleaxe or a mace) either cannot be made from greenwood or do not gain any special benefit from being made of greenwood.
When damp and in contact with fertile soil, living greenwood heals damage to itself at a rate of 1 hit point per hour, even repairing breaks and regrowing missing pieces. If the weapon has the broken condition, it is repaired during the first hour of contact with fertile soil. Greenwood items take only one-quarter damage from fire.
Greenwood can be altered or enhanced with wood-shaping magic such as ironwood, shape wood, and warp wood. The duration of any such effect on a greenwood item is doubled. To determine the price of a greenwood item, use the original weight but add 50 gp per pound to the price of a masterwork version of that item. Items made from darkwood cannot be made into greenwood.
Greenwood has the same hit points and hardness as wood.
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Griffon ManeSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 51
This rough-spun cloth, ranging in color from golden-brown to brown-black, is woven from the mane of leonine magical beasts, primarily griffons but also chimeras and manticores, and is exceptionally strong and light. Wearing a cloak, robe, clothing outfit, or padded or quilted armor made from griffon mane grants a +2 competence bonus on Fly checks. If an item made of griffon mane is magically given the ability to fly, the cost to add that specific magical property is reduced by 10%, though this does not reduce the cost of any other abilities the item has.
Griffon mane has twice the number of hit points of normal cloth and hardness 1.
| Type of Griffon Mane Item | Item Price Modifier | | Light armor | +200 gp | | Other items | +50 gp/lb. |
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Heatstone PlatingSource Merchant's Manifest pg. 17
Heatstone plating involves placing heatstones at strategic points within clothing or armor. A character wearing armor that has heatstone plating is constantly protected from cold weather as per the endure elements spell. Armor with heatstone plating weighs 1 additional pound for every 5 pounds of the armor’s original weight (for example, a suit of leather armor with heatstone plating weighs 18 pounds). Heatstone plating cannot be sewn into heavy armor. | Type of Heatstone Plating Item | Item Price Modifier | | Light Armor | +800 GP | | Medium Armor | +1,000 GP |
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HoracalcumSource Pathfinder #61: Shards of Sin pg. 71
The rarest of the known skymetals, this dull, coppery substance warps time around it, making things seem to speed up or slow down. Horacalcum is associated with illusion magic, humility, and pride. Almost never found in amounts greater than a pound, horacalcum is the same weight and density as steel, but is much more durable. A weapon made of horacalcum gains a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls (ammunition can be made of horacalcum, but does not grant any bonus on attack rolls). An entire suit of armor made from this rare metal is fantastically expensive, but since a suit of horacalcum armor simultaneously allows its wearer to react more quickly while perceiving time more slowly, some consider the cost justifiable. A suit of light horacalcum armor grants a +1 bonus on Initiative checks, medium horacalcum armor grants a +2 bonus on Initiative checks, and heavy horacalcum armor grants a +3 bonus on Initiative checks. Weapons and armor made of horacalcum are always of masterwork quality—the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Weapons and armor made of horacalcum have one-fourth more hit points than normal. Horacalcum has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15. A weapon made of horacalcum costs +6,000 gp. Light armor costs +10,000 gp, medium armor +30,000 gp, and heavy armor +60,000 gp.
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InubrixSource Pathfinder #61: Shards of Sin pg. 71
This metal’s structure allows it to pass through iron and steel without touching them, seemingly shifting in and out of phase with reality. This quality earned the pale metal the nickname “ghost iron.” Inubrix is associated with necromancy magic, temperance, and gluttony. Inubrix is the softest of the solid skymetals, being only slightly less malleable than lead. It doesn’t function well for crafting armor as a result, and though inubrix weapons can penetrate most metal armors with relative ease, the weapons tend to break easily. Inubrix has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 5.
An inubrix weapon deals damage as if it were one size category smaller than its actual size, and is always treated as if it had the broken condition. It ignores all armor or shield bonuses granted by iron or steel armor or shields. Inubrix weapons cannot damage these materials at all (and, by extension, cannot harm iron golems or similar creatures). An inubrix weapon costs +5,000 gp.
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Irespan BasaltSource Magnimar, City of Monuments pg. 49
The Irespan’s stones are infused with a unique variant of Thassilonian preservative magic. Scholars suspect that these features have grown in the stones of the bridge over the ages since Earthfall, and were not originally intended or even anticipated by the structure’s architects. Bridge stones harvested from underwater rubble or mined from offshore pilings are not only of great value to builders and sculptors, but also of particular interest to those seeking to create stone constructs.
Physical Properties: Irespan basalt is as hard as iron, while retaining its other stony features for carving and building. It has hardness 10 and typically fetches a price of about 5 sp per pound. However, since few buyers are interested in stones of less than 1,000 pounds, the Irespan basalt trade is relatively limited to specialists capable of harvesting and transporting such heavy blocks.
Building Constructs: When a construct’s materials consist entirely of Irespan stone, its Craft DC increases by +5, but the required Caster Level decreases by 1. In addition, stone constructs crafted from Irespan stone gain a +2 bonus to Strength and gain twice as many bonus hit points as normal from the construct type.
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LazuriteSource Heroes of the Darklands pg. 24
Lazurite is a decayed form of a radioactive material no longer found in its natural form within the Darklands, said to be the remnants of a long-dead god. Lazurite is encountered exclusively in Sekamina, and appears as a crumbling black dust that emits a strong aura of necromancy. A corpse left within 30 feet of a naturally occurring deposit of lazurite for 24 hours has a 50% chance of spontaneously reanimating as a free-willed ghoul (often with the class levels it had in life). All undead within an area of lazurite radiation gain a +4 bonus on Will saves to resist channeled energy.
Lazurite-Bonded Armor: While crafting lazurite equipment has proven to be a notoriously difficult feat, some artificers, particularly among Darklands ghouls, have concocted a means of coaxing small amounts of lazurite into sets of armor. These sets of armor include thin lines of blackened lazurite crisscrossing the regular surface of the armor. A creature wearing a set of lazurite-bonded armor gains a +2 bonus on saves to resist channeled energy and against cure spells. The wearer must attempt a Will save against positive energy channeling, regardless of whether it’s harmful or helpful to the wearer. A living creature slain while wearing lazurite-bonded armor has a 10% chance of spontaneously rising as a ghoul after 24 hours.
A set of light armor bonded with lazurite costs an additional 1,500 gp. A set of medium armor bonded with lazurite costs an additional 2,500 gp. A set of heavy armor bonded with lazurite costs an additional 3,500 gp.
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Liquid GlassSource Merchant's Manifest pg. 17
This heatstone-derived glass is warm to the touch and slightly malleable, as if it were still liquid. A pliable nature allows this otherwise razor-sharp crystal to repair itself when it takes damage. An item made from liquid glass repairs damage to itself at a rate of 2 hit points per day, even if the weapon is broken or destroyed (but not if the weapon is destroyed in a way that the pieces cannot be retrieved, such as via disintegrate). If a weapon made from liquid glass has full hit points, it grants a +1 bonus on damage rolls. Items made from liquid glass have 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.| Type of Liquid Glass Item | Item Price Modifier | | Weapon | +800 GP | | Other Items | +250 GP/lb. |
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Living SteelSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 51
Some trees suck up potent minerals through their roots the same way others draw water from the ground. Though these trees blunt saws and axes used to hew them and shrug off fire, they eventually succumb to time or the elements. When properly harvested, these fallen trees produce nuggets of a metal called living steel. This glossy green metal slowly repairs itself. An item made from living steel repairs damage to itself at a rate of 2 hit points per day, or 1 hit point per day if it has the broken condition. Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of living steel.
Armor and shields made from living steel can damage metal weapons that strike them. Whenever the wielder of a metal weapon rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll against a creature wearing living steel armor or wielding a living steel shield, the item must make a DC 20 Fortitude save or gain the broken condition. If the weapon already has the broken condition, it is instead destroyed. Living steel cannot damage adamantine weapons in this way.
Living steel has 35 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.
| Type of Living Steel Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +10 gp per item | | Light armor | +500 gp | | Medium armor | +1,000 gp | | Heavy armor | +1,500 gp | | Weapon | +500 gp | | Shield | +100 gp | | Other items | +250 gp/lb. |
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MithralSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 51, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. 154
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. Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. This decrease does not apply to proficiency in wearing the armor. A character wearing mithral full plate must be proficient in wearing heavy armor to avoid adding the armor’s check penalty on all his attack rolls and skill checks that involve moving. Spell failure chances for armors and shields made from mithral are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonuses are increased by 2, and armor check penalties are decreased by 3 (to a minimum of 0).
An item made from mithral weighs half as much as the same item made from other metals. In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed). Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral. (A longsword can be a mithral weapon, while a quarterstaff cannot.) Mithral weapons count as silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Weapons and armors fashioned from mithral are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Mithral has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.
| Type of Mithral Item | Item Price Modifier | | Light armor | +1,000 gp | | Medium armor | +4,000 gp | | Heavy armor | +9,000 gp | | Shield | +1,000 gp | | Other items | +500 gp/lb. |
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Nexavaran SteelSource Faction Guide pg. 55
Forged by the Mendevian smiths of Nerosyan out of iron and the unique mineral nexavar, this bluish steel strikes true against monsters vulnerable to cold iron (such as demons). Weapons made of nexavaran steel cost 1-1/2 times as much to make as their normal counterparts. This steel is even more delicate than cold iron regarding magical enhancements; adding enhancements to the steel increases its price by 3,000 gp. This increase is applied the first time the item is enhanced, not once per ability added. Nexavaran steel is otherwise identical to cold iron.
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NoqualSource Pathfinder #61: Shards of Sin pg. 71, Pathfinder #14: Children of the Void pg. 19
Noqual looks almost like a pale green crystal to the untrained eye, but can be worked as iron despite its appearance. It is associated with abjuration magic, charity, and envy. Noqual is light—half as heavy as iron, yet just as strong. More importantly, noqual is strangely resistant to magic. An object made of noqual gains a +4 bonus on any saving throw made against a magical source. Creating a magic item that incorporates any amount of noqual into it increases the price of creation by 5,000 gp, as costly reagents and alchemical supplies must be used to treat the metal during the process.
Weapons made of noqual weigh half as much as normal, and gain a +1 enhancement bonus on damage rolls against constructs and undead created by feats or spells. Noqual armor weighs half as much as other armors of its type, and is treated as one category lighter than normal for the purposes of movement and other limitations (light armor is still treated as light armor, though). The armor’s maximum Dexterity bonus increases by 2, and armor check penalties are reduced by 3. The armor’s spell failure chance increases by 20% and applies to all magic cast while wearing the armor, regardless of the magic’s source or class abilities possessed by the wearer. The wearer of a suit of noqual armor gains a +2 resistance bonus on all saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities.
Noqual has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10. Noqual ore is worth 50 gp per pound. A suit of noqual light armor costs +4,000 gp, medium armor +8,000 gp, and heavy armor +12,000 gp. A shield costs +2,000 gp, and a weapon or other item +500 gp.
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PauelielSource Inner Sea World Guide pg. 255
Towering above most other trees, the lofty paueliel are widely held as the “first trees.” Lumberjacks superstitiously connect them to the fey races of the woodlands and, despite the strength of the wood, often avoid harvesting them. Nature enthusiasts revere them. These silver-barked hardwoods grow to immense heights, but never spread to more than a few feet in diameter. Stats: As darkwood but with hardness 7 and 150% as expensive.
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Pyre SteelSource Pathfinder: Goblins #5 pg. 27
Some dwarves and hobgoblins forge tools and weapons out of pyre steel: steel embedded with ground glass that won’t warp when exposed to heat. Pyre steel weapons have fire resistance 10 and may be ignited without gaining the broken condition. They’re usually forged with grooves and reservoirs ideal for retaining fuel; once ignited, they burn for 3 minutes. Pyre steel is brittle, having the same hardness but half the hit points of a regular weapon. Only weapons made primarily from metal can be created from pyre steel. Using pyre steel doubles the base cost of the weapon or item, but not the cost of making it masterwork.
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SiccatiteSource Pathfinder #61: Shards of Sin pg. 71
This shining silver metal is either incredibly hot or freezing cold when found. Siccatite is associated with evocation magic, wrath, and kindness. As of yet, scholars have not determined whether siccatite is actually two similarly hued metals or a single type that determines its own temperature via some unknown process. When raw siccatite is found, it has a 50% chance of being hot siccatite; otherwise, it’s cold siccatite. Physical contact with siccatite deals 1 point of energy damage each round (either fire or cold, as appropriate). Hot siccatite can eventually ignite objects, and cold siccatite in water quickly surrounds itself with a 1-foot-thick shell of ice. A weapon made of siccatite deals +1 point of damage of the appropriate energy type each time it strikes a foe, but also deals 1 point of the same energy damage to the wielder each round it is used in combat. Likewise, siccatite armor deals 1 point of energy damage per round to a creature wearing it, and deals 1 point of energy damage each full round a creature is grappled by someone wearing siccatite armor. Cold siccatite armor grants fire resistance 5, while hot siccatite armor grants cold resistance 5. (The type of armor does not alter the amount of resistance granted.) Weapons made of siccatite cost +1,000 gp. Armor made of siccatite costs +6,000 gp.
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SilversheenSource Qadira, Gateway to the East pg. 25
Blades made of this special metal count as alchemical silver weapons and are immune to rust, including that of rust monsters, the rusting grasp spell, and so on. They are always masterwork weapons—most often scimitars or longswords; the listed price includes the cost of the masterwork bonus.
No aura (nonmagical property); CL —; Craft (alchemy) 5 ranks, Craft (weaponsmithing) 5 ranks; Price +750 gp.
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Singing SteelSource Adventurer's Armory 2 pg. 28
This lustrous golden metal emits beautiful bell-like tones when struck. An alloy of gold and mithral, singing steel was originally created by the elves of Jinin, although the secrets of working singing steel have spread to Hwanggot, Minkai, and Tianjing. Instruments made of this metal are especially popular among bards and other performers who worship the goddess Shelyn.
A weapon made of singing steel counts as alchemical silver for all purposes, including the –1 penalty on damage rolls with singing steel weapons. Most armor made of singing steel is treated as one category lighter (heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light). The armor or shield’s arcane spell failure chance is reduced by 5%, its maximum Dexterity bonus is increased by 1, and its armor check penalty is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0).
When wielding a singing steel weapon, shield, or item weighing at least 5 pounds, or wearing medium or heavy singing steel armor, the wielder or wearer can strike the singing steel as part of beginning a bardic performance. If the wielder can normally start a bardic performance as a standard action, he can do so as a move action instead. If the wielder can normally start a bardic performance as a move action, he can do so as a swift action instead. This ability does not function in the area of a silence spell or similar effect. After using the singing steel in this fashion, the steel must be carefully brushed to remove any lingering vibrations, a process that takes 10 minutes.
Singing steel items are always masterwork; this cost is included in the price. Singing steel has 20 hp per inch of thickness and hardness 10. Although formed partially from mithral, singing steel items weigh as much as their normal counterparts. | Type of Singing-Steel Item | Item Price Modifier | | Light armor | +750 gp | | Medium armor | +9,000 gp | | Heavy armor | +12,000 gp | | Shield | +7,000 gp | | Weapon | +6,000 gp | | Other items | +600 gp/lb. |
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SpiresteelSource Pathfinder #139: The Dead Road pg. 64
Philosophers speculate that the Spire upon which the Boneyard rests is composed of a condensed form of pure quintessence, but those brave enough to acquire some the substance report that ore mined from the Spire can be smelted and worked into weapons and armor. This substance, called spiresteel, exhibits an innate attraction for soul energy.
Armor crafted from spiresteel protects the wearer’s essence, applying half of its armor bonus to AC against attacks made by incorporeal creatures. Weapons crafted from spiresteel appear hungry for the very substance of the foes they are wielded against. When the wielder confirms a critical hit with a spiresteel weapon, the target must succeed at a Will save (DC = 10 + double the weapon’s enhancement bonus), or be staggered for 1 round as a portion of its soul is carved away.
Spiresteel can be used to craft any armor or weapon that is typically made of steel. Items made of spiresteel are always considered masterwork, and the masterwork costs are included in the listed prices.
Spiresteel has the same hit points and hardness as steel.
| Type of Spiresteel Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +10 gp per item | | Light Armor | +1,000 gp | | Medium Armor | +2,000 gp | | Heavy Armor | +3,000 gp | | Weapon | +2,000 gp |
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SunsilkSource Qadira, Jewel of the East pg. 33
Sunsilk, produced by a silkworm species native to central Kelesh and closely guarded by the Sarenite church, takes on a golden glitter after it has been left to cure in the sun. Though it is light and flexible, when multiple layers are pressed together, its myriad thin fibers inhibit weapons and can slightly help prevent slashing or piercing weapons from causing harm. Clothing made from sunsilk grants its wearer DR 2/bludgeoning. Sunsilk can be incorporated into any suit of armor without hampering the armor’s other qualities, typically as an inner layer of soft lining. Sunsilk adds 6,000 gp to the cost of the garment or armor.
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SunsilverSource Adventurer's Armory 2 pg. 29
An advanced form of alchemical silver, sunsilver is the pride of the Padishah Empire’s war smiths. A weapon made of sunsilver counts as alchemical silver for all purposes. Items not primarily made of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of sunsilver. (For example, a scimitar or breastplate can be made of sunsilver, while a quarterstaff or hide armor cannot.) In addition, items made of sunsilver are immune to rust effects (such as rusting grasp). While in an area of bright light, a shield or suit of armor made of sunsilver shines brightly, allowing the wearer to reflect light at nearby foes as a move action. When she does so, creatures adjacent to the wearer must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude save or be dazzled for 1 round.
Armor and weapons made of sunsilver are always masterwork. To determine the price of a sunsilver item, add 25 gp per pound to the price of a masterwork version of that item. Sunsilver has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 8.
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ThroneglassSource Pathfinder #126: Beyond the Veiled Past pg. 49
The Imperial Palace in Azlant was a fabulous building that featured classic Azlanti architecture, including a famous skylight made of a single sheet of magically treated glass as durable as steel. Though the green-tinted substance was sturdy, it was still no match for the onslaught of Earthfall. As the meteors tore the continent to pieces, a direct hit razed the building, shattering the skylight. Years later, as survivors surveyed the damage, they discovered that the material had retained its durability and some manufactured the green shards into weapons, calling the material throneglass.
The Knights of the Ioun Star were the most proficient in turning these remnants into potent weapons, especially after they unlocked and understood throneglass’s abilities. The material is typically forged into melee weapons, though it theoretically could be used for other functions.
Throneglass is a special material as strong as steel that also provides the bearer with protection against an opponent’s psychic abilities. When a creature wielding a melee weapon made of throneglass succeeds at a saving throw against a psychic or mind-affecting effect from a creature, the weapon stores some of that energy and holds it for a future attack. A throneglass weapon can store this energy for a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell, or half the creature’s CR if the effect wasn’t a spell or spell-like ability. If the weapon hits a creature while still holding this energy, it suffuses the target with a disruptive field for 1 round. On a critical hit, the disruptive field effect instead lasts for a number of rounds equal to the weapon’s critical multiplier. While affected by this field, a target must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 15 + twice the spell’s level) to cast any spell or spell-like ability (in addition to any other required concentration checks). If the check is failed, the affected creature’s spell or spell-like ability is wasted. A Small or Medium weapon made of throneglass costs an additional 13,000 gp.
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ViridiumSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 52
This deep green volcanic glass is similar to obsidian but is formed when molten rock is tainted with anomalous trace minerals from deep beneath the earth whose emanations are toxic to living things. It can be fragmented to razor sharpness, but even a tiny amount of viridium contacting the bloodstream can pass on a wasting sickness.
Any successful hit with a viridium weapon causes the target to contract leprosy (Fortitude DC 12 negates). On a successful critical hit, a tiny fragment of viridium breaks off within the target, affecting it as though with greenblood oil (Fortitude DC 13 negates).
A creature carrying a viridium weapon must save every 24 hours or contract leprosy unless the weapon is kept inside an extradimensional space (such as an efficient quiver) or a scabbard lined with lead.
Oozes, plants, and outsiders are immune to the deadly emanations of viridium.
Viridium weapons have half the hardness of their base weapon and have the fragile quality. Viridium can be magically strengthened at an additional cost of +1,000 gp for a weapon or +20 gp for ammunition. This removes the fragile quality from the item but does not otherwise affect its abilities.
| Type of Viridium Item | Item Price Modifier | | Ammunition | +20 gp per item | | Weapon | +200 gp |
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VoidglassSource Armor Master's Handbook pg. 31, The Dragon's Demand pg. 35
Voidglass originates on an unknown world beyond Golarion. It is brought to Golarion in small quantities by grioths (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 137), a race of psychic extraterrestrials. Voidglass resonates with a creature’s mind, bolstering thought and mental defenses. Any suit of armor normally made from metal can be made of voidglass. A suit of light voidglass armor or a voidglass shield grants a +1 resistance bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting magic. This bonus increases to +2 for medium voidglass armor, and to +3 for heavy voidglass armor. A voidglass piercing or slashing weapon deals 1 additional point of damage on a hit; bludgeoning weapons gain no benefit.
Voidglass has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10. A pound of raw, unworked voidglass is worth 100 gp. Light armor made from voidglass costs an additional 1,000 gp, medium armor costs an additional 2,000 gp, heavy armor costs an additional 4,500 gp, and shields cost an additional 3,000 gp. Weapons made from voidglass cost an additional 1,000 gp.
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WhipwoodSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 52, Advanced Race Guide pg. 207
Vanara woodworkers craft this extremely flexible material in a time-consuming process. Whipwood is actually a composite of several bendable wooden fibers woven and fused together to form a flexible but sturdy unit. Only wooden weapons or weapons with wooden hafts (such as axes and spears) can be made out of whipwood. A creature wielding a whipwood weapon gains a +2 bonus to its CMD when defending against sunder attempts against the weapon. A whipwood weapon’s hit points increase by +5. Whipwood loses its special qualities if under the effect of an ironwood spell. Whipwood weapons cost 500 gp more than normal weapons of their type.
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WyrootSource Ultimate Equipment pg. 52, Advanced Race Guide pg. 27
The root of the wyrwood tree has a peculiar quality. When a weapon constructed of wyroot confirms a critical hit, it absorbs some of the life force of the creature hit. The creature hit is unharmed and the wyroot weapon gains 1 life point. As a swift action, a wielder with a ki pool or an arcane pool can absorb 1 life point from the wyrwood weapon and convert it into either 1 ki point or 1 arcane pool point. A wyroot weapon can gain at most 1 life point per day and hold up to 1 life point at a time. More powerful wyroot weapons can gain up to 3 life points per day and hold up to 3 life points at a time. Any unspent life points dissipate at dusk. A creature can convert life points from only one wyroot weapon per day.
Wyroot can be used to construct any melee weapon made entirely of wood or with a wooden haft. Constructing a weapon that can hold 1 life point increases the cost by 1,000 gp; constructing one that can hold up to 2 life points increases the cost by 2,000 gp; and constructing one that can hold up to 3 life points increases the cost by 4,000 gp.
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The standard Pathfinder Roleplaying Game campaign takes place in a time period similar to the medieval and early Renaissance age of iron and steel. But even in fantasy campaigns set in this era, some cultures lack steel, and some lack metalworking entirely. Sometimes this deficit is due to geographical remoteness, lack of resources, repression by a strong overlord, or societal taboos. Other campaigns might be set before the medieval era, or in a dark future where apocalypse survivors eke out livings with the best tools they can scavenge. Some might even choose a lower level of technology as a point of pride, for religious reasons, as an assertion of superior martial prowess, or even to honor ancestral warriors by using their bones to make weapons, allowing them to symbolically keep fighting for their tribe or family from beyond the grave.
Primitive campaigns can be broken into two broad categories based on the level of technology. The first is the Stone Age, where worked metals are all but unknown. The second is the Bronze Age, where metal weapons appear but iron and steel have not been mastered or are rare.
The following section presents general rules for armor and weapons made of bone, bronze, gold, obsidian, and stone. Most of these materials aren’t as strong as steel and refer to the fragile quality for weapons and armor (see page 22).
Items made from these materials can be magically strengthened at an additional cost of 100 gp per pound. See the individual material descriptions for the effect this has on the material’s properties.