Damascus Steel (3.5e Equipment)
Damascus Steel[edit]
There once were smiths who managed to, though they were not themselves aware of it, forge blades in such a way that the carbon the blade contained was aligned almost perfectly inside it. The mixture of iron and other metals flowed cleanly around this carbon. At once defiantly hard yet impossibly shapeable, it was said to be able to cut through lesser steel with relative ease. This last trait was well apparent to these smiths, however, and they kept their secrets close so their enemies could not use them. In the real world, these secrets died with these smiths, and with the exhaustion of the mines that provided the right mixture of metal and carbon. However, in fantasy and myth, anything is possible... and perhaps this nigh-mystical alloy can be born once more.
Armor made of Damascus Steel grants a +1 deflection bonus to AC if it's light armor, +2 if it's medium armor, and +3 if it's heavy armor. Weapons made of Damascus Steel deal double damage on a successful Sunder attack, and ignore damage reduction on a critical hit. In addition, they give an additional +1 to damage rolls against other targets, but this bonus is replaced by (and does not stack with) magical enhancement. Damascus Steel is such a rare compound that weapons made of it are always masterwork quality; the cost of the masterwork property is included in the prices given below. Thus, Damascus Steel weapons and ammunition have a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls, and the armor check penalty of Damascus Steel armor is lessened by 1 compared to ordinary armor of its type. Items without metal parts cannot be made from Damascus Steel. An arrow could be made of Damascus Steel, but a quarterstaff could not.
Only weapons, armor, and shields normally made of metal can be fashioned from Damascus Steel. Weapons, armor, and shields normally made of steel that's made of Damascus Steel have the same amount of hit points as normal. Damascus Steel has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 20.
| Type of Damascus Steel Item | Item Cost Modifier |
|---|---|
| Ammunition | +600 gp |
| Light armor | +50,000 gp |
| Medium armor | +100,000 gp |
| Heavy armor | +150,000 gp |
| Shield | +20,000 gp |
| Weapon | +40,000 gp |
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