Farcaster
12-05-2006, 01:13 AM
Although this article is especially geared for the default Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, it could be adapted for any fantasy setting or system.
Found only in the frigid wastelands of the eighth plane of Hell, living-ice is both highly prized by skilled smiths and extraordinarily dangerous to collect. Far from inert, living-ice is actually a sentient and malevolent denizen of Cania. Creatures are of limited intelligence, they react swiftly and violently to any source of heat that rises even a few degrees above freezing, be it human or devil, without distinction. Adventurers who have encountered these beings describe them as almost wisp like, floating clunks of ice with cores alit with a bluish glow. Though thankfully rare in the open wasteland, these creatures enjoy attaching themselves to artificial structures and praying on anything that comes near, making themselves a particularly troublesome pest to any who would dare to erect a dwelling there. Generally, by the time they are seen, it is too late, as they burst forth with incredible speed, wreaths of unnatural cold about them, draining the very life from their quarry with their chilling touch.
But, these vicious shards of living ice yield a hidden treasure in their demise. At the core of each one is a small amount of ice that is as hard as any metal. The core, once revealed, appears crystalline in nature and resists all but the most intense forge-fires, which melt it only for a time before it returns to its frozen state, still dimly glowing. A talented smith, skilled at working with extraordinary materials, can use these icy cores to create anything that he might otherwise make out of metal. Armor and weapons made from living-ice are particularly useful.
Armor forged from living-ice serves as potent protection from both blade and flame, but unless the wearer is protected somehow from its constant chill, he is sure to be shivering in his boots before the last straps are tightened. Even the typical padding worn under plate does little to keep its wearer warm.
D&D Translation: Armor or shields made from magically treated living-ice grants the wearer fire-resistance 5, but unless the armor is further enchanted or the wearer is protected by the endure elements spell, anyone who dons this armor suffers a -2 dexterity penalty due to the constant numbing cold. This material increases the base price of the armor by 2000gp or 1500gp for a shield (unless the adventurers collect the living-ice themselves.)
Weapons made from this remarkable material keep a constant sheen of thick frost along their icy blades, and are particularly treasured for creating frost-brands.
D&D Translation: Ice-forged weapons are always exceptional, being at least masterwork, giving a +1 to hit bonus. Additionally, these weapons do an additional +1 cold damage without further enchantment. Living-ice is especially easy to imbue with cold based effects (frost, icy burst, frost-brand), decreasing the experience and gold required for the base materials to add these effects by 10%. Although, unless the adventurer collects the icy cores himself, this material adds 1500gp to the base cost of the item.
Weapons and armor made from living-ice are lighter than their typical steel counterparts and decrease the weight of the item by 20%.
>> Coming next: D&D stats for Shards of Malevolent Ice
Found only in the frigid wastelands of the eighth plane of Hell, living-ice is both highly prized by skilled smiths and extraordinarily dangerous to collect. Far from inert, living-ice is actually a sentient and malevolent denizen of Cania. Creatures are of limited intelligence, they react swiftly and violently to any source of heat that rises even a few degrees above freezing, be it human or devil, without distinction. Adventurers who have encountered these beings describe them as almost wisp like, floating clunks of ice with cores alit with a bluish glow. Though thankfully rare in the open wasteland, these creatures enjoy attaching themselves to artificial structures and praying on anything that comes near, making themselves a particularly troublesome pest to any who would dare to erect a dwelling there. Generally, by the time they are seen, it is too late, as they burst forth with incredible speed, wreaths of unnatural cold about them, draining the very life from their quarry with their chilling touch.
But, these vicious shards of living ice yield a hidden treasure in their demise. At the core of each one is a small amount of ice that is as hard as any metal. The core, once revealed, appears crystalline in nature and resists all but the most intense forge-fires, which melt it only for a time before it returns to its frozen state, still dimly glowing. A talented smith, skilled at working with extraordinary materials, can use these icy cores to create anything that he might otherwise make out of metal. Armor and weapons made from living-ice are particularly useful.
Armor forged from living-ice serves as potent protection from both blade and flame, but unless the wearer is protected somehow from its constant chill, he is sure to be shivering in his boots before the last straps are tightened. Even the typical padding worn under plate does little to keep its wearer warm.
D&D Translation: Armor or shields made from magically treated living-ice grants the wearer fire-resistance 5, but unless the armor is further enchanted or the wearer is protected by the endure elements spell, anyone who dons this armor suffers a -2 dexterity penalty due to the constant numbing cold. This material increases the base price of the armor by 2000gp or 1500gp for a shield (unless the adventurers collect the living-ice themselves.)
Weapons made from this remarkable material keep a constant sheen of thick frost along their icy blades, and are particularly treasured for creating frost-brands.
D&D Translation: Ice-forged weapons are always exceptional, being at least masterwork, giving a +1 to hit bonus. Additionally, these weapons do an additional +1 cold damage without further enchantment. Living-ice is especially easy to imbue with cold based effects (frost, icy burst, frost-brand), decreasing the experience and gold required for the base materials to add these effects by 10%. Although, unless the adventurer collects the icy cores himself, this material adds 1500gp to the base cost of the item.
Weapons and armor made from living-ice are lighter than their typical steel counterparts and decrease the weight of the item by 20%.
>> Coming next: D&D stats for Shards of Malevolent Ice