1e Dragon

1. A Short History of Adamantite
by Charles Sagui
(17.31)

"Mithriferral Carbide sold under the trade name of Adamanite is an expensive alloy of Mithril, Carbon, Iron, and certain other materials known only to a very few metal workers, armorers, and alchemists. It is approximately 4/5 the weight per density of iron and of a much higher tensile strength (+2 on AC and hit probability for armor and weapons respectively). A suit of armor plate, for instance, would make the wearer AC1 and would weigh about 600 GP (640 with helm).

Adamanite plate or chain are usually a dark color (55% black 25% dark blue 20% dark green) with a radiant glowing glaze. Adamanite that is tempered to hold an edge is most often silver in color as bright or brighter than the mithril used to produce it.

Adamanite is a very tough metal and for that reason it is much more difficult and costly to work than iron. This toughness makes the metal much more difficult to charm as well. It costs twice as much and twice as long as iron to charm Adamanite for the first three levels after which both price and time zoom way out of proportion. Due to the construction of Adamanite any charm after three added to the initial plus two will last at maximum one year and usually less. Because of the high cost and heavy expenditure of time most Magic Users refuse to even consider working with it.

Many legends abound as to the discovery and spread of Adamanite. One source claims that it was a gift of the gods to an alchemist who did a service for one of their number. Another source claims that a natural deposit of the material was found at the site of a meteor crater and that it was later synthesized in a work shop. As far as this author can determine from the lore available (as told to me by a certain Hobbit named Wiltham Purpletoes) it was discovered by a certain dwarf armorer. Aolor Fireforge was working on a double edged broadsword that was intertwined with bright mithril for decoration. A dwarven apprentice Donan the Dense (St 17 Int 4) was stoking the furnace just as Aolor was heating the mithril wire on the iron blade and as the bucket of coal hit the fire a fine mist of coal dust settled on the red hot blade. When Aolor examined the blade later he found that the blade was stronger than either of the ingredients separately. Aolor began to run tests on the metal and work to improve upon it."

Legend of the Blue Warrior
"About fourteen months after the accidental discovery of the alloy by Aolor, trouble struck the Valley of the Iron Pits in which the Dwarves made their home. The valley was invaded by a host of Goblins of the Black Boot led by Snog of the Scarred Jaw. The goblins demanded a tribute of gold or manufactured goods depending on the business that they worked at. There had been little real strife in the village for many years and most of the dwarves felt that this was a small price to pay to be left alone. A small group of dwarves led by Aolor refused to give as much as one arrow head to these loathsome creatures. Snog (an 8th level fighter) accompanied by his body guards (2nd level fighters) visited Aolor at his shop and demanded presentation of four suits of plate armor altered to fit Goblins by three days or face loss of his life. To show that he meant what he said Snog drew a dagger and slashed the ring finger from Aolor’s left hand. Luckily for Aolor few people knew about his research into metallurgy or he would probably have been enslaved and forced to work arming Snog’s army. As it was, outside of the shop his research was unknown. Snog and his guards left the dwarves and returned to their camp.

Two nights later in the camp of the goblins a shadowy figure was observed moving among the tents. One of the night guards challenged the figure who produced a large double-bladed two-handed axe. It gleamed in the moon light as with one stroke the figure struck down the guard. Goblins poured out of the tents grabbing at weapons as they came to challenge the figure as he made his way to the commanders tent. The personal Guard of six men rushed to meet the figure as goblins fell left and right. The bodyguards in their mail shirts fell before the figure’s now bloody weapon. As the figure passed the fire in front of the commanders tent his armor seemed to glow a deep blue. Snog stepped out of his tent to meet the advancing terror and attempt to halt the rapidly spreading terror that was going through the ranks of the goblins. The darkly glowing figure rushed to meet the commander of the slimey band and with one mighty swing split the helm and skull of Snog cleanly to the shoulders. Panic set in among the company. Goblins in their terror ran in all directions trampling and slashing at each other with weapons. The blue figure drew forth a short sword that was, if possible, brighter than the axe and hacked once at the hand of the fallen monster. The warrior then sheathed his weapon and slipped silently away into the night.

The dwarves of the valley upon finding the goblins no longer a threat took up arms (Mostly purchased from Aolor’s shop, thus insuring his fortune) and proceeded to dispatch what was left of the invading army. The dwarves were proud of their newfound ability to defend themselves and paid homage to those among them who had refused to bow to the invaders’ pressures. The money surrendered to Snog was considered forfeit with one half going to the king, one quarter going to the church who claimed that their prayers were responsible for the Blue Saint, as the warrior figure was called; and one quarter went to the soldiers who took part in the clean up of the goblins (Including Aolor and Donan who wore bright iron chain mail and axes). The merchants, most of whom did not take part in the fight, protested the gift but when the soldiers returned with blood in their eyes and talk of looting the collaborators, they were more than happy to give a small gift that they had considered lost anyway. Aolor, as one of the leaders of the resistance, was named Royal Armorer and known from then on as Aolor the Adamant (From which the alloy later derived its name.) The blue warrior was not seen again by the dwarves and few but his mate ever saw the goblin finger suspended from Aolor’s neck by a blue Adamanite chain.

Aolor as Royal Armorer had a large amount of time and after the war unlimited funds to put into metallurgic research. After about five years, however, he realised that while he could develop quite a powerful alloy, he was not competent to perfect it. Aolor took a lave of absence from the king and traveled to a nearby city where he had a conference with a certain Alchemist, Dealanan the Mixer. A bargain was struck and signed in blood. Dealanan would work and perfect the material and return a copy of the formula to Aolor. Two years later a rider entered the valley seeking the shop of one Aolor the Adamant. After receiving directions the rider went to Aolor’s shop and delivered to Aolor personally a large parchment scroll. Aolor read the scroll three times and had Globan the Quick, his youngest apprentice, do the same (Donan could not be trusted with it) then he burned the scroll in the furnace. In the years since the perfection of the alloy, now called Adamanite, many of the students of Aolor and Dealanan have spread to the many reaches of the world. Lately there have been many attempts by Armorors, Alchemists, and Metal Workers to recreate Adamanite. This work has met with dubious success ranging from no effect to reduced effectiveness (-1 Hit Prob. or AC). The best of the imitators is an alloy that leans heavily on Mithril, and while it can increase HP & AC, it is unstable (ie +2 first melee round +1 second melee round). The best way to test for true Adamanite is with a diamond (A diamond will scratch all imitations but not the real thing.)

Hardened plate adamanite sells on the open market for 20-40 (depending on availability determined by DM) times its weight in gold. Temperable Adamanite capable of holding an edge sells for 25-60 times its weight in gold depending upon the above consideration. To charm Adamanite beyond the original +2 costs the purchaser of the charmed equipment about 8000 GP per level for full plate armor about 4000 for sword or shield (adjust for other products by size). This is assuming purchase direct from a MU and the MU makes at least 100% profit making the cost to the MU approximately 1/2 the listed price. Because of the reluctance of MU’s to get involved with the alloy a person with a +5 armor or shield can just about name his price and not follow the above chart."

Base Price for Adamanite Equipment
(Sug. Retail Prices Subject to Alteration)
These prices are for handcrafted, uncharmed +2 Adamanite equipment. If a MU purchases equipment to charm rather than the fighter purchasing them and then having them charmed, the MU will probably make a small profit on the equipment as well as the charming. (04%-08%)

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Note: There are brief rules for adamantine @ Dragon 148.16-17

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