[DF] New Material - BloodSteel

[Rolando]

Yes, the impact on society and enemies is fine, but only a very maniac overlord will invest that effort in something just to cast the staff spell. So much waste of good slave labor.

If the only effect is psychological (and a fringe benefit of using a sword as conduit for magic like a staff) then better just do as Vlad did and impale hundreds of people in the surrounding lands :)

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I think it would make for an interestingly grim and dark setting if bloodsteel required massive amounts of sapient blood. A weapon that required the lives of hundreds of human slaves to create would instantly be known and feared because of what it represented, regardless of its capabilities. If the object also possessed great magical power, that would just be a cherry on top.

What great power though? If the process enchanted it/them to amazing necromantic horror, then neat. If not, then it's just a horribly convoluted staff spell.

If someone killed a thousand babies to make a scale shirt of bones, no one would fear the shirt itself. They would fear the nutcases that could, would, and did kill all the kids.

[mr beer]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Kind of random: I have idiopathic polycythemia vera - basically, I make too much blood. I have to have about 28,600mL of blood removed on a yearly basis (about 500-600mL a week). I did the math a while back and I could have a decent sized sword in only 12 years if I just stuck with regular phlebotomy - probably x2.5 to x3.5 faster if they take more in a go or go twice weekly.

I think you'll agree that this was a tragically wasted opportunity and I trust you will remedy it forthwith.

Might make for difficult conversations with the spouse 'All that Tupperware in the freezer? Merely my collection dear, just a couple more gallons and I can forge my bloodsword', but still.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I think it would make for an interestingly grim and dark setting if bloodsteel required massive amounts of sapient blood. A weapon that required the lives of hundreds of human slaves to create would instantly be known and feared because of what it respresented, regardless of its capabilities. If the object also possessed great magical power, that would just be a cherry on top.

Hmmmmmmm.

Originally Posted by mr beer

I think you'll agree that this was a tragically wasted opportunity and I trust you will remedy it forthwith.

Might make for difficult conversations with the spouse 'All that Tupperware in the freezer? Merely my collection dear, just a couple more gallons and I can forge my bloodsword', but still.

It was her idea ("If we made a dagger out of your blood - how long would it take?"), but we both decided having oodles of blood on hand would be a bad idea.

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

It was her idea ("If we made a dagger out of your blood - how long would it take?"), but we both decided having oodles of blood on hand would be a bad idea.

You would not need to keep large amounts on hand. Just need to process in batches and keep collecting it. Nice part about iron, it's magnetic, so some sort of simple destructive processing with a magnetic hot plate would leave you nothing but carbon and iron eventually (most of the other bits would boil away).

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by starslayer

You would not need to keep large amounts on hand. Just need to process in batches and keep collecting it. Nice part about iron, it's magnetic, so some sort of simple destructive processing with a magnetic hot plate would leave you nothing but carbon and iron eventually (most of the other bits would boil away).

Fair. But...the smell would be terrible.

[Kesendeja]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Fair. But...the smell would be terrible.

The whole process sounds great for a villian, I may run with the idea. Would steel made from the carbon and iron left over still count?

[AlexanderHowl]

You would have to get rid of 99.99% of the carbon, and you would have to extract the sulfur and phosphorus from the blood before processing (which is where alchemy would come into effect). Too much carbon, and you end up with iron contaminated carbon. Too much sulfur, and the blade becomes as brittle as glass. Too much phosphorus, and the blade shatters when used in combat in freezing temperatures.

[Rolando]

So, perfect for alchemical, magical conductive, iron/steel.

Instead of using the iron in blood you are using blood, iron contaminated, carbon to forge a sword (or whatever).