Price of Aluminum of Yrth?

[scc]

Fairly simple, anyone got any ideas?

For those interested the reason I'm asking Aluminum should make a good axe head, at least better then gold, and due to the way the Staff enchantment works you would need to make it out of something valuable, which Aluminum should be on Yrth. Several other metals could stand in on this, most notably the hardest steels we can make IRL

[Anthony]

Aluminum would make an absolutely terrible axe head -- it's lightweight and not very hard. Admittedly gold would also make a terrible axe head.

[TGLS]

I doubt that most people on Yrth would have the chemical know-how to produce aluminum. If it is produced in meaningful quantities, it is definitely more valuable than gold (pure aluminum was more valuable than gold in the 1880s, and thus would probably be even more expensive with the lower technologies available Yrthians). If not, it is a curiosity like platinum and priced accordingly.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I doubt that most people on Yrth would have the chemical know-how to produce aluminum. If it is produced in meaningful quantities, it is definitely more valuable than gold (pure aluminum was more valuable than gold in the 1880s, and thus would probably be even more expensive with the lower technologies available Yrthians). If not, it is a curiosity like platinum and priced accordingly.

There could reasonably be numerous aluminum artifacts banestormed from modern earth, and once examined by Earth mages could presumably be duplicated in quantity and worked with spells like any other material.

[sir_pudding]

Fantasy Tech 1 discusses aluminum.

[ericbsmith]

Originally Posted by scc

Fairly simple, anyone got any ideas?

Start with the price of gold and move up from there. Until modern industrial methods were developed to extract aluminum from ore refined aluminum was very rare and expensive. Even given the possibility of magical extraction or creation it should still be roughly as expensive as Gold, if only because Mages are a valuable resource themselves.

Originally Posted by scc

For those interested the reason I'm asking Aluminum should make a good axe head, at least better then gold, and due to the way the Staff enchantment works you would need to make it out of something valuable, which Aluminum should be on Yrth. Several other metals could stand in on this, most notably the hardest steels we can make IRL

There's nothing in the Staff enchantment that requires that the Staff be valuable at all. In fact, the only limitation given on Magic p. 13 and p. 70 is that it must be made from once-living materials (wood, bone, coral), which precludes "sword" staves.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

There could reasonably be numerous aluminum artifacts banestormed from modern earth, and once examined by Earth mages could presumably be duplicated in quantity and worked with spells like any other material.

Unless the GM is offering free choice on extra cost Earth to Stone/Metal I don't know of any spell off-hand that would produce aluminum in quantity.

You could cast Seek Earth on a piece of Banestormed aluminum but I'm not even sure that would lead you to bauxite. Mass production of metallic aluminum depends on TL6 electro-chemistry.

I'm not even sure why we want to put an aluminum end cap on a Staff unless we're talking about a DF Power Item instead of an actual Staff Enchantment item.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by ericbsmith

In fact, the only limitation given on Magic p. 13 and p. 70 is that it must be made from once-living materials (wood, bone, coral)

Which is, for that matter, one of those "flavor" limitations so that casters will carry around proper staves to match their pointy hats and wizard robes with moons and stars on them. If that's not desirable for the setting, houserules for that game could allow metal items with the Staff spell. It's not a balance issue.

[lwcamp]

Originally Posted by ericbsmith

There's nothing in the Staff enchantment that requires that the Staff be valuable at all. In fact, the only limitation given on Magic p. 13 and p. 70 is that it must be made from once-living materials (wood, bone, coral), which precludes "sword" staves.

I've noted before that you can find iron in blood. Not very much, but good contacts with a halal or kosher slaughterhouse, or ten thousand screaming virgins as blood sacrifices to your demon of choice, should get you enough once-living iron to make a "staff" sword.

Luke

[simply Nathan]

Originally Posted by lwcamp

I've noted before that you can find iron in blood. Not very much, but good contacts with a halal or kosher slaughterhouse, or ten thousand screaming virgins as blood sacrifices to your demon of choice, should get you enough once-living iron to make a "staff" sword.

Luke

I find your estimates optimistic.