Fantasy Metals
 

Has anyone done any conversions on things like Mithral, Adamantine and other fantasy metals?

I use the various fantasy materials in Dungeon Fantasy but I would like to use many more from, various systems. I also like to use metals of the real world like iron and bronze but how would you represent something like Spanish Steel or Pig Iron?

Any fantasy metals and/or woods and their GURPS game mechanics are welcome.

Valyrian Steel ?(from Game of Thrones)
Darksteel (Forgotten Realms)

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

I guess that you mean Toledan steel. A very simple approach -not exempt of issues- could be limiting Very Fine quality only to weapons made with these exceptional metals.

Anyway I guess that someone will come with better ideas for tackling this.

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

That's how I handle it. If you want to stick to the rules then exceptional quality raw materials is worth a skill bonus when attempting to make weapons so it would be rare for a very fine weapons to NOT be made of high quality metal. It can be done if the smith has a high enough skill and an excellent workshop.

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

It depends so much on the source that there isn't any "correct" way to do it. Just make items made of those materials stronger and/or lighter than others, and boost the price appropriately. A more subtle possibility is that a superior material simply boosts the craftsman's margin of success when determining the quality of workmanship, as per crucible steel (see Low Tech Companion 3).

Yet another option, and one quite realistic, is that people will pay extra for a sword crafted in the deepest of the Dwarven Mountainhomes regardless of quality. Sure, regular steel is fine for Sir Joe of Shmoe, but a knight of better breeding wants something he can brag about.
Spanish steel is, AFAIK, just steel made from a naturally occurring high-quality alloy that allowed the local smiths to gain a reputation for Fine and Very Fine swords. Pig iron is an intermediate product in steel production that's pretty much useless for anything else.

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

Yep. Toledo steel gained a reputation for quality. Indian wootz is another. Same thing happened with certain smiths. If a smith gains a reputation for quality then he can charge extra. After a while the actual quality doesn't matter so long as it came from Toledo or has that smith's name on it. A modern example is all of the fake Rolex and Gucci goods being sold. Gold jewellery is another. I'd be surprised if much of the jewellery sold in a US store today actually has the gold content that is being claimed.

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

This was a long long time ago and for 2E I think but I can recall a few of te following.
Adamant was treated as steel but with *5DR
It was also shiny and silver in color.
Orichilum was a green jade colored stone that was easily enchanted and had a higher DR then granite. I think DR*3
Nulucum was artificial and a metal made out of a special process using Orichulim and was an antimagic material.
I used enchanted woods for kind of a sources of raw power magic thing based on the Celtic Tree guide and it would typically give a skill bonus of +1 or +2 and reduce the energy needed to enchant appropriate items.
You can get something similar now from Thaumatology without having to buy the rest from a New Age bookstore :) Or even look it up online now!!

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

That becomes a false advertising issue, and is usually taken fairly seriously in the US.

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

The problem is more that people don't have a clue what 14kt means.

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

Only if it was intentional. I'd be surprised if many jewellery retailers have a clue about what they are selling. One of the current affairs programs would get some good ratings if they purchased a pile of gold jewellery at random and had them tested for gold purity.

Re: Fantasy Metals
 

Orichalcum was defined anew for 4/e in GURPS Fantasy, as an example of a magical natural substance.

Bill Stoddard