at what temp does Adamantite burn?

[whswhs]

Why should we suppose that adamantite burns at all? Most substances whose names end in -ite are rocks or minerals; often they're the fully oxidized compound of one or several metals. So adamantite might not be subject to oxidation, but only to fusion, or maybe sublimation. That would put it in the highest class as far as flammability goes.

[Anders]

Right. In Fantasy, Adamant is a kind of stone and probably shouldn't burn. It might decompose though, leaving whatever metal the oxide is made from behind. Maybe it's orichalcum-oxide?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Why should we suppose that adamantite burns at all? Most substances whose names end in -ite are rocks or minerals

It's not a historically accurate term, and all modern usage (chiefly in RPGs and computer games) I'm aware of treats it as a metal. My best guess as to the origin is that D&D borrowed adamantium from Marvel and renamed it as lawsuit protection. None of which means it's particularly flammable.

[Anders]

Right, adamantite isn't really a DFRPG thing, is it?

Appendix Z? Where is that?

[pawsplay]

"Adamant" and all its variations have been in use for hundreds of years, and it all goes back to a poetic comparison to diamond.

[Anders]

Sure, but in the context of RPGs I think it comes from D&D 3rd edition.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

"Adamant" and all its variations have been in use for hundreds of years, and it all goes back to a poetic comparison to diamond.

Adamant and Adamantine have been in use for centuries, but checking google ngrams really doesn't show adamantite being a common term before the 1980s (adamantium has a longer history, Marvel did not come up with it).

https://books.google.com/ngrams/grap...19&smoothing=3

Originally Posted by Anders

Sure, but in the context of RPGs I think it comes from D&D 3rd edition.

It's in AD&D. +5 armors are described in the DMG as "adamantite alloyed steel"

[Anders]

Anyway, this is not getting us closer to an ignition temperature for adamantite.

The ignition point for metals depend among other things on the form the metal takes. A powder will burn a lot easier than a massive block. So the question is not well-defined.

I don't think we'll get closer to an answer than "at whatever temperature you say."

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Anthony

It's in AD&D. +5 armors are described in the DMG as "adamantite alloyed steel"

Further back than that:

Originally Posted by Greyhawk, p.47

Armor/Shield +4: These items are magical in nature and made of mithral.
Armor/Shield +5: These items are magical in nature and made of a strange alloy known as “adamantite.”

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Anders

Right. In Fantasy, Adamant is a kind of stone and probably shouldn't burn. It might decompose though, leaving whatever metal the oxide is made from behind. Maybe it's orichalcum-oxide?

I would be reluctant to mingle notions from alchemy and notions from chemistry in that way. Orichalcum might turn into brass. Better to say that metals don't burn, which any alchemist would have agreed with before about 1780.

Besides, Essential Stone is more likely a silicate than an oxide.