WTF is "cold iron", and why's it so special?

[Maxperson]

So, then, you're not advocating a reason for how the myth started at all, but rather for something else? Okay, strange thread.

I walked into that guy claiming everything that exists is natural no matter what and took the other side, because, well, it's simply not true. His stance is a lot like those who think you can't ever know anything, or that only what you can see exists, and the other fun, but useless philosophical arguments. It's a nice theory to talk about and have fun with, but it's just not reality. He was arguing that it was reality and I'm arguing against that position. In our reality, natural exists, and unnatural exists.

For thread purposes, cold forged iron is iron worked at low/room temperature and since it's worked iron, it's not natural. Hot forged iron is also not natural, but that does't work on the fey, because mythology.

 

[Ovinomancer]

I walked into that guy claiming everything that exists is natural no matter what and took the other side, because, well, it's simply not true. His stance is a lot like those who think you can't ever know anything, or that only what you can see exists, and the other fun, but useless philosophical arguments. It's a nice theory to talk about and have fun with, but it's just not reality. He was arguing that it was reality and I'm arguing against that position. In our reality, natural exists, and unnatural exists.

For thread purposes, cold forged iron is iron worked at low/room temperature and since it's worked iron, it's not natural. Hot forged iron is also not natural, but that does't work on the fey, because mythology.

Um, that last bit is entirely without basis. I mean, good luck being able to ever work unforged iron straight from raw ore.

The first bit is also a bit presumptuous on your part. Your preferred view of nature has no inherent superiority to the one you're dismissing as arbitrary and useless.

 

[SkidAce]

This thread is unnatural....

 

[pemerton]

If man's actions can act against the natural order of things, then you're assuming some supernatural shaper of such an order. It can't otherwise exist without such a will.

Many versions of the philosophies I mentioned in my post - Stoicism, Taoism, Taoist-influenced Buddhism, environmentalism - don't agree with this. They have a conception of nature that is immanent, and identifies the threat to nature as arising from human will/deliberate action as a violation of that natural order.

 

[Maxperson]

Um, that last bit is entirely without basis. I mean, good luck being able to ever work unforged iron straight from raw ore.

It occurs very rarely in nature, but metallic ion does occur naturally. Usually, but not always, in the form of meteoric iron.

The first bit is also a bit presumptuous on your part. Your preferred view of nature has no inherent superiority to the one you're dismissing as arbitrary and useless.

My preferred view is the one backed up by both reality and the definitions of natural and unnatural.

 

[Ovinomancer]

It occurs very rarely in nature, but metallic ion does occur naturally. Usually, but not always, in the form of meteoric iron.

Totally sure that people hanging horseshoes over their door to ward away evil spirits and the fairies didn't wait for meteors to get the iron for their horseshoes. Nor did the blacksmith beat them out without heat.

My preferred view is the one backed up by both reality and the definitions of natural and unnatural.

And you're welcome to your preference, but your preference doesn't make your beliefs reality, nor does one entry in a complexly defined word render that one definition exclusive to defining reality.

 

[Jhaelen]

"Cold iron" is not about physical temperature, nor about forging.

In D&D it's definitely about forging.

 

[Umbran]

In D&D it's definitely about forging.

1) It is edition dependent.
2) In 3.5e, it is not just about the forging, but also the source.
3) Missing the point - You're saying a person has an itch because a mosquito bit them, I'm talking about why mosquito bites itch.

 

[Jhaelen]

1) It is edition dependent.
2) In 3.5e, it is not just about the forging, but also the source.
3) Missing the point - You're saying a person has an itch because a mosquito bit them, I'm talking about why mosquito bites itch.

Well, I'm not sure what edition the OP was referring to, but it's clearly a question about D&D. The question was asked in 2005, i.e. when 3.5 was the current edition.
Here's the quote from the SRD:

This iron, mined deep underground, known for its effectiveness against fey creatures, is forged at a lower temperature to preserve its delicate properties.

So, you're right, it's about the source _and_ the forging.

I'm not sure why you think the OP was asking about mosquito bites. I wonder who's missing the point here?

 

[Weiley31]

In my 5E games, Silver bypassed demon's mundane weapon immunity.

Cold Iron does that PLUS granting advantage to attack/damage rolls against Demons/Devils and Fey.