"alchemical" silver

[Greymalkin]

Thanks everyone. I had tried looking in the srd but couldn't find it. AuraSeer, thanks for the link--that is a much better version of the srd than I have been using.

 

[Scion]

very good link mmm.. silver

Does anyone have any clue whatsoever what felikeries is talking about? it sounds.. interesting.. kindof..

 

[Feanor Starym]

it's alchemical silver because it's described as an alchemical treatment for a steel weapon. It makes it count as silver for striking targets that are vulnerable to that material. I suppose it's like galvanising metal with silver.

 

[AnthonyJ]

It's alchemical silver because a regular silver weapon would break the first time you used it in combat. The alchemy presumably makes it (somewhat) suitable for use as a weapon.

 

[Pelenor]

IIRC from reading the DMG the other day. Alchemical silver is silver that has been alchemically bonded to a weapon. Hence it is actual real silver not mercury or some other material that emulates silver.

 

[glass]

I guess I was thinking of the historical deffinition of alchemal silver which is what mercury used to be called a few hundred years ago

I thought that was quicksilver.

Or, before that, hydrogyrum.


glass.

 

[Steverooo]

What's in a name?

Alchemical Silver is a form of silver "potion", if you will... It can be applied to steel (only; not Cold Iron nor Adamantite), and bonds to it, reducing the weapon's damage by one point... It is described in the DMG.

Its purpose is to bypass DR. Carrying an AS "Potion" and a steel sword allows you to make a silver sword, at need... I don't recall if Magic/Holy, etc., bonuses come through... I believe they are replaced.

 

[Pelenor]

Just found it in the SRD (God I love the internet sometimes)

Silver, Alchemical: A complex process involving metallurgy and alchemy can bond silver to a weapon made of steel so that it bypasses the damage reduction of creatures such as lycanthropes.

Alchemical silver historically did refer to quicksilver or mercury but obviously that is not the contect that WOTC is using here.

 

[AuraSeer]

Alchemical Silver is a form of silver "potion", if you will...[...]

No. Alchemical silver is a substance from which weapons are made, in the same way as adamantite or cold iron. Look in the "Special Materials" section of the SRD.

What you're thinking of is silversheen, a magic substance that can duplicate the properties of alchemical silver. It can be applied over any special material, not just steel, though it replaces the properties of other special materials it covers. It does not affect magical properties. (For instance, if you apply silversheen to your +2 holy flaming adamantine longsword, it temporarily becomes a +2 holy flaming alchemical silver longsword.)