Blood red metal, what would you make it?

[Voadam]

All right, I'm running a module where there is an armory filled with ancient masterwork weapons "Many of the weapons are fashioned from some blood-red metal" but the module doesn't specify what this metal is and the weapons mechanically are just listed as non-magical and masterwork.

Any suggestions on what to make the blood red metal? It is from an ancient demon cult.

 

[Vurt]

Errr... Iron from the ancient demons' home plane? Or is that too obvious? My first suggestion was simply going to be rust!

Cheers,
Vurt

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

In the Monsternomicon, there's a creature called the black ogrun, a giant that forges evil weapons quenched in the of s. Their -forged steel forces you to make saves or go berserk and attack thoes near you, with a possibility that you will forget the whole incident.

 

[The Amazing Dingo]

Demon Cult, eh?

What do demons want? Blood and souls and misery. I'd make these weapons simple weapons of Wounding that store the life force of mortals to be later transferred to the demons for whatever use they have. Its something that good heroes would have nothing to do with and would have to destroy

Whatever BBEG you have running about would have an artifact of the similar metal that actually incurs a negative level on you when you fail a roll against something like 10 + 1/2 the incurred damage or perhaps only on a critical along with the normal wounding power. This sword I'd give a connection to a particular demon of some strength. Obviously the demon won't be happy with such a weapon in the hands of some goodies and he'll really take interest in it should he learn that they wish to destroy him (and possibly rob some of his own life energy).

 

[Krieg]

Red Steel from 2E:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1340&


The Vaults of Pandius has a basic 3E conversion for the above...
http://www.mystaranet.jamm.com/vaults/html/legacy3e.html


Red Steel mechanics can be found about a 1/4 down the page...

Red Steel When the magical protective effects of cinnabryl have been completely depleted, the remaining substance is red steel. This is a lightweight, dull red metal (it does not glow like cinnabryl and vermeil). Red steel is hard without being brittle, holds an edge very well, and weighs only half as much as steel. Thus, it is in great demand for the making of weapons.

Because red steel is inherently magical, weapons made from it can strike creatures normally hit only by weapons of +1 enchantment, as well as those normally struck only by silver or cold iron weapons. Red steel also holds enchantments well, so along the Savage Coast it is the preferred base metal for magical armour, weapons, and other devices. The metal's popularity is spreading wherever it is traded, but most red steel remains on the Savage Coast, due to the efforts of the Inheritors.

It should be noted that red steel does not conduct electricity well. Thus, it is not considered a conductor for shocking grasp spells or similar effects (though it has no real effect against such powerful electrical forces as lightning bolt spells).

Armour of red steel can also adjust its shape when a Legacy is used. Items made of red steel are discussed in the "Magic" chapter, and a full description of red steel armour appears there.

You could make the items carry the Red Curse. Once a character carries the weapon for a period of time and then relinquish it they must make a fortitude save (at whatever DC you desire, possibly based on length of exposure), if they fail they suffer the debilitating effects of the Red Curse (detailed in link above). Only by keeping the weapon upon their person are the effects of the Curse held at bay (or until the players find a cure).

FYI The Vaults of Pandius contains a second article that gives a bit more information on the Red Curse...
http://www.mystaranet.jamm.com/vaults/html/redcurse.html

 

[Umbran]

An entire armory full? I'd not make them anything special. If you make them all into something really notable, you're dropping a decent amount of wealth and/or power into someone's hands.

Plus, if these weapons really were special, why are they sitting in an armory as the PCs invade?

 

[Krieg]

An entire armory full?

Oops, missed that part. You definitely don't want to overdo it as you run the risk of severely unbalancing your campaign.

 

[Voadam]

The party has a paladin, an exalted druid, a good dwarven cleric with the metal domain, and a neutral arcane trickster. All of the weapons bear the unholy symbol of the cult.

I have to decide if they are anything special from the metal, and if they are evil, but if they are evil the three goody two shoes will want to destroy them immediately, particularly the paladin who has smashed evil loot before without hesitation.

When the temple was sealed all the mortal cultists were either killed or turned into abominations that don't use weapons.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

Hmmm..... how bout:

The weapons are forged from iron shorn from a gate to Hell, which was seized by demons as a trophy of war.

A thimble full of the iron was disseminated to each of the demon princes who conquered the gate, and they in turn gave it to their most important demon cults. Basically, the iron is valuable only for the prestige it carries, and demons use it as a means of duping foolish mortals - giving them worthless (to demon-thinking) baubles in exchange for the priceless gift of absolute, unthinking loyalty.

The weapons in the armory were tempered in a forge-furnace into which a single drop of this Hell iron was worked - the weapons are of immensely high quality, and hold evil enchantments quite well, but are not in themselves magical, though they do radiate strong evil.

Patrick Y.

 

[Khayman]

Planescape had Tanar'ri red steel --- the equivalent of the green steel of Baator. The two sides in the Blood War had millennia to find, mine, or create metals toxic to their enemies. The ragtag armies of the Abyss would be equipped with weapons cut from the stuff, which had at least the ability to harm devils (baatezu) regardless of their resistances. I seem to recall that it showed up again in one of the 3E/3.5 books...

As well, there's the Legacy Leech from the Savage Coast setting --- a demon banished to the Prime Material. It assumes the form of red-steel weapons. Check its stats on the Vaults of Pandius site.