Diamond-tipped arrows?

[Dirigible]

A magically treated diamond though, could well have a chance to penetrate steel armor. According to the DMG2nd Ed. A diamond is worth 5000 gp.

Ahh, the joys of Midnight. A barter economy means that 'baubles' like gems are essentially worthless - the book even gives the example of cut diamonds being used as sling stones by shepherds!

In the real world: No.

In a fantasy game: why not? Sounds cool.

That's the spirit.

I would definitely NOT give diamond arrows any armor-piercing ability. At best I'd give them the ability to overcome DR/adamantine. After all, the word "adamantine" comes from the same root as diamond.

I like that interpretation.

Edges on obsidian can get down into the range of a couple of atoms thick.

Is that true? I knew obsidian scalpels could take a hell of an edge, but that much?

How about selling "super-hard diamond arrows" to the party member with the lowest INT?

I have these beans...

I suppose for perfect armor piercing, you could allow them to be made as touch attacks, but they had better be some expensive arrows.

Rather than that, why not allow them to ignore one point of armour or natural armour?

 

[lukelightning]

The bad news is your character gets hit by a diamond tipped arrow and dies.

The good news is that you can at least use the arrow head for a raise dead spell.

 

[The_Gneech]

Rather than that, why not allow them to ignore one point of armour or natural armour?

Isn't that just a "masterwork" arrow? (Assuming a mw arrow provides +1 to hit.)

-The Gneech

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Is that true? I knew obsidian scalpels could take a hell of an edge, but that much?

Yepper! Obsidian (and other glasses) can be flaked (chipped) to have monomolecular edges- so sharp you can't feel them immediately if you get cut with one. There was even a video on primitive technologies that showed you can field dress a deer many times faster with an obsidian knife than with a steel one.

The disadvantage to obsidian (and other glasses) is the same properties that allow it to be flaked means that it also quite brittle, and will only hold its edge for short periods of time. In fact- in that video, the guy using the obsidian knife DID have to re-flake his blade once during the deer dressing (he struck a bone at an awkward angle).

FYI: Another material that can be reduced to monomolecular thicknesses by primitive tools is gold. Of course, because of ITS properties, it won't hold an edge at that thickness, so you won't see any monomolecular blades of gold. At that thickness, gold is used for leafing- decorating statuary and architectural features.

 

[Herobizkit]

Heck, I think it's a great idea. I recall reading an old article on the Wizards website that allowed a certain psionic prestige class to fabricate weapons from different gemstones and granting said weapon psionic enhancements... lessee if I can find it...

Here it is!

Actually, the article is called New Psychic Warrior Feats, Powers, and Ranged Weapon Enchancements. Scroll down the bottom for oodles of good ideas for different gemstones as ranged weapons.

For a diamond, I would rule some sort of effect on undead (maybe treat as a holy weapon vs. undead only) and make sure he pays through the nose for them. Cheaper than a whole whack of holy arrows (maybe?)...

 

[Agback]

Ahh, the joys of Midnight. A barter economy means that 'baubles' like gems are essentially worthless

How do you figure that? Money wasn't invented until about the 7th century BC (Lydia or somewhere like that), but gemstones were already precious in Egypt in 1800 BC. A barter economy just means taht rich people pay a lot of goods for pretty baubles, instead of paying a lot of cash for pretty baubles.

the book even gives the example of cut diamonds being used as sling stones by shepherds!

Ridiculous! The absurdly large diamonds in the engagement rings of the second wives of vulgar multi-millionaires weigh about one fifteenth of an ounce--usually less. Ten diamonds have been found in the history of the world that have weighed over quarter of a pound, and a slingstone is half a pound. And that's rough weight. The five largest cut diamonds in the world weigh 0.24 lb, 0.23 lb, 0.18 lb, 0.14 lb, and 0.12 lb--there are four cut diamonds in existence over quarter the weight of a sling-stone.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Ah, but if you leave the diamonds in their matrix...

 

[Agback]

Ah, but if you leave the diamonds in their matrix...

… it becomes very difficult to cut them.

Besides, does anyone know what the mechanical properties of Kimberlite are? Were diamonds even mined from Kimberlite pipes before the 19th Century? I thought they were found in streambeds.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just facet the exposed portions!

Kimberlite is similar to peridotite, the rock thought to dominate the upper mantle of Earth (the layer that lies below the crust). Kimberlite is rich in magnesium, iron, and contains relatively high concentrations of potassium, chromium, calcium, and carbon. Tough stuff.

And yes, diamonds were pretty much discovered in streams and rockslides until after the American Civil War.

 

[Storyteller01]

Yepper! Obsidian (and other glasses) can be flaked (chipped) to have monomolecular edges- so sharp you can't feel them immediately if you get cut with one. There was even a video on primitive technologies that showed you can field dress a deer many times faster with an obsidian knife than with a steel one.

The disadvantage to obsidian (and other glasses) is the same properties that allow it to be flaked means that it also quite brittle, and will only hold its edge for short periods of time. In fact- in that video, the guy using the obsidian knife DID have to re-flake his blade once during the deer dressing (he struck a bone at an awkward angle).

FYI: Another material that can be reduced to monomolecular thicknesses by primitive tools is gold. Of course, because of ITS properties, it won't hold an edge at that thickness, so you won't see any monomolecular blades of gold. At that thickness, gold is used for leafing- decorating statuary and architectural features.

Or decorating cake at some restraunts (per Ripley's anyway...).