D&D 5E Is adamantine a metal?

[TheCosmicKid]

I believe the druid’s restriction on metal armor has similar meaning as the fay’s weakness to iron: it’s symbolic. Metalwork is a symbol of progress, science and technology – changing nature. Fays were, basically, weak to man’s advancement as "nature bond creatures", and druids are nature priests: therefore, adversaries of technology – changing nature.

I'm not so sure the Fair Folk's traditional aversion to iron symbolizes the conflict between nature and human progress. It's old, old lore, older I think than that conflict has existed in the popular consciousness -- it's hard to see how some Pictish goatherd nailing a horseshoe to his lintel is thinking in terms of science and technology. And iron was also supposed to repel evil spirits, bad luck, and witchcraft, which are not so obviously "nature bonded" (though for that matter, I also question how much fairies represent "nature"). Iron seems to be best understood as repellent to magic, whatever the source.

 

[cbwjm]

Personally I would lean towards making a Heavy Armour out of Dragon Scales.

Oh yeah, definitely. Not sure if scale mail is a thing in 5e but I'd happily have dragon scale mail a thing giving it the appropriate resistance as well. I recall in previous editions that they had all kinds of special materials which would allow a druid to wear heavier armour.

 

[Mercule]

I always saw mythril as sort of being "magical aluminium" - very light metal, tough, but not as strong as some of the other magical metals. It always seemed better as a source of armor than weapons.

edit: it would make sense as titanium too incidentally... oh and while titanium is a light, strong metal, it's far more suited to armor than weapons too.

I've seen mithril referred to as "true silver" -- I think it was in Rolemaster/MERP, so it probably comes from Tolkien, somewhere. Based on that, I've occasionally referred to adamantine as "true steel", though I tend to think of it as more related to either tungsten or titanium, probably taking the best of each.

Incidentally, and somewhat more useful to the OP, Rolemaster had a substance called laen that was a sort of glassy substance of incredible hardness. If you played 1E AD&D, it was a bit like naturally occurring glassteal. Could be useful for non-metalic heavy armor. I'm not sure that glass is any better than metal, if you're going by the spirit of the restriction, but YMMV.

 

[Hathorym]

I don't, explain yourself, please.

Once upon a time, there was a lesser known bard from the far away Empire, Britain the Greater. The bard was known as a radical in a time when conformity was the norm, the great age of Thatcher and Reagan known as the Eighties. One day, his songs traveled far to the land of America, and he became known far and wide for the little ditty "Goody Two-Shoes." The Bard's name was Adam Ant.

 

[discosoc]

Wasn't adamantine in 1st Ed originally fluffed to be meteorite iron or something like that?

In any event, heavy armor for a druid could easily be made from the shell of a giant crab or a bullette, or scales from any large creature...

One thing I'd like to point out is that although this is certainly possible, it does seem to go against the intended restrictions in fluff and mechanics in many situations. Answering the question of why druids can't use metal makes more sense when you consider the older editions actually explained it as being a personal choice rather than some innate block in power resulting from its use.

Basically, they seek to avoid utilizing overly-worked materials that are reforged from their more natural state; metal armor just happens to be a very obvious and common example. So things like dragon scale armor or perhaps a slightly-higher-but-not-plate-quality AC version of hide (in the form of natural chitin or something) might make sense, anything that requires much technical skill to craft would probably be out of the question.

 

[Hathorym]

What strikes me as odd, is the fact that they choose not to use metal armor, but have no problem using metal weapons. So the dagger, the Scimitar, and the sickle are all examples of overworked metal instruments that Druids utilize. Why are they not limited to "naturally" obtained weapons like the club, Quarter Staff, and sling?

 

[Valetudo]

I hear theres a guy who sells it for rat tails.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

What strikes me as odd, is the fact that they choose not to use metal armor, but have no problem using metal weapons. So the dagger, the Scimitar, and the sickle are all examples of overworked metal instruments that Druids utilize. Why are they not limited to "naturally" obtained weapons like the club, Quarter Staff, and sling?

A good slinger uses metal bullets. Use some rock you picked up off the ground and you have no idea how it's gonna fly.

 

[Ganymede81]

What strikes me as odd, is the fact that they choose not to use metal armor, but have no problem using metal weapons. So the dagger, the Scimitar, and the sickle are all examples of overworked metal instruments that Druids utilize. Why are they not limited to "naturally" obtained weapons like the club, Quarter Staff, and sling?

I think being surrounded by metal, as would happen if garbed in full plate, is what druids specifically object to.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Once upon a time, there was a lesser known bard from the far away Empire, Britain the Greater. The bard was known as a radical in a time when conformity was the norm, the great age of Thatcher and Reagan known as the Eighties. One day, his songs traveled far to the land of America, and he became known far and wide for the little ditty "Goody Two-Shoes." The Bard's name was Adam Ant.

It's said that when you cut his head off, his legs would come looking for you.