Shades of Eternity
Legend
Been a fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle and started pondering, and well, here it is.
Upsidasium (Special Material)
Wondrous Ore, Rare
Upsidasium is a silvery, fragile crystalline metal that defies gravity. Even the smallest shard will drift upward unless restrained.
Properties
Negative Weight. A shard of upsidasium weighing 1 lb produces lift equal to 100 lbs. (For ease of play: 1 lb of upsidasium can lift a Medium creature with gear.)
Fragile. Upsidasium has AC 10, 1 hit point per ounce, and is vulnerable to bludgeoning damage. Breaking it creates sharp fragments that float rapidly upward (see Shrapnel Drift below).
Drift. Any unsecured upsidasium floats upward at 60 ft. per round until stopped. If it collides with a solid ceiling, it sticks there until it is moved. Outdoors, it will continue into the sky and eventually into orbit.
Handling Rules
Containment. Upsidasium must be stored in weighted containers (iron, lead, or stone). Opening a container without proper precautions requires a DC 13 Strength saving throw or the shard yanks free from your grip.
Harnessing. A creature carrying upsidasium that exceeds their own body weight is treated as under the effect of levitate. Controlling movement requires anchors, ropes, or ballast.
Hazards
Shrapnel Drift. When shattered, a chunk releases a spray of razor-like fragments that float upward in a 10-foot radius. Creatures in the area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 slashing damage on a failed save, or half on success.
Sudden Lift. If a creature is holding an unsecured block, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check each round to avoid being dragged upward. Failure means they rise 20 ft. per round until anchored or released.
Applications
Upsidasium Core (Vehicle Upgrade). A vehicle embedded with at least 10 lbs. of upsidasium gains the ability to float as if under levitation. Controlling altitude requires ballast or magical stabilizers.
Lift Bomb (Weapon). A 1-lb shard attached to an object or creature can be activated with a bonus action (breaking restraints). Target must make a DC 15 Strength save or be yanked upward 60 ft. per round. (Creatures that reach 500 ft. without control begin suffocating in thin air; at 1 mile altitude, they are lost to the sky.)
Sky Anchor (Tool). Adventurers sometimes lash upsidasium shards to winches and chains, creating “sky anchors” to suspend platforms or haul goods vertically.
Rarity & Value
Value: 1 lb of upsidasium is worth at least 1,000 gp, but in most settings it is tightly controlled, and illegal trade can fetch 10x as much.
Rarity: Found only in isolated deposits, usually in mountainous or unstable terrain. Adventurers often find it as part of floating ruins or “sky islands.”
Optional Rule: Upsidasium Ore Vein
When mining, a creature must succeed on a DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check to keep control of extracted chunks. On a failure, the shard breaks free and rises out of reach unless tethered. On a critical failure, the entire vein destabilizes, creating a shrapnel drift hazard (as above).
Upsidasium (Special Material)
Wondrous Ore, Rare
Upsidasium is a silvery, fragile crystalline metal that defies gravity. Even the smallest shard will drift upward unless restrained.
Properties
Negative Weight. A shard of upsidasium weighing 1 lb produces lift equal to 100 lbs. (For ease of play: 1 lb of upsidasium can lift a Medium creature with gear.)
Fragile. Upsidasium has AC 10, 1 hit point per ounce, and is vulnerable to bludgeoning damage. Breaking it creates sharp fragments that float rapidly upward (see Shrapnel Drift below).
Drift. Any unsecured upsidasium floats upward at 60 ft. per round until stopped. If it collides with a solid ceiling, it sticks there until it is moved. Outdoors, it will continue into the sky and eventually into orbit.
Handling Rules
Containment. Upsidasium must be stored in weighted containers (iron, lead, or stone). Opening a container without proper precautions requires a DC 13 Strength saving throw or the shard yanks free from your grip.
Harnessing. A creature carrying upsidasium that exceeds their own body weight is treated as under the effect of levitate. Controlling movement requires anchors, ropes, or ballast.
Hazards
Shrapnel Drift. When shattered, a chunk releases a spray of razor-like fragments that float upward in a 10-foot radius. Creatures in the area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 slashing damage on a failed save, or half on success.
Sudden Lift. If a creature is holding an unsecured block, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check each round to avoid being dragged upward. Failure means they rise 20 ft. per round until anchored or released.
Applications
Upsidasium Core (Vehicle Upgrade). A vehicle embedded with at least 10 lbs. of upsidasium gains the ability to float as if under levitation. Controlling altitude requires ballast or magical stabilizers.
Lift Bomb (Weapon). A 1-lb shard attached to an object or creature can be activated with a bonus action (breaking restraints). Target must make a DC 15 Strength save or be yanked upward 60 ft. per round. (Creatures that reach 500 ft. without control begin suffocating in thin air; at 1 mile altitude, they are lost to the sky.)
Sky Anchor (Tool). Adventurers sometimes lash upsidasium shards to winches and chains, creating “sky anchors” to suspend platforms or haul goods vertically.
Rarity & Value
Value: 1 lb of upsidasium is worth at least 1,000 gp, but in most settings it is tightly controlled, and illegal trade can fetch 10x as much.
Rarity: Found only in isolated deposits, usually in mountainous or unstable terrain. Adventurers often find it as part of floating ruins or “sky islands.”
Optional Rule: Upsidasium Ore Vein
When mining, a creature must succeed on a DC 17 Strength (Athletics) check to keep control of extracted chunks. On a failure, the shard breaks free and rises out of reach unless tethered. On a critical failure, the entire vein destabilizes, creating a shrapnel drift hazard (as above).
