Orichalcum (3.5e Equipment)

This article is Homebrew.

= Orichalcum =

Summary::A legendary metal alloy from ancient times, capable of absorbing, deflecting and enhancing the flow of magic.

Orichalcum is the fabled metal alloy of Utopia, used by ancient civilizations to construct immense cities and technological marvels. Extremely desired for its ability to store, deflect, absorb and release magical power, the secret behind the creation of orichalcum is closely guarded by the ancients, although some contemporary sages and metallurgists claim to have discovered the method of producing it, albeit in very small amounts.

Armor and Shields
Armor and shields fashioned from orichalcum can conduct electrical discharges and capture magical energy without harming the wearer.

A creature gains resistance to electricity while wearing orichalcum armor (see below).

The wearer of an orichalcum armor and/or shield gains half their combined AC bonus as a bonus to his touch AC against spells, spell-like and supernatural abilities.

When wielding an orichalcum shield and fighting defensively or using the total defense action, the wielder gains spell resistance equal to 10 + his or her HD + half the shield's AC bonus for one round, rounded down.

Orichalcum armor and shields are heavy and ungainly. The maximum Dexterity bonus to AC lowers by 1 (to a minimum of 0), the armor check penalty increases by 3, and the arcane spell failure chance increases by 10%. Orichalcum armors or shields cannot be combined with magical enhancements that lighten it, such as Twilight ArmorMIC''.

Any spells that enhance armor or shields, like magic vestment and ghost touch armor, gain a +4 bonus to effective caster level and last twice as long when cast on an orichalcum armor or shield.

Weapons
Weapons fashioned from orichalcum can focus the energy of their magical enhancement, and penetrate energy fields. An orichalcum weapon gains a +2 damage bonus for every point of magical enhancement bonus it has, instead of +1. Due to their weight and hardness, orichalcum weapons bypass hardness or damage reduction/adamantine up to 10. Any such damage reduction or hardness greater than 10 counts as 10 lower when struck by an orichalcum weapon.

Orichalcum weapons ignore all deflection bonuses to AC, as well as some protective spells that grant a shield bonus, such as shield and variants. Orichalcum weapons ignore shields.

Orichalcum weapons ignore all forms of damage reduction granted by spells or magic items.

Any spells that enhance weapons, like magic weapon, align weapon and holy sword, gain a +4 bonus to effective caster level and last twice as long when cast upon an orichalcum weapon. Spells that target weapons do not count as an infused spell.

Miscellaneous
Charge-dependent magic items made from orichalcum are more powerful. They enhance the output of any spell cast through them, and can maximally hold up to 20% more charges than regular magic items of that sort. Wands and staffs created from orichalcum grant a +2 bonus to caster level and a +1 bonus to the spell DC of any spell cast through them, and can hold up to 60 charges.

Statistics
A DC 35 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check reveals that orichalcum is a composition of roughly 74% iron, 19% tungsten, 5% gold, 1.6% proteum and trace amounts of chromium, iridium, carbon and adamantine. A DC 45 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check is necessary to learn the particulars of its creation, which is a lengthy and intricate process.

Appearance-wise, orichalcum looks like a darker, smoother brass, producing a dull shine when light is cast upon its surface. It is solid, strong, and very hard, but also quite heavy. With a density of 11.43 metric tonnes per cubic metre, using it for armor and weapons is possible, but results in heavy equipment. Still, for some people the trade-offs in mobility are well worth it due to the natural properties the alloy possesses. Metal items fashioned from orichalcum weigh half again as much as items fashioned from iron or steel.

Orichalcum does not rust or corrode, not even from a rusting grasp spell. Orichalcum is always masterwork.

Orichalcum has 36 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 18.

Value
Orichalcum armor has the cost of ten times a masterwork armor of its kind, plus 100 gp &times; (AC bonus)2. Magic orichalcum armor has an additional cost equal to its enhancement bonus &times;2,000 gp.

Orichalcum shields have a cost of 4,000 gp, plus 1,000 gp &times; (AC bonus)2. Magic orichalcum shields have an additional cost equal to its enhancement bonus &times;5,000 gp.

Orichalcum weapons have the cost of a masterwork weapon +15,000 gp. Magic orichalcum weapons add an additional 25% to their combined enhancement value.

Orichalcum wands and staffs have the cost of the base item +20%.