Roleplay Ramblings: Strange Materials part 2
Primitive Materials
Before we can talk about supernatural materials, we should also talk about more mundane materials that can be found.
We partially covered this back when we talked about technology levels in one’s setting, but it goes without saying that it took a while for steel to become the standard for weaponry in the real world, and we had to work up to that point, going from bone and stone to tools of copper, brass, and bronze.
Of course, those materials are much weaker than steel, and often need to be magically strengthened to be comparable. Otherwise they often break when critical fails or hits occur for weapons and armor respectively.
In worlds where primitive materials are commonplace, steel weapons may be legendary in their own right, to say nothing of actual magical weaponry or those made from truly special materials.
Others might specifically use such tech out of special consideration, such as religious reasons, superstitions, or personal reasons. Some druids may take their refusal to wear metal armor further by not even wielding metal weapons, for example.
The result, however, is adventures in which the heroes may find themselves inadequately prepared, with every magical weapon becoming a unique, precious thing compared to their regular, fragile fare.
The point is, just as there are myriads of amazing supernatural materials to make your weapons from, so too are there more mundane materials that can add an interesting aspect to the game. Tune in tomorrow to explore more special materials!