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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Seeing's Believing, But Touching's the Truth [Special Material, PEACH]



Amechra
2013-05-09, 09:40 PM
Ghost Iron

Ghost Iron is visually indistinguishable from iron; however, with regards to the other senses, it could not be any different.

You see, Ghost Iron, though not incorporeal, does not exist as far as any sense other than vision and touch are concerned. It has no smell, it tastes like nothing, and if struck against a wall, it does not make any sound at all. Even the texture of Ghost Iron is barely there; it is almost impossible to determine what it feels like to touch it, the mind struggling to understand the numb feel of the metal.

This lack extends even to nonstandard senses; darkvision sees right through it as if it weren't there, and tremorsense ignores its presence.

It even extends to the point where, as far as divination effects are concerned, Ghost Iron does not exist. Traps made from Ghost Iron don't show up under a Detect Traps effect, scrying does not show its presence, and an augury spell would not take into account the Ghost Iron knife that an assassin is holding just around the corner. This immunity holds against even the portfolio sense of deities and epic spells.

Ghost Iron, as far as the world is concerned, does not exist.

But it nevertheless does. And it scares scholars, if they even know about it.

Luckily, Ghost Iron is a rare substance; to this day, only one vein of it has ever been found, and a scarce few weapons have been produced from the metal discovered.

After all, it is almost impossible to find by magical means.

And it is very sought after by those that want to pursue murder as a career plan.

TuggyNE
2013-05-10, 03:38 AM
Hmm. Maybe include some more guidelines on how difficult this is to acquire?

Also, there needs to be a Ghost Iron Golem, you know. :smallamused:

The Mentalist
2013-05-10, 04:32 AM
Ghost Iron Pitons
Ghost Iron Grapnel
Ghost Iron Windows for the Orc Fortress
Ghost Iron Lich Soul Gems
Ghost Iron Battering Ram

Weapons are just the tip of the iceberg

Maybe make various forms of refinement so that it's not an all or nothing "you see it or you don't" weapon. One that does all the normal aversion stuff, one that does alternate sense hiding, one that does divination, and then a last one that hides even from the gods.

Amechra
2013-05-10, 04:34 AM
You want to know something funny?

It is possible to create something approaching this stuff with RAW only.

LordErebus12
2013-05-10, 05:41 AM
Thank you for my next Phylactery material. The Liches of this world thank you, Amechra.

LordErebus12
2013-05-10, 05:42 AM
Maybe make various forms of refinement so that it's not an all or nothing "you see it or you don't" weapon. One that does all the normal aversion stuff, one that does alternate sense hiding, one that does divination, and then a last one that hides even from the gods.

Perhaps alloying? mix this with real iron to give it more substance. A faint ghostly blade of gaseous iron, flowing within the confines of the forged blade as if it were smoke.

Amechra
2013-05-10, 06:13 AM
The thing is that this stuff is mechanically identical to iron, except that it is also immune to everything but sight.

It is just as hard and solid. And hurts just as much when you stick someone with it.

smoke prism
2013-05-10, 12:19 PM
Ghost Iron

Ghost Iron is visually indistinguishable from iron; however, with regards to the other senses, it could not be any different.

You see, Ghost Iron, though not incorporeal, does not exist as far as any sense other than vision and touch are concerned. It has no smell, it tastes like nothing, and if struck against a wall, it does not make any sound at all. Even the texture of Ghost Iron is barely there; it is almost impossible to determine what it feels like to touch it, the mind struggling to understand the numb feel of the metal.

This lack extends even to nonstandard senses; darkvision sees right through it as if it weren't there, and tremorsense ignores its presence.

It even extends to the point where, as far as divination effects are concerned, Ghost Iron does not exist. Traps made from Ghost Iron don't show up under a Detect Traps effect, scrying does not show its presence, and an augury spell would not take into account the Ghost Iron knife that an assassin is holding just around the corner. This immunity holds against even the portfolio sense of deities and epic spells.

Ghost Iron, as far as the world is concerned, does not exist.

But it nevertheless does. And it scares scholars, if they even know about it.

Luckily, Ghost Iron is a rare substance; to this day, only one vein of it has ever been found, and a scarce few weapons have been produced from the metal discovered.

After all, it is almost impossible to find by magical means.

And it is very sought after by those that want to pursue murder as a career plan.


An assassin with armour and weapons made out of this would a littler ghost. God the very idea.

Amechra
2013-05-10, 12:33 PM
They would actually show up as naked, but...

smoke prism
2013-05-10, 01:01 PM
They would actually show up as naked, but...

oh, ok its me missinterprating what it says. I was thinking that because it cant be seen, something encased in it also cant be seen.

My mistake.

Sgt. Cookie
2013-05-10, 09:31 PM
The cruelest, yet most hilarious, thing to do would be to make a box of this stuff and put a bat inside.


Out of curiosity, you said that you can get close to this by RAW. Could you explain further please?

Amechra
2013-05-11, 09:03 AM
There is a Faerun-specific feat called Insidious Magic; basically, anyone trying to detect the effects of one of your spells has to roll a caster level check or else automatically fail to detect the effects.

Combo with True Creation (or Wall of Iron)...

TuggyNE
2013-05-12, 12:13 AM
There is a Faerun-specific feat called Insidious Magic; basically, anyone trying to detect the effects of one of your spells has to roll a caster level check or else automatically fail to detect the effects.

Combo with True Creation (or Wall of Iron)...

Then stick Invisible Spell on there too! :smallyuk:

Amechra
2013-05-12, 01:32 AM
That is part of the original trick, yes.

It is funniest when you are casting an Insidious Invisible Clone spell.

Thugorp
2013-05-12, 02:47 AM
That sounds sad for the clone.

i Really like this stuff. The question is how much does it cost, does fire soften it, does it glow read when heated, and can it be see by creatures using low-light vision, in low light conditions and if so does it grant them a bonus to hide?
It sounds great if used at night since it can't be seen by low-light vision(though I am not sure why) and it sounds great if you are worried about magic wielders or gods hunting you. Otherwise, I am not sure how good it is.

Can it hit creatures on the eathereal plane that would be my question :-)

I would want to see a price and maybe an answer to these questions. But thematically speaking I really like the item. :-)

Amechra
2014-03-20, 01:41 PM
Ah, thought I'd answer (finally!)

It costs about 50,000 GP per pound. And it does glow red when heated; the stuff is chemically identical to iron in every respect except for the fact that it doesn't show up for any sense but sight and touch.

Low-light vision is an enhancement to normal vision, not its own sense; hence, it does allow you to see it farther away. And it can't hit people on the Ethereal plane.

As for why it is so expensive, despite the fact that the only benefit it has is that it can't be sensed... Is that it can't be found remotely.

Part of me thinks I should also make it ineligible for being targeted by magic, and then have it be treated as Cold Iron for all intents and purposes...

spikeof2010
2014-03-20, 09:52 PM
What about psionics?


also clear your damn inbox

Amechra
2014-03-20, 10:40 PM
Cold Iron doesn't interact negatively with Psionics, I don't think...

And there's room in it yet!