Quote Originally Posted by Luka View Post
Eh.... Both don't do the same thing, in fact they do the inverse
What Grif is saying is that the two types of metals would mechanically work the same, just with different empowering and disempowering elements.

And as I write that, a rebuttal comes to mind for the existence of both types of metal; if the dark version of Shimmerite can be purified/negated/de-powered by light magic, then why can't the light version of Shimmerite be corrupted/negated/de-powered by dark magic? If they really are the same metal with flipped elemental properties, then they should work the same, right?

So, if your grand magical paladin power armor - your ace in the hole, the thing that will give you the edge over the villain - can be rendered moot by a school of spells that are almost exclusively used by said villains?

Seems like a bit of a major design flaw to me.

The changes Grif is proposing fix this problem. Dramatically, IMO. The armor grows stronger and harder the more it is exposed to dark magics - things that paladins will run into quite a lot - and can be cleansed with a good dose of light magics - things that paladins will most likely have. When in the right hooves, the armor turns into a dual-edged sword; evil's strength is turned against it, while the paladin must constantly keep his armor in check, lest the darkness within it grow too great. The very model of self-sacrifice that many paladins seek to embody.

When in the wrong hooves, it turns into a selfish mockery of its intended purpose; a self-sustaining engine of destruction that corrupts the already black heart within it. But as the user trades long-term morality, wellness, and possible sanity for short-term power, there is a great cost. One Good mage, one mighty holder of the Light, and what was their source of strength becomes their prison and soon-to-be tomb.

That, to me, is far more interesting than a metal that essentially plays Rock-Paper-Scissors with alignments.