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Adamantium

Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 2:36 am
by Glim
Im wondering, I heard somewhere that it is the drow magic that is weaved into the adamantium armor that doesnt let it last long from the surface. Another story is that it is the metal that doesnt let it last long. I was wondering if anyone knew which it was?

Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 4:24 am
by Sia
From what I've read, the Drow armour and weapons don't last long on the surface because they are imbued with a peculiar Underdark radiation.

Could be wrong.. I only have novels to go by, not source books :)

~Sia

Posted: Sun May 09, 2004 4:54 am
by Glim
*nod* Thats what I mean...but im wondering, is it in the metal, or something that drow do to it?

Another question, can any adamantium be taken out onto the surface? Ive seen people waving adamantium items around in mid daylight with even thinking, so I was wondering.

Posted: Mon May 10, 2004 6:31 pm
by Caius
Drow items don't decay in 3rd Edition D&D. Here's an interesting rant about this topic.

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/r ... decay.html

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 3:45 am
by Isaldur
The Starlight and Shadows (Daughter of the Drow) series gives a "novel" reason why Drow items don't decay on the surface in 3e. In the end I don't think it's that mean, drow have plenty of other magical items that won't decay on the surface that you can steal in most PnP games. Not to mention by the time you're killing drow with Adamntite Full Plate +5 you probably already have extremely nice gear yourself and are near epic.

And to answer your question Glim, it's the radiation that makes the adamantite unstable in the sunlight in 2e. If the metal itself isn't enchanted by underdark radation then it's just a very strong type of metal, like Mithril. Dwarves, especially those from the Great Rift tend to use non-drow enchanted adamantite, as do Duergar. They enchant it like everyone else does if it does indeed get enchanted.

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 2:41 pm
by Caius
Mystra wrote:Is Sean Reynolds effectively saying that R.A. Salvatore is a bad DM?
No, but Salvatore wrote his books based on bad DMing :D

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 4:04 pm
by Rhytania
From what I got in reading some of R. A, Salvatores comments on the Drow and Drizzt books was, it was basically a last minute off the top of his head thing, that he winded up running with to create the Icewind Dale Trilogy. Then he went back and had to flesh out Menzo and the whole Drow Infrastructure. Thats why the first couple prints of IWD trilogy had a few discrepencies that he later edited after the Dark Elf Trilogy.

Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 9:27 pm
by Glim
Isaldur wrote: And to answer your question Glim, it's the radiation that makes the adamantite unstable in the sunlight in 2e. If the metal itself isn't enchanted by underdark radation then it's just a very strong type of metal, like Mithril. Dwarves, especially those from the Great Rift tend to use non-drow enchanted adamantite, as do Duergar. They enchant it like everyone else does if it does indeed get enchanted.
Thank you, Isaldur. You have read my mind and my question better than I worded it and answered it perfectly.

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 6:58 pm
by Echet
On the topic of the famous drow favored metal, what is the difference between adamant, adamantite and adamantium? Are they all different words for the same thing? Or... what?

In my eyes, adamant has been the raw material. Adamantite was a microcrystalline version of the raw metal (like steel) and, adamantium was a refined version of the raw material (like bauxite becomes aluminum). Uhm, yeah... I have a feeling this is totally wrong, but that's just what I've been under the impression of.

Echet, definately not a drow

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 10:40 pm
by Glim
Adamantium I beleive is the metal. I would guess adamantite would be the ore. Adamant is a word that they based the fictional metals off of I beleive. *shrug*

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 10:55 pm
by Legault
yeah, I heard that the armour and weapons just go down in value and get damaged by light. although my frined uses a drow longsword , and
nothing happes... =p

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 11:38 pm
by Aegin
Caius wrote: No, but Salvatore wrote his books based on bad DMing :D

No he didn't. He wrote his books back in second edition, and if you read "Drow of the Underdark" rulebook, the weapons deteriorated in 2nd edition.

When R.A. wrote his first books, wizards of the coast wasn't even a sparkle in anyone's eye.

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 11:42 pm
by Aegin
Echet wrote:On the topic of the famous drow favored metal, what is the difference between adamant, adamantite and adamantium? Are they all different words for the same thing? Or... what?

In my eyes, adamant has been the raw material. Adamantite was a microcrystalline version of the raw metal (like steel) and, adamantium was a refined version of the raw material (like bauxite becomes aluminum). Uhm, yeah... I have a feeling this is totally wrong, but that's just what I've been under the impression of.

Echet, definately not a drow



You are pretty much correct. Adamant is the base ore, adamantite is the pure metal, but adamantium is an alloy, part adamantite, part steel, I think.

*cheers at all the geek points he just collected*

Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 11:54 pm
by Valacktor
The weapons became weaker in the sunlight, making it to where they would damage more easier and likely fall apart. I believe it was mentioned that this occured because of the drow magic embued in the weapons and armor.

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:02 am
by Aegin
Valacktor wrote:The weapons became weaker in the sunlight, making it to where they would damage more easier and likely fall apart. I believe it was mentioned that this occured because of the drow magic embued in the weapons and armor.
ok, the way the weapons are enchanted, is that there are certain sections of the underdark that emit radiation. The drow make a weapon out of adamantite, and set it in these ares, to let it absorb that radiation. The longer it sits there, the more powerful the sword becomes.

So technically, it is not drow magic, but underdark radiations that make the drow weapons more powerful.

Since this radiation is in the underdark, it would make sense that the sun's radiations would be the opposite of this.

This is straight out of a 2nd ed rulebook, btw, I did not make this up or read it in a novel.

Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 5:13 am
by Belose
Not to mention the little chips of blue she stored in her amulet so she can always use her unique Drow powers and magic up above the Underdark.

Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 1:40 pm
by Villis
If I understood that series of books correctly, regarding the Windwalker amulet, it was mainly the amulet itself and its magic that allowed both her magic items and her own magical abilities to function fully when away from the Underdark. I suppose making a portable Underdark for her benefit.

Wasn't the Windwalker Amulet a Rashemi artifact that had those special powers because their culture is so tied to the land, spirits and the like?

Re: Windwalker Amulet

Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 2:45 am
by Talamar
To put succinctly, Yes.

The Windwalker amulet is an Artifact of the Rus, which are predecessors of the Rashemi. They use Runic and Place magic, to fuction. Usually one whom aspires to use it, must make a quest or journey, and the rune is formed in their mind through their experiences with it. They then travel to Yggradsil (I probably butchered that spelling) which is the World Tree, and carve the rune upon it to lock the magic in.

So okay, that's not really succinct, but it's an answer :)

Basically. Yeah, She put a piece of the radiated underdark in the amulet, and sealed it, so carried the magic of the Underdark with her always, thereby being able to use her drow abilities, as well as those of her drow crafted magical items.

Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 2:57 am
by Fayona
Is there a reson why they call it the Windwalker amulet..because I though Windwalker was somthing to do with Shaundakul. Well just a question, sorry if Im confusing. :roll:

*Fay*

Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:05 am
by Talamar
I vaguely remember it beming mentioned somewhere that it was titled the Windwalker, because of all the journeys/quests it'd be carried on.

I don't remember where i heard that mind you, but it sounds pretty good to me!

:)