Here are one more ruling from last session:
Very Fine, Meteoric Weapons
I allow Very Fine and Meteoric on the same weapon in DF. What the heck.
Magebane is a Very Fine Meteoric sword.
One of the PCs just ordered a Very Fine Meteoric knife.
I let him do it, of course.
But it's just odd. It's clearly iron, not steel, because it says so, which makes sen. But Very Fine craftsmanship means the weapon is as good as the best possible steel . . . but it's iron, which we know makes inferior weapons to steel. It can't be alloyed, because then it's not purely magic-dead metal.
Still, it's DF, and exceptionally well-made weapons of non-standard materials should just be a thing. So therefore, it is.
For what it's worth, some meteoric iron is really better described as "nickel, with some iron in it." The taenite meteoric irons have 20-65% Ni, and the same crystal structure as quenched steel (austenite). So if made from that particular meteor type, very fine meteoric iron is plausible.
ReplyDeleteThat could work as an explanation, I suppose. Sadly, though, I have at least one player who will want to command a higher price for found items of meteoric make if they are 20-65% Ni meteoric and thus "very fine" in and of themselves.
DeleteIt's easier to wave my hands and say, "Supernaturally skilled craftsman can do amazing things! +19 CF!" Heh.
It's not even wrong. Just because the chunk of alloy splats down doesn't mean it doesn't take a lot of skill to make. Heating it will probably ruin the structure, blah blah science and effort blah, +19 CF.
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