Metals and Magic

Metals are important in that they kind of exist on both the ethereal and physical planes simultaneously. Their state in the world changes, depending upon human, or in some cases, inhuman intent.

• When a metal is still in the earth, before it has been mined, it exists both on the physical plane and the ethereal plane. To both worlds, it is as solid and real as the earth itself.
• When a metal is mined from the physical plane, it disappears from the ethereal plane. It is now considered to be a free-floating physical object in the physical world and gone from the ethereal plane.
• When a metal object is used as part of a permanent construction, it reappears in the ethereal plane. This is where the "shaped by intent" part comes into play.
• A screw or a bolt would still be considered a free-floating metal object in the physical world only, just as a sword or a dagger would be. But a solid structure made of metal or with metal reinforcements is a barrier, a solid part of reality. The only way it can be avoided is to go around it. The metal portions then reappear in the ethereal plane, creating a structure on the other side. In essence, the intent to have it become part of a larger structure once again renders its existence valid in both the physical and ethereal worlds. Barriers, walls, doors, doorways, gates, fences, and other metal obstacles all exist on both the ethereal and physical planes.

Normally, this does not cause a problem, but some abilities are affected by ethereal laws. Ghosts and spirits can be trapped by metal structures with no way to escape. A metal doorway that opens on the physical side does not necessarily open on the ethereal side of reality unless it is opened simultaneously on the ethereal side, and they probably don't have the key (a free-floating metal object) on the ethereal side of reality. This is one of the many ways that hauntings can develop.

Lead functions as an anti-magic barrier. Magical and psychic energies can not even pass through lead in any way, shape or form. Lead also prevents magical and psychic energies from flowing freely. Here are some characteristics of lead.

• Lead stats: Absorbsion 3, 8 hit points per inch of thickness.
• It is very soft and can usually be bent by hand or easily scraped away with a knife or even the determined use of a fingernail. It has a very low melting point which a normal flame can easily reach.
• Lead itself is not immune to magical effects.
• Covering a mage or psychic with lead renders him incapable of casting spells. A pair of lead gloves, a lead lined cloak, or lead head covering renders the mage unable to use his abilities. Psychics are only affected by lead head coverings (50% or more).
• Small items such as lead amulets, rings, headbands, or other items do not protect or inhibit magic use at all.
• Tempering lead merely increases the Absorbsion rate to 6.

Theoretically, lead armor and clothing does provide limited protection against magical and psychic effects, but it is so soft and so heavy that such protections are usually futile. For complete protection, someone would have to be covered completely from head to toe in lead without an inch of their body left unprotected. Even then, lead can still be targeted by the spell directly. Lead armor costs 10 times as much to make, possesses 1/3 the normal absorbsion of standard armor, weighs 3 times as much and has 3 times the initiative and mobility penalties as regular armor.

Voidsteel is a heavy, black, sturdy metal. It is heavier than iron but not nearly as heavy as lead. It looks a lot like lead or cast iron but it is darker and possesses almost no reflective qualities unless extremely well polished. The metal is very hard to work with and only the most skilled smiths and craftsmen can work with pure voidsteel. Voidsteel is an inert metal, much like gold, and does not rust or corrode. Additionally, voidsteel is completely incapable if conducting electricity and is an extremely effective magic insulate. It is even capable of restricting the use of Veil Manipulation skills. Voidsteel comes in two forms, common voidsteel and sinksteel. Each comes in various grades.

Voidsteel, regardless of whether it is a free floating metal object or not, is real on both the ethereal and physical planes. Voidsteel weapons can always hit ethereal objects and creatures and can disrupt magicians and psychics. Below are listed the many effects of voidsteel. If a character is using multiple voidsteel items or protections, the protections do not stack. Use the most beneficial effect that is appropriate to the situation. The only trait from voidsteel that is cumulative is the spell failure rate associated with wearing voidsteel.

Voidsteel Traits

• Spell Failure: The percentage chance that the wearer of the voidsteel will experience total spell failure. This effect is cumulative. Lost spells still cost STAM.
• Mental: The AV bonus granted to resisting mind affecting spells and abilities.
• Spell Absorbsion: The amount of magical energy absorbed harmlessly by the voidsteel. There are two numbers. The first applies to AV bonus to resist non-mental spell effects. The second refers to the number of EPOT of spell reduction. Damaging spells are rolled for normally, but the highest rolling die is removed from the total for each EPOT reduction. This benefit also applies to magical weapon attack and damage bonuses.
• Weapons and STAM Drain: Voidsteel weapons can drain STAM from magic users and supernatural creatures. The more powerful the creature's magical abilities, the more STAM that is drained. STAM loss only occurs if an attack inflicts at least 1 point of Medium damage. The creature struck is allowed a FORT(125) test to resist the effect and suffer only half stamina loss. Always use the creature's highest discipline rank to determine STAM loss, and fractional values are always rounded down. If a supernatural creature, including undead creatures, does not have a discipline rank, assume it is a discipline rank 12 creature. This STAM drain does not apply to the Manipulation discipline.
  • Poor: none
  • Fair: target's discipline rank ÷ 5
  • Good: target's discipline rank ÷ 4
  • Excellent: target's discipline rank ÷ 3
  • Purest: target's discipline rank ÷ 2
• Magical Protection Bypass: Voidsteel weapons can bypass magical and psychic protections as if they were not there. Poor quality: 1 EPOT; Fair Quality: 2 EPOT; Good quality: 3 EPOT; Excellent quality: 4 EPOT; Purest quality: 5 EPOT

Specific Voidsteel Items:

• Voidsteel rings have an additional benefit. The mental protection bonus is also added to any Counter casting skill checks against arcanum and shuri spells. Read the Counter spelling HC description for more details.
• Helms and coifs have the same spell absorbsion value as body armor for any projectile spell effects targeted at the head in a called shot.
• Body armor: Has only half the spell absorbsion benefit for attacks targeted at unprotected body parts.

NOTE: Although the Shou Spirit Way is a psuedo-magical skill, voidsteel and sinksteel have no effects against people that study that discipline or can use its special abilities.

Voidsteel Durability

Voidsteel is more durable than regular steel. It's structural strength has a bit more damage absorbsion, and some voidsteel armors provide some extra damage absorbsion to their bearers.

• Poor quality: 12 pts absorbsion
• Fair quality: 14 pts absorbsion
• Good quality: 14 pts absorbsion, +1 bonus to armor abs.
• Excellent quality: 16 pts absorbsion, + 1 bonus to armor abs.
Purest quality: 16 pts absorbsion, +2 bonus to armor abs.

Thracite is an iron-like, inert metal that used to be voidsteel or sinksteel. It is formed after voidsteel or sinksteel experiences sudden and extreme damage or force. The most common way it is made is from sinksteel and voidsteel bullets, and frequently from severely damaged weapons. Ammunition loses its voidsteel and sinksteel capabilities after being fired once. Sages and alchemists theorize the the extreme impact on such a small piece of voidsteel disrupts its unique energy pattern, reducing it to nothing more than the iron like, inert metal called thracite.

Sinksteel is very potent voidsteel. It draws in magical and psychic energies and can even disrupt the abilities of Veil Manipulators too! Merely using these special abilities nearby sinksteel will cause STAM drain. The effect of voidsteel weapons against magicians and psychics is devastating. Sinksteel comes in five different quality grades, just as voidsteel does. Sinksteel is identical to voidsteel in all respects with the following exceptions.

• The smithing difficulty is -10 AV harder than regular voidsteel.
• The counter spelling skill bonus of sinksteel rings is better the benefit of standard voidsteel, granting a +10 AV bonus.
• Sinksteel is even more effective at draining magical energies and can even drain magical items of their charges.

Sinksteel has an area of effect. It will cause STAM drain to anyone or anything that uses magical, psychic, or manipulation abilities within the area of effect. Additionally, anyone who attempts to use abilities that directly target someone that is wearing sinksteel protections will experience STAM drain regardless of the range. A minimum quantity of sinksteel must be present before area effect STAM drain occurs. Larger quantities will possess a larger range.

• Poor (10 lbs): 1 yard + 1 yard per 100 lbs.
• Fair (5 lbs): 1 yards + 1 yard per 50 lbs.
• Good (2 lb): 2 yards + 1 yard per 20 lbs.
• Excellent (1 lb): 2 yards + 1 yard per 10 lbs.
• Purest (8 oz.): 3 yards + 1 yard per 5 lbs.

Sinksteel weapons are also a little more draining when used against magic users, psychics, and supernatural creatures. They are even effective against veil manipulators. Against manipulators, these weapons have standard STAM drain described in the voidsteel section. Against magic users, psychics, and supernatural creatures, they are even a little more powerful. Sinksteel weapons (and other objects, for that matter) can also drain charges out of magical items when they come in contact. They do not have any effect upon permanent magical items with continual effects except 1 EPOT per charge rating is negated while the sinksteel and magical item are in contact.

Sinksteel draining effect

• Poor: Target's Discipline rank ÷ 5, 1 charge
• Fair: Target's Discipline rank ÷ 4, 2 charges
• Good: Target's Discipline rank ÷ 3, 3 charges
• Excellent: Target's Discipline rank ÷ 2, 4 charges
• Purest: Target's Discipline rank ÷ 1, 5 charges