Shadesteel

History

A rare metal found in the mountains near the city of Valensir that is highly coveted by smiths of the world. It is ten times stronger than normal steel and has anti-magical properties. It is difficult to work with and very expensive. It resists magic because it is very dense, like lead, and Flow cannot penetrate the metal.

Shadesteel first appeared in Arak in the year 678 RE, on Lekaren 41, when a Wellspring erupted, transmuting a species of wild berry known as Shadeberries. The berries took on a metallic appearance and when smelted, produced a metal harder than steel. This was quite unfortunate for the first few unsuspecting travelers who picked a berry and broke their teeth on them.

These Shadesteel berry bushes occur naturally only in northern Arak, and while they are not rare, the Shadesteel berries take a very long time to grow back, thus making it one of the most highly sought after materials in the world.

Some Elves who were alive before the eruption that transmuted the Shadeberries have expressed disappointment, remarking that the berries themselves were delicious and used widely in Arakian cuisine.

Properties

D&D 5e Game Terms

Shadesteel has the following properties in D&D 5th Edition.

• Weapons crafted from Shadesteel double the damage bonus from all attacks, have a critical range of 18-20, and ignore defenses provided by spells and magical effects, such as Mage Armor and Shield. These weapons are non-magical.
• Armor crafted from Shadesteel provides an additional +2 AC on top of the base AC provided by the armor type. It also provides resistance to spells cast at the user. Armor crafted from Shadesteel is non-magical.
• Shields crafted from Shadesteel provide an additional +1 AC on top of the base AC provided by the shield type. It also provides resistance to damage from ranged attacks (magical or not). Shields crafted from Shadesteel are non-magical.

Type

Metal