SKYM ETAL
Rules for the seven types of skymetal are detailed below,
along with the school of magic, virtue, and sin that
Thassilonians associated with each. Unless otherwise
noted, skymetal has hardness and hit points identical to
that of steel. Items without metal parts cannot be made
with skymetal.
Abysium: Known also as feverstone (a somewhat
misleading name, as abysium is a metal like all the
others), this glowing, blue-green substance can be a
source of great energy. However, it also causes those
who spend extended amounts of time near it to grow ill
and die unless proper precautions are taken. Abysium
is associated with conjuration magic, zeal, and sloth.
Abysium functions as steel when used to craft weapons
and armor, but anyone who carries or wears abysium
arms or armor becomes sickened for as long as the gear
is carried or worn, plus an additional 1d4 hours after it
is removed. Likewise, a character in an area with heavy
concentrations of abysium becomes sickened as long as he
Temains in the area. This is a poison effect. In Thassilon,
Initial Shard Location Knowledge DC
Magnimar DC 10
I res pan DC 12
Lady’s Light DC 14
Kaer Maga DC 14
Windsong Abbey DC 20
Guiltspur DC 25
Guiltspur DC 25
wealthy lords often built manacles or prison bars out of
Abysium in order to keep their prisoners debilitated.
Weapons and armor made from abysium glow with
an intensity equal to that of a candle. Scholars have long
debated where the glow and associated sickening effect
come from, but most agree that the source of the power
comes from the Abyss itself, due to the nature of the
energy contained in abysium. Pure or properly refined
abysium produces this energy in a way that can be
harnessed by arcane engines and technologies to generate
energy sources strong enough to power extensive magical
creations like golems, traps, or magical items the size of
buildings. Most secrets of harnessing this power have
long been lost, but as the Shattered Star Adventure Path
continues, the PCs will have many chances to learn more
about this dangerous technology.
Abysium can also be powdered and alchemically
distilled with other rare catalysts and chemicals to form a
much more potent toxin. It was in this form that the metal
was most traditionally used in ancient Thassilon. A pound
of Abysium is enough to make 1 dose of abysium powder.
Abysium Powder: Poison-ingested; save Fortitude DC
18; onset 10 minutes; frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes;
effect 1d4 Con plus nausea; cure 2 saves; cost 900 gp.
Adamantine: The most commonly known starmetal,
adamantine is extremely strong and favored by weapon
and armor smiths alike for its ability to cut through solid
barriers with ease and endure heavy blows. In ancient
Thassilon, adamantine was most often associated with
transmutation magic, generosity, and greed, for it was the
most valuable of the skymetals (although not the rarest).
Adamantine is detailed on page 154 of the Pathfinder RPG
Core Rulebook.
Djezet: One of the strangest of the seven known types
of skymetal, rust-red djezet is liquid at all temperatures.
This makes the metal relatively useless for crafting metal
objects (although many gifted metallurgists, such as Xin
himself, have had some success creating djezet alloys),
but most who seek out this metal intend to use it instead
as an additional material component for spellcasting,
since it possesses an ability to enhance magic. Djezet is
associated with enchantment magic, love, and lust. Used
as an additional material component, a dose of djezet
increases the effective level of a spell by +1, as if it were
being modified by the Heighten Spell feat. In order to
function as an additional material component, the
spellcaster must use a number of doses of djezet equal
to the spell’s level-additional djezet used beyond this
amount does nothing. Djezet costs 200 gp per dose.
Horacalcum: The rarest of the known skymetals, this
dull, coppery substance warps time around it, making
things seem to speed up or slow down. Horacalcum is
associated with illusion magic, humility, and pride.
Almost never found in amounts greater than a pound,
horacalcum is the same weight and density as steel, but is
much more durable. A weapon made of horacalcum gains
a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls (ammunition
can be made of horacalcum, but does not grant any
bonus on attack rolls). An entire suit of armor made
from this rare metal is fantastically expensive, but since
a suit of horacalcum armor simultaneously allows its
wearer to react more quickly while perceiving time
more slowly, some consider the cost justifiable. A suit of
light horacalcum armor grants a +1 bonus on Initiative
checks, medium horacalcum armor grants a +2 bonus on
Initiative checks, and heavy horacalcum armor grants a
+3 bonus on Initiative checks. Weapons and armor made
of horacalcum are always of masterwork quality-the
masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Weapons and armor made of horacalcum have onefourth
more hit points than normal. Horacalcum has
30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 15.
A weapon made of horacalcum costs +6,ooo gp. Light
armor costs +Io,ooo gp, medium armor +3o,ooo gp, and
heavy armor +6o,ooo gp.
Inubrix: This metal’s structure allows it to pass
through iron and steel without touching them, seemingly
shifting in and out of phase with reality. This quality
earned the pale metal the nickname “ghost iron.” Inubrix
is associated with necromancy magic, temperance, and
gluttony. Inubrix is the softest of the solid skymetals,
being only slightly less malleable than lead. It doesn’t
function well for crafting armor as a result, and though
inubrix weapons can penetrate most metal armors with
relative ease, the weapons tend to break easily. Inubrix
has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 5·
An inubrix weapon deals damage as if it were one size
category smaller than its actual size, and is always treated
as if it had the broken condition. It ignores all armor or
shield bonuses granted by iron or steel armor or shields.
Inubrix weapons cannot damage these materials at all
(and, by extension, cannot harm iron golems or similar
creatures). An inubrix weapon costs +s,ooo gp.
Noqual: Noqual looks almost like a pale green crystal
to the untrained eye, but can be worked as iron despite
its appearance. It is associated with abjuration magic,
charity, and envy. No qual is light-half as heavy as iron,
yet just as strong. More importantly, no qual is strangely
resistant to magic. An object made of noqual gains a
+4 bonus on any saving throw made against a magical
source. Creating a magic item that incorporates any
amount of no qual into it increases the price of creation
by s,ooo gp, as costly reagents and alchemical supplies
must be used to treat the metal during the process.
Weapons made of no qual weigh half as much as normal,
and gain a +1 enhancement bonus on damage rolls
against constructs and undead created by feats or spells.
N oqual armor weighs half as much as other armors of its
type, and is treated as one category lighter than normal
for the purposes of movement and other limitations
(light armor is still treated as light armor, though). The
armor’s maximum Dexterity bonus increases by 2, and
armor check penalties are reduced by 3· The armor’s spell
failure chance increases by 20% and applies to all magic
cast while wearing the armor, regardless of the magic’s
source or class abilities possessed by the wearer. The
wearer of a suit of noqual armor gains a +2 resistance
bonus on all saving throws against spells and spell-like
abilities.
Noqual has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and
hardness 10. Noqual ore is worth so gp per pound. A suit
of noqual light armor costs +4,000 gp, medium armor
+8,ooo gp, and heavy armor +12 ,ooo gp. A shield costs
+2 ,ooo gp, and a weapon or other item +soo gp.
Siccatite: This shining silver metal is either incredibly
hot or freezing cold when found. Siccatite is associated
with evocation magic, wrath, and kindness. As of yet,
scholars have not determined whether siccatite is
actually two similarly hued metals or a single type that
determines its own temperature via some unknown
process. When raw siccatite is found, it has a so% chance of
being hot siccatite; otherwise, it’s cold siccatite. Physical
contact with siccatite deals 1 point of energy damage each
round (either fire or cold, as appropriate). Hot siccatite
can eventually ignite objects, and cold siccatite in water
quickly surrounds itself with a 1-foot-thick shell of ice. A
weapon made of siccatite deals +1 point of damage of the
appropriate energy type each time it strikes a foe, but also
deals 1 point of the same energy damage to the wielder
each round it is used in combat. Likewise, siccatite armor
deals 1 point of energy damage per round to a creature
wearing it, and deals 1 point of energy damage each full
round a creature is grappled by someone wearing siccatite
armor. Cold siccatite armor grants fire resistance 5, while
hot siccatite armor grants cold resistance 5· (The type of
armor does not alter the amount of resistance granted.)
Weapons made of siccatite cost +I,ooo gp. Armor made of
siccatite costs +6,ooo gp.