Steel-bronze

Steel-bronze is an alloy of unknown composition used by long-forgotten smiths to forge fine armour and weapons. It's lighter, stronger and harder than ordinary steels and is a silvery-bronze color. Close study of the material reveals that it's fashioned out of many hundreds of individual strands of metal bonded together.

Examining a steel-bronze item with Detect Magic reveals that several threads of dormant magic are interleaveds with the strands of metal. The magic is sufficiently different to the magic used in present times that spells such as Indentify do not reveal nor unlock the magic properties.

Known properties

Items made of steel-bronze are:

• Masterwork (-1 to armour check penalty for armour)
• 75% the weight of the equivalent steel item (+1 to maximum dex bonus for armour, -1 to armour check penalty)

Level I

A wizard can spent time investigating a steel-bronze item to unlock the magic. A week in a well equipped laboratory and a successful spellcraft roll (DC 20) is required. Each week expends 250 gp worth of materials. The DC and cost of the materials may be reduced if the researcher has access to relevant notes etc.

• +1 enhancement bonus.

Level II

An additional week of research reveals more properties on a further successful spellcraft check (DC 25). Each week of this more advanced research costs 1000 gp in materials.

• Keen or equivalent (weapons)
• +2 enhancement bonus (armour)
• Bashing (shield)
• Cold iron is one of the constituent metals in the alloy.

Level III

An further week of research reveals more properties on a successful spellcraft check (DC 30). Each week of this researchs costs 4000 gp in materials.

• +1d6 electrical damage (weapons)
• Electrical resistance 10 (armour)
• Arrow Catching (shield)