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Feanor_Karnil
Learned Scribe
USA
132 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Dec 2002 : 20:56:03
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I was asked that question some days ago and I honestly had no answer.
I know of the qualities of mithril and how awesome it is but, adamantium is awesome stuff as well.
I believe that mithril is better only because I know of it better than adamantium.
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We live in a bleak world my friend, where heroes are few and shadows stalk us around every corner.
-Mikai Daerni |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2002 : 23:40:15
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I may be quite incorrect here, but I believe Mithril to be the better of the two. Im not sure where (or even if!) I read it, but Mitril is more tough and hardy, it is also much more rare and harder to work with, hense the value and lack of it (where armor etc. is concerned).
Ok, you can start your flood of "youre wrong" posts now  |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Rellen Amostirren
Acolyte
United Kingdom
26 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2002 : 00:14:34
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Me I prefer Darksteel but hey I like to be different 
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"Stealing teeth and still leaving folks with a smile!!" |
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Salius Kai
Learned Scribe
USA
217 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2002 : 17:23:16
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| I'm going to say Mithril only because I like it better. I have no proof and/or logic behind my answer. |
"Welcome to these walls of infinite knowledge."
Salius Kai |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 24 Dec 2002 : 18:15:57
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| I believe there might be something on this in Magic of Faerun... but IMHO it depends on the use; paper makes is better then stone when it comes to books, and steel is better then bronze when it comes to swords... For some applications Mithril is probably better suited, for others Adamantine... |
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Minardil
Acolyte
Finland
18 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2003 : 17:15:18
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I prefer mithril. Have you ever nailed someone against wall from his clothes with 10 mithril throwing daggers? It's niiice...
Adamantium isn't stylish. |
Can we not be friends? After all, our dust shall be equal in the end. |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1287 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2003 : 17:48:50
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I may be quite incorrect here, but I believe Mithril to be the better of the two. Im not sure where (or even if!) I read it, but Mitril is more tough and hardy, it is also much more rare and harder to work with, hense the value and lack of it (where armor etc. is concerned).
Ok, you can start your flood of "youre wrong" posts now
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Well I was always of the understanding that Adamantite was the strongest and most magical metal to use. BUt here, Judge for yourself:
ADAMANTINE:
" Weapons made of Adamantine have a natural enhancement bonus as listed on pg 242 of the DMG. Adamantine (remember Adamantium is from Marvel Comics
adamantine weighs as much as steel, has hardness 20, and 40 hp's per inch of thickness
MITHRIL:
No natural enhancement bonus,
BUT: All armour is one size category lower, ALL arcane failure percentages decrease by 10%, MAX dex bonus increases by 2, and armouor check penalty decreases by 3.
Mithral is half the weight of steel and has Hardness 15, and 30 HP's per inch of thickness.
STEEL (for comparison)
Well they give Iron in the DMG but Steel is an alloy of Iron and Carbon so:
Hardness 10, H.p's 30 h.p.'s per inch of thickness
As someone said early, it depends on WHAT you are using it for. If you are a Half-orc you probably want your greatsword made of Adamantine. If you are bladesinger, you want it made from Mithral.
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A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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branmakmuffin
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2003 : 18:15:27
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From The Lands of Intrigue sourcebook, in a discussion about Amnish colloquialisms (book 2, page 6)
Strangely, an adamantine item is taken to be of less
worth (in conversation only) than a mithral one, though
the former is more valuable on the actual market. Adaman-
tine items, however, are alloyed with steel, and mithral ones
are usually pure metal, hence the distinction in speech.
Some book or other also has a despription of the differences among "adamantite" (I'm prettty sure that's the raw ore), "adamantium" and "adamantine".
Wolverine's skeleton and Captain America's shield are made of adamantium. |
Edited by - branmakmuffin on 21 Apr 2003 21:08:35 |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2003 : 19:27:45
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Bookwyrm absently speaks up from where he is sitting.
No, Wolverine's was laced with adamantium. His bones were still there after the operation. (For those of you who don't know, he wasn't a willing participant -- this thing hurt.) But since it's the strongest alloy known, it is as if his skeleton was all metal.
Bookwyrm suddenly stops, and looks up with some surprise on his face.
Wait -- how did I get here? I thought I was on Toril, not the Marvel Universe . . . . |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Zacas
Learned Scribe
USA
261 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2003 : 20:04:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
No, Wolverine's was laced with adamantium. His bones were still there after the operation. (For those of you who don't know, he wasn't a willing participant -- this thing hurt.)
Hmm... Depends on WHICH time you were talking of... the second time he got adamantium (after magneto tore it out of WOlvie's body... years back in the fatal attractions storyline... the second time he was willing to get it to prevent Sabretooth from becoming Apocalypse's Horseman of Death... hehe :P but enough of the marvel stuff people... |
I am like a superhero, with no powers or motivation.
I have gone to find myself. If I get back before I return, please keep me here.
People like you are the reason people like me are on medication. |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1287 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2003 : 20:29:56
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Because I am 100% geeky all the way around. Wolverines CLAWS are Pure adamantium, and Captain America's shield is an alloy of Adamantium and Vibranium (which gives it that great ricochet!)
Of course we have ULTRON the robot who is made of pure adamantium. Even Thor had trouble with him. |
A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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branmakmuffin
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2003 : 21:21:07
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mournblade94:
quote:
Because I am 100% geeky all the way around. Wolverines CLAWS are Pure adamantium, and Captain America's shield is an alloy of Adamantium and Vibranium (which gives it that great ricochet!)
Of course we have ULTRON the robot who is made of pure adamantium. Even Thor had trouble with him.
(aaargh, mournblade ... Captain America's shield ... right again ...  , aarrgh)
I'm almost positive adamantite is the ore. Maybe "adamantine" is just the adjective used to describe items made from an alloy of adamantite and steel, or maybe it actually is the word for the metal made from adamantite and steel.
Since steel is already an alloy, maybe adamantine is an alloy of iron, carbon and admantite? Maybe adamantium is metal made from unalloyed adamantite.
Maybe, maybe, maybe.
Dredging up 1e again, I'm pretty sure only adamant<whatever> weapons could be enchanted to +5. Mithral was limited to +4 or +3 (probably +4).
Does the material "adamant" exist in FR/D&D? I believe Galadriel's ring was made of "purest adamant", so it must exist im Middle Earth (unless mournblade proves me wrong ). |
Edited by - branmakmuffin on 21 Apr 2003 21:28:32 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2003 : 06:55:18
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Greetings,
mournblade94 said - quote:
Because I am 100% geeky all the way around. Wolverines CLAWS are Pure adamantium, and Captain America's shield is an alloy of Adamantium and Vibranium (which gives it that great ricochet!)
Remember, Wolverines claws were adamantium laced, just like the rest of his skeleton. The claws were actually made of bone and were a natural part of his mutations. After the adamantium had been torn from his body, he was forced to use the bone claws in combat (and yes, they could be broken like other bones, but grew back because of his healing factor).
But, as to the question of which is better, mithril or adamantite - well I prefer making my campaign weapons mithril based, it seems more graceful than adamantite, and also because I very rarely use large weapons such as axes or greatswords that are sometimes made from adamantite. Besides all my favorite Realms characters use mithril weapons.
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Edited by - The Sage on 22 Apr 2003 06:59:12 |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1287 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2003 : 16:37:46
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Thank you sage, that is correct I stopped reading X-men after Magneto shredded Wolverine (not due to story due to lack of money)
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A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2003 : 18:08:41
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IIRC Mithril/Mithral was prized almost as much for its readiness to accept enchantment as it was for its durability and lightness.
Adamantine weapons are usually harder than Mithril/Mithral ones but lack the ease of enchantment.
Elves usually prefer Mithril/Mithral and the subterranean races seem to prefer Adamantine. If memory serves there was a whole section on the two in Volo's Guide to All Things Magical... "hmmm let me see"
*rifles thru some scrolls*
"Aha found it"
From Volo's Guide to All Things Magical:
Adamant: This is the pure metal form of the hard, jet-black
ferromagnetic ore known as adamantite, from which the famous
alloy adamantine is made. Adamant is rarely found in nature, but
when it is, it is always be in large spherical pockets in hardened
volcanic flows.
Adamant is one of the hardest substances known on Toril, but
it is also brittle. A sword made of adamant could slice through
most metalsóbut would snap off if struck by another blade or
even a smartly wielded wooden cudgel. It sees use in Faer°n only
in dwarven experimentation50 and in styluses used to etch metal
with names, strike chased ornamentation, and imprint inscriptions.
Such a stylus shatters if dropped to the floor, though the
chips can be used to scratch things. Adamant styluses typically
costs 35 to 50 gp, if one can be found at all; Waterdeep and the
Great Rift of the dwarves are the best places to shop for one.
Adamant is a gleaming, glossy black. Any reflections seen in it
acquire rainbow edges, and this peculiar optical property is the
sure-fire way to identify this surprisingly light, valuable metal.
Adamant is worth five times its weight in gold and takes enchantments
readily. Some dwarves have worked together with human
wizards to make adamant plate armor bound about with enchantments
so that when it shatters, the pieces hang together around the
wearer, providing someóalbeit flawedóprotection. Specifically,
adamant shields against all fire and heat, magical or nonmagical,that it comes in contact with, so a wearer of adamant armor can
stride through a small fire (one which still allows him the use of
some oxygen to breathe) unscathed and even emerge from a fireball
blast suffering only 1d6 points of damage from fiery damage to
exposed areas. Items made primarily of adamant automatically succeed
in all item saving throws vs. normal fire, cold, and electricity.
They receive a +6 bonus to all item saving throws vs. magical fire
and a +4 bonus to all item saving throws vs. acid, disintegration,
and lightning. Unless items are enchanted to compensate for
adamantís brittle nature, however, they receive a -4 penalty on all
item saving throws vs. crushing blow and fall.
Adamantine: This alloy, of five-eighths adamant to two-eighths
silver and one-eighth electrum (itself a natural alloy of silver and
gold) retains the hardness of adamant, but combines it with a
rugged durability that makes adamantine so hard to shatter that it
is the favored substance for the making of war hammer heads, the
best nonmithral armor, and harbor chains. (By one of the miracles
granted by the gods, adamantine can also be derived by combining
steel and mithralóif one knows how.51) Adamantine is
black, but has a clear green sheen in candlelightóa sheen that
sharpens to purple-white under the light given off by most magical
radiances and by will-oí-wisps.
Adamantine is tricky to make, and must be forged and worked
at very high temperatures by smiths who know exactly what theyare doing and who have access to special oils to slake and temper
the hot metal in. Almost all such expert smiths are dwarves, as the
Deep Folk guard the secrets of working adamant jealously, but a
priest or wizard seeking to enchant items can make use of finished
adamantine items and need not necessarily have to work
with a smith to create an adamantine work anew.
Adamantine readily takes enchantments, adding a +2 bonus to
all saving throws of awakening, enchant an item, holy vesting, and
wondrous web spells cast upon it. It is often the primary material
for enchanted armors.
Items made primarily of adamantine automatically succeed in
all item saving throws vs. normal fire, cold, and electricity. They
receive a +4 bonus to all item saving throws vs. acid, crushing
blow, disintegration, fall, magical fire, and lightning.
Mithral: Known as truemetal to the dwarves, this silvery-blue,
shining metal is derived from soft, glittering, silvery-black ore
found in rare veins and pockets all over Faer°nófrom the depths
of the Underdark to surface rocks, particularly in the easternmost
Sword Coast North lands. Mithral can be combined with steel
(varying alloys of iron and carbon) to derive adamantine if one has
no access to adamantite ore, but this process is both difficult and
known only to a very few dwarves, who do not perform it for
nondwarves unless there is a very good reason.
Mithral is the lightest and most supple of metals hard enough
to be used in the making of armor; it is extremely valuable. Against
magical attacks, it has an unpredictable nature: Whenever magic
contacts it, roll 1d12. On an odd result, it does nothing; on an even
result, it alters the magic, either giving a +1 saving throw bonus to
beings very nearby (in other words, the wearer of mithral armor)
or lessening damage done by the magic by 1 point per die. (The
result more favorable to the mithral wearer or bearer should be
chosen.)
Items made primarily of mithral automatically succeed in all
item saving throws vs. normal fire, cold, and electricity. Theyreceive a +2 bonus to all item saving throws vs. acid, disintegration,
magical fire, and lightning and a +6 bonus to all item saving
throws vs. crushing blow and fall.
Oh and by the way, there were 2 kinds of Vibranium in the Marvel Universe. Wakandan (Wakanda is the African country ruled by the Black Panther a sometime ally of the Avengers) Vibranium and Antarctic both with completely different properties. The Wakandan type absorbs vibration (Captain America's shield contains this kind which explains why Cap can block things like Thor's hammer with the shield and not end up on Mars) The Antarctic version causes metal to liquify without heat in it's presence IIRC.
Looks like we need to rename Candlekeep to Geeks 'R' Us 
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Artalis
Email
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Edited by - Artalis on 22 Apr 2003 18:19:03 |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1287 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2003 : 19:03:04
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That's pretty awesome artalis! I only thought there was Wakandan Vibranium.
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A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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branmakmuffin
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2003 : 19:22:49
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Off-topicality ahead.
Artalis:
quote:
<snip>
From Volo's Guide to All Things Magical:
Mithral:
<snip>
Against magical attacks, it has an unpredictable nature: Whenever magic contacts it, roll 1d12. On an odd result, it does nothing; on an even result, it alters the magic, either giving a +1 saving throw bonus to beings very nearby (in other words, the wearer of mithral armor) or lessening damage done by the magic by 1 point per die. (The
result more favorable to the mithral wearer or bearer should be
chosen.)
<snip>
Oh, the wacky arbitrariness of 2e.
Just say "There's a 50% chance" or "Roll any die". |
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Mournblade
Master of Realmslore
USA
1287 Posts |
Posted - 23 Apr 2003 : 00:50:26
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Oh, the wacky arbitrariness of 2e
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Well Bran there you go! I have to agree with you 100% The 2e had far too many conflicting rules, and far too many rules made for random situations. Now in 3e at least there is a standard to measure things by.
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A wizard is Never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he Early. A wizard arrives precisely when he means to... |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 23 Apr 2003 : 07:07:45
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quote:
Originally posted by branmakmuffin
Off-topicality ahead.
And behind.
quote:
Oh, the wacky arbitrariness of 2e.
Just say "There's a 50% chance" or "Roll any die".
That's just what I was thinking when I read it. On any die there's an equal chance of an even or odd result. Why be so complicated?
I've thought this with many other dies in this game. d10? Why not just use a d20 and divide by two? Or the opposite. Same with d6 and d12.
Now, this isn't a peeve of mine, and I'm not proposing changing things. It's just something that had been going through my mind when I learned about this stuff. I was just reminded of this, that's all. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Which is better? Mithril or Adamantium.
