Iron resists enchantment strongly. Weapons of pure iron (not
steel) cannot be enchanted normally.
Steel, being of course iron with added carbon, can be enchanted
to the most common degree without difficulty, but higher degrees of
enchantment are usually not possible for common steel. The vast
majority of nonmagical metal weapons are made of steel.
Gold and silver are unsuitable for weaponmaking in pure
form, but curiously both are easy to enchant. This leads to their use
in alloy form, as described below.
Mithril is a mysterious metal, similar to silver in appearance
and rustproof, but hard and resilient as the finest steel. This metal
is produced only by the elves; even the most learned of dwarves do not
know where it comes from. Many suspect that mithril is some sort of
alloy, but if this is so no smith or sage has been able to reduce it
to its components. Damaged mithril items must be repaired by an elven
smith; any other smith will fail to work with the metal, not knowing
its secret. Like the silver it resembles, mithril may be enchanted to the
highest degree.
Adamantite is a darker metal, mined from deep veins by dwarves.
It is harder than steel and rustproof, but does not hold quite as fine
an edge. Adamantite resists enchantment to the same degree as steel.
Orichalc is an alloy created by an alchemical process.
It is already enchanted when created, and may be alloyed with steel
by an expert weaponsmith to create magic weapons.
Silver or gold may be alloyed with steel for the making of weapons (though
this may be done for armor also, it is strangely rare).
Silversteel or goldsteel may be enchanted to moderate levels, and both are
resistant to rust (but not proof against it).
Dwarfmetal is a steel alloy which is very rust resistant,
strong and resilient. Its making is not as mysterious as mithril, but
the process is expensive. Dwarfmetal is capable of being enchanted to
moderate levels, but due to the expense is rarely if ever made into
armor.
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