Author Topic: Ways to improve items nonmagically in 3.5 and Pathfinder  (Read 1265 times)

Offline Toptomcat

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • **
  • Posts: 153
  • I'm new!
    • View Profile
Ways to improve items nonmagically in 3.5 and Pathfinder
« on: March 09, 2022, 02:40:36 PM »
I'm looking for ways to customize and improve items in a nonmagical way. So far I have:

PF:

* Garden-variety masterwork

* Special materials

* Weapon and Armor Modifications

* Use of a whetstone

* The custom weapon creation system

* Create Enhanced Firearm

Third-party:

Technician and Blacksmith class features (SoP)

Hone Weapon (PoW)

3.5:

Dwarvencraft items (Races of Stone)

Dragoncraft items (Draconomicon)

Artisan Craftsman qualities (Dragon #358)

3.5 second party:

Master class features (War of the Lance)

What else is out there?

Offline Skyrock

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1790
    • View Profile
Re: Ways to improve items nonmagically in 3.5 and Pathfinder
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2022, 02:46:29 PM »
3.5 1st party:
- Soul Knife (Mind Blade feature)
- PrC Forest Reeve (Earth's Defender feature)
- PrC Kensai (Signature Weapon feature)

Offline Power

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ***
  • Posts: 687
  • Rolling a boulder up a hill
    • View Profile
Re: Ways to improve items nonmagically in 3.5 and Pathfinder
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2022, 03:10:34 PM »
PF 1st party:
« Last Edit: March 09, 2022, 03:15:09 PM by Power »

Offline kitep

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1947
  • Lookout World!
    • View Profile
Re: Ways to improve items nonmagically in 3.5 and Pathfinder
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2022, 02:50:39 AM »
In 3.5, you have Masterwork, Adamantine, Mithril, Cold Iron, Silver.

Arandur - Magic of Faerun
Astral Driftmetal - Planar Handbook
Aurorum - Book of Exalted Deeds (this might be magical, but I don't think it is)
Baatorian Green Steel - Fiendish Codex
Blended Quartz - Arms & Equipment Guide
Blood Glass - Secrets of Xen'drik
Blue Ice - Frostburn
Bluewood - Unapproachable East
Bone/Stone - DMG, Arms & Equipment Guide - actually worse, not better, but still different
Bronze - DMG, Arms & Equipment Guide - again, worse but different
Bronzewood - Eberron Campaign Setting, A&EG
Byeshk - Eberron Campaign Setting
Calomel - Magic of Eberron
Camouflage Dye - Races of Faerun
Chameleoweave - Magic of Eberron
Chitin - Races of the Dragon
Colored Metal - Races of the Dragon
Copper, Alchemical - Magic of Faerun
Crystal Deep - Expanded Psionics Handbook, Secrets of Sarlona
Crystal, Mundane - Expanded Psionics Handbook
Cyrite - Player's Guide to Eberron (I think this is actually a magical substance)
Darkleaf, Elven - Eberron Campaign Setting, A&EG
Darksteel - Magic of Faerun
Darkwood - DMG
Densewood - Eberron Campaign Setting

Others: Dlarun, Dolweave, Dragonbone Bow, Dragonfang Weapon, Dragonhide, Duskwood, Elukian Claw, Entropium, Ferroplasm, Fever Iron, Flametouched Iron, Frystalline, Gehennan Morghuth-Iron, Glassteel, Gold Alchemical, Hizagkuur, Jade, Kheferu, Leafweave, Livewood, Living Metal, Obdurium, Obsidian, Pandemonic Silver, Pearlsteel, Alchemical Platinum, Purple Mournlode, Razorfeather Ammunition, Riedran Crysteel, Rimefire Ice, Riverine, Sentira, Serren, Solanian True Steel, Soarwood, Starmetal, Stygian Ice, Susalian Chainweave, Targath, Thinaun, Thistledown Suit, Touchstone Blade, Urdrukar, Wildwood, Ysgardian Heartwire

Some of these may be magical. I was copying from the Encyclopedia Vinculum Draconis and stopped reading the descriptions after the first several. Except for "masterwork", these are all special materials.






Offline Nanashi

  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 358
  • it means "he who has no name" in a foreign tongue.
    • View Profile
Re: Ways to improve items nonmagically in 3.5 and Pathfinder
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2022, 01:12:19 PM »
I think this kind of thing showed up a few times as module rewards in the various living campaigns (Living Greyhawk, PFS etc.) but they virtually always have no cost listed and are unplayable unless given to you. PFS 6-08 (which has a few improvements that can be made to firearms, again with no given cost beyond module reward) is the only one I can think of specifically.

Otherwise, Pathfinder's weapon blanches. 3.5 Psionics with non transparency rules (which are not recommended) technically counts as non-magical but obviously isn't what you want.
« Last Edit: March 10, 2022, 01:14:20 PM by Nanashi »

Offline snakeman830

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1091
  • BG's resident furry min/maxer
    • View Profile
Re: Ways to improve items nonmagically in 3.5 and Pathfinder
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2022, 12:09:30 PM »
Don't forget Shadowsilk from Tome of Magic!
"When life gives you lemons, fire them back at high velocity."