Dungeons & Dragons: Complete Guide to Metals 

Always had trouble researching the more rare and unique metals within DND lore, so a big thanks for this AJ! Greatly appreciated.

I think I’ve learned more about geology and mimerology from this video than I did my actual geology class.

In addition to any natural magical metals I rather like to go with magical metals based on the seven classical metals, these are alchemicly created from the base metals and are not mined, they are known as "Perfected Metals" and are are valuable in the extreme. They are only made by the most skilled alchemist/mage, and take time and effort, philosopher stones are a great help. All Perfected Metals are immune to all but the most extreme or specialized acids. Orichalcum (Perfected Gold): Associated with fire, the sun, ruler-ship/divine right, power generation, and hurts any kind of fiend or creature vulnerable to sunlight. The metal is immune to fire and has the same hardness of mythril. Looks like slightly more reddish gold Lunargent (Perfected Silver): Associated with cold, the moon, purity (from evil), and divine (good) power hurts anything vulnerable to silver, has basic stats of mythril. The metal immune to cold. Looks like slightly more blueish silver Hermium (Perfected Mercury): Associated with psychic power, divine (chaotic) power, healing magic, and is bizarre possessing both super fluid an self adherence properties (a mass of it wont easily be separated from the whole and its not too difficult to bottle). Psychics can be mold the metals shape with their mind, giving it hardness and sharpness when they focus on it, the metal can be enchanted to take several programed shapes by normal people. Hermium is not poisonous, but refining it can be very dangerous because Mercury is, and part of creating magically removes the spiritual taint of poison which can effect the alchemist. Hermium looks like liquid mercury with a constantly rippling effect, and when hardened into a shape has the same stats as steel, but if destroyed it can simply reshape itself. Kypris (Perfected Copper) (also known as Brontium): Associated with conductivity, electricity, arcane technology and divine (law) power. Kypris is a super conductor of electricity, heat, and even mystical/psychic energy. Kypris has the same basic stats as steel, but with twice the hit points, and is immune to electricity. Looks like the soft green of rusted copper, but metallic. Kassiterum (Perfected Tin) (Also known as Zinnteros): Associated with Sound/music, summoning, aid, divine (neutral) power, and purification. Kassiterum has the hardness of adamantium, but not the sharpness and the material itself is immune to sonic attacks. Kassiterum can hurt aberrations, by passing their damage reduction. Kassiterum is soft pure white, never has any inclusions, and make the purest sounds with struck. Apeiron (Perfected Lead) (Aka Thanatite, Khronicum, or Stygium): Associated with death (and undeath), curses, the ethereal plane, divine (evil) power. Aperion has the same basic stats as steel, and has natural ghost touch ability and can block all sorts of natural and supernatural radiation very effectively. Apeiron is dull grey, nearly identical looking to normal lead. Siderite (Perfected Iron): Associated with strength and sharpness, resilience, penetration, space, and defiance to magic. Forging Siderite can only be done with magic and difficulty. Siderite has the same basic stats and counts as Adamantine, though is slightly lighter than steel and has twice the hit points, in addition counts as cold wrot iron as well and will hurt any fae regardless of normal resistances. Siderite is a memory metal, and when bent or warped it will flex itself back to its proper shape unless special magic is used to shape it, it will never dull. Much like cold wrot iron, Siderite is hard to enchant (+2500gp cost to enchant), but makes potent items once it is done. Siderite is a dull mat black, not even metallic looking. There are/can be others, but they are much rarer, such as perfected: cobalt, salt, jade, and sulfur. Also for fantasy games I like to use a "Gnomish Ceramic" that gnomes make from secret materials and dragon bones... or dragon relatives, like Kobolds. Believe it or not this is the condensed version >.>

Listening to this made me want to see a mockumentary about a D&D mining operation like those on Discovery Channel. "Can a motley crew of kobolds, dwarves, and humans work together to bring in the mother lode?" (It would be filmed by elves, naturally)

Fun fact native peoples in The Amazon basin had mined and worked platinum pre European contact. The Spanish thought the platinum was worthless and frequently dumped it in their search for gold.

It is a house rule of mine that lead has a strong antimagic effect

For a guy that grew up making several tools, knives, and an oversized splitting maul, some of these magical metals me wish we had more options. Fell in love with Mithril from The Hobit, and was jealous of Bilbo for walking through that mountain that had several Mithril treasures in those hords. Screw the gold, I would be happy with a knife made of that!

For some reason I first read the title as "A simple guide to meals" and decided to put it on my list to view during lunch. I was a bit confused at first, before I read the title again. 🤣

AJ, excellent overview! I've been DMing for 30 years, and building my universe for that long. Yet, have largely overlooked many aspects of mining. You just gave tons of ideas... Cheers; Janos

My hometown had a quick silver mine (mercury). I've just been assuming since either the dwarven gods or celestia video where we learn about moradins wife that truesilver is aping the naming convention of quicksilver. This video proves that right. Now we need magic wood/mushrooms for all the ironwood lovers.

OMG AJ. Videos like this are a dream for us world builders. Please make more like this about fields and practices overlooked but fundamental to past societies. So useful and informative!!

Medieval fantasy-based industry is always one of my favorite topics to touch on when my players decide to converse with the local merchants or villagers. It's a perfect opportunity to drop some tidbits of information on how adamantite is forged or mined, or what tools and practices are employed in pulling it out of the ground. So many opportunities to build lore in a logical way, and the information makes your players feel more grounded, and gives them ideas on where they may want to go in the future.

I appreciate the fact that you try to incorporate all editions and yet still manage to maintain a sense of being edition agnostic. Thank you for your effort.

A gold rush campaign where the party are prospectors could be fun. They could start out finding their claim, then have to negotiate with the local elves to be allowed to work it. After that they'd build up their mine, employing laborers and fighting off bandits who try to shake them down and rival prospectors. Eventually perhaps they might stumble upon something deep within the earth that they really shouldn't have woken up, something ancient and angry. They may decide to collapse their mine on it and save the land, or try to kill it or bargain with it to be able to keep their hard won wealth...

This is straight up invaluable.

Oh good, one of my players is an artifice armorer, working on his masterpiece. I was trying to figure out what metals would be most appropriate for him to need (and hire people to... acquire), and I find this video! You always seem to have what I need

Actually, in so far as platinum goes, pre-Columbian Americans in Ecuador were refining and using the metal as early as 600 BCE. Mostly as an artificial allow of platinum and gold, with rhodium and iridium contaminants. I also seem to remember reading in my Archeology class that at least one tribe was using natural draft foundries in the mountains to get fires hot enough t to smelt platinum. Been a long time since those classes though. Can't remember what they said about the meso-American Obdurium works though.

Obdurium is one of my favorite fantasy metals that you did not forget it!! Unless it has been reprinted since, thinaun doesn't just strip the soul from a creature it kills, it holds onto the soul of any creature who dies while in contact with it, so it can only hold one such Soul at a time and will release an earlier soul to capture a new one. The distinction here being that a weapon isn't the only way thinaun can capture a soul nor is it the only reason you would want to. If a creature is wearing a ring or other object made of the material, their soul cannot be stolen upon death as the metal will capture their soul instead. Additionally, because the soul is still present resurrection and other such magicks are easier to perform on such a creature. Might also be useful for a creature who has made a pact with a spirit from the lower planes and does not with their soul to be taken away.

You are a gift to the hobby. The depth and precision of your research is truly exceptional. As a professional DM, you are someone I look to as a resource when I need to know something, inside and out. Many thanks.

Another factor of mining in D&D is burrowing monsters like Badgers and Dragons. Many larger creatures would make tunnels that may open a mineral.

Oh man, imagine playing a bard that wields a sword made of screaming silver, every time your sword strikes it hums like a giant tuning fork. You could change your grip to alter the note, making your fighting into an actual musical performance. Dual-wield them for maximum coolness.

When miners used the canary method they felt really bad and sad, so the higher ups had to give in and make a small cage they could close and supply oxygen with a small tank. Which kept the little creature alive and breathing clean air when they passed out.

Fun fact: The reason why platinum mines only started relatively recently is because it's so rare few people of eurasia knew it existed. It's almost entirely found in south africa and south america, at least as far as mineable places go. When raiding the indigenous people of South America, conquistadors dubbed it 'platina' (little silver) and largely ignored it. It had been used in the same way as gold for quite some time.

That screaming silver sounds metal as fuck (no puns intended). I imagine a blade that sings increasingly louder as the fight goes on, becoming a nearly deafening ring as the final blow is struck. Definitely going to put a weapon made from this stuff somewhere in my game.

Now this, this is the good stuff right here.

“Some believe adamantium is made by alloying steel and mythril”. The dwarves find this laughable. Not to mention the myth that Moradin forged the dwarves from the noble metals of copper, silver, gold, and mythril.

holy shit, I can finish my metallic oozes

Hey AJ could you do a list of the 10 best to worst layers of the abyss to spend an hour in

Was just planning a Star Metal “gold rush” style mini plot, so this was just what I needed to fill it out with more than I could have even hoped for. Thanks for your industrious work AJ!

Didn't know I needed this video.

This is really great if you have a player using the Artificer class, so many goodies for them to find and study.

How wonderful. I love these deep dives into the daily life of fantasy worlds. Looking at the logistics of these places is one of my favorite ways to daydream… or used to be now that my every waking moment is filled with the unending demands of the small folk. Thanks again AJ, alas the crash and giggling in the next room signals the end of my 60 second break. I’ll catch up with you again soon.

Your content is just getting more and more incredible. I wouldn't be surprised if WotC watch your channel to learn about lore.

My writer soul wishes you only blessings from its deepest depth for videos like these. Practical research is the hardest part of any world building. Rarely do writers use it all, but what they use makes the stories so much more real, and here you are giving simply said examples to wow some readers! Great work!

I love these kinds of videos. I’m more interested in HOW the DnD universe works than what happens in it.

I absolutely love this video. I love playing the wandering smith/craftsman trying to find the best materials to craft legendary items. This is going to be extremely useful.

I was hoping to find something to inspire me to do some adamant mining in runescape. You delivered in a way beyond my wildest expectations! Thank you so much for your wonderful video!

One of my players is a blacksmith so this is very useful, thanks

What a great topic to make a video about! Thank you for clarifying all the different D&D metals for us!

This is one of my favorite D&D lore videos! It covers so many world building angles and made me think of treasures I could give NPCs and PCs! Thank you!

It is just silly that stuff like this isn't coming out under the WoTC brand. I love their "lore you should know" series, but this is probably better. good job dude!

This video is so metal.

In LotR, it explained that Frodo's mithiril shirt was more valuable than the entirety of the Shire. If you have armor that is no heavier than ordinary clothing, you would have a huge advantage because the biggest problem with armor is its encumberance.

Thank you for taking the extra time to time stamp the chapters! Now i can use this video as a quick reference!!!

Your image/description of a dragon being a master smith was awesome. I want to see that in a cinematic so much! FORGET DRAWVEN SMITHS...this is the rise of the legendary Dragonborn smiths!

Funny Thing: apparently, back in the day, Amber was also called electrum, because it could be charged with static electricity, similar to a balloon, iirc. Thank you very much for this. It was very interesting.

My god, this video is awesome. This is not putting down the other videos, but this is something rarely talked about, and no one puts in this much effort. Can you please do one on Strongholds or even better on commanding a ship for sea voyages?

COME ON HEAVY METAL!

Ive found an ol list of metals that have at some point turned up in dnd. Theres like 50 or so various materials with various properties that can be used for weapons/armor as well as some wood species.. my players have a field day lol

Fantastic video. Never expected this subject to be covered!

My dad’s a farmer. He griped that divining rods “always worked” in our county because of the aquifer. Then he went to a south county with no aquifer, and proved divining rods worked there too.

In this video its almost hard to distinguish when you're talking of real life history and when you're talking directly of the fantasy world in DnD. But really interesting, inspiring and relaxing to listen to regardless, just about all your videos are.

I love the detailed resources D&D gives for some of these materials. It gives a good way to include players in well-established lore without hardwiring them into set scripts. Like the specific, step by step construction of the Dragonlances. I'm sure all those archmages didn't have the time to personally collect all the exotic, extraplanar materials to create their epic artifacts. On the other hand, the whole party can wind up being just a few of many Bothans who died to bring us this Baatoran green steel.

I’d love to see something like this but with plants!

These types of videos on the nuts and bolts of D&D are my jam. The flora one was great too. :D

2 videos in a row I've arrived early. Clearly, I am blessed by the Sages.

I was hoping to hear more on Orichalcum. Mentions of it in official dnd texts I've found don't elaborate on what mechanical benefits it would grant.

This was a great addition to the usual line up of monsters. It's giving me all sorts of ideas for villainous weapons in my games! Thank you AJ!

All very interesting. I always appreciate the real world information you provide. It’s a very nice touch.

Always love exotic materials! I can't wait to sip tea as I listen to this all

when i'm stuck while writing campaigns, A J Pickett comes to me, posting useful lore from d&d

For as much as I learned about how 'divining rods' or dowsing rods, shouldn't work (in our world), our ancient people relied on it. It was definitely used in ancient China and throughout Europe. And I'm sure many modern people still swear by it. It should definitely be used in our adventures (perhaps with spell use). Thanks for putting our real world myths & knowledge of ancient mining ⛏️ in this lore. We should even put ouji boards in there too

So, I enjoyed this one so much that as I was rewatching for the who knows how many times, I had the thought, what about a similar video revolving around the timber/lumber industry in a fantasy setting? Magical trees, their uses, the people that use and are involved with fantasy trees, the forest spirits and druids that care for them, the carpenters that work the material into useful objects, homes buildings. I would love to see your take on it AJ :) On that same note there are textiles, magical or fantasy cloth. Stone for building everything from cobblestone roads to castles, and the quarrying of said stone. I think it would make a really great miniseries and fit right into this magnificent channels repertoire. The complete guide to metals is truly fantastic, described and brought to life in the ways only AJ Pickett can!

One of my players convinced me that the group's sapphire mine would have veins of iron close by. (They took over a fort/mine from a pre written module.) So their mine, worked by kobolds, produced gems and iron. Needless to say the adventuring party eventually retired with a nice business to keep them wealthy for the rest of their lives.

Hilarious image of a dragon metalworker. Powering through the lack of hands through sheer force of will! ... or hands of man.

I've used dowsing rods several times in my life. I play it off like it's no big deal but people's reactions are always priceless. Especially if they are religious ;) (by the power of Lord Dagon mother Hydra and great Cthulhu. I declare the water pipe to be here!)

Yes! I've been looking for a decent source with a listing of fictional metals now more than ever, because I'm preparing a Silk Road-inspired campaign setting. This came in at the perfect time!

I always have to rewind your videos or rewatch them again a few times constantly because a particular piece gives me ideas and I start spinning out webs of plans that I have to write down, then back up 4 minutes and listen to everything again that I missed distracted in thought, constantly through every video

This video is pure gold

Always cool to move a bit of realism into a fantasy setting like AD&D. ❤💪

Metallurgy and alloys have become very important in my solo Pathfinder game. I use rules and tables from lots of systems and I could have used this information a few months ago.

Platinum was being used for decorative and religious purposes in South America more than half millennium before its first uses in Europe

One of your greatest videos. Thank you.

Man, this makes me wish there were weapon and armor forging rules in fifth edition. That’d be awesome.

That's quite the collection of metallurgic lore. Well done!

A real mine of great ideas and inspirations , very informative . Well done sir . 🍺

You are my go-to for great material. You simply never disappoint. Thank you for another informative and useful video.

this is now my favourite video you've put out. I need to made a cheat-sheet from all of this to add to my DM binder.

This is the video I always wanted but never found thanks aj

Fantastic video! I would love to see another one talking about minerals/gemstones if you can find any lore about that

Love this Also if anybody wants to know, gunpowder is made from sulfur, salt peter, and charcoal, and the Giff give you stats for guns and a powder keg bomb. You could say that a stick of dynamite is similar to alch fire

Great video magical raw magical resource don't get a lot coverage. I was planning on making a material shader for Mithril ore and metal but I had no idea where to begin with its color and texture.

Man this is good stuff to work into ambiance and natural traps

I was surprised that Oriculum wasn't mentioned, but then I recalled it was an alloy, not a naturally occuring substance. My sleep deprived mind can't recall what Dragon magazine, or maybe AD&D module it appeared in, but I do recall it was made with Mithral, Gold and Mercury (maybe others). It acted like Silver against beasties, could be used to substitute spell components and increased the chance to enchant an item (as the old 7th level spell from the way back times) significantly. It was also expensive as it was difficult to make. I use it in my homebrew as a Mcguffin from time to time.

Wow! what an inspirational video! dozens of ideas for unique items. i particularly like arandum and that metal from pandemonium.

Such nuggets of wisdom always make for the tastiest of snacks. Thanks, AJ!

Hi, AJ. I've been hoping for an informative video on bards for some time. I love your approach to describing classes using real world parables to extrapolate the importance of rp and immersion. It would be amazing to see what you have to say about some of the most enigmatic classes such as bards, artificers, barbarians and monks.

You sir are starting to scare me with your wonderful timing of your videos i just started on a blacksmith character

I was surprised to hear that the eberron metal made it in the video. There are at least a couple more from Eberron but they would fall into the exotic category since they come from the other planes of Eberron. Good stuff, should be relevant to games here soon since the party has a smith.

This is amazing AJ! Real world building not just setting. Please can you do more like this? Like the dragon meat story you read. The little often overlooked aspects of a place that make it real. Gods and creature lore are great but this is mind opening!

Not just exceptional, your videos are the best. Thank you for so much help in world building and dm inspiration.

The Roman's also used crude oil from the ground not just ancient Chinese.

I've have thing I've been slowly putting together that I'm calling _Mystic Metallurgy & Other Magical Materials_ . I've been compiling info on different mythical or legendary minerals, hides, woods, and other such crafting materials that can be used to make weapons and armor from various mythologies and fantasy inspirations. This video has made my job much easier. If there are any interesting materials that you happen to like in particular, I'd love to hear about them so I can include them in my thingy, if you'd like.

Amazing video. Incredible. Cannot thank you enough for sharing all of this.

AJ, thank you my friend for this post. I actually asked you about this topic a few years ago. Awesome!

This was very interesting, thank you. I read the title as complete guide to Meals. You got one on just the different foods?

I absolutely love stuff like this! Do you have any plans to do videos on other fantasy industries?

Once again, a smashing video. Each one of these floods my mind with plans and ideas.

These are the lore videos I love the most.

This is fantastic! I'll have to return to this to take notes!