This discussion started last night but I'm left with some loose ends.  Jason stated that "very fine" quality equipment could be purchased at "fine" cost.  Ok, that's fine. :)  What about the modifiers for armor?  The rules don't really talk about that anywhere that I can see.  Sean said that it'd drop the weight by 1/3 but then I thought I heard talk about bonuses to DR as well?  I tried a quick google search and some people stated that Low Tech would likely have those rules.  I don't have that book though.

Any help here?

On that same note, wondering who has the "good" armor list with realistic rules and if they can either share the URL where that was found or scan and share it.

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- Fooberichu

Essential metal is discussed in GURPS Magic under the Essential Earth spell. According to the book it is "triple the strength (HP DR and carrying capacity) of normal metal" [pg53] and is similar to "orichalcum" described in GURPS Fantasy.

Accoring to the GURPS Fantasy, orichalcum armor "can be 1/3 as heavy for the same protection or equally heavy for three times the protection." [pg23] Orichalcum weapons have "damage bonuses for fine or very fine quality" [pg23] and steel weapons are treated as though they have "cheap quality when hit by an orichalcum weapon." [pg23] Also, "orichalcum weapons and armor are already inherently magical, and cannot be further enchanted to increase durability. Other enchantments work as usual." [pg23]

It is probably also noteworthy that essential steel costs very little mana to create. 1 cubic yard (about 1.5 tons) of essential earth costs 8 mana to create and is permanent. Transforming that earth into essential metal costs another 6 mana. Assuming mass trumps volume in the transmutation that will create 1.5 tons of essential steel, at about 1/3 the volume of dirt based on my online research.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean that essential steel is cheap. Demand for essential earth is likely to be extremely high due to the effect it has on crops (triple size/yield). If a guild or small group (maybe the smithing families of Cauldron) controlled access to the essential steel spell they could charge whatever the market would bear. Of course that situation may cause a non-stop low-level war between the smithing families and newcomers trying to get a foot in the business.