Blue Steel
Blue Steel is a curious alloy known to few. It incorporates carbon, cobalt, and chromium into the alloy, causing a distinctive blue tint and a mirror sheen, even without polish. Blue Steel does not rust, and has superior strength to iron.
Blue Steel can hold a sharper edge than ordinary steel, and is therefore useful in armor-penetrating applications. It is also exceptionally resilient, and can be used in parrying maneuvers that would shatter lesser blades. In armor, this translates directly into greater soaking power.
- Rank: 1
 - Effect on weapons: Weapon gains +5 Armor Penetration, +1 Hit Power, and +1 Parry.
 - Effect on armor: Armor gains +2 DR and grants +2 to Fortitude checks.
 - Effect on shields: Shield gains +2 Block Rating and ignores Armor Penetration up to 10.
 -  Market Value:
- Light weapon: 1 gp
 - Medium weapon: 1.5 gp
 - Heavy weapon: 2 gp
 - Mail armor: 2 gp
 - Plate armor: 5 gp
 - Buckler: 1 gp
 - Light shield: 1.5 gp
 - Heavy shield: 2 gp
 - Tower shield: 3 gp