Drow chain mail

Drow chain mail is a finely-crafted, satiny black metal mesh that does not encumber its wearer in the least. It is similar, but not identical to, magical Elven chain mail. It is typically fashioned only into tunics, as Drow share their forest-bound cousins' preference for armor that adequately protects without being overly weighty or restrictive.

Much like their cousins in the sunlight, the Drow have invented their own form of special armor. What is known for certain is that Drow chain mail uses adamantite, the strongest metal known, as the principal component of their mystical alloy.

This alloy has special properties due to the peculiar nature of the radiation emanating from the Drow homeland, giving even the basest form of the alloy bears the equivalent of a minor enchantment, with more finely-crafted items having greater amounts of this quality. The alloy does not radiate magic in the traditional way.

Whenever drow-alloyed armor is exposed to direct sunlight, they begin to utterly and irreversibly decay. This happens even after one short exposure, meaning that even a set of drow armor that is immediately returned to utter darkness or the nearest drow homeland will still decay. Physical decay begins no more than a week or so after exposure to sunlight, and completely falls apart after no more than a month.

Note: Drow chain mail originally appeared in this form in the Arms & Equipment Guide AD&D supplement from TSR. Its use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.