Most items in ToME 4 are composed of a material. The materials are selected based on the kind of item -- for example, longswords are made of a metal, while slings are made of a leather. Mindstars (introduced in b39) have their own set of materials.
Each type of material has five tiers. Each tier represents a huge leap in power over the previous tier. For weapons, it means an increase in damage, and in the stat requirements for equipping. For armors, it means an increase in armour and/or defense (and, once again, stat requirements).
| Metal | Leather | Wood | Cloth | Mindstars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Iron | Rough Leather | Elm | Linen | Mossy |
| Tier 2 | Steel | Cured Leather | Ash | Wool(len) | Vined |
| Tier 3 | Dwarven-steel | Hardened Leather | Yew | Cashmere | Thorny |
| Tier 4 | Stralite | Reinforced Leather | Elven-wood | Silk | Pulsing |
| Tier 5 | Voratun | Drakeskin Leather | Dragonbone | Elven-silk | Living |
Gems also have tiers; see the gems page for details.