You can weaken or strengthen the substance of an object or structure. You can affect both mundane and magical inanimate material. Weakening an object’s substance decreases its hardness and hit points, and strengthening it increases its hardness and hit points. You can increase or decrease an object’s hardness by up to 5 from its original hardness. When hardness increases, the object (or portion of an object) gains 3 hit points per inch of thickness for every point of increased hardness. When hardness decreases, the object (or portion of an object) loses 2 hit points per inch of thickness for every point of decreased hardness (to a minimum of 1 hit point per inch of thickness).

You can’t decrease the hardness of an object that already has hardness 0. You cannot increase an object’s hardness by more than 5 from the hardness of the original base object, nor decrease it by more than 5 from the hardness of the original base object. For example, you could not manifest this power twice to increase an object’s hardness by 10, but could decrease the hardness by 5, then manifest again to increase the hardness by 5, and then manifest again to increase the hardness again by 5, because the change from the original base object’s hardness is only 5.

Working Manipulated Metals

An object or portion thereof whose hardness is decreased or increased is permanently changed. Even hardening adamantine to 25 is possible. You can also harden or weaken a preforged weapon, a suit of armor, or some other finished item.

You may choose to spend one hour manifesting this power, rather than a standard action. This results in the duration of the power changing to “Instantaneous” instead of 1 minute / level, making the change permanent.