Transmute Bone to Steel

A wizard casting this spell makes any object made of bone or chitin, including a skeleton or insect exoskeleton, as strong as steel. The spell can be cast only upon dead, inanimate bones; after they have been transmuted, the bones can now be animated by the usual means. Despite their increased strength, the bones do not change in appearance, and they retain their original weight. Bone objects make all future saving throws as if they were hard metal. Thus a mage could fashion weapons from bone(as an example assembling a bone axe from the hip bone of an ostrich then sharpening the area of the blade by sanding the bone to a razor edge) then cast this spell to make as strong as steel. These weapons have the weight of bone and as such are lighter which in the case of weapons that do damage due to their weight ( Great Axe,Mace,Great Club,Halberd, etc.) will do less damage than their metal counterparts. Weapons that rely on speed(Long Sword,Short Sword,Rapier,Wrist Razors,Dagger,Staff,Spear,etc)can usually and often are equal to or more damaging than their metal equivalents (generally due to the addition of serrated edges or barbs).Obviously this spell can also be used to craft armor as well as shields. Bone armor and shields made through the use of this spell will be as strong as their steel counterparts but weigh considerably less and as such have a lessened if not eliminated dexterity penalty. Mages and druids alike make banded mail from a larger creature's ribs. Another favorite of druids is to utilize a thrikreen's exoskeleton to make plate armor.  Transmuted skeletons have AC 17 and take half the usual damage from physical attacks. However, these skeletons still take normal damage from holy water and magical attacks and are also subject to spells affecting metal (for example, transmute metal to wood or heat metal) and the attacks of creatures that especially affect metal, such as rust monsters. The reverse of this spell, transmute steel to bone, weakens any metal by making it as brittle as dry bone (altering all saving throws appropriately). Each non-living recipient of this spell (including iron golems) must make an item saving throw vs. disintegration. If failed, the former metal item makes all future saves as if it were fashioned from hone. Metal armor loses its effectiveness, gaining a -4 hinderance to AC. Whenever a successful hit is made by or upon the item, the transmuted object must make a save vs. crushing blow to remain intact and functional. Magical items weakened by this spell remain magical, with any bonuses applied to their saving throws. Weapons affected by this spell inflict -2 points per die of damage (and must save to avoid breakage whenever they hit a target). Physical attacks against transmuted metal creatures inflict +2 points per die of damage. The material components (for both versions of the spell) are steel filings and powdered bone. One man sized skeleton or equal weight in bone objects can be affected per casting of this spell at base level. If put into a higher slot the amount doubles at each successive level (2 skeletons,then 4 skeletons, 8 skeletons,16 skeletons etc)