If the ST/DU of whatever you're fighting is unusually high, that could be what's preventing it if the wiki's accurate. If it's a weapon that crumbles when you pick it up, you should still be able to ASSESS it if you can DISARM or otherwise get the critter to drop it without killing it... though you might want to move to another room to actually assess.
Of course, it would prolly be easier to go stand in a room full of kobolds and see what happens... unless the "additional hidden/unknown factor" is that the critter has to be of similar age to you...
Starchitin
A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.
