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The work contained on this page is the property and copyright of Nicholas Burke. It has been formatted for viewing on the web by the Scribes of Candlekeep. Candlekeep claims no ownership for this material.
Stone Magic
By Nicholas Burke
Variant Rules for Stone Magic
Stone Magic: The following are Variant rules a GM might use for ‘Stone Magic'.
As you probably know by now, magic touches everything in Faerun, even the rocks and stones on the ground you tread upon. Throughout the realms, certain semi-precious stones are rumored to do certain things. As all alchemists would suggest, many of these rumors are simply folklore invented by merchants who wish to sell relatively cheap semi-precious stones at the price of true magic items. Stone magic is the expression of the weave through a semi-precious stone medium, such as sapphire. In stone magic, the medium gives that magical expression certain properties. How true this folklore is, is up to the GM, but if he does allow stone magic he should make it mandatory for the character to take a feat for the effect of the stone. The magic is there, but it takes a trained and enlightened individual to hone it in.
GEM LORE [General]
You have knowledge of the magic that can be found in certain types of stones, and know how to use them for their magical potential.
Prerequisites: Wis 14+, can cast 2 nd level Divine or Arcane Spells, Skill Focus: Knowledge (Nature) or Skill Focus: Alchemy
Benefit: You can use certain types of stones and gems for certain tasks. Using a Gem is a standard action and requires a free hand, so as to pull out the gem from a pouch. A character cannot pull out more than one gem at a time. If you wish, you may wear gems as a bracelet, necklace, or ring (thus eliminating the need for the standard action, with some exceptions). You can only wear and make use of three types of gems at a time. The effect of gems does not stack for wearing more of one type of gem, nor do they stack with different types of gems that give the same effect. A Dispel Magic spell or Anti-Magic Field does not negate the effect of the gems, and gems are not detected by a Detect Magic spell. In order for a gem to work, it must be in optimal condition (highest cost in the Gems of Faerun section in the Forgotten Realms: Campaign Setting. Scratching, shattering, cracking or damaging a gem in any other way renders it useless for the purposes of stone magic. The effects of gems stack with the effects of other magical items. Despite the price, all gems having to do with this feat are in the Fine size category. The effect of a gem lasts as long as the character wears it, or holds the gem in his hand.
Identification of the uses of a gem requires a successful Alchemy or Knowledge Nature check of a DC of 20 (which ever one you have skill focus for). All gems can be identified by the Identify spell. The cost and effects of all gems are:
Alexandrite: 1000gp, +1 to all saves
Amber: 200gp, +2 to fortitude vs. disease and poison
Amethyst : 200gp, +4 to fortitude vs. intoxication, can be used to purify poisonous substances as per Purify Food and Water spell.
Banded Agate: 20gp, +4 to Sense Motive against a Diplomacy, Bluff or Intimidate check to get the wearer angry or concerned.
Blue Quartz: 20gp, duration for the spell Scry counts as 2 levels higher
Chalcedony: 100gp, +2 to AC against Undead
Emerald: 2000gp, Age at half of normal rate, immune to magic aging effects
Fire Agate: 20gp, +2 to fortitude vs. heat exhaustion
Fluorite: 200gp, +4 on Concentration checks
Garnet: 200gp, +4 bonus to Diplomacy checks, +6 towards outsiders
Hematite: 20gp, range for all Detect spells counts as 2 levels higher
Hydrophane: 100gp, +2 to Swim checks
Iol: 100gp, +2 to Spellcraft checks
Jade: 200gp, +4 to Perform checks
Jet: 200gp, +4 will vs. Fear and Sorrow
King's Tears: 10,000gp, caster level counts as 2 levels higher than normal
Laeral's Tears: 200gp, +4 to Spellcraft checks
Malachite: 20gp, +2 to Profession (farmer) checks
Moonstone: 100gp, +4 to fortitude vs. Lycanthropy
Moss Agate: 20gp, +1 to will vs. enchantment school spells
Opal: 2000gp, +4 to Spellcraft, Knowledge (Arcana), and Alchemy checks
Orprase: 100gp, +1 to AC (worshipers of Tymora only)
Peridot: 100gp, +1 vs. magic, +2 against enchantment school
Phenalope: 100gp, +4 vs. spells involving fire
Ravenar: 2000gp, +4 to fortitude vs. freezing, cold immunity
Red Tears: 2000gp, +2 to attack, +4 when defending a loved one
Rock Crystal: 100gp, +2 to search checks
Ruby: 10,000gp, +4 to all Saves
Sapphire: 2,000gp, experience cost for crafting items is halved
Sardonyx: 100gp, experience cost for crafting items is halved if item increases wisdom
Smokey Quartz: 100gp, +2 to the DC of all spells of the necromancy school
Star Sapphire: 2000gp, if they player has spell resistance he adds 4 to it
Tiger's Eye Agate: 20gp, +2 against ability and level drain
Turquoise: 20gp, if the wearer is Elven, the duration of all spells that have the air descriptor or have to do with flight count as 1 level higher
Related Items
Pentagram: This ornament is described as a metallic star with intricate, weaving designs, typically fashioned to look like the weave in the shape of a five-pointed star. On the end of each point is a socket for a gem of Fine size to be placed. Once the gem is socketed into the Pentagram, removing the gem ruins both it and the pentagram. Five gems can be socketed into the Pentagram at any one time. A player who is wearing a pentagram can gain the effects of all five gems inside of the pentagram as if it were one gem. This only works if there are five Fine sized gems of the appropriate conditions for gem magic socketed into the pentagram. Socketing a gem into a pentagram requires the use of Artisan's tools, and a craft (jewelry) check of to DC 25. The typical price of socketing five gems into a pentagram is 500gp on top of the gems and the pentagram itself.
Note: Wearing a pentagram invokes superstition among the common public in certain areas. To wear a pentagram in Thay is punishable by death, and a serious crime in other locations. How acceptable a Pentagram is in different areas is up to the GM's discretion. Some things he should consider are:
• The absence or presence of magic in the area, and how controlled it is
• The overall alignment of the Area (LE is the worst, N and CG are the best)
• The religions of the area and what they stand for (Mystra encourages the use of Pentagrams, where as Helm would frown upon it, despite their identical alignments)
• The alignment and personal goals of any leaders in the areaOne pentagram (no gems socketed) costs 100gp, and weighs 1lb.