Grimstone is a magical mineral left behind by the meteor. It appears in geode clusters of translucent, sharp-edged crystals which reflect emerald light. The eldritch stones softly hum in dissonant tones, and glow brightly at night or when exposed to magic. Deposits are found throughout the Ruins of Baldur’s Gate, often fused into stone streets and buildings like crystalline moss.
A typical grimstone fragment is about the size of a finger. Crystals may be fist-sized or slightly larger, and geodes may be as big as a pumpkin. Massive clusters might grow taller than a human.
Grimstone Properties
All grimstone samples have the following traits regardless of size:
- Immune to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage; as well as bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons.
- Resistant to acid, cold, fire, and lightning damage; as well as slashing and piercing damage from magical weapons.
- Vulnerable to bludgeoning damage from magical weapons.
- Unless contained within an antimagic field, grimstone shatters and crumbles into worthless ash when reduced to zero hit points.
Grimstone Hazards
When a humanoid creature touches grimstone without protective gear (such as gloves or tongs) for the first time on their turn, or ends their turn in bodily contact with grimstone, they must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 necrotic damage and gain one level of contamination.
Grimstone Harvesting
Grimstone found in the Ruins of Baldur’s Gate is usually fused into the ground or stone buildings, and may be carefully extracted using handheld mining equipment such as shovels, picks, hammers, and chisels. Lacking proper equipment, extraction takes ten times as long. Massive clusters are impossible to extract without heavy equipment or powerful magic.
Uses for Grimstone
Grimstone has vast arcane potential. Beyond trade, crystals are used for several purposes:
- Spell Component. Grimstone may be used as an arcane focus or material component for any spell on the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. When casting a spell which requires a costly material component, a spellcaster may instead use grimstone of equivalent value to the required cost.
- Magic Items. Grimstone is an exceptional material for creating magical items of all kinds. Fragments, shards, crystals, and geodes may be used to make uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary items respectively.
- Stable Grimstone. Grimstone must be stabilized before it can be used to craft magic items. Unless otherwise specified, characters do not take damage nor risk contamination when they touch or handle stable grimstone. Stable grimstone is damaged and destroyed in the same manner as a normal magic item of its kind.
- Grimstone Dust. Grimstone dust is made by grinding the crystals against one another to create a fine powder. This milling process is extraordinarily hazardous unless performed within an antimagic field. Grimstone dust can be used in alchemy, as a spell component, a reagent for brewing potions, or mixed into inks for spell scrolls.
- Improvised Weapons & Ammunition. Grimstone fragments may be used as ammunition or fashioned into a makeshift club. Such weapons and ammunition deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage, and non-contaminated creatures struck must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of contamination. Grimstone used as ammunition in this way is destroyed.
| Size | Market Value | Weight | AC | HP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chip | 10 gold | 1/4 lbs | 15 | 5 |
| Fragment | 100 gold | 1/2 lbs | 17 | 10 |
| Shard | 500 gold | 1 lbs | 19 | 15 |
| Crystal | 1,000 gold | 2 lbs | 21 | 20 |
| Geode | 5,000 gold | 20 lbs+ | 23 | 25 |
| Massive Cluster | Priceless | 8000 lbs+ | 25 | 50 |
| Size | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Chip | Common |
| Fragment | Uncommon |
| Shard | Rare |
| Crystal | Very Rare |
| Geode | Legendary |
