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Oerth’s Magical Bounty: Dweornite
The World of Greyhawk is a place with a long and rich history of magical phenomena. From the Fading Lands to the Rain of Colorless Fire, magic holds a prominent place in the imagination and history of the world and can be seen in all things both magical and mundane.
Few Oerthly phenomena, however, are as strange or as fantastic as dweornite.
Dweornite are extremely rare but ‘naturally occurring’ gemstones that contain magical powers. While different cultures have a different name for these wondrous gemstones (they are known as Dweomer Stones when harvested from the Cairn Hills, Mage Stones in Rel Astra, and Sorcerer Gems in Good Hills) they all share one common aspect: each is a tear-shaped semi-opaque blue-white gemstone about the size of a human thumb. Each dweornite stone glows faintly in the dark, giving some hint as to its magical nature. Few ever get to see these fabulous gems, though all who know their nature covet them deeply.
Dweornite stones are a literal crystallization of the magical energy that went into the world’s creation. It is unknown if the creation of dweornite is an ongoing process or if they formed only at the world’s beginning, but it is known that the stones have a vast array of magical powers and abilities, no two of which seem to be alike. Another aspect in common is that dweornite stones always seem to attract powerful magical creatures into their presence. In game terms, dweornite will always have some sort of aberration or magical beast lairing in its vicinity. Said creatures often do not realize they choose a lair near to a dweornite deposit (an occasional beholder or Illithid may figure it out, and is likely to take or make use of the stones) and will fight with unusual tenacity to defend their territory from intruders.
Dweornite gems are found in unpredictable subterranean locations throughout the flanaess; there is no rhyme or reason to their placement. Dweornite stones are usually found individually when excavated, though small clutches of 1d4 stones have been found and larger numbers (2d4 and 2d6) are speculated at by the learned. Whatever their number, dweornite is extremely difficult to find, with trial and error being the only effective means. The reason for this is dweornite is utterly immune to any sort of divination ability or spell. Not even a Discern Location or Wish spells will reveal the location of a dweornite deposit. Deities are likewise tight-lipped about the wondrous stones, and will not reveal a single detail about the location of these magical gems.
Dweornite has been, and always will remain, one of Oerth’s true mysteries.
Game Terms
· Dweornite stones are immune to all forms of divination and detection. No spell of any kind will reveal anything about either their nature or location. These stones don’t even detect as magical, though their soft glow (when seen in total darkness) reveals that there something is unusual about them.
· A character may learn the power contained within a dweornite stone by grasping it in his hand (the stone must be touching his flesh) for one full round and making a Concentration Check (DC: 15). Success reveals the stone’s magical ability and failure reveals nothing. This Concentration Check may be attempted again and again, with each attempt taking one full round. Once a stone reveals its magical ability to a character, the character is aware of the stone’s ability the moment he grasps that stone in his bare hand. Only one stone can be identified at a time.
· Dweornite stones are used when a character grasps it in his bare hand and wills the power contained with to manifest itself. Doing so is a standard action that does not invoke an attack of opportunity. A character can only use a dweornite stone after he has learned of its magical power.
· Dweornite is extraordinarily rare with very few beings on Oerth knowing of their existence. Characters may attempt to identify a dweornite stone for what it is by making a Knowledge (Arcana) DC: 35 check.
· After the magical power within a dweornite stone is fully expended, it crumbles to dust.
The different types of dweornite stones are listed below:
Spell Stones
Spell stones are dweornite gems that contain a single random arcane or divine spell. This spell cannot be one that has an experience point component nor can it be a spell that has a costly material component (1 gp is the maximum). Roughly 80% of all dweornite stones are spell stones.
· The spell is cast at the minimum experience level necessary to cast said spell or the character’s experience level: whichever is greater. Likewise, the prerequisite ability score for casting spell is also set at the minimum necessary (hence, a spell stone of fireball would have a caster level of 5 and a Reflex Save DC: 14 as the minimum ability score needed to cast a 3rd level is 13 which gives a +1 to the spells Saving Throw DC) for the spell to be cast.
· To randomly determine the spell contained within this type of dweornite stone use Table 7-20: Scroll Types, Table 7-22: Scroll Spell Levels, Table 7-23: Arcane Spells and Table 7-23: Divine Spells on pages 238-243 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Reroll all results that violate the rules about experience or costly material components or rolls that indicate 0-level spells.
Recall Stones
Recall stones are dweornite gems that contain raw magical energy that can be tapped by spellcasters, allowing them to regain spells or spell levels they’ve already used that day. This functions much like a pearl of power in that it restores to spellcasters (be they arcane or divine) the ability to cast spells already used. Unlike a pearl of power, a recall stone may restore spell level energy to spellcasters who do not prepare spells (such as bards and sorcerers). Roughly 15% of all dweornite gems are recall stones.
· Each recall stone has a total number of spell levels it can restore before being fully expended. There are six different types of recall stones, each of which can restore a certain amount of spell levels. Each type of recall stone is also limited to the maximum spell level it can restore to its user.
· Each use of a recall stone can only restore a particular spell level, thus the user must choose which spell or spell level he wishes recalled.
Table I: Dweornite Recall Stones
Stone Spell Levels Max Spell
Type Available for Recall lLevel Recalled
I 3 2
II 5 3
III 7 4
IV 9 5
V 11 6
VI 13 7
Example: A 7th level wizard who owns a type II recall wishes to recall the fireball spell he had just cast on a group of orcs. He grasps the stone against the bare flesh of his palm and activates the stone, which drains off 3 spell energy levels contained within (leaving it with 2 spell energy levels). As the wizard had memorized and cast fireball earlier, he may now recall it. Likewise, the maximum spell level a type II recall stone can recall is 3rd level, so the wizard is good to go and that group of orcs will be in for another fireball next round.
In the case of a sorcerer using this recall stone, as he is a spontaneous spellcaster, he could simply uses the recall stone to restore the ability to cast spells of a certain spell level.
Experience Point Component Stones
These dweornite gems contain raw magical power than can be used in the stead of XP components in spellcasting and in the making of magic items. These gems make up roughly 3% of all dweornite stones.
· These gems can be used to pay some or all of an XP component cost, thus allowing a spellcaster to use the XP within the stone to supplement any cost he has to pay. Not all of the XP within a stone needs to be used at once; it may be split up amongst a variety of spells or magic items that have an XP cost.
· The energy from these gems cannot be used in any way beyond the making of magic items of the powering of spells. Hence, they can’t be ‘cashed in’ toward level raising…
· Unlike most other dweornite stones, using this stone is a free action and you can use up to two of these stones at the same time (one grasped in the bare palm of each hand).
Table II: Experience Point Component Stones
Stone Experience
Type PointsContained
I 100
II 250
III 500
IV 700
V 1,000
Mighty Spell Stones
Mighty spell stones are dweornite gems that contain a single random arcane or divine spell of great power. The spell is one that either has an experience point component or costly material component. Roughly 2% of all dweornite stones are mighty spell stones.
· The caster level for mighty spell stones is always set at the minimum necessary to cast the spell it contains or the character’s experience level, whichever is greater. Likewise, the prerequisite ability score for casting spell is also set at the minimum necessary (hence, a mighty spell stone of binding would have a caster level of 15 and a Will Save DC: 22 as the minimum ability score needed to cast a 8th level is 18 which gives a +4 to the spells Saving Throw DC) for the spell to be cast.
· To determine the spell contained within this type of dweornite stone use Table III: Mighty Spell Stones below.
Table III: Mighty Spell Stones
D 100
Roll Spell
01-25 Permanency
26-35 Raise Dead
36-45 Forbiddance
45-55 Binding
56-65 Simulacrum
66-75 Limited Wish
76-85 Resurrection
86-95 Temporal Stasis
96-100 True Resurrection
Fabulously Rare Stones
Fabulously rare dweornite stones are objects of great power. Each contains energies that can allow mortals to accomplish fantastic feats in very short order. Less than 1% of all dweornite gems are fabulously rare stones, each unique in their powers and abilities. Some stones are so powerful that wars could potentially break out over their possession. Each of these stones contains a single use, with the stone crumbling to dust after its power is used. The different types of fabulously rare stones are listed below:
· Ability Score Increase: A character using this gem gains a +1 inherent bonus to a single ability score of his choice.
· Hit Point Increase: A character using this gem has +4 hit points added to his permanent total. A character’s hit points may not exceed the maximum possible hit points based on his Hit Dice.
· Resistance Increase: A character using this gem gains a permanent +1 bonus to a saving throw type (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will) of his choice.
· Longevity: A character using this gem reduces his age to the beginning of the next lowest age category. When this occurs you loose all age-related penalties but retain all age-related bonuses (hence, you become stronger and more hale, but retain the insight you’ve gained over years of experience). For all intents and purposes, you have regained years of your life when you use this gem. This leaves your maximum age the same, but decreases your actual age accordingly.
· Anyspell: The magic within this gem allows the character to cast any 1st through 9th level arcane or divine spell of his choice (with the exception of the miracle and wish spells). The character need not pay any XP costs for the spell, nor is he responsibility for any costly material components (unless such an item is necessary to the continuation of said spell, such as the gemstone used in a trap the soul spell. Characters wishing to cast such spells may do so, but must supply the appropriate costly material component themselves). Much like spell stones and mighty spell stones, the spell is cast at the minimum experience level necessary to cast said spell or the character’s experience level: whichever is greater. Likewise, the prerequisite ability score for casting spell is also set at the minimum necessary for the spell to be cast.
· Wish: Using this gem grants a character a wish spell.
· Experience Level Increase: A character using this gem gains sufficient experience points to place him at the minimum of the next highest experience level.
Dweornite as Random Treasure
To add some spice to your campaign you may wish to add dweornite to your list of random treasures. As I’m old school, we’ll run with the idea that rolling “00” on Table 7-1: Random Magic Item Generation on page 216 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide gives characters a dweornite stone of some sort. The type found depends on the power of the treasure award, as listed on tables IV through VI below:
Table IV: Minor Dweornite Stones
D 100
Roll Stone Type
01-35 Spell Stone (Level 1)
36-60 Spell Stone (Level 2)
61-75 Recall Stone (Type I)
76-89 Spell Stone (Level 3)
90-100 Recall Stone (Type II)
Table V: Medium Dweornite Stones
D 100
Roll Stone Type
01-40 Spell Stone (Level 3)
41-55 XP Component Stone (Type I)
56-65 Spell Stone (Level 4)
66-75 Recall Stone (Type III)
76-85 XP Component Stone (Type II)
86-90 Spell Stone (Level 5)
91-95 Recall Stone (Type IV)
96-100 XP Component Stone (Type III)
Table VI: Major Dweornite Stones
D 100
Roll Stone Type
01-30 Spell Stone (Level 5)
31-45 Recall Stone (Type IV)
46-55 XP Component Stone (Type III)
56-60 Spell Stone (Level 6)
61-65 Recall Stone (Type V)
66-70 Spell Stone (Level 7)
71-75 XP Component Stone (Type IV)
76-80 Spell Stone (Level 8)
81-85 Recall Stone (Class VI)
86-90 XP Component Stone (Type V)
91-95 Spell Stone (Level 9)
96-99 Major Spell Stone (Randomly Rolled)
100 Fabulously Rare Stone (DM’s Choice)
Credit where it’s due:
I originally came across the dweomer stone idea in the City of Greyhawk boxed set and was fascinated with the idea of magic gems lying in wait to be found. The possibilities that jump into mind were (for the time) limited, but intriguing none-the-less. Sadly, I never incorporated the dweomer stones of the Cairn Hills into my campaign, though they sat in the back of my head (forgotten at times) until I picked up my copy of Iuz the Evil. Once again I was re-introduced to the idea of magical gemstones, this time under the name of Dweornite (though the dweomer stones of the Cairn Hills were given brief reference) and with the additional details afforded by Carl Sargent I was more captivated than ever.
Yet, still I did little with the idea. There was already so much to use in the Dungeons and Dragons game, though the idea of giving detail to Dweornite kept creeping back into my mind. Finally, after years of pondering and making occasional notes, I decided to finally get my personal take on dweornite into print. I hope you enjoy this little write-up and can find a place for this uniquely ‘Greyhawk’ treasure within your campaign.
Curious though, how do you place the "banestones" under Castle Permanence outlined in Ivid the Undying?
Are they simply a localized large deposit of "permanency" dweornite or something else entirely.
I liked the way you made Dweornite rare and mysterious rather than providing an easy detection and extraction method so every villiage mage and priest can obtain them.
If everyone can have one and deposits are easily found...rare they aren't.
Well done!
As for Canonfire publishing your article, I guarantee you they will, and whoever handles it wll make sure the formatting is readable, no worries.
I think the %'s should be bigger - especially in Keoland . . . and Sterich.
*whisper* "I'm one of his players."
*chuckle*
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(asking as his player in his Greyhawk Campaign setting - posting it here in case other people have the same questions)
1 - Would it be feasable for some lych or something to create some wierd, magical creatures that would be attracted to such stones, and then let them go . . . and wait for awhile to see if they settle near some . . . like be attracted to a deposit of them?
2 - Is there any documentation of other explorers finding such stones and a list of creatures confronted by such deposits?
3 - Could a wizard use that scrying stuff to search for the unique creatures drawn to them rather than the stones themselves in order to try and find deposits?
4 - Can the permancy spell or anything else be used to stop the stone from crumbling to dust when used, turning it into a resuable item?
5 - Are they used in recipes to create bigger and better magical things?
6 - How about a monetary value for them?
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(asking as his player in his Greyhawk Campaign setting - posting it here in case other people have the same questions)
1 - Would it be feasable for some lych or something to create some wierd, magical creatures that would be attracted to such stones, and then let them go . . . and wait for awhile to see if they settle near some . . . like be attracted to a deposit of them?
-Nope. The type of aberation or magical attracted to a particular stone is entirely random and is not influenced by proximity (i.e. marching a creature of the appropriate type right past a deposit and hoping for it to lair there). A lich may perhaps get lucky enough for something like this occourance to work, afterall it no longer has to worry about the effects of aging, but in game terms the time period would well exceed anything that a campaign would run for the 'trial and error' process to work.
2 - Is there any documentation of other explorers finding such stones and a list of creatures confronted by such deposits?
- Little. Dweornite is RARE as heck, and most people who find it don't even know what they've found. Hence, little is written about it, and such writing is almost never available for casual perusual. Whatever the case, creatures drawn to dweornite are random aberations or magical beasts, though are typically subteranean as the tones are found underground.
3 - Could a wizard use that scrying stuff to search for the unique creatures drawn to them rather than the stones themselves in order to try and find deposits?
- Nope. For one, there are LOTS of aberations and magical beasts underground, for another, their lair isn't 'right next' to a dweornite deposit. They'll take a suitable place near to said deposit (in game terms, a place that makes sense for them to lair at in the first place). Finding said creatures would only yield a bunch of said creatures (I'd probably allow a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding dweornite in this way).
4 - Can the permancy spell or anything else be used to stop the stone from crumbling to dust when used, turning it into a resuable item?
Sorry, but once they're used they crumble. A permanance spell may be albe to make the effect of a particular spell stone permanant, but only after it is cast out of the stone.
5 - Are they used in recipes to create bigger and better magical things?
Good question! You could use them to supply spellcasting of particular spells in item creation. Beyond that I'll remain mysterious. Could be the stones may be used for other things, depends on the creativity of the players and the DM (who may have NPCs harvesting them to use in powering some malific magical item or something like that).
6 - How about a monetary value for them?
Monetary value for all magical items is wholly dependant upon a formula (found in the Dungeon Master's guide) that determines how much it costs to actually MAKE a magical item. Dweornite stones cannot be made by player characters, so I've attached no gold piece value to them. Considering the diversity of effects available to the stones, I'd say to use the closesed equivalent in the Dungon Master's guide with a floating +/- 100% price increase. As an example, a spellstone with fireball on it I'd value at 100% higher than that of a scroll of fireball for a few reasons: 1. The caster level can go up or down, depending on your level. This is extremely favorable. 2. Anyone can use said stone, this utility also brings a hefty price increase.
Tailor it to your particular campaign as each stone has a different use and may be worth more or less to potential buyers, depending on circumstance (that firbell spell stone I mentioned earlier would be worth a LOT more to a fighter looking for an extra edge in combat than to a sorcerer who can crack off multiple fireballs in a day, only to be able to do it again the next day).
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Cool beans.
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1. Consider what might happen if a lich were to employ a dweornite stone (of any type) as the base of his phylactery. (Perhaps the result is a spell-like ability usable a certain number of times per day by that lich. Perhaps the lich acquires an exotic template of some kind. Or - flip side - perhaps the lich, if he ever casts the spell linked to his dweornite phylactery, will be destroyed. Learning of such a secret and causing the situation to come about would make an intriguing adventure.)
2. Consider dweomerstones that hold metamagic effects. Might a class of dweornite exist that provides, let us say, a free Chain Spell feat - for a single casting - and then crumbles? Or (far more powerful) a stone that provides the metamagic 'focus' permanently? (Such an item would probably cause all sorts of wizards to hunt down the owner, eager to kill him and claim the stone themselves.) Less radical versions might only provide the benefit for a particular power level of spells... or for spells from a particular school.
3. If dweornite really is a concentration of the Oerth's magical energy, you might consider - in your campaign - a segment of the Old Faith, the druids, who oppose the mining or use of dweornite (as a non-renewable resource.)
I add my plaudits to those you have previously received, bdpenney. Clearly you spent a great deal of time here (on research and on design). I just want to toss a couple of additional notions out to other Greyhawk DMs.
1. Consider what might happen if a lich were to employ a dweornite stone (of any type) as the base of his phylactery. (Perhaps the result is a spell-like ability usable a certain number of times per day by that lich. Perhaps the lich acquires an exotic template of some kind. Or - flip side - perhaps the lich, if he ever casts the spell linked to his dweornite phylactery, will be destroyed. Learning of such a secret and causing the situation to come about would make an intriguing adventure.)
You'd have to question the intelligence of any lich who put his essence into an item that can be used by anyone.
2. Consider dweomerstones that hold metamagic effects. Might a class of dweornite exist that provides, let us say, a free Chain Spell feat - for a single casting - and then crumbles? Or (far more powerful) a stone that provides the metamagic 'focus' permanently? (Such an item would probably cause all sorts of wizards to hunt down the owner, eager to kill him and claim the stone themselves.) Less radical versions might only provide the benefit for a particular power level of spells... or for spells from a particular school.
Considered that, but I wanted to keep the abilities of the stones a bit more narrow. It'd be something that you could easily expand upon, and my suggestion is that you have stones levels 1-6, which would offset the higher spell level cost of spells as a one-shot item.
3. If dweornite really is a concentration of the Oerth's magical energy, you might consider - in your campaign - a segment of the Old Faith, the druids, who oppose the mining or use of dweornite (as a non-renewable resource.)
Hmmm, a group that works to stamp out knowledge of the stones, and to accumulate and protect these stones (perhaps seen as a physical manifestation of Oerth's "soul"?). More than a decent campaign idea, parcirulary when you get players who get obsessed with finding and using these stones...