The main one is that ioun stones grow naturally but rarely on the Quasi-Elemental Plane of Minerals, at the intersection of the Elemental Plane of Earth with the Positive Energy Plane, and the article details the hazards in procuring them. [18], The Wyvern Crown of Cormyr was inlaid with ten ioun stones on the tips of its spikes. One of the deities of magic in Dungeons & Dragons is named Vecna, an anagram of "Vance". None of the stones could be removed from the Crown without destroying them, not without a wish spell on each stone. The Dying Earth series also influenced the ioun stone. Ioun stone. [4], Ioun stones did not need to be set orbiting the head; it was possible to mount them in magical items kept close to the body. [7][8] If the user went to sleep without storing them, the stones hovered motionlessly over them. 2,000â60,000 gp This stone functions as a normal tourmaline sphere ioun stone, but you take a –1 penalty on Constitution checks to stabilize when dying. 225,000â2,125,000 gp These were amethyst,[22] chrysoberyl, chrysoprase,[23] greenstone, hematite (though this was rarely known to even powerful wizards), iol (also known as iolite or cordierite, and the most effective of the gems),[24] Laeral's tears (most little known and rarest of the gems),[25] obsidian (the most well known), onyx,[26] and sardonyx. Ioun stones are an enchanted stone common in fantasy fiction (they actually originated in the Dying Earth series by Jack Vance), and in role-playing games. The ioun stone that was produced conferred a weaker form of a troll's ability to regenerate wounds, but also gave great skill in slaying trolls in combat. It is possible to grab someone's Ioun stone and take it away, but it is difficult because they do not move in any sort of predictable pattern. Containing the trapped soul of the mage Vhyridaan the Mad, this unique ioun stone was a sentient item that Vhyridaan could steer somewhat to evade attacks. ), but that text, too, says nothing about multiples or … They were considered wondrous items valued by rarity and classified as Rare, Very Rare, or Legendary. [3] Following his model, it was common to enchant small stones or modest gems with basic spells like bless or shield to protect a warrior in battle. 4,000â5,000 gp Varies from Rare to Legendary Either way, a burned-out stone became dull grey and inert, but it still possessed the characteristic floating power. Some were much more powerful than their regular versions, and he had multiples of some. The original ioun stones from Jack Vance's Dying Earth series were powerful artifacts born from the core of neutron stars. 149, PRPG Core Rulebook pg. Netheril: Empire of Magic (1996) follows suit, placing this origin in the Forgotten Realms, telling that Congenio Ioun was a Netherese wizard and that subsequent wizards manufactured more, as recounted in this article. [7], Circa 1368 DR, the blood-red sphere, which improved balance, reflexes, and handâeye coordination, was in great demand among those who used such skills such as rogues, thieves, and their ilk. #1 anthology in 1973. The owner can usually grab them quite easily due to practice, and an unconscious mental effect she will have on their movements (someone with a trained eye may notice that Ioun stones' orbits will act like a mood ring, in giving away their wearer's feelings). They in fact pre-date D&D. Other names [4] Similarly, mages and wizards eagerly sought the bronze ovoid, which allowed one to memorize an extra high-level arcane spell, and the golden ovoid, which increased intellect. These are presumably intended to be an eastern version of the ioun stones of regular D&D, but a connection between the two is unknown. [8], Only certain types of gemstones could be transformed into an ioun stone through application of the appropriate and generally secret spells. When you use an action to toss one of these stones into the air, the stone orbits your head at … He was also recorded as creating another that granted its holder a temporarily raised level of experience and might.[17]. These days by making ioun stones easily craftable items in RPGs, much of their wonder has been stripped. When you use an action to toss one of these stones into the air, the stone orbits your head at … 1st Edition Statistics[1] The article "Bazaar of the Bizarre: Ioun Stones" in Dragon #174 (1991) begins by describing Vance's original IOUN stones and presents two possible origins for the ioun stones in D&D. Type The other idea is that powerful human wizards from another Prime Material Plane simply manufacture ioun stones, but describes this as straightforward, uninteresting, and lacking adventure. If the user was injured and lay dying, the orbit of the stones slowed and stayed close to their head. Ioun stones (pronounced EYE-oon[25]) are based on similar artifacts from Jack Vance's Dying Earth series. Some of the spells from Dungeons & Dragons are based on spells mentioned in the Dying Earth series, such as the prismatic spray. 500â50,000+ gp, depending on rarity Caster level Thereafter, when functioning, the ioun stone orbited the bearer's head at a distance of 1â3 feet (30â90 centimeters), or else trailed after the bearer as they walked. [3] Congenio's pebbles soon became enormously popular with his fellow arcanists, and were in great demand. The dramatic concluding story of the last book in The Tales Of The Dying Earth series. So you have to be very fast. In ed. [21], Cursed and supercharged versions were known to exist. Until agreement was reached, King Belaur Aumar ordered that they be put on display to the public, under heavy guard in an audience chamber, to which wizards were forbidden to approach. Can also be used to end an ongoing negative condition. Value Homemade Ioun Torch – 75 gp; Darkness effects are for ninnies. Many types of Ioun stone exist, each type a distinct combination of shape and color. âAy pronunseeAYshun gydâ. Read more on Ioun Stones from official D&D sources. An Ioun stone is named after Ioun, a god of knowledge and prophecy revered on some worlds. Appendix N particularly cites The Eyes of the Overworld (1966), whose protagonist Cugel the Clever would later be cited as inspiration for the thief class, and The Dying Earth (1950), in which wizards can cast only memorize a handful of spells and forget them after casting. Ioun stones are an enchanted stone common in fantasy fiction (they actually originated in the Dying Earth series by Jack Vance), and in role-playing games.. Wiki Le Monde des Royaumes Oubliés (French), Githzerai-made incandescent blue ioun stone, Netheril: Empire of Magic (Encyclopedia Arcana), âI Scry: Spying and Divination Magic Itemsâ, Adventurer's Vault: Arms and Equipment for All Character Classes, Netheril: Empire of Magic (The Winds of Netheril), Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark, https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Ioun_stone?oldid=646073, Increased one selected area of physical or mental prowess, as the, A perfectly formed, mirror-faced stone, possessing the powers of two other stones, Allowed user and 200 lbs (91 kg) of possessions to turn gaseous for an hour, Healed the bearer if they lay dying, but the stone crumbled to dust, Granted ten extra arcs, songs, or winds for Netherese arcanists, bards, or priests, respectively, Allowed owner to move freely for 1 hour/day, Allowed user and 200 lbs (91 kg) of possessions to, Slight resistance to magical and natural fires, Allowed the user to go without water indefinitely, Absorbed injury inflicted on owner, but the stone crumbled to dust, Slight resistance to petrification effects, Allowed the user to go without food indefinitely, Slight resistance to magical and natural cold, Stores spells and reflects attacking spells, Heals or gives greater health, up to twenty times, Allowed user and 200 lbs (91 kg) of possessions to turn ethereal for one hour, up to twenty times, Absorbs the soul of the user at the point of death, allowing resurrection via a, Allowed user and 200 lbs (91 kg) of possessions to astral travel for an hour, up to twenty times, User could only be hurt by magic and magical weapons, Absorbed high-level spells, until it burned out and could never be restored, Absorbed low-level spells, until it burned out and could never be restored, Increased charisma with members of the same race, Allowed user with 200 lbs (91 kg) of possessions to, Prevented user from being attacked from behind, Slight resistance to petrification via sight, Enables 360° vision at all times, and enables a blind user to see normally, Enhanced balance, reflexes, and handâeye coordination, Has a calming aspect, but only bestows a basic protection, May memorize an extra high-level arcane spell, Protection in battle and resistance to death, Increased wisdom, as with age and experience. These powerless stones are often painted, and sold by charlatans at high prices, who will claim that it is a functioning stone of a different type (the powers provided by most stones are subtle enough to easily fool someone). Robin D Laws custom-made its simple mechanics to produce the feel of Jack Vance's classic novels. Some users noted that if they examined something closely, then their ioun stones would move toward it. [30], There was value and use in burned-out ioun stones; for example, an apothecary in Loudwater in 1479 DR sold them.[31]. In any case, if shifted more than 3 feet (90 centimeters) from its owner, they ceased to function. Or if players are going through some ancient wizard library where they could discover the methods to create them. The magelords of the kingdom argued over how they should be usedâand how they should be shared among themselves. Here, IOUN stones are valu… Forgotten Realms Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. My namesake has a +1 caster level (yup, he started out as a 1E character, was converted to 2E, and there he, and my campaign, still sit). The stones are harvested from the core of neutron stars that are being sliced away by the Nothing at the edge of the universe and are therefore rare and difficult to obtain. They can appear in a variety of shapes and colors, but spheres and prisms are most common. This last type of stone will eventually burn out and turn grey, but it will continue to keep its orbiting ability, even if it has no effect. Congenio finally passed away in 1319 NY (â2540 DR), but for his creations his name lived on for millennia.[17]. Pip boys are awesome. The bearer could freely grab and pocket a stone, such as when going to sleep, to keep it safe, but they could no longer receive its benefits. #1 anthology in 1973. The following tables list the known ioun stones in each era, together with their benefits, costs, and other details. [2] They could only bestow their benefit on an owner when orbiting within the given range. Ioun stones (pronounced: /ËaɪuËn/ EYE-oon[15][16]), originally called Congenio's pebbles and Ioun's stones, were magical stones that floated around a bearer's head and granted a range of enhancements or powers to a creature. Congenio worked under this assumption and so he worked exclusively with small, semi-polished stones, creating what were later thought to be the first true magical protection devices. In a past age, the githzerai craftsman Bashenee had created it for a great githzerai monk, who later fell in battle with githyanki. Rimmen of the Scarlet Eye, a magelord with a dusty rose prism. The stones are harvested from the core of neutron stars that are being sliced away by the Nothing at the edge of the universe and are therefore rare and difficult to obtain. Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors. A final class of these stones (and the most common originally made), serve to absorb or store magical spells and abilities. An ioun stone, also capitalized Ioun stone, is a small, magical crystal which orbits the bearer's head, conferring magical powers. Get the benefit without having a stone buzzing around for 500 gold. After his death, a number of other arcanists continued his work. 5â12 (April 1996). Another person could try to catch or net a hovering stone to steal it or break it. Value According to legend, the pearly-white ovoid was created from the enslaved soul of a troll, and granted the troll's ability to regenerate wounds. Vance's Dying Earth series is also the inspiration for D&D's Vancian magic system. There's risky combat, of course, but there's persuasion, trickery, seduction and deadly sorcery. A wide variety of different shapes and colors of ioun stone exist, each granting a different magical property. Although reluctant, Spectorial acceded and extracted these qualities from Rigar's soul, placing them in an ioun stone so that others might benefit from them. When one acquired a stone and wished to receive its benefits, they had to first hold it firmly for a brief time in order to attune themselves and imprint their own magnetic aura into its structure, and then release it or toss it in the air. Value They'd likely been hidden by King Uthgrael Aumar (reigned 183â216 DR) years before. For ioun stones just grab a wayfinder and stick it in if that's what really matters. Meanwhile, Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms (1988) introduced warfu stones with similar function. Wondrous item Ioun stones (pronounced EYE-oon) are based on similar artifacts from Jack Vance's Dying Earth series. Only some sages of the arcane such as Prismal the Outrageous knew something of Congenio Ioun's story. [29], Related magic items were the gems of detection. [8] Unattended ioun stones tended to hover and drift about by themselves. 4th Edition Statistics[11][12][13] [7], Ioun stones could only be created by a veteran spellcaster well versed in the crafting of wondrous magical items. If the user died, the stone slowly drifted off in a random direction before slowly falling to the ground. âThe Athalantan Campaignâ. The stones avoided efforts to grab them, and by 1370 DR, no one with a net, the ability to fly, or a magical means of catching one was lucky enough to spot the ring. Ioun stones orbiting someone's head. An orbiting stone created a link with its owner, through which it regularly transferred small packets of this energy to them. [2][7][8] Its path was affected by the user's own magnetic field: it generally followed a circular or elliptic pattern but could at times follow a random path, float unmoving in the air, or dance and bob erratically. 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Created by a spellfire wielder but his name lived on in his greatest.... With its owner, they ceased to function but spheres and prisms are most common of.! Catch or net a hovering stone to steal it or break it and he multiples. Realms material, still a great omnibus edition that gets you most of the wearer 's.. Another person could try to catch or net a hovering stone to steal it or break.! Popular with his fellow arcanists, and he had multiples of some belt of giant strength and an stone.
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