Adnd 2E Gem lore

[ShadowEthos]

I have heard that in second edition mundane gemstones can provide interesting effects, for example a sapphire in contact with skin provides a +2 bonus to saving throws against mind-effecting effects. I was wondering what book this came from, or if there was a list somewhere on the internet.

[LibraryOgre]

I'm not aware of an official source for this, but the old Forgotten Realms Adventures hardback had a number of gem and art objects.

[Chambers]

Indeed they do!


Sapphire: Sapphire is a brilliant blue, translucent corundum mineral. Sapphires vary from a clear, pale blue to a radiant azure. Sapphires augment enchantments and so are widely used in the making of magical swords and other magical items, especially those related to magical prowess, the mind, and the element of air. An important exception to this boosting is magic that causes fear, anger, despair, or insanity: The wearer of a sapphire is partially protected against such effects. In magical processes, sappphires are best used at midmorn.


Elminster: When an item is set with a whole, large sapphire of not less than 5,000 gp value and bathed in a mixture containing powdered sapphire during its enchantment, there is a 55% chance that a magical bonus is augmented by 1; that is, a +1 sword will become a +2 sword. This can be done either when an item is created or to improve an existing one using a special process. As a spell component, sapphires make spells last for the longest possible time and deal the maximum damage in their first round of doing harm. Against magic or psionics that affect emotions or cloud the mind (including charms, feeblemind and geas spells, and insanity-causing effects), sapphires give beings wearing or bearing them a +2 bonus to all saving throws or allow a normal saving throw when none is ordinarily allowed.

The book describes 20 pages worth of gemstones and what their magical properties are (among other topics, there are 128 pages total). There is an appendix in the back that is a copy of the one that originally appeared in Forgotten Realms Adventures.

[ShadowEthos]

Thanks for the information, this helps alot.

You sir are a gentleman and a scholar