Socketing Gems
Wondrous item, varies
Socketing gems are magic items designed to be affixed to a mundane item of the same type (armor, weapon, or shield). Most modern Socketing Gems were crafted by Whiteheart of House Cannith, though their designs are based on far older relics. Gems are applied using a paste made from powdered Eberron crystals and can be removed using a Khyber crystal paste as a solvent.
A gem can be socketed into only one item at a time, and an item can hold only one gem.
Socketing a Gem. Socketing a gem requires:
- A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
- An Eberron crystal worth at least 10 gp, consumed during the ritual.
The gem and the qualifying item must remain in physical contact for 1 hour. On a success, the gem becomes fixed in place and cannot be removed except by a de‑socketing ritual. If you are proficient with jeweller’s tools, you have advantage on the check and the ritual takes only 10 minutes.
De‑Socketing a Gem. De‑socketing a gem requires:
- A DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
- A Khyber crystal worth at least half the gem’s value, consumed during the ritual.
The gem and the qualifying item must remain in physical contact with the Khyber crystal for 24 hours. On a success, the gem is freed and can be socketed into another item. If you are proficient with jeweller’s tools, you have advantage on the check and the ritual takes only 1 hour.
Eberron Dragonshards
Wonderous Item, Common
Eberron dragonshards, also known as bloodstones, are typically pink in colour and can be found within egg-shaped stones buried beneath topsoil or the watery muck in swampy regions. Eberron dragonshards are the most common of the three varieties, especially on the continent of Khorvaire. Like other dragonshards, they are used in the creation of magic items, but have a broader spectrum of uses than the other types of dragonshards. They can also be used as components for spellcasting.
Eberron Dragonshards can also be used to transfer Enhancements from one Socketed Gem to another. Attempting to Transfer Properties requires 4,000gp’s worth of Eberron Crystals per property. Transferring the Properties takes 1 Hour of Strenuous work and once complete you make a DC15 Intelligence (Arcana) check. On a Failure the Eberron Crystals are consumed and the transfer has failed. Those bearing the Mark of Making automatically succeed on this check.
When Enhancements are transferred any value added to the base price of the source Socketing Gem is removed, and added to the base price of the Target Socketed Gem.
Khyber Dragonshards
Wonderous Item, Uncommon
Khyber dragonshards are generally a dark blue or black and can be found beneath the surface of Eberron in deep underground caverns. While Siberys dragonshards are the hardest to find, Khyber dragonshards are the most dangerous to obtain because of the denizens lurking in Khyber. Khyber dragonshards have an affinity for binding and are most notable for their use in crafting bound-elemental items, such as the lightning rail.
Khyber crystals can also be used to bind Properties to Socketing Gems. To do so requires at least 2,000gp worth of Khyber Dragonshards. The process takes 8 hours of strenuous activity and at the end you may roll on the Socketed Gem Enhancement Result table.
Bonus Cost (Exponential): You may invest additional Khyber Dragonshards to gain a bonus to your roll on the Socketed Gem Enhancement Results table. The cost doubles for each point of bonus: +1 costs 4,000 gp, +2 costs 8,000 gp, +3 costs 16,000 gp, +4 costs 32,000 gp, +5 costs 64,000 gp, +6 costs 128,000 gp, and +7 costs 256,000 gp. These amounts are not cumulative, you pay only the amount shown for the desired bonus.
If you bear the Mark of Making, you may expend a single spell slot in place of Dragonshards: a 1st‑level slot replaces 4,000 gp, a 2nd‑level slot replaces 8,000 gp, and a 3rd‑level slot replaces 16,000 gp.
On a successful enhancement, the value of any Khyber Dragonshards used is added to the value of the Socketed Gem. If a spell slot was used, treat it as if the equivalent value of Dragonshards had been invested. The gem’s rarity also increases to Artifact. When a Socketing Gem is Enhanced if it did not already require attunement, it gains that requirement. The creature performing this Enhancement is attuned to the Gem as part of this process.
This process may be repeated multiple times on a single Socketing Gem, however for every property over 5 that a Socketing Gem has, anyone attuned gains 1 level of exhaustion up to a maximum of 5.
Socketed Gem Enhancement Results Table
| 1d8 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Process fails; all components used (including the Socketing Gem) are destroyed |
| 2 | Process fails; Khyber Dragonshards are consumed |
| 3 | Process fails; half of the Khyber Dragonshards are consumed |
| 4 | Process fails: no components are consumed |
| 5 | Success; The Khyber Dragonshards are consumed. Gain: 1 Minor Beneficial Property, 1 Minor Detrimental Property. |
| 6 | Success; The Khyber Dragonshards are consumed. Gain: 2 Minor Beneficial Properties, 1 Minor Detrimental Property |
| 7 | Success; The Khyber Dragonshards are consumed Gain: 3 Minor Beneficial Properties, 2 Minor Detrimental Properties |
| 8+ | Success; The Khyber Dragonshards are consumed Gain: 1 Major Beneficial Properties, 1 Major Detrimental Properties |
Siberys Dragonshards
Wonderous Item, Rare
Siberys dragonshards are golden in colour and fall from the Ring of Siberys, which means they are usually found on the surface in equatorial regions of Eberron. Siberys dragonshards are the rarest of the three varieties and are only sold in quantities in Stormreach on the continent of Xen’drik, or in Sharn on Khorvaire. Siberys dragonshards are most closely linked with dragonmarks and are often used to enhance Dragonmark abilities.
Siberys dragonshards can also be used to cleanse unwanted properties from a socketed gem. Doing so consumes shards equal in value to the amount shown in the table below, based on both the number of properties the gem currently has and its total value. Creatures bearing the Mark of Making may treat the gem as if it had one fewer property when consulting this table to determine the materials needed.
| Properties | Required Value to remove 1 Property |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 quarter of the value of the Socketing Gem |
| 2 | 1 half of the value of the Socketing gem |
| 3 | 3 quarters of the value of the socketing gem |
| 4 | the same value as the socketing gem |
Removing a property takes 8 hours of strenuous activity. Upon completion, you choose which property is removed. If a negative property is removed, increase the gem’s value by the amount shown in the table. If a beneficial property is removed, decrease its value by the same amount.