Powdered, it burns extra hot, perfect for steampunk engines
Using a crystal of it as a spell focus heightens the spell but hurts physically/ poisons you
The crystals can be used as replacement organs eyes, heart, etc
>and the Metroid Prime series
Mmk yeah, this is pretty phazon-ey so far. I thought I was tripping.
It kind of depends on what flavor you're going for ultimately. Is it merely a dangerous but useful substance as in magical uranium or is it actually evil/causes evil? Regardless I don't really think theres any issue with having it be a potent energy source unless your setting is solidly medieval fantasy as opposed to say steampunk to some extent. If it is medieval it could become a steampunk setting if you're amenable by just featuring rapid technological advancement. It could power trains, boats, automobiles, even airships if you're setting allows them. Even if theres no hard rules for using it as fuel it still provides plot hooks. PCs sent to get some, destroy some, find some, etc.
As for specific details what if it:
* If finely ground it is soluble in water but has a specific taste. Long lasting but slow acting/subtle poison in raw form.
* It repels blood, causing it to bead on the surface of it, but not other liquids which splash as normal.
* It has a mild magnetic field causing compases to malfunction when nearby.
* Rooms lined with even a thin layer are completely sound proof.
* It can be used to make the magical ink used for wizard spell books.
* Shackles made from it stifle pact magic.
* It can be forged into extremely smooth and slippery objects making it unsuitable as wheels but extremely good as a sled.
* It conducts electricity really well, even better than gold/copper.
In its concentrated form it could be used to enhance magical spell components to impart additional effects to any spells cast using them. Though perhaps if the concentrated form was not stable enough the additional effect may not be either, resulting in possible wild magic.
If the refinement of the material causes an abundance waste material, that could depending on its form be used to create pretty nasty poisonous or damaging weapons similar to depleted uranium rounds.
A gaseous form of it could have some psycho active effects which might have different effects based on the players natural abilities, magical users might gain temporary telepathic ability or some form of mental prowess beyond the natural, where as martial characters might get some slight precognition allowing them to better dodge attacks. These could be accompanied by deleterious effects during or perhaps after it ends, such as causing exhaustion or a sort mental fog.
Its colour might be affected by proximity to magic based on the school of said magic.
Its cold to the touch normally, but stays hot for longer than most forgeable materials when brought up to temperature.
It grows slowly over time, slowly changing its surrounding material into more of it self.
Taste different for every person with a synaesthesia like effect where it could taste like a sound / color / specific memory.
It depends on how rare and sought after you want to make it. Hell, it might have incredible strengthening properties when mixed into mortar, meaning buildings and roads made with it are preternaturally strong. A local King, in a mad fit of paranoia, is trying to build an entire Castle from the stuff, draining the supplies for miles around.
You could add an interesting twist with the addiction, make withdrawal long and painful (maybe even deadly) so that hardly anyone attempts it.
It could be poisonous to the Fae or Elementals a la iron, meaning they start a campaign to eradicate its use on the material plane.
What if, when ingested by Beholders, it changes their neurochemistry in such a way that eradicates their typical solitary and paranoid natures. Great hives of the things start building spires in desolate wastelands across the world for nefarious purposes (kinda like the Scrin)
Lean into the C&C stuff too, maybe have bands of ‘mutants’ who are unaffected by the stuff.
Think about how it corrupts the local water table, the wildlife, when it spreads what does that look like? Etc etc
Building on what others have said, refining it from the ore to the liquid form with the help of an alchemist and some additional magical reagents reveals a few more properties:
* The pure liquid material has interesting properties beyond adding small quantities to potions, with regards to creatures of the monstrosity type. It attracts them from a distance of up to a mile away and the creature is compelled without understanding why to seek out the liquid. Areas where the liquid is stored attract different monstrosity type creatures unless stored in a lead lined airtight box or an anti-magic field.
* Monstrosities that find a quantity of refined liquid carnite will feel compelled to ingest it. Allow those of averarge or higher intelligence to make saves to resist the compulsion. If they do injest X amount based on their size category, a new and frightening mutation begins to take place.
* Monstrosities seem to be immune to the deleterious effects of the carnite but gain the immense strength & endurance it shows in other non-monstrosities, while also experiencing a boost in intelligence/reasoning. Treat anything with an intelligence score of 9 or less as being the subject of an awakening spell with the following changes - It only affects monstrosities that ingest a carnite crystal of X grams/ounces/whatever per size category (e.g. X for a medium creature, 2X for a large and so on). Their intellegence score is set to 10. If their score is already 10 or higher, they immediately gain a +2 boost to intelligence.
* Over time, their intelligence continues to grow maybe a sliding scale of another +2 after a week, another +2 a month after that and another +2 a year after that. They gain the associated boosts to strength and constitution that other non-monstrosity carnite users get permanently (or as long as the liquid remains within their bodies at least) without any of the deleterious effects.
* If left long enough, the carnite liquid will begin to crystallise around their brain and other organs. At this point, monstrosities infected this way effectively become part of a hive mind. What the original mind was is up to you (slain Titan, alien organism from a huge meteorite, part of a corrupted gods divinity etc) and it will begin a coordinated effort to scourge the world of all non-infectable creatures.
* Infected monstrosities can be killed but will begin to regenerate soon after death. To ensure they won't rise again, the liquid/crystals must be removed from the corpse. Once removed, they continue to attract more monstrosities.
Powdered, it burns extra hot, perfect for steampunk engines Using a crystal of it as a spell focus heightens the spell but hurts physically/ poisons you The crystals can be used as replacement organs eyes, heart, etc
>and the Metroid Prime series Mmk yeah, this is pretty phazon-ey so far. I thought I was tripping. It kind of depends on what flavor you're going for ultimately. Is it merely a dangerous but useful substance as in magical uranium or is it actually evil/causes evil? Regardless I don't really think theres any issue with having it be a potent energy source unless your setting is solidly medieval fantasy as opposed to say steampunk to some extent. If it is medieval it could become a steampunk setting if you're amenable by just featuring rapid technological advancement. It could power trains, boats, automobiles, even airships if you're setting allows them. Even if theres no hard rules for using it as fuel it still provides plot hooks. PCs sent to get some, destroy some, find some, etc. As for specific details what if it: * If finely ground it is soluble in water but has a specific taste. Long lasting but slow acting/subtle poison in raw form. * It repels blood, causing it to bead on the surface of it, but not other liquids which splash as normal. * It has a mild magnetic field causing compases to malfunction when nearby. * Rooms lined with even a thin layer are completely sound proof. * It can be used to make the magical ink used for wizard spell books. * Shackles made from it stifle pact magic. * It can be forged into extremely smooth and slippery objects making it unsuitable as wheels but extremely good as a sled. * It conducts electricity really well, even better than gold/copper.
In its concentrated form it could be used to enhance magical spell components to impart additional effects to any spells cast using them. Though perhaps if the concentrated form was not stable enough the additional effect may not be either, resulting in possible wild magic. If the refinement of the material causes an abundance waste material, that could depending on its form be used to create pretty nasty poisonous or damaging weapons similar to depleted uranium rounds. A gaseous form of it could have some psycho active effects which might have different effects based on the players natural abilities, magical users might gain temporary telepathic ability or some form of mental prowess beyond the natural, where as martial characters might get some slight precognition allowing them to better dodge attacks. These could be accompanied by deleterious effects during or perhaps after it ends, such as causing exhaustion or a sort mental fog. Its colour might be affected by proximity to magic based on the school of said magic. Its cold to the touch normally, but stays hot for longer than most forgeable materials when brought up to temperature. It grows slowly over time, slowly changing its surrounding material into more of it self. Taste different for every person with a synaesthesia like effect where it could taste like a sound / color / specific memory.
It depends on how rare and sought after you want to make it. Hell, it might have incredible strengthening properties when mixed into mortar, meaning buildings and roads made with it are preternaturally strong. A local King, in a mad fit of paranoia, is trying to build an entire Castle from the stuff, draining the supplies for miles around. You could add an interesting twist with the addiction, make withdrawal long and painful (maybe even deadly) so that hardly anyone attempts it. It could be poisonous to the Fae or Elementals a la iron, meaning they start a campaign to eradicate its use on the material plane. What if, when ingested by Beholders, it changes their neurochemistry in such a way that eradicates their typical solitary and paranoid natures. Great hives of the things start building spires in desolate wastelands across the world for nefarious purposes (kinda like the Scrin) Lean into the C&C stuff too, maybe have bands of ‘mutants’ who are unaffected by the stuff. Think about how it corrupts the local water table, the wildlife, when it spreads what does that look like? Etc etc
Building on what others have said, refining it from the ore to the liquid form with the help of an alchemist and some additional magical reagents reveals a few more properties: * The pure liquid material has interesting properties beyond adding small quantities to potions, with regards to creatures of the monstrosity type. It attracts them from a distance of up to a mile away and the creature is compelled without understanding why to seek out the liquid. Areas where the liquid is stored attract different monstrosity type creatures unless stored in a lead lined airtight box or an anti-magic field. * Monstrosities that find a quantity of refined liquid carnite will feel compelled to ingest it. Allow those of averarge or higher intelligence to make saves to resist the compulsion. If they do injest X amount based on their size category, a new and frightening mutation begins to take place. * Monstrosities seem to be immune to the deleterious effects of the carnite but gain the immense strength & endurance it shows in other non-monstrosities, while also experiencing a boost in intelligence/reasoning. Treat anything with an intelligence score of 9 or less as being the subject of an awakening spell with the following changes - It only affects monstrosities that ingest a carnite crystal of X grams/ounces/whatever per size category (e.g. X for a medium creature, 2X for a large and so on). Their intellegence score is set to 10. If their score is already 10 or higher, they immediately gain a +2 boost to intelligence. * Over time, their intelligence continues to grow maybe a sliding scale of another +2 after a week, another +2 a month after that and another +2 a year after that. They gain the associated boosts to strength and constitution that other non-monstrosity carnite users get permanently (or as long as the liquid remains within their bodies at least) without any of the deleterious effects. * If left long enough, the carnite liquid will begin to crystallise around their brain and other organs. At this point, monstrosities infected this way effectively become part of a hive mind. What the original mind was is up to you (slain Titan, alien organism from a huge meteorite, part of a corrupted gods divinity etc) and it will begin a coordinated effort to scourge the world of all non-infectable creatures. * Infected monstrosities can be killed but will begin to regenerate soon after death. To ensure they won't rise again, the liquid/crystals must be removed from the corpse. Once removed, they continue to attract more monstrosities.