A question a week, answer the following week, until I get bored or forget. All questions from the 2ed AD&D Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide, Monstrous Compendium Volume I, and Monstrous Compendium Volume II. Even setting aside 2ed is one of my least favorites, most the questions are troll piss. Rule math minutiae. Aspects of 2ed I find too stupid to endure. Quite a few that are common knowledge to any player these days. Mostly in regards to iconic monsters that were relatively new and unknown back in 1991.
First up last week's answer; What gem is worth more filthy lucre, topaz or amethyst? Topaz! You should know your gemstones even if you don't play D&D.
I really dig using gem names rather than just gold piece value. But, there are too many of them. More importantly, detail and complexity needs to be applied were it counts / removed were it doesn't (something Gygax did not agree with). I want a little flavor, but not at expense of "playability", and it must be comprehensible to players (so they can make informed choices and don't just find a short cut and ignore your flavor as the nuisance it is). In my current campaign I use only two gems per tier (for most part) and there is some regularity; both 50gp are "stones", solid color means 100/500gp, transparent gems are 1000gp +.
10 GP
- Agate: Multi-colored circles
- Tiger Eye: Brown with golden center under-hue
50 GP
- Bloodstone: Dark gray with red flecks
- Moonstone: Translucent white with pale blue glow
100 GP
- Carnelian: Orange to reddish brown
- Jade: Light green, deep green, green and white
500 GP
- Pearl: Lustrous white, pinkish, to pure black
- Topaz: Translucent golden yellow
1000 GP
- Emerald: Transparent deep green
- Ruby: Transparent crimson
- Sapphire: Transparent vivid blue
5000 GP
- Diamond
Question (5th lvl)
A spell that produces matter or items from some other place (such as Evard's Black Tentacles) is a spell from what school of magic? [5th level, the hardest? Seems most everyone (who's played 2ed or later) should know that.]