Ioun stone Ioun stones , 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 . Description . They were small , crystalline stones , coming in a wide range of colors and shapes that determined their powers . Unattended " ioun stones " tended to hover and drift about by themselves . They were known to glow and occasionally to emit faint , musical sounds , sounding rather like chimes or a harp , in single notes or longer chords . Function . " Ioun stones " hovered permanently in the air , but otherwise remained motionless . 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 . Thereafter , when functioning , the " ioun stone " orbited the bearer ' s head at a distance of 1 – 3 ft ( 30 – 91 cm ) , or else trailed after the bearer as they walked . 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 . Occasionally , a " stone " might drift up to 12 ft ( 3 . 7 m ) from its owner , then swiftly return . Some users noted that if they examined something closely , then their " ioun stones " would move toward it . An " ioun stone " held stored magical energy . An orbiting stone created a link with its owner , through which it regularly transferred small packets of this energy to them . This magical energy could enhance them in the various ways " ioun stones " were known for , or bestow more unusual powers . They could only bestow their benefit on an owner when orbiting within the given range . Two stones of the same type would repel each other , but many of different types could be used at once . After 1372 DR , there were also " lesser ioun stones " that gave the same benefits as full examples of their kind , but only one " lesser ioun stone " could be used at a time , even if of different types . 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 . Another person could try to catch or net a hovering stone to steal it or break it . In any case , if shifted more than 3 ft ( 91 cm ) from its owner , they ceased to function . If the user went to sleep without storing them , the stones hovered motionlessly over them . If the user was injured and lay dying , the orbit of the stones slowed and stayed close to their head . If the user died , the stone slowly drifted off in a random direction before slowly falling to the ground . However , if the user died suddenly or violently , the stone flew off at great sped in a random direction , fast enough to hurt if it impacted someone , or else hitting the ground up to 120 ft ( 37 m ) away . Some stones had only one or a set number of charges , after which they became drained of power and were considered burned out . Rarely , an " ioun stone " spontaneously burned out on its own ( a 1 in 20 chance each year ) . Either way , a burned - out stone became dull grey and inert , but it still possessed the characteristic floating power . Although they were useless for magical purposes , they retained sufficient resonance for a psionicist to extract a smidgeon of psionic energy — enough to boost their psionic strength or to fuel the lowest of unaugmented powers — before it became completely burned out . As with other items that could store magical energy , the pale lavender ellipsoid , lavender - and - green ellipsoid , and vibrant - purple prism could store spellfire . In turn , they could also be drained by a spellfire wielder . Cursed and supercharged versions were known to exist . Creation . " Ioun stones " could only be created by a veteran spellcaster well versed in the crafting of wondrous magical items . Only certain types of gem stone could be transformed into an " ioun stone " through application of the appropriate and generally secret spells . These gems were known collectively as " the nine secrets " , though there were at least ten . These were amethyst , chrysoberyl , chrysoprase , 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 ) , Laeral ' s tears ( most little known and rarest of the gems ) , obsidian ( the most well known ) , onyx , and sardonyx . In the time of ancient Netheril , the gems and stones selected for enchantment were actually imperfect or flawed , with the exception of the perfect " euhedral " stone . Some " ioun stones " were apparently created using essences taken from a soul , and bestowed the benefits of these upon their owners . 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 . The " pale green ioun stone " came about when the dying warrior Rigar Trueblood begged his companion , the mage Spectorial , to preserve his skill and fortitude in battle . 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 . The unique Malla ' s soul stone , which acted as an " ioun stone " , contained the soul of an innocent young woman , and conferred many different benefits . Similarly , the " mantle stone of Vhyridaan " was a failed attempt to create a " kiira " that absorbed its creator , body and soul . 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 . On the other hand , some " ioun stones " seem to have merely been created from the blood of creatures with the necessary essences . Legend told that the Trollblood ioun stone , a dark - green sphere , was created from the blood of seven trolls that had each been captured and , over seven nights , used in experiments in magic . 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 . Other applications . " 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 . One possible example was the " ioun blade " , a " + 1 dagger " with a socket in its hilt or pommel that could hold an " ioun stone " and bestow its benefit upon the wielder . Related magic items were the " gems of detection " . These were miniature " ioun stones " , highly polished but of weaker material , that could be set into a chair . If one sat in the chair and touched the gem , they could use a specific detection spell , according to the gem , but only while seated in the chair . There was value and use in burned - out " ioun stones " ; for example , an apothecary in Loudwater in 1479 DR sold them . History . Congenio Ioun , an early arcanist of the Nether Age of Netheril , created the first " ioun stones " in the year 397 NY ( −3462 DR ) . At the time , Netherese priests and wizards alike believed that large objects such as shields and suits of armor were simply too big to be enchanted , and ( mistakenly ) assumed that only small or slender items — pebbles , small stones , pieces of cloth , dagger s , and the like — could be enchanted to bear magic . 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 . This was a previously unheard - of achievement : he was aged only 33 and this was the first magical item he had created , marking him as one of the greatest arcanists of his age . He initially called them " Congenio ' s pebbles " . He adopted the self - imposed limitation of enchanting all stones of the same shape with the same spell , making them more consistent for buyers and eliminating confusion . " Congenio ' s pebbles " soon became enormously popular with his fellow arcanists , and were in great demand . Over the next 54 years , the " anhedral " , " echinid " , " hexagonoid " , " spindle " , " pebble " , " star " , and " round " stones were developed and introduced . 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 . In 451 NY ( −3408 DR ) , at the suggestion of a close friend , Congenio renamed his pebbles to the much more catchy " Ioun ' s stones " . Under this name , the " cephaloid " , " cube " , " cylinder " , " decipton " , " dendroid " , " dodecahedron " , " ellipsoid " , " enneid " , " euhedral " , " hectoid " , " helicid " , " heptid " , " monoclinoid " , " nephroid " , " ovoid " , " octahedron " , " orthorhomboid " , " peg " , " pentahedron " , " prism " , " pyramid " , " rectangle " , " septahedron " , " sexahedron " , " tile " , and " tredyhedron " stones were created and became widespread in Netheril . Congenio himself created over thirty of these , including the " prism " that allowed one to see in the dark and another that granted its holder a temporarily raised level of experience and might . He was never seen without them orbiting his head . He lived an incredibly long life , almost a thousand years , and some wondered if one of his stones was responsible for his longevity . Congenio finally passed away in 1319 NY ( −2540 DR ) , but for his creations his name lived on for millennia . After his death , a number of other arcanists continued his work . These researchers made breakthroughs in Congenio ' s original design , in that they simply ignored his consistent design and placed their own spells on whatever gem they had , no matter its shape . The stones became generally known as simply " ioun stones " around 1365 NY ( c . −2494 DR ) . From this time on , the " triclinid " , " tubule " , " decahedron " , " heptahedron " , " lozenge " , " rhomboid " , " rod " , " sphere " , " stelloid " , and " tetrapton " stones were invented , until the fall of Netheril in 3520 NY ( c . −339 DR ) . A unique incandescent blue sphere surfaced around 1311 DR in Icewind Dale . In a past age , the githzerai craftsman Bashenee had created it for a great githzerai monk , who later fell in battle with githyanki . It circulated among them for many years , until it was given to the mind flayer Oinchack ' olp , who treated it as a prized possession . Oinchack ' olp was roaming the Underdark beneath Icewind Dale when he lost it , and some drider s found it . Oinchack ' olp ordered some passing adventurers to retrieve it . By the 14th century , " ioun stones " were much desired , yet few people — even those who had them — knew where they had originated . Congenio Ioun himself had been long - forgotten , but his name lived on in his greatest creation . Only some sages of the arcane such as Prismal the Outrageous knew something of Congenio Ioun ' s story . In the 1360s DR , the blood - red sphere , which improved balance , reflexes , and hand – eye coordination , was in great demand among those who used such skills such as rogue s , thieves , and their ilk . 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 . Notable collections . " Ioun stones " were , at all times , quite rare and just as hard to acquire . They were a much - valued treasure , and considered well worth any risk to gather in numbers , owing to their useful powers . Larloch , the Shadow King , the arch - lich of Warlock ' s Crypt and a long - surviving arcanist of Netheril , possessed over two dozen " ioun stones " , which orbited his skull at all times , giving him a wide variety of powers , protections , and enhancements . Some were much more powerful than their regular versions , and he had multiples of some . In the Year of the Black Flame , 229 DR , in the kingdom of Athalantar , tales spread that a chest full of " ioun stones " had been discovered in the castle of Athalgard , in the city of Hastarl . They ' d likely been hidden by King Uthgrael Aumar ( reigned 183 – 216 DR ) years before . The magelord s of the kingdom argued over how they should be used — and how they should be shared among themselves . 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 . The thief Farl had a notion to steal them , but his friend Eladar warned it all could be a trap laid by the magelords . The " Wyvern Crown of Cormyr " was inlaid with ten " ioun stones " on the tips of its spikes . None of the stones could be removed from the " Crown " without destroying them , not without a " wish " spell on each stone . A ring of a dozen " ioun stones " was occasionally sighted hovering above the River Vesper in the Vast from the 1350s DR on . 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 . A tale told in riverside taverns claimed that anyone who could grab one of the " ioun stones " could keep it , but was also compelled by a " geas " to perform some dangerous task , with a different task for each stone . Known " ioun stones " . The following tables list the known " ioun stones " in each era , together with their benefits , costs , and other details . In addition to these , it was rumored that Congenio Ioun himself had created another stone that had given him his great longevity ; he lived almost a thousand years . He was also recorded as creating another that granted its holder a temporarily raised level of experience and might . Appendix . Background . The " ioun stone " has its basis in the IOUN stone ( written all in capitals ) appearing in the short story " Morreion " by , whose series was very influential on early " Dungeons & Dragons " . " Morreion " was first published in the anthology in 1973 . Here , IOUN stones are valuable items that nullify magic and are extracted at great risk from the cores of dead stars . With Vance ' s permission , the ioun stone was first developed for D & D in " The Strategic Review " # 4 ( 1975 ) , with the " clear prism " , " deep - red sphere " , " incandescent blue sphere " , " pale green ellipsoid " , " pale lavender spindle " , " pearly white prism " , " pink ellipsoid " , " pink - and - green ellipsoid " , and " scarlet - and - blue sphere " being the first to appear . 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 " . 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 . 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 . Nevertheless , " Encyclopedia Magica Volume II " ( 1995 ) does just that , stating that the powerful human wizard Congenio Ioun invented them . " " ( 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 . Since this is " Forgotten Realms " material , this is the version adopted for this wiki . D & D would once again forget and recreate the origin of the " ioun stone " when the 4th edition introduced a goddess of knowledge and prophecy called Ioun , inspired by the " ioun stone " . " Open Grave " presents a cursed artifact called the Jet Black Ioun Stone , and says that the goddess Ioun created " ioun stones " ( including the Jet Black ) to spread knowledge in all forms . However , she was not introduced to the 4th edition of the " Forgotten Realms " setting ( although Zehir was , who had a hand in the Jet Black ) , so it must be assumed that neither the goddess Ioun , her creation of the " ioun stones " , or the Jet Black Ioun Stone exist in the setting . This leaves only their creation by the mortal wizard Congenio Ioun and others . The drifting of the origin story continued in 5th edition with the eponymous creator being called a god of knowledge and prophecy , rather than a goddess . The stones were described as having a rigid correlation between the benefit they bestowed and the shape and color of the item . They were considered wondrous items valued by rarity and classified as Rare , Very Rare , or Legendary .