D&D 5E What is a petrified eye of a Newt?

My point wasn't about a specific spell, but rather we are playing in a setting with magic. Not only is the spell, but there are certainly other ways to get petrified newt eyes. Besides, what's cooler? mustard seed or amphibian eyes?
 

log in or register to remove this ad


If it is a literal newt's eye, even Flesh to Stone doesn't fully solve the logistics problem- you're still going to need a reasonably skilled stonecarver to extract the eyes from your petrified newt. You could try removing the eyes first, I suppose, but at that point the eyes would be objects rather than creatures, so they wouldn't be valid targets for Flesh to Stone or most creature-specific petrification abilities.

Finding one naturally would essentially require some novel arcane/natural history explanation, given the rarity of fossilized soft tissues, and even if such a high quality newt fossil were found somehow, it would a.) present the same issue as Flesh to Stone and b.) be much too rare and valuable to dismantle for low level spell components. Maybe there's some way to artificially replicate the process under highly controlled conditions, but I imagine the time required would be prohibitive.

Probably the best solution would be some sort of homebrew spell. Transmuting a few grams of nonliving flesh seems like it should be possible at a lower level than 6th, even if there's not a published spell designed for that purpose.


Of course, any of these methods would be an absurd amount of effort if you didn't already have some very specific reason to want a petrified newt's eye. Which leaves the question: How in the world did anyone figure out that it worked as a material component?
 


Maybe there’s some spell or other magic in the D&D multiverse that can flash-fossilize fresh newt eyes to be packaged into component pouches.

Prestidigitation can petrify an object maybe? So the apprentice can shuck his own Newt eyeballs and finger-wave a batch of components.

Even better is that the component IS mustard seed, but the self-important warlock assumes it is literally the petrified eye of a newt and spends countless gold getting a high-level wizard to petrify a newt and an artisan dwarven stonecutter to extract the eye intact, all for the Hex spell to fail when they cast it because of lack of the correct component.
 


If it is a literal newt's eye, even Flesh to Stone doesn't fully solve the logistics problem- you're still going to need a reasonably skilled stonecarver to extract the eyes from your petrified newt. You could try removing the eyes first, I suppose, but at that point the eyes would be objects rather than creatures, so they wouldn't be valid targets for Flesh to Stone or most creature-specific petrification abilities.

Technically, it's the petrified eye, nothing is said about detaching it from the remainder of the newt. I'd say one could start with a newt, turn it into chalk and dip it into vinegar to reduce the newt part to a more manageable size.

Probably the best solution would be some sort of homebrew spell. Transmuting a few grams of nonliving flesh seems like it should be possible at a lower level than 6th, even if there's not a published spell designed for that purpose.
True, and this spell would have to be designed to meet the requirements of the spell.

Of course, any of these methods would be an absurd amount of effort if you didn't already have some very specific reason to want a petrified newt's eye. Which leaves the question: How in the world did anyone figure out that it worked as a material component?

It's a warlock spell. After twenty-four generations of warlock failing to cast Hex, the patrons collectively sighed and mentally told their charges "IT'S A BLOODY EYE OF A BATRACIAN TURNED TO STONE, STOP MEDDLING WITH THAT KITCHEN SEASONING!!!"

(Setting authors should really take the time to explain the fundamental information about their choices ;-) )
 

Maybe there’s some spell or other magic in the D&D multiverse that can flash-fossilize fresh newt eyes to be packaged into component pouches.
Maybe there's just a lower level version of flesh to stone out there, called transmute eyeballs to marbles or something.

edit: Okay, yes, no question.There is absolutely a scroll out there, somewhere, with this spell on it now. So be it!
 

You just have to drop a few loose newt eyes in a vial of bottled gorgon breath.

If its the mustard seed variant, a transmuter might be able to use minor alchemy on it to change it to stone.
 


Remove ads

Top