Tel Var Stones are coming with the release of The Elder Scrolls Online Imperial City game expansion.

Last week, we reported on the new Imperial City game expansion coming to The Elder Scrolls Online (in case you missed the article, you can read it here). Imperial City is the first major content release since Craglorn, and promises to offer many new features for ESO fans.

Tel Var Stones

One of the most talked about features being released with Imperial City is the Tel Var Stone system — a brand new in-game currency that works similar to ESO’s current gold system.

Tel Var Stones will be used to purchase items and crafting materials from merchants in the Imperial City’s safe area. These materials will in turn be used to craft the new VR15 and VR16 armor, weapons, and potions.

How To Earn Tel Var Stones

Tel Var Stones can be earned in a number of ways in Imperial City PvP areas:

Tel Var Stones will drop from every monster kill.
Tel Var Stones will be locked in special, “purple sealed” treasure chests.
Tel Var Stones can be earned from completing main story and daily quests.
Tel Var Stones will drop in the Sewers from Scamps.
Tel Var Stones can be looted from killed players.

Note: At the time of this article, the Tel Var Stone system has yet to be fully tested on the Public Test Server (or PTS). Changes may be forthcoming, but as it stands now, the following Tel Var Stone drop rates apply to mobs (tougher monsters result in more Stones):

[table]Monster Level, Tel Var Stones

Easy,4 Stones

Champion, 12 Stones

Mini Boss, 100 Stones

Main Boss, 400 Stones [/table]

Tel Var Stones Multiplier

The more Tel Var Stones you earn, the greater your multiplier increases. Multipliers will give you more Tel Var Stones from all sources (except looting killed players). The multiplier is in play to encourage players to hold on to their Stones, and the game’s UI will show the number carried and the current multiplier.

[table]Number of Tel Var Stones, Multiplier

100 Stones, x2

1000 Stones, x3

10000 Stones, x4 [/table]

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How To Lose Tel Var Stones

You can lose Tel Var Stones in the Imperial City PvP areas by being killed:

By monsters.
By fellow players.

The new Tel Var Stone system will add an interesting dynamic to Elder Scrolls Online PvP (player vs. player). Unlike the PvP zone in Cyrodiil, Imperial City will allow players to kill and loot the Tel Var Stones from the dead bodies of fellow players (players will not be able to loot unopened boxes of Stones earned via quests, however).

Note: As it stands now, killed players will lose 10% of the Stones they carry if killed by mobs, and 100% of the Stones they carry if killed by players. The devs have acknowledged that the 100% loss percentage is very punishing to losing players, and the rate will be explored during PTS testing.

Banking Tel Var Stones

Tel Var Stones won’t take up Inventory space, and you can make deposits in the Bank to keep your stash safe from fellow players. At a minimum, you must deposit 50 Stones at a time.

Note: Tel Var Stones can be banked, but cannot be traded, sold or mailed to fellow players. However, Stones may be used to purchase the VR15 and VR16 crafting mats, which can then be sold, traded, or mailed.

To Learn More

To learn more about the new Tel Var Stone system, watch the latest ESO Live: Episode 22. The devs show actual Imperial City game play, and start talking about the new system at the 58:43 mark.

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSTNbpiulho”]