The Icy Metal in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a crucial component in crafting the powerful Mourning Frost staff, and its discovery is tied intricately to exploring the Underdark. This unassuming piece of frosted iron might seem minor at first glance, but as with many items in BG3, it serves as an entry point to deeper lore, exploration, and combat strategy. Tracking down Icy Metal and its companion pieces, Icy Helve and Icy Crystal becomes a miniadventure in itself, filled with hidden bodies, drow patrols, and fortress secrets. By piecing together these fragments, players unlock a legendary quarterstaff that enhances cold damage and bestows the Ray of Frost cantrip, elevating both mechanical strength and narrative depth.
What Is the Icy Metal?
Icy Metal is a common miscellaneous item that, despite its straightforward description, holds the weight of a legendary weapon’s potential. Appearing as a frosted clip of jagged metal, it’s one of three unique parts required to assemble the Mourning Frost staff.
Key Properties
- Rarity: Common
- Weight: 0.2 kg / 0.4 lb
- Value: 60 gp
- Part of crafting recipe for a colddamage staff
Location: Ebonlake Grotto in the Underdark
The Icy Metal is located at coordinates X 50, Y 73 in the Underdark, within the Ebonlake Grotto region.
StepbyStep Retrieval
- Enter the Underdark via Myconid Colony.
- Defeat the Duergar intruders.
- Turn in Nere’s head to Sovereign Shaw to unlock the vault.
- Explore vault interior until you locate the vinehidden drow corpse.
- Loot the Icy Metal item.
Companion Parts: Icy Helve & Icy Crystal
The Icy Metal does not stand alone; it must be combined with Icy Helve and Icy Crystal to create the Mourning Frost quarterstaff. The Helve is found near the Selunite Outpost (X 118, Y 250) on the body of Dhourn, a petrified drow caught in a beholder Spectator’s gaze.
Crafting Mourning Frost Staff
Once all three components are in inventory, rightclick and combine them to forge the Mourning Frost quarterstaff.
Weapon Benefits
- Deals extra 1d4 cold damage
- Increases overall cold damage output
- Chance to inflict Chilled status
- Grants access to the Ray of Frost cantrip
Why It Matters in Gameplay
Mourning Frost is more than just a thematic reward it genuinely enhances a character’s toolkit, particularly for those focusing on colddamage builds. The added damage, debuff chance, and new cantrip open up viable combos with other cold spells and tactics. This staff is especially valuable during the midtolate game when enemies with resistances or crowd control become tougher to defeat.
Strategic Advantages
- Direct cold damage complements existing spell choices
- Chilled status slows enemies, useful for battlefield control
- Ray of Frost offers an additional ranged option even when slotlimited
- Adds diversity to nonmage characters who otherwise can’t cast cantrips
Lore & Exploration Aspects
Each piece of Icy Metal, Helve, and Crystal ties into the Underdark’s drow lore and the hidden threats within. Finding these items sends players across pivotal locations: duergarcontrolled corridors, beholder nests, sacred groves, and myconid sanctuaries. Collectively, they encourage deep exploration and combat planning.
Thematic Consistency
- Reinforces the Underdark’s status as a realm of secrets and danger
- Each discovery moment is tied to overcoming challenging foes
- Crafting the staff reflects a journey from raw material to mastery
Community Feedback & Tips
Players across forums like r/BaldursGate3 celebrate the Mourning Frost’s combination of narrative payoff and mechanical utility. Many consider it a mustget, especially for sorcerers or hybrids. Some tips include:
- Save before entering Underdark vaults; these areas can be timed or buggy.
- Loot all drow bodies thoroughly to avoid missing components.
- Use stealth or dialogue checks to minimize combat before looting.
The Icy Metal may seem like a simple piece of frosted iron, but it’s an essential part of an intricate quest chain combining exploration, combat, and storytelling. Along with the Icy Helve and Icy Crystal, it unlocks the Mourning Frost staff a potent weapon that enhances coldbased builds and expands tactical options. Hunting down these components rewards players both narratively and mechanically, shaping a memorable sidequest within the sprawling Underdark. Whether you’re a completionist, loreseeker, or colddamage specialist, the path to Icy Metal is one well worth taking in Baldur’s Gate 3.