“A Curious Substance” in Stardew Valley [Explained]

Did you just come across a mysterious new request from the Wizard while going questing in Pelican Town? Don’t worry – it happens to all of us!

Quests are an integral part of the game, and you’ll come across a plethora of them throughout your normal playthrough. Some of these are repeatable, and they’re mostly character specific. Today, I’ll be covering a very specific Quest that Rasmodius assigns you in Stardew Valley!

What is “A Curious Substance”?

“A Curious Substance” is a Quest in Stardew Valley assigned to you by Rasmodius the Wizard. It instructs you to seek an item called “Ectoplasm” and deliver it back to the Wizard. The Quest lasts for seven days and must be completed in that timeframe. 

While assigning the Quest to you, Rasmodius explains that he’s searching for an extremely rare substance called Ectoplasm. Once the Quest is activated, you’ll have to complete it within seven days. It’s important to understand, however, that Ectoplasm isn’t a readily available item in Stardew Valley.

Ectoplasm is a unique item that will only spawn during this Quest. If the Quest becomes inactive, it’ll become impossible for you to find the item. Additionally, the Quest is not repeatable and has no prerequisites for you to cross out before you can activate it. You can find specific information regarding it on the official Stardew Valley Wiki!

How Do You Get Ectoplasm?

Once the “A Curious Substance” Quest is triggered, each Ghost mob you slay has a ~9.5% chance to drop Ectoplasm. A Ghost can only drop a singular Ectoplasm, and you can only carry one of it in your inventory at a time. The item itself has a somewhat transparent greenish look, and its description explains it to be a thick and slimy goop. Once you obtain a single Ectoplasm, the drop rate of the item will become 0, and you won’t be able to receive another one. 

The only in-game purpose for the Ectoplasm is for you to give it to Rasmodius. It can neither be used in crafting nor sold.

Rewards for the Quest

Successfully delivering the Ectoplasm to the Wizard regards you with 2,500g and the recipe to craft a Mini-Obelisk. The money isn’t the main attraction here, however. Minin-Obelisks are craftable, highly convenient items that allow you to teleport between two locations on your farmhouse. 

You’ll have to place two of them. Interacting with either will instantly teleport you to the location of the other!