Mortal Shell 2: Blackblood Stone Tarstone Location and Splash Damage Effect

The Blackblood Stone is a Combat Tarstone in Mortal Shell 2 that turns your sidearm into an explosive weapon. Every projectile detonates on impact and deals splash damage to anything nearby, which makes it strong against clustered enemies. It sits in a chest deep inside the Pulsing Caves, reached from the Widow’s Overlook beacon.

Quick answer: From the Widow’s Overlook beacon, cross Blackridge Cliffs into the Sanguini Caverns, cleanse the Stonebled Gate beacon to open the Corrupted Gate, then continue to the Pulsing Caves beacon and enter its trial area, Mawbreak Cavern. The Blackblood Stone is in the chest at the end.

What the Blackblood Stone does

This Tarstone attaches to your Sidearm and changes how projectiles behave. Instead of a single point of impact, each shot explodes on hit and spreads splash damage around the target. The base effect is unlocked at Level 1, and upgrading the stone raises the splash damage output.

Level	Effect
Level 1	Projectiles explode on hit and deal 2 splash damage
Upgraded	Exploding projectiles deal 3 splash damage
Max	Exploding projectiles deal 4 splash damage

The splash effect works with pistol-type sidearms, so the damage scales as you upgrade the stone rather than requiring a specific weapon.

Route from Widow’s Overlook to Mawbreak Cavern

Start at the Widow’s Overlook beacon and head out across the open cliffs. Follow the path over Blackridge Cliffs, past the Shattered Beacon, toward the entrance of the Sanguini Caverns.

Armored player character crossing a rocky cliffside path with a weapon drawn — The cliff route out of Widow’s Overlook that leads toward the Sanguini Caverns. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

Enter the caverns and clear the enemies inside as you push forward. Keep moving through the cave interior until you reach the Stonebled Gate beacon.

Player character running across a wooden bridge through an icy cavern toward a dark passage — The bridge inside the caverns on the way to the Stonebled Gate beacon. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

Cleanse the Stonebled Gate beacon. This step is required, because cleansing it unlocks the Corrupted Gate that blocks the path deeper into the caverns.

Open map screen with the player location marker centered on the surrounding cavern area — Checking the map after cleansing the Stonebled Gate beacon to plan the route ahead. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

Pass through the now-open Corrupted Gate and fight through the enemies beyond it. Continue along the passage toward the Pulsing Caves beacon.

Player character moving through a dark torchlit stone passage with the combat HUD visible — The torchlit corridor past the Corrupted Gate where the bonus Deadeye Stone chest is found. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

Rest at the Pulsing Caves beacon, then enter its trial area, Mawbreak Cavern. Clear the enemies inside and open the chest at the end to claim the Blackblood Stone.

Rest at Beacon prompt shown as the player approaches the Pulsing Caves beacon — The Pulsing Caves beacon rest prompt, the entry point to the Mawbreak Cavern trial. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

Grab the Deadeye Stone on the way

There is a second Tarstone along the same route worth collecting. After you clear the Corrupted Gate, drop down to the first camp area on the left inside the Sanguine Caverns and open the chest there to pick up the Deadeye Stone.

The Deadeye Stone also fits the Sidearm slot and boosts ranged Critical Damage. Its effect climbs from +20% at Level 1 to +30% and then +40% as you upgrade it, so it pairs well with an explosive projectile build.

Tarstones inventory showing the Deadeye Stone at Level 1 with the ranged critical damage bonus highlighted — The Deadeye Stone in the Tarstones inventory, showing its +20% ranged critical damage at Level 1. Image credit: Cold Symmetry

Confirm you got it and equip it

Opening the Mawbreak Cavern chest triggers a pickup notification and adds the Blackblood Stone to your Tarstones inventory. Open the Tarstones menu to check it is listed, then infuse it into your equipped Sidearm. Once slotted, your projectiles will visibly explode on hit and deal splash damage, which is how you know the effect is active.

If the explosion does not appear when you fire, the stone is likely not equipped to a compatible slot. The Blackblood Stone only works on a Sidearm, so it will not apply if you try to attach it to a primary weapon or another equipment type.

Upgrading the splash damage

Tarstones gain experience while equipped as you defeat enemies, and they can be upgraded once that experience threshold is met. Upgrades are handled by Franz at the Tarforge in the Marrow Keep, and each Blackblood Stone level costs coins.

To unlock Tarstone upgrades, hand Franz the Etching Needle, a quest item found in a chest before the fight against Magdalena, Lady of the Woods. When you reach Ruk past the bridge, turn right into the small side section and loot the bone chest there. After Franz receives it, you can raise the Blackblood Stone from 2 splash damage up to 4 at its highest tier.