Running Out of the Abyss so I'm rereading the environment sections and I want to do something more or different with the Faerzress crystal formations. The light source and magic surge properties I really like, however, the advantage against divination spells and potential damaged from teleportation aren't really that applicable to my players right now. I was thinking about maybe making them magically explosive or unstable in another way?

Which leads me to ask more generally how do you handle magical materials in your games? Have your players tried to be creative with them or just ignore something that doesn't immediately allow them to do more damage?

My players are generally creative with both their magical and nonmagical items. For example, they split the party while in the Forest of Shadow (read: the forest of monsters and creepy stuff), but they tied pieces of cut string to the tree branches every few meters so that they could find their way back to each other. Generally, they don't use their niche magic items very often, but when they do, it's an epic moment for them to have a perfect solution to their problem.

When I run out of the abyss I actually make the anti divination and teleportation abilities important but in a different way, I give the drow chasing them the ability to cast a divine spell once a day, and o give them teleport magic allowing them to drop on the party. This led to the players then discovering the strength of those areas on avoiding divination and being then attacked by teleportation drow, in fact it added real tension as the players push on through the underdark trying to find the next haven to rest in.