Dripstone Block

The dripstone block is a rock block that allows pointed dripstone to grow beneath it.

Breaking
Dripstone blocks require a pickaxe to be mined, in which case it drops itself. When mined without a pickaxe, it drops nothing. It can be blown up by TNT, in which case it also drops itself.

Natural generation
Dripstone blocks can be found in dripstone caves. Clusters of dripstone blocks can also rarely generate in other cave types (details needed).

Dripstone clusters can be with or without stalactites (above) - stalagnates (both, joined) - or stalagmites (below). So they may be 4-way stars of pointed dripstone, which often has water as part of that pattern, by dripstone blocks. These may be bordered by similarly-columned dripstone blocks, fully disconnected, otherwise horizontally-shifted slightly. These tend to generate in more open sections of the new caves, regardless of whether there is an otherwise cave biome, or not.

Trading
$$, journeyman-level stone mason villagers have a $2/7$ chance to sell 4 dripstone blocks for one emerald as part of their trades.

$$, journeyman-level stone mason villagers have a $1/4$ chance to sell 4 dripstone blocks for one emerald as part of their trades.‌

Natural growth
If a stalactite is hanging from a dripstone block with a water source above, it will slowly grow both the stalactite from above and a stalagmite from below.

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