Sample file Mailing List Website Patreon Discord Twitter Facebook YouTube Sample file Credits About this Product Much is known and has been written about the famous Publisher: DMs Guild wizard Mordenkainen. His exploits throughout the realms Project Oversight: Grim Press are as well known as those of Elminster Aumar, Khelben Designer: Aaron Gentry Blackstaff, Volothamp Geddarm, and Drizzt Do'Urden, but very little is known about his time in Candlekeep. This Editor: Jason Price document attempts to quantify, qualify, and clarify the great Art: Bob Greyvenstein, Freepik wizard's contributions to the realm's greatest and most Cartography: Justin Andrew Mason mysterious library. Graphic Design: Trevor Armstrong Special Thanks: Broomball Dude, Ruin On the Cover Queen of Oblivion, Sir Grognard, Bob Greyvenstein illustrates Mordenkainen shushing those Azzael Ulbrinter, The Roach, Szczur, who disturb the silence as he pours over the wondrous riches Ghen, Kim Frandsen, Justin M. Cole, found within Candlekeep's high walls. Deltadave, MarshVapier, Badger1017, Shaun Sides, Zuki Table of Contents Introduction pg.4 Mordenkainen's exploits in the Realms Magic Items pg.5 Collectibles found within the Castle of Tomes Spells pg.10 Serious Sorcery contained within Candlekeep Library Archetypes pg.13 New player options Libraricon pg.17 600 books found within Candlekeep Appendix A: Friends & Foes pg.48 A Collection of NPCs & Sidekicks Appendix B: Maps of Candlekeep pg.53 Battle maps to expand your adventures Supplementary Products Disturbed Graves Armstrong, Trevor. Disturbed Graves. 2019. Supporting Sidekicks GentrSampley, Aaron, T. Armstrong. Supporting Sidekicks. 2021 file V1.1 Mordenkainen's Greatest Joining The Seekers. To join The Seekers, one must take Candlekeep Contribution on a quest for the monks of Candlekeep. These quests are for It is not entirely clear exactly when the great wizard from a specific book, tome, or magic item the monks have learned Oerth arrived in Candlekeep, but his influence on the massive about and usually have at least a lead on where or how it can library is not to be denied. One of the largest towers of the be found. Once the item the monks want has been returned keep was constructed primarily by the magic of to Candlkeep, the adventurer, or adventuring party that Mordenkainen. Of course, as the library has grown through retrieved it is considered a member of The Seekers and they the centuries into a maze of towers and buildings, no one gain a number of benefits. Their membership lasts one year rightly knows exactly which tower that is. from when they return the item, but this membership year Before Mordekainen gained the nickname as the Mad renews each time they bring back a unique or dangerous Mage of Baratok, he spent several years in the growing item, book, or tome that the monks of Candlekeep accept. magical library. Much of his time was spent studying the Benefits of Membership. The Seekers can come and go books already collected and creating several new and unique from Candlekeep without needing to pay for re-entry with magical oddities. new books or writings. Above all, this is probably the reason While Mordenkainen added books to the library, created most people try to join the organization. Beyond this benefit, new spells, and created a number of new magical items, his The Seekers are usually given quite a bit of help by the greatest influence on Candlekeep was establishing the monks of Candlekeep. "Seekers". During his time in Candlekeep, Mordenkainen Often it happens that a monk or librarian of the keep will was too busy with all his other activities to seek out artifacts drop what they are doing to help a seeker that is doing and hunt down rumors of interesting magical oddities. research of their own. The monks are usually eager to help Mordenkainen had the brilliant idea of hiring adventurers seekers simply because the monks know The Seekers are to do the seeking. While the great wizard didn't formalize the actively expanding the library. organization, in the years after he left, the monks of Lastly, many of the people who make their home in Candlekeep saw the brilliance of the idea. Candlekeep spend much of their time making and selling useful items like potions, magic items, and all kinds of other interesting things. The Seekers gain a Candlekeep-wide The Seekers of Candlekeep discount on purchases from those who sell things within the While everyone knows that entering the library requires a keep's walls. This 15% discount is also another reason that donation of a book, tome, or unique work of the written word. several members of The Seekers make sure to find at least -What many don't know is that joining The Seekers is a way one unique item to bring to the monks and renew their that some people have learned how to come and go from membership every year. Candlekeep without paying for entry every time. Avowed Seekers. The monks of Candlekeep call In fact, most of The Seekers joined the organization themselves The Avowed, and sometimes these avowed get an specifSampleically for this benefit. The general rule is that a seeker itch for the road and the ro ugh anfiled tumble life of travel. must return a unique or dangerous magical item, book, or Often, these travel-seeking avowed will join a seeker or a tome at least once a year to Candlekeep to maintain their group of seekers on their quests for new and interesting standing with The Seekers. things to add to the library. 4 Chapter 1 | Introduction Grimlore’s Grimoire Spellbooks Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement by a Candlekeep is full of all manner of tomes, but here are a few spellcaster) select magical spellbooks. This book is named after Grimlore, a wizard of great aptitude Blum's Hidden Opus who embarked on a realm’s spanning quest to rid himself of Spellbook, legendary (requires attunement by a wizard) his mortality. In his pursuit of the necromantic arts, Grimlore took on This magical spellbook is sentient. When it finds a wizard it many qualities of the soulless undead he kept in his company, likes, the book opens its pages and bonds with the wizard. earning the title of the Deathless One. When not in use, the spellbook hides within a pocket Unburdened by thoughts of his personal impermanence, universe, which means that the spellbook can never be taken Grimlore was free to immerse himself in an unending quest from the wizard and the wizard is never really separated from for knowledge. his spellbook. The spellbook can act as an arcane focus, even As a pale master with control over the dark arts, he sought when the book is residing in the pocket universe. to expand his understanding of the remaining schools of Additionally, the spellbook's cover has tiny pouches and arcane magic. Grimlore’s Grimoire represents Grimlore’s pockets all over that allows the wizard to store spell countless years of studying the arcane schools of magic, components in case they ever lose access to their main store penned in the Rotten Tongue; a language created by Grimlore of components. It is said that no wizard in possession of this to communicate with the undead creatures in his cohort. magic spellbook has ever been successfully held in captivity. To attune to the grimoire, a spellcaster must first learn to speak the language of the Rotten Tongue by drinking from Desmond's Prayer Book the River Styx (exposing itself to the river’s effects, as Spellbook, rare described in chapter 2 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). The spellcaster must then spend 40 hours reading and speaking This magical book allows any divine spellcaster to cast one of with the grimoire before it can begin to grasp the tome’s its prepared spells with enhanced results. Selected each time contents. you complete a long rest, this spell rolls its maximum Random Properties. Grimlore’s Grimoire has the possible amount when a roll is required. A healing spell that following random properties, determined by rolling on the heals 3d8 hit points grants 24 hit points or a spell that causes tables in the “Artifacts” section in chapter 7 of the Dungeon 4d4 hit points of damage deals 16 points of damage, for Master’s Guide: example. You may choose instead to prepare a spell that affects the 1 minor beneficial property saving throw of the spell. When using a prepared spell in this 1 major beneficial property manner, that spell causes a creature to have disadvantage on 1 minor detrimental property its saving throw. However, the same prepared spell can't have Increased Intelligence. After you learn to read and speak both the saving throw and maximized roll affected, you must Samplethe Rotten Tongue and spe nd thefile requisite amount of time choose one effect or the other if the spell qualifies for both. studying the grimoire, your Intelligence score increases by 2, to a maximum of 24. You can’t gain this benefit from the book more than once. 5 Chapter 2 | Magical Items Bequeathment of Perspicacity. Grimlore meticulously crafted the spells contained within this grimoire under utmost secrecy; working toward a time when his magnum opus was ready to bestow on the multiverse. If you can attune to this book, you can use it as a spellbook and an arcane focus. While holding the tome, your spell save DC and spell attack bonus each increase by 3. When found, the book contains every spell in Grimlore’s Grimoire from the Dungeon Masters Guild (or any collection of spells the DM chooses, always including the spell Grimlore’s calamity, presented in the Spells section of this book).