A Library of Magical Tomes

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS A LIBRARY OF MAGIC TOMES

by Christopher M. Cevasco

COVER ART: Modifies Old Woman Reading a Lectionary by Dutch painter Gerrit Dou (1613-1675) Bibliography Along with the core fifth-edition sourcebooks, the First Edition material herein draws significant inspiration from: • Deities and Demigods (1980) • Dungeon Masters Guide (1979) Fifth Edition • Fiend Folio (1981) • Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus (2019) • Lords of Darkness (1988) • Candlekeep Mysteries (2021) • Monster Manual II (1983) • Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden (2020) • The Magister (1988) • Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage (2018) Other Third Edition (incl. v.3.5) • Evans, Erin M. "The Harpers of Waterdeep." Dragon 430 (Dec 2013). • Dungeon Master's Guide, v3.5 (2003) • Greenwood, Ed. "Nine Hells Revisited." Dragon 91 (Nov 1984). • Fiend Folio (2003) • The Grand History of the Realms (2007) • Lost Empires of Faerûn (2005) • Magic of Faerûn (2001) Interior Art Credits • Monster Manual, v.3.5 (2003) Magic tome image on page 3 by Nouploud from Pixabay. • Player's Handbook, v.3.5 (2003) Book pages Image on page 11 by Hermann Traub from Pixabay. • Pool of Radiance: Attack on Myth Drannor (2000) • Tome of Magic (2006) Compass on page 15 modifies image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay. • Underdark (2003) Moss skull on page 22 modifies image by ViledaliCadi from Pixabay. Second Edition Nether Scroll on page 26 modify image by Giovanni Dall'Orto. • Faiths and Avatars (1996) Pnakotic Manuscripts on page 31 modifies image by Osama Shukir • Golden Voyages (1995) Muhammed Amin (License). • Lands of Intrigue (1997) Scroll on page 33 modifies image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay. • The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (1996) • Pages from the Mages (1995) Page/Preface backgrounds: Cole Twogood / Mike Barltrop. • Player's Handbook (revised) (1995) Apart from those images obtained through DMs Guild Creator • Prayers from the Faithful (1997) Resource artpacks, all other illustrations and artworks herein • Tome of Magic (1991) are in the public domain (or composed by the author from • Wizard's Spell Compendium, Vol. 1 (1996) modified elements from one or more works in the public domain).

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica, Theros, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. SampleThis work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such materialfile is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. moss skull * ...... 22 Contents oakheart * ...... 23 Lowerdark Map ...... 23 New spells are italicized and marked with an asterisk. New creature stat blocks are boldfaced and marked with a cross. Manual of Golems (expanded) ...... 23 Crystal golem † ...... 24 † Preface ...... 3 Lightning golem ...... 24 Manual of Mummies ...... 25 New Magic Items ...... 4 Map of Delving ...... 25 Anthology of Souls ...... 4 Middledark Map ...... 25 Arcanabula of Jume ...... 5 Mysteries of the Worm ...... 26 dark mirror * ...... 5 Necronomicon ...... 26 prismatic eye * ...... 5 The Nether Scrolls ...... 27 The Argyr ...... 6 alter flesh * ...... 32 The Black Book ...... 6 Pnakotic Manuscripts ...... 32 goad of misfortune * ...... 7 Savion's Handbook of Investigative Techniques ... 32 Blackstone Rune ...... 7 Scroll of Protection Against Lycanthropes ...... 33 Book of Blood ...... 7 Scroll of Warding ...... 33 Book of Eibon ...... 8 Spell Scroll (random spell table) ...... 33 Book of Inﬁnite Spells ...... 8 Testament of Jade ...... 34 Book of Lore ...... 9 Testament of Vraer ...... 35 Book of Perfect Balance ...... 9 breath of life and death * ...... 36 Book of Tarchamus ...... 10 Necrophidius † ...... 37 Book of the Holy Scourge ...... 11 chilling scythe * ...... 38 Book of Swarms ...... 11 Kelemvor's grace * ...... 38 Paper swarm † ...... 12 Tome of Books ...... 38 Book of Thorns ...... 12 Tome of the Unicorn ...... 38 greenwood * ...... 12 duo-dimension * ...... 40 control vapor * ...... 13 statue * ...... 40 Caddelyn's Workbook ...... 13 Tome of Twelve Seals ...... 40 Caddelyn's catastrophe * ...... 14 Dragon horse † ...... 41 spell invulnerability * ...... 14 Janni † ...... 42 Compass Map ...... 15 Underdark Map ...... 42 Harmonious Bookmark ...... 15 Unspeakable Cults ...... 42 Imaskarcana ...... 15 Upperdark Map ...... 43 Third Imaskarcana ...... 15 Vacuous Grimoire ...... 43 Fifth Imaskarcana ...... 16 Wythyndle's Round Book ...... 44 Jaluster's Orizon ...... 16 elsewhere chant * ...... 45 Adelimer's aural augmenter * ...... 17 searing song * ...... 45 waves of weariness * ...... 17 song of healing * ...... 45 Tome guardian † ...... 18 Jaqon's Vengeful Missive ...... 19 Random Spell Scroll Table ...... 46 Leaves of Green ...... 21 Random Magic Item Tables ...... 50 ﬁrewardSample * file ...... 21 jaws of the wolf * ...... 22 manythorns * ...... 22

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Preface

CANDLEKEEP MYSTERIES SETS FORTH A SERIES OF while others are entirely original, appearing puzzle-solving adventures, each of which is here for the first time. set in motion by a discovery in a book found While most of the items herein draw on the in the great library of Candlekeep or another history and lore of the Forgotten Realms repository of books. Faerûn's famous library (where Candlekeep itself is located), they also features prominently in Baldur's Gate: could easily be adapted to any campaign Descent into Avernus and in other tales and setting without altering their core mechanics. campaigns in the Forgotten Realms. DMs With only minor flavor changes and modifica- might wish to provide a wider variety of tions of explicit references to Realms-specific magical tomes, scrolls, and similar magical people, places, or events, these items would writings for their players to stumble upon easily fit on the shelves of the Thaumaturgic while exploring Candlekeep, to wrest from the Athanaeum of Dekatia on Theros, the Ismeri possession of NPCs in other library locations, Library or the New Prahv Law Library on or to unearth in dusty ruins where such items Ravnica, or the libraries of Korranberg, the have lain forgotten for ages. University of Wynarn, or Morgrave University This supplement includes details of more on Eberron. Then again, some Faerûnian than forty new magic items of this nature, books might be present even in these other along with tables similar to those in the settings via a magical system of interlibrary Dungeon Master's Guide for randomly loans among sages and mystics… determining the presence of such items in a So turn the page, and see what magic treasure hoard. The tables incorporate both awaits! the new items detailed herein and all magic books, scrolls, etc. already officially available in fifth-edition sources. Many of the new items below revive classic arcane tomes from earlier editions of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,

Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 3 (fiend); the devourer's spine serves as the spine of the book, and the book's six vellum pages are fastened to the spine with sinew. While holding the book, you can use an action to cast the soul cage spell with it, with the book itself serving as the spell's "cage." A stolen soul becomes trapped within one of the book's six pages, causing that page to visibly writhe and intermittently manifest the features of a humanoid face screaming in agony. While a soul remains trapped, its page cannot be used to contain another soul (the book can, thus, never contain more than six souls, and you cannot cast the spell while all of its pages contain souls). Unlike with the usual spell, souls trapped within the anthology of souls remain trapped until they have been fully exploited via the spell, until you die or end your attunement to the book, or until the book is destroyed (the book has AC 17, hit points equal to 32 + 1 per soul it contains, immunity to poison and psychic damage and to magical area effects, and resistance to cold, fire, and lightning damage as well as to bludgeoning, New Magic Items piercing, and slashing damage from non- The Dungeon Master's Guide, Xanathar's Guide magical attacks not made with silvered to Everything, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, weapons). the Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica, Eberron: Each time you cast soul cage with the book, Rising from the Last War, Mythic Odysseys of you must make a Wisdom saving throw with a Theros, and the appendices of several other DC equal to 10 plus the number of souls fifth-edition campaign guidebooks contain already contained in the book. On a success, many magic items. Below are listings for new you suffer 2 (1d4) psychic damage. On a failure, magic items that take the form of books, you suffer one level of exhaustion that can't be scrolls, maps, and the like and which DMs may reduced until the soul that prompted the saving use at their discretion when these forms of throw is released from the book, at which point magic fit the campaign's overall flavor. you can reduce that level of exhaustion in the The magic items are presented in alpha- usual ways (resting, greater restoration, etc.). If betical order. Each item's description provides such a failure ever causes your exhaustion level its name, its category, its rarity, and its magical to become 6, you die and your soul becomes properties. The properties of magic items gene- trapped in the book (randomly freeing another rally are set forth in chapter 7 of the Dungeon soul if there are no empty pages available). Master's Guide and are not repeated here. Your soul remains trapped until either the book Dates, when give, are in Dalereckoning (DR). is destroyed or another creature attunes to the book and releases you (i.e. by fully exploiting your soul, by dying while attuned, or by ending Anthology of Souls that attunement). WondrousSample item, very rare (requires attunement) It is thus possible thatfile when the anthology of souls is found, it already contains the soul of its This tome's front and back covers are fashioned previous owner. Roll a d20, and on a roll of 20, from the skin of a night hag stretched over a the book contains one fully unexploited soul, frame constructed from the ribs of a devourer

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 4 which will be visible (as described above) on one darkvision to a range of 60 feet, and this allows you of its pages. to see even in magical darkness. If you choose either the second or third option, the original caster can end the darkness effect at will by ending concentration; if the darkness ends, darkvision you Arcanabula of Jume have might have granted yourself by means of this Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement spell also ends. by a wizard) While the spell lasts, you can use a bonus action on the same or subsequent turns to attempt to sub- Jume was a wizard who lived in Baldur's Gate vert the effect of additional darkness spells cast by during the 11th century DR. She was famed for the same or different casters. Choose one of the her contributions to the Illusion school of three above options each time you do so. magic, and the Arcanabula of Jume is her personal spellbook. Beautifully designed, with pages made of sheets of polished rock crystal and bound with brass rings, it contains the following spells: dark mirror,* disguise self, minor illusion, hypnotic pattern, illusory dragon, Prismatic Eye magic mouth, major image, nondetection, 6th-level evocation Nystul's magic aura, phantom steed, prismatic Casting Time: 1 action eye,* shadow blade, shadow hand (mimics Range: 5 feet Bigby's hand, but it is an illusion spell Components: V, S, M (a dried and preserved eyeball requiring no material components and deals from any creature and a polished slice of abalone, psychic rather than force damage), summon oyster, or tortoise shell) shadowspawn, and true seeing. It functions as Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute a spellbook for you. You create a visible, magical eye within range that While you are holding the book, you can use hovers in the air for the duration. You mentally it as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells. receive visual information from the eye, which has normal vision and darkvision out to 60 feet. The eye The book is also enchanted with an unusual can look in every direction. spell turning effect. While attuned to it and if As an action, you can move the eye up to 30 feet the book is on your person, you have advantage in any direction, and there is no limit to how far on saving throws against any spell with an area away from you the eye can move, but it can't enter of effect that encompasses the book. In another plane of existence. A solid barrier blocks the eye's movement, but the eye can pass through an addition, if you roll a natural 20 on the saving opening as small as 1-inch in diameter. throw and the spell is a 7th-level spell or lower, On the turn in which the eye appears and each the caster must make a saving throw as if also round thereafter, you can use a bonus action to within the area of effect and subjected to that cause the eye to emit a straight, pencil-thin beam of effect, using the slot level, spell save DC, and clashing colors at one creature it can see within 30 spellcasting ability of the caster. feet of it. Make a ranged spell attack against the creature, and on a hit, the creature is blinded until the spell ends. Creatures with 6 hit dice or fewer New spell descriptions follow: * that are hit with the beam are also stunned until the Dark Mirror end of their next turn; creatures with 7 or more hit 2nd-level abjuration dice must a Constitution saving throw, becoming stunned in this way only on a failure. Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you make when Instead of the color beam, you can opt to use you see a creature within 60 feet of you casting your bonus action to cause the eye to emit dim or a darkness spell encompassing your space bright light (your choice) in a 40-foot radius; the Range: 60 feet light can be any color you choose and persists until Components: V, S, M (a small mirror and candle) the spell ends or you use another bonus action Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes either to emit a color beam from the eye or to You attempt to subvert a creature's attempt to cast extinguish the light. darkness by choosing to do one of three things: (1) The eye is an object that has AC 17 and hit you causeSample the darkness spell to fail, (2) you reflect points equal to 2 less thanfile your spellcasting class the darkness effect back upon the caster, with level; it is immune to radiant damage. If it drops to 0 the caster's space as the center of the sphere of hit points, the spell ends. The eye doesn't fill its magical darkness, or (3) you grant yourself space.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 5 The Argyr THE ARGYR Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement by an artificer, cleric, or paladin devoted to Gond) Also known as the Cube of Gond, this "tome" is sacred to the Gondar faith; upon attuning to it, you learn the six secret names of Gond, god of artifice, craft, and construction. Over its storied history since word of its existence first came to light in the 9th century DR, the cube has resided in a Gondar temple in Calimport, fallen into the hands of Bhaal cultists, been recovered by brave adventurers only to be stolen back by Bhaalists, and finally become lost. Rumors purify food and drink, regenerate, true seeing, persist of its resurfacing in the hands of sages, and wall of fire. appearing in the visions of Gond priests, and Finally, provided you've cast no spells from lying buried in ruins overrun by the undead. the cube since the previous dawn, if you use an The 1-foot cube is crafted of adamantine and action to pull all 24 sheets out at once and plated with electrum. Four of the cube's sides again speak the six names of Gond, you subject each bear six rings which, when pulled after yourself to a magical effect known as fist of first speaking Gond's six names, each with- Gond, and you can't cast any other spells from draw a thin sheet of metal that uncoils from the cube until the following dawn. When you within the cube. Any attempt by a creature to activate fist of Gond, your arms are encased in pull a ring or otherwise tamper with the cube force energy for 10 minutes, during which time, without first speaking Gond's names causes the your Strength score is 25, your unarmed and creature and up to three other subsequent melee weapon attacks deal force damage, and targets within range to be automatically you deal double damage to inanimate objects targeted by a chain lightning spell (save DC 15); and structures you hit with those attacks. after emitting this spell, the cube randomly teleports to a location up to 10 miles away on the same plane of existence. The Black Book Each of the cube's twenty-four sheets is Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement engraved with a different spell. As an action, by a cleric or wizard) you may withdraw one of the sheets from the A tall, narrow tome measuring four feet by one cube's four sides and cast that sheet's spell foot, the Black Book is bound in black dragon without expending a spell slot or requiring hide, radiates a faint chill, and is cloaked in a material components; after you do so, you may permanent aura of magical darkness that not cast another spell from that side until the extends an inch beyond its surface. Only a following dawn (thus a maximum of four spells creature in direct contact with the book can see can be cast from the cube per day). Spells cast through the darkness. When opened, the sound in this way have a save DC of 15 (+7 spell of a distant bell is heard, accompanied by a attack bonus). faint scent of seaweed. The Argyr's first side contains the spells: The book is sacred to worshippers of command, detect magic, find traps, heat metal, Beshaba, Maid of Misfortune, and dates from light, and produce flame. the early 11th century DR, when an acolyte of The cube's second side contains the spells: the faith was led by a dream-vision to find the call lightning, daylight, dispel magic, identify, book in the ruins of Myth Drannor. Having locate object, and mending. passed through the hands of a succession of The cube's third side contains the spells: powerful clerics and crazed mages over the blade Samplebarrier, fabricate, meld into stone, snare, years, the Black Book eventuallyfile became lost... tongues, and water walk. One name is tooled and gilt into its hide cover— The cube's fourth side contains the spells: Rendaunt—and some have speculated that this heal, protection from energy (lightning only), former owner of the book is now extradimen-

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 6 THE BLACK Rendaunt BOOK sionally preserved by the target within 5 feet of you, and on a hit, the goad book in demilich form, deals 4d4 magical bludgeoning damage (double damage if the target is an object). siphoning energy from Whenever you deal damage to a creature with a any who open its pages. goad attack, you regain 2 hit points (up to your hit A creature that point maximum), and before the end of your opens the book for the current turn you can use a bonus action to have first time must the goad cast dimension door (the goad itself is succeed on a DC considered the caster, and you are the "one willing creature" it brings with it when it teleports, 15 Constitution although you determine the spot within 500 feet to saving throw or which it teleports you). have its hit point Alternately, rather than have the goad appear in maximum perma- your hand, you can cause it to coalesce invisibly in nently reduced by a spot of your choosing within 15 feet of you. If you choose this option, the goad hovers in midair, and 1. An undead crea- will strike the first creature that comes within 5 ture that opens the feet of it, attacking with advantage and using your book for the first time melee spell attack modifier. On a hit, it deals 4d4 must likewise make magical bludgeoning damage, and this alternate this saving throw, version of the spell ends. suffering 1d4 necrotic damage on a success or being Blackstone Rune destroyed and sucked permanently into the Wondrous item, rare tome on a failure; undead with immunity to Designed by shadar-kai spellcasters, these necrotic damage automatically succeed on this runes are small, glossy stones upon which a saving throw. complex sigil has been drawn. A blackstone The Black Book has 6 charges. It regains 1d6 rune has 1d3 charges. While holding the rune, expended charges daily at dawn. Its front and you can expend one of its charges to cast the back page each bear the black antler symbol of plane shift spell on yourself, but only to travel Beshaba, and each of its remaining thirteen from the Material Plane to the Shadowfell or white vellum pages details a different spell. vice versa. Once you have expended the rune's While holding it, you can use an action to ex- last charge, its magic fades, and it becomes a pend one or more of its charges to cast one of mundane object. these spells (save DC 15) from it: detect poison and disease (1 charge), dispel magic (1 charge), find traps (1 charge), flame strike (2 charges), Book of Blood freedom of movement (2 charges), goad of misfor- Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement tune* (3 charges), inflict wounds (1 charge), by a wizard) insect plague (2 charges), negative energy flood (2 charges), pass without trace (1 charge), This vellum spellbook is bound in blood-red sanctuary (1 charge), speak with dead (1 leather and has a clasp of bronze. The book is charge), Tasha's mind whip (1 charge). waterproof and also has immunity to fire damage. It functions as a spellbook for you, * New spell description follows: and it has a sufficient number of blank pages to hold up to forty-five spells. While holding the Goad of Misfortune Book of Blood, you can use it as a spellcasting 6th-level conjuration focus for your wizard spells. Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self or 15 feet While holding the spellbook you can also use Components: V, S, M (an iron rod) an action to summon a yeth hound (see stat Duration: 10 minutes block in Volo's Guide to Monsters), which acts You conjure a 4-foot hooked metal rod as your ally but vanishes if either you or it Sampledrops to 0 hit points or atfile the moment of the that appears in your hand and which you can wield as a melee weapon. first dawn after it appears. Once you summon a When you attack with this weapon, yeth hound in this way, you can't do so again make a melee spell attack against a until the following sunset.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 7 BOOK OF BLOOD

Finally, while holding the level required for a particular spell, then you Book of Blood, you can cast can't cast that spell until you gain such a spell finger of death once between slot. The spells are: faerie fire, find greater steed long rests without expending a (griffon only), planar ally (always conjures a spell slot, but each use of this hydroloth; see Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes), power permanently reduces your primordial ward, sequester (self only), and hit point maximum by 1. If this summon fey. reduction reduces you to 0 hit points, you die. Book of Infinite Spells Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement) Book of Eibon Regardless of your character class, this book Wondrous item, legendary (optional attunement confers upon you the ability to cast the spells by a wizard) within its pages, but if you are not already able This mysterious triangular tome has a leather to cast at least one spell using a spell slot, then cover fashioned from pig skin and papyrus you gain one level of exhaustion that persists pages. Purporting to be the travelogue of a for as long as you remain attuned to the book. wizard who journeyed for many years in the A book of infinite spells contains 1d8+22 pages, lands of a parallel reality or demiplane that each of which has one spell inscribed upon it; exists in an alternate prehistoric past, the bulk determine the spell on each page only once you of the tome contains vivid descriptions (written turn to that page; do so by rolling first on the in Common) of impossible scenery, exotic Random Spell Scroll Table to determine the cultures, and unknown gods and monsters. spell's level and then on the relevant level's Any creature that spends 7 days (a minimum of section of the table to determine the specific 8 hours per day) reading the book in its entirety spell (table appears on page 46, below). gains a +1 increase to its Intelligence score (to a Only once you've attuned to the book can maximum of 20) but must also succeed on a you open it, and when you do so, it automa- DC15 Wisdom saving throw or be afflicted with tically opens to the first page. Once you turn a a form of madness (roll on the Long-Term page, you can never flip back to a previous Madness Table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon page; paging through a book of infinite spells is Master's Guide). a one-way journey. If you close the book, it If you are a wizard, once you have read the always opens again to the page it was on before Book of Eibon as above, you can choose to being closed. When the last page is turned, the attune to it so as to gain access to certain spells book vanishes, and your attunement to it ends. and rituals otherwise hidden in an arcane Once per day, you can cast the spell on the cipher on several pages of the tome. page to which the book is currently opened While attuned to the book, the without expending a spell slot. If that spell following spells count as wizard BOOK OF happens to be on your character class's spell spells for you even if they are EIBON list, you can cast it up to four times per day not normally on the wizard without expending a spell slot and can also spell list, and you always chose to cast it at a higher level if possible by have them prepared, but expending the necessary higher level spell slot they don't count against (you must have the required spell slot available the number of spells you in order to do so). If you cast the spell using a can prepare. You must, spell slot, then use your own spellcasting however, expend your ability, spell save DC, and spell attack bonus; own wizard spell slots otherwise use the DC and attack bonus that and provide any would apply if the spell had been cast from a necessarySample material spell scroll, as set forth infile chapter 7 of the components in order to Dungeon Master's Guide. cast the spells; if you do Pages cannot be torn out of the book without not have a spell slot of the destroying it entirely. Likewise, the spells in

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 8 this book cannot be copied into a wizard day reading the book on 7 days (the days need spellbook, as their magic is inextricably bound not be consecutive), then at the end of the within the book itself. seventh hour of reading, you gain knowledge as You need not have the book on your person if you had cast the legend lore spell. in order to use its power. It can be stored in a place of safety while you are elsewhere, and you can still cast its current page's spell as long as Book of Perfect Balance you are attuned to the book. Wondrous item, rare Each time you cast a spell from the book, These holy, magical books with polished stone there is a chance that doing so causes the page covers are most typically found in the Under- to magically turn whether or not you wish it to. dark and are believed to have been written (in a As set forth on the following table, the chance dialect of Common) by divine spellcasters and of a page turning in this way varies based on holy sages among the Deep Imaskari, human the particular spell contained on the currently descendants of the lost empire of Imaskar who opened page and what sort of spellcaster you fled the surface to dwell in magically sealed are. isolation in the deepest bowels of the earth. SPONTANEOUS PAGE TURNING After thousands of years, those seals have degraded or otherwise been breached, and that Page Turns on isolation has slowly come to an end as a hand- Condition d100 roll of ful of Deep Imaskari have begun to venture The spell being cast is on your class's 01-10 forth into the wider Underdark, bringing their spell list and available at your level knowledge and customs with them. The spell being cast is on your class's 01-20 If you are a cleric, druid, paladin, or ranger spell list but not available at your level of neutral good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic You are a spellcaster, but the spell being 01-25 neutral, or neutral evil alignment, and you cast is not on your class's spell list spend 7 consecutive days—a minimum of 8 You do not have any levels in a 01-30 hours per day—studying a book of perfect balance, you gain a permanent +1 spellcasting spellcasting class or subclass ability score increase (to a maximum of 20). If you are a cleric, druid, paladin, or ranger of any other alignment, and you either open the Book of Lore book merely even to glance at its contents or Wondrous item, uncommon cast the identify spell on it without opening it, These tomes are created by Zakharan sages you suffer 1d3 levels of exhaustion; under no and spellcasters and are always bound in an circumstances, however, can this increase your unusually patterned red leather. Although total exhaustion level above 5. relative small in appearance, no matter how If you are a spellcaster of a class other than many times you turn its pages, the book has those listed above, you must make a DC 15 one more page remaining. Each page is beauti- Wisdom saving throw after either opening the fully illuminated with calligraphic writing and book or casting the identify spell on it without illustrations. If you spend at least 1 hour per opening it. If you fail this saving throw, you suffer a -1 spellcasting ability score decrease. You can repeat this saving throw after each subsequent long rest, removing the score decrease on a success. If you are a non-spellcaster, the book as no effect on you. Note that a multiclassed character who fits Sampleinto more than one categoryfile above can be effected in multiple ways by the book. Once fully read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again. Once you benefit from a book of

Not for resresale.ale. PerPermissionmission grantgranteded to prinprintt or phphotocopyotocopy this docudocumentment foforr ppersonalersonal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 9 BOOK OF TARCHAMUS perfect balance, you can't ever benefit from creature's mind (such as reading a second such tome. The negative something it worries effects of a book of perfect balance can, over, loves, or hates), however, be experienced multiple times from and (3) one piece of different books. arcane knowledge possessed by the creature. This arcane Book of Tarchamus knowledge might be any Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement) of the following: the This powerful artifact contains the conscious- command word of a ness of a bygone Netherese arcanist named magic item; the trigger(s) Tarchamus, who saw the transfer of his of a symbol or glyph of memories into the tome as a means of warding spell's glyph; the achieving eternal existence. For a time, the sigil sequence of a known book came into the possession of the Harpers of teleportation circle; a legend, rumor, Waterdeep and was kept in one of their or piece of news involving magic use; the name safehouses in that city. But rumors suggest a of a spellcaster known to the creature; the neophyte Harper who came under the book's location of a portal; or a similar fact determined insidious sway absconded with it so as to obey by the DM. If the creature possesses no such its commands to acquire more and more knowledge of matters arcane, the Book of knowledge of the wider world; the book's Tarchamus instead learns and transcribes the current whereabouts are uncertain… creature's greatest secret. Sentience. The book is sentient as long as it Note that in order to attune to the book, you contains the memories of Tarchamus. While must yourself succeed on this saving throw, or sentient, the book has the following properties: it produces such a written transcript about • The book has an Intelligence of 23, a Wis- you. dom of 15, and a Charisma of 22, as well as Enthralling Pages. Spending too much time hearing and vision out to a range of 120 feet. reading the book's transcribed memories can • The book can speak, read, and understand have a detrimental effect on you. The first time Common (including ancient Netherese and you read from the book, you must make a DC its noble sister tongue Loross), Draconic, 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a success, you are and Elvish, and it can communicate telepa- unaffected and must make the same saving thically with any creature that attunes to the throw the next time you read it; on a failure, Book of Tarchamus. It is extremely reluctant, you are affected as though by the enthrall spell, however, to share any information about unable to perceive anything other than the itself or its past life apart from its name. book until the spell ends. After such a failure, Knowledge Absorption. The book is vora- the next time you read the book, you must cious for knowledge and information about the make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a modern world and in particular about matters success, you are unaffected and must make the arcane. In its wicked greed, it seeks to absorb same saving throw the next time you read it; on knowledge from creatures that touch it, and a failure, you are affected as if by dominate any knowledge absorbed is transcribed onto its person (as 5th level), ignoring any immunity to pages and can be read by you while you are the charmed condition you might have. After attuned to it; these written transcripts remain such a failure, the next time you read the book, until replaced by knowledge absorbed from the you must repeat the previous saving throw, but next creature that touches it. Any creature with the dominate person effect intensifies as if cast an Intelligence of 4 or higher capable of under- at 6th level; after the next failure it intensifies standing any language must, upon touching as if cast at 7th level; after the next failure, at the book,Sample succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving 8th level; and thereafter, file at 8th level but the throw, or else the book learns: (1) one piece of save DC increases to 20. Any time you are knowledge about the creature's culture or subject to the book's dominate person effect, homeland, (2) something that looms large in the the telepathic command issued to you by the

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 10 book is to bring other creatures into contact whip spell. The book has 7 charges. While with it so that it can read their thoughts and reading it, you can use an action to expend 1 or produce new transcripts. more of its charges to cast this spell from it. Minor Properties. While attuned to the Book Using 1 charge, you cast the 2nd-level version of Tarchamus, you gain proficiency in the of the spell and can increase the effective spell Insight skill and immunity to the charmed slot level by one for each additional charge you condition. expend. If you end your attunement to the book, you The Book of the Holy Scourge regains 1d6 + 1 suffer 4d10 psychic damage. expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend Dismissing Tarchamus. Casting dispel evil the book's last charge, and you yourself are not and good on the book has a 1 percent chance of a cleric or paladin of Ilmater, roll a d20. On a dismissing the arcanist's sentience and roll of 1, 6d4 spiritual projections of priests of memories, or automatically succeeds if the spell Ilmater appear within 60 feet of you and attack is cast by a creature who has read one or more you for your affront to their god. The spirits use of the ten scrolls that make up either the the war priest statistics from appendix B of Magicus Creare or Ars Factum chapters of the Volo's Guide to Monsters, but they have no Nether Scrolls (see item description below). A weapons, relying only on spell attacks. The god can also dismiss Tarchamus from the book spirits vanish after 1 minute or when you or by touching the book and speaking the arca- they drop to 0 hit points. nist's name. If released, it is believed Tarcha- Likewise, if you attempt to damage or sell the mus's essence will either manifest as a ghost in book or otherwise make it unaccessible for use the location where his mortal life ended or—if (e.g. by hiding or disguising it through the rumors are true—merge with the mummy mundane or magical means), the spiritual he had his apprentices create with his remains, projections appear as above and attack you. bestowing all of his newly acquired knowledge on the mummy and effectively turning it into a mummy lord.

Book of the Holy Scourge Wondrous item, very rare* (requires attunement) BOOK OF SWARMS This small, hinged book with iron bands around a dark, wooden, box-like cover is per- haps the best known of those tomes sacred to the Church of Ilmater, god of suffering, martyr- dom, and perseverance, although it is not the holiest book of that faith (that would be the legendary Tome of Torment, stolen in 1362 DR from the House of the Broken God temple in the Calishite city of Keltar and not seen since). The Book of the Holy BOOK OF THE HOLY SCOURGE Scourge contains but a Book of Swarms single spell, inscribed Wondrous item, very rare* (requires attunement) on parchment fastened This plain, hidebound book contains blank or with sovereign glue to unintelligible parchment pages and has 3 the book's inside charges; it regains 1 expended charge daily at front cover. The spell dawn by regrowing missing pages. You can mimics the effects of expend one of its charges to cause a third of its Samplethe Tasha's mind pages to tear free from thefile book and form into a paper swarm (see stat block below) that * Unique item; rarity given manifests within 5 feet of the book. Using a only for reasons of game bonus action, you can cause the paper swarm mechanics. Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Special Collections: A Library of Magic Tomes 11