Books of Lore (3.5e Equipment)
Books of Lore
| “ | And it opened revealing a sight worse than that of before. My eyes passed over the words, but they were not words, they were writhing tendrils of pain stabbing at me. I couldn't bare it, I tried to slam it closed but it would not close. I slowly felt my soul draining away into the pain, the book itself. I was too weak and had been overcome, I had not listened to their warnings. Why? | ” |
| —Final journal entry; Nerthkal, Human Wizard | ||
The books of Lore are some of the most powerful and most dangerous items on this world. Only the strongest of body and mind may view their pages, or risk being utterly consumed.
The Books of Lore have been long sought after by treasure hunters to villains to paladins and more. Just about everyone wants a piece of them, none obtaining all of them. None knowing the truth behind the mask. None knowing their dark past. None knowing their true power.
History
The books of lore where first conceived by the great lord of the book Gillean. He brought them into being for his own use, not anticipating that one day mortals might exist on the world.
Soon after the world was created Gillean lost track of his books, dropped upon humanity he decided to leave them be for now. Watching what mortals did with these books.
He watched as dark villains took control of some of the books. Using their powers to dominate those less fortunate. He watched as the great warrior Ethen found some of the other books. Ethen used their power and ventured forth, stopping the evil lords from using the strange power of the books. But this has been long forgotten by mortals.
The books were scattered across the world, hidden by location and appearance. None have surfaced since, but many have come across them. None are willing to share their miraculous find, none are brave enough to use the books power. They are slowly being forgotten by the world.
Description
The physical attributes of these books will vary from book to book. All books will look like ordinary books until opened. Once opened, not many live to tell of what then occurs.
How these books actually look is hidden as described in the history of the books. However lucky you gets to know what they once looked like when viewed. Each book still had a slightly different appearance due to mainly the title and the area of the book. The books are simple books really. They have a pattern making hourglass shapes on each side with a box in the corners. All books have some kind of rune on the cover marking which book it is. They also have a symbol surrounding the rune marking which type of the ten books it is.
The books when open look strange indeed. At first you will not be able to see the runes, even if you look directly at them. There will be a feeling inside of you, if you are strong enough this will simply be a strange tingling. If you are not strong enough however, the feeling will be of the ultimate pain, your soul will be getting slowly devoured. Once and if this is overcome the inside of the book is written in the language of Soul Song. This language is only known by those who have a divine rank (even if it's 0[quasi-deity]).
Each book contains the most beautiful story you have ever heard in your life, but you can never remember it after words. Once you finish the book the symbol grows to lock the sides of the book down and they will never let go.
Activation
All one thousand books can be activated and controlled generally the same way.
Once the book is opened and you have laid your eye upon the text your body will immediately realize its power and divine, as well as its horrible consequences. You must succeed on a will save DC 35. If you fail you will attempt to prematurely close the book, causing it to consume your soul attempting to protect itself. The book will not close when you try until you are dead. It will then close but it will not lock itself. When your soul is consumed your body remains and becomes an un-dead (Zombie).
If you succeed on the first will save and keep the book open you will have to make another save. This save is to confirm your strength of body. The book begins to enter your soul and meld with it. As the book is doing this you must make this save. It is a strength based fortitude save DC 45. If you fail, the book will take over your soul and will put you into a rampage killing all living things near you until you are dead. If you succeed you will feel a strange tingling all through your body and your soul. Your soul will then move onto the next stage of its test.
The third piece to activating one of these books will happen as the book slowly retracts from your soul. You must make two saves for this. One is for the final test the book puts you through, and the other save is to not be overcome by something leaving your soul. The first save for the final test is intelligence and wisdom based will save DC 55. If this is failed you loose all intelligence score. The second save for the withdrawing of the book from your soul is a fortitude save DC 48. If this save is failed you will die. If both saves are successful you will move to the next step.
At this final step you will read through the book. Once completed you must make a knowledge check equal to 50 for the category of the book. Some categories are not listed for common knowledge checks. You still must make a knowledge check based on this. You will simply form a new category for knowledge checks. If the check is succeeded you gain the advantages from the book.
Each book takes one week to read, each day an eight hour day.
All of the tests leading up to reading the books takes a matter of seconds.
No known book has ever been successfully activated.
Location
The Books of Lore are scattered across the world in no exact location.
However if you are searching for them some likely choices would be great dragons (most probably epic dragons such as the prysmatic and force dragons of at least ancient age), Quasi-deities, Demi-gods, Immortals and other of the most powerful world figures (they may have picked one up on their adventures). Still the books are most commonly located in the deepest reaches of hell guarded by the most powerful of demons, or in the highest reaches of the heavens guarded by the most powerful of angels.
Some say that the great Immortal warrior Eithka'enthis owns nearly two hundred of the books and is giving them away to any man who can defeat him in battle (Side note, he is a 187th level fighter and well built.).
Obtaining One
Obtaining one of these books is a difficult matter indeed. Below are two possible methods.
One is the method previously mentioned by defeating the warrior.
The other method, and probably the easier of the two is to look for some one selling the books (every decade or so one goes on sale). However they sell for a tremendous price and not many characters, even of the highest levels, could possibly afford them.
Types
Below is a list of the different types of books and their effects once activated. Once read you roll a percentile dice to determine the effect. If the same effect is rolled multiple times with the same type of book then its effects stack with each other. The effects of the books also stack with any bonuses the reader may already have.
|Please not that all effects mentioned henceforth are permanent unless a wish spell or similar action is used to remove them. Even then, it will only work if all participants are willing, including the one who is effected.
Arcana
1-10: You gain a bonus of +2 on all caster-level checks made henceforth.
11-35: May use any non-Epic metamagic feats.
36-71: May use any metamagic feat.
72-99: Gain spellcasting ability of up to 5th-level in the spellcasting-class of your choice {if you already are spellcaster, then you may choose another spellcaster class}.
100: You gain Immunity to all spells that grant Spell Resistance.
Beasts
1-10 - You gain the Wild Empathy ability. If this ability is already known you a bonus of 5 on all rolls henceforth.
11-35 - You may speak with animals just as if they spoke common.
36-71 - You may speak to animals telepathically.
72-99 - You gain the ability to change yourself into any dire animal of medium size or smaller.
100 - You may transform yourself into any living animal (All animals listed in the back of the Monsters Manual and related creatures)at will as a standard action.
Elements
1-10 - You gain a bonus of +2 to diplomacy while comunicating with elementals.
11-35 - You may summon a single elemental of any age group once per month as a standard action.
36-71 - You may transform yourself into any elemental of any age group once per month as a standard action.
72-99 - You may cast all elemental based spells just as if you were a person of the apropriate class who meats the minimum requirements.
100 - You may summon a single elemental of any age group at will. This counts as a standard action and you may only have up to one elemental of each element summoned at one time.
Life
1-10 - You may cast cure minor wounds once a day as a standard action.
11-35 -You no longer need sleep, nor do you get fatigued.
36-71 -You may cast cure critical wounds once per day as a standard action.
72-99 - You no longer need any food, water, air, or sleep and nor do you get fatigued.
100 - You gain immortality (But you are not made invincible meaning you can still be killed, simply not by old age).
Battle
1-10 - You gain a bonus 2 to hit on all attack rolls.
11-35 - You gain a single attack of oportunity everytime you strike an opponent.
36-71 - You gain Damage Reduction 20/-.
72-99 - You are granted a bonus of 15 to all rolls to hit and damage.
100 - Every attack you successfully make is counted as a critical hit.
Nature
1-10 - You gain a bonus of Knowledge - Nature +5.
11-35 - You may speak to plants as if they spoke common.
36-71 - You may telepathically speak to any plant from any distance.
72-99 - You may use Wild Shape as a 20th level druid. If you already have this then you gain 5 extra uses per day.
100 - You may cast all druid spells of up to 3rd level at will.
Death
1-10 - You gain the power attack feat.
11-35 - You may drain 1 level from somebody once per month.
36-71 - You may cast a silent, quickened, stilled, and maximized destruction spell twice per day.
72-99 - You become a Lich.
100 - You may use the Finger of Death spell at will.
Power
1-10 - Gain the Leadership feat
11-35 - gain the Great leader feat
36-71 - Gain the extra followers feat
72-99 - Gain the epic leadership feat
100 - Gain the Legendary commander feat
Religion
1-10 -You gain a bonus of Knowledge - Religion +5.
11-35 - Gain proficiency (or Focus if proficient) with the weapon of your deity
36-71 - Gain the True Believer feat
72-99 - Cast Domain spells like a cleric of your level
100 - Gain the intermediate deity template
Planes
1-10 - gain a bonus on knowledge - The Planes +5
11-35 - Immunity to effects on planes at will
36-71 - Travel to other planes 3/day
72-99 - summon a creature native to plane you are on 1/day
100 - Create a portal to other planes 3/day
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