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1. A blood-stained, hand-drawn almanac of an unknown continent, in an unkown ocean, ...signed by a well-known explorer who is known to be long dead, but is dated just a few years ago in a not-too-distant city.
2. Treatise on Aberrants in the Darke with Recipes by Marco Ramius(+2 on Aberration Knowledge rolls for the next adventure)
3. A buckled and locked book that radiates both evil and magic. It has a piece of parchment tucked into one of the straps explaining that said book should be buried and forgotten when found, the ground salted and blessed, and Memory Lapse cast on everyone present. Also, it instructs the reader to add his/her name to the list (at the bottom). ...there are a dozen names on that list.
4. Book of Axiomatic Experimentations by Rupul Darvallis, which contains various spells for dealing with Chaos and Law, and instructions for summoning a particularly Axiomatic servitor, "Master Manfrenjensen" who (if the spell is completed) takes the form of a very knowledgeable librarian concerned only with order and procedure...
5. An art folio of what appears to be an exotic race of fey creatures, and some curious land formations in the background, as well as some hurriedly-scribbled phrases and words in the margins. There is a hastily drawn map as well, showing where three rivers come together. There is a strange, dried flower blossom pressed between the pages.
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6. The Coventry Affair by Investigator Cornwallis, a detective's journal detailing an investigation into a series of murders that took place fifteen years ago in a not-too-distant kingdom. The conclusion of the journal implicates several highly-placed members of a trade guild council, a local judge, and the governor of a small but important town. (The name of that governor happens to be the same as the reigning monarch of that not-too-distant kingdom today). Naturally, possession of this proof would upset the balance of power across the entire region and likely topple a monarch and everyone connected to him, as well as threaten the life of whoever is holding this journal...
7. There is a comfy chair, upon which is a comfy throw pillow. The pillow makes a crunchy noise if sat upon, and is obviously stuffed with something other than feathers; if torn open, the pillow is found stuffed with small pieces of parchment, (hundreds of pieces). If the pieces are examined, drawings are found on them. If Mending is cast on the pieces, they assemble into a map showing a distant island and instructions on how to get there, as well as depicting several sites marked with "X"s and a scribble "Beware the Gorgon!"
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8. The Gruenvald Storyby Joseph Brubaker Gruenvald IV. This is the hand-written account of the early years of the Gruenvald family, and their rise to become the greatest cheesemakers ever known.
Gruenvald cheese is a very rare delicacy among gourmands across the land. (Rare because it's no longer in production. The Gruenvalds perished along with their entire village during the Great Glacial Incident of 4467). The spicy, chewy, smokey cheese (with a bit of "bite"!) is quite valuable if a pressed wheel is found.
This book contains the secret family recipe for the production of Gruenvald cheese. The secret ingredient? Bear milk. This single volume could auction for thousands of gold to chefs and craftsman all over Golarion.
Dotted. Fun stuff.
Please consider the "comfy pillow" idea...... borrowed. ;D
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12. A multivolume series of books written by a collaboration of wizards and magi describing in detail rituals necessary to inscribe runes into armors and weapons and to empower those runes with legendary magicks. However, to prevent just anyone anyone unworthy from wielding the powers these runes provide, the actual sigils are absent from the books. In order to perform the rituals, one must discover the rune patterns themselves. The locations of these runes have been lost to time, but if one is always vigilant in their search, they may find these symbols appear in unexpected places.
Definite dot, and perhaps some ideas later . . .
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13. An old journal with the initials "C.P." embossed on the front cover. On the first page, it is written, "My story is much too sad to tell." The rest of the pages are blank.
14. A fat tome bound in what appears to be furs is chained an otherwise bare bookcase. As you near the bookcase, you hear soft growling. When you get within arms-reach, the growling grows louder and the chained tome begins to shake and lung at you. Holding the book steady allows you to read the title: "Monster Manual"
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15. Divination Conceps in the Application of Transmutive magics in relation the Brunson-Hilgar Weave sub-strata and Resultant Fluctuations in Statistical Probability
This tome is so incredibly dry and so technically written that the last pages appear to have never been read. It consits of extremely complex theories relating to the application of magical power to alter one's fate and general luck. If a Mage manages to make it through without passing out and succeeds at a DC 16 intellegence check, he gains the ability to apply a +1 luck bonus to his CL for one round once per day.
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16. The Shadow Over [your town] an ostensibly fictional story taking place in the town you hail from, about infiltration by aberrant people capable of interbreeding with your own species. The crossbreeds have strange and repulsive physical traits. Disturbingly, those traits resemble your own features, but more exaggerated. And every time you look in the mirror, the resemblance grows stronger.
Obviously, if someone else reads the story, it's adapted to their home town and physical features.
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17. The Official History of the Great and Prosperous Land of Thel-Grahlnath
A huge, oversized text, well over 1000 pages and written in modern Common. The book appears to be quite old. It details the founding and rise of a great empire, including its military exploits and cultural accomplishments. The text includes detailed maps, geneologies of its rulers, and extremely detailed information about the land. All dates are in G.R. (Grahlnath Reckoning), where Year 1 was the founding of the Empire.
However, neither the PCs nor any sages that are consulted have never heard of the land of Thel-Grahlnath or any of the other lands mentioned in the text. None of the maps remotely resemble any areas of the known world. None of the great heroes, gods, or leaders mentioned in the text have any other mention in any other historical text known to any experts.
Whether the text is an actual history of a real place that exists somewhere else (e.g. on the other side of the world, on another plane, in a distant time, on a far-flung planet, or in alternate dimension), or whether it's highly-detailed fantasy from the mind of the author is for the GM to determine and the PCs to puzzle over.
Regardless of its veracity, the tome is worth 1,000 gp to the right collector as a curiosity.
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18. The Road to Unlife
A handwritten manuscript written in first person by an anonymous necromancer. The book is part personal journal and part instructional treatise on the creation of intelligent undead that retain their memories, abilitie sin life, and personalities. It gives specific instructions on how an arcane caster can become a free-willed juju zombie, dread ghast, or wight without being infected with unlife from such a creature. [Details of the material costs and process are left to the GM.]
The book also grants a +2 bonus to Knowledge (religion) checks regarding questions about undead. Using the book in this manner takes 1d6 minutes of perusal before the bonus is granted on the specific question.
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19. The Young Elf's Collection of Human Tales
Written in Elvish verse in large letters and simple language, this is a lavishly-illustrated children's book full of delightful stories of dull and ugly humans (and/or Dwarves... the book seems to use the terms interchangibly) that boldly and stupidly attempt to trick the smart and graceful Elves into giving up their treasure or magic, but are always outsmarted by the Elves or succumb to their own hubris.
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20. This book is not written on paper or parchment but instead is etched in unidentifiable characters on pages that are made of translucent glass, impossibly finely worked so that the pages are just as flexible as parchment.
21. On the Nature of the So-Called Gods This book is probably fascinating and/or heretical based on the title alone. Unfortunately, you will never find out, since the pages have all been burned away leaving only the covers untouched.
22. Being an Account of the deeds of Valanthe the Wanderer during the Fall and the Coming of the Void This ponderous tome should by all rights be a riveting retelling of the adventurers of a magus named Valanthe as she travels through the end of the world. However, it is borderline incoherent as the chapters seem to be written out of chronological order, including some that take place up to fifteen years in the future.
23. This volume is not a book so much as a massive clay tablet crammed full of uneven lines of angular hieroglyphics.
24. Within a chest lie the complete tanned skins of a dozen humanoids, tattooed from head to toe in a bewildering variety of languages. A DC 25 Knowledge(History) or Knowledge(Nobility) check will reveal that the text is the last words of hundreds of famous people. For each language that a character can speak they can receive a +1 bonus of this check.
25. The Maxims of Caius the Uncrowned A slim volume, ostensibly addressed from the epinomius Caius to his children. It consists mostly of life lessons to make them worthy to inherit the kingdom that he is in the process of conquering as he wrote the text.
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26. Parables of the Unconquered Dawn A slim book, with a cover embossed with a gold-ish image of a rising sun. It consists of advice and life lessons based on the teachings of Sarenrae. Each chapter is headlined with a quotation from her holy scripture, and explains in detail how this aphorism applies to the everyday life of the lay follower. If a follower of Sarenrae studies this book for ten minutes at dawn, once during the day they may gain a +1 bonus on a single Will save.
27. Plants of the Guldarak Jungle, An Alchemical Treatise A thick book, full of beautifully detailed botanical illustrations that surround and accent the text. The author switches frequently between Common and Elven, apparently due to the more precise botanical terminology found in the Elven language. It contains a detailed accounting of a number of plants of the titular region, and discusses in some detail the alchemical applications of each type of plant. It grants a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks related to botany, and a recipe for tanglefoot bags derived from the sap of the stogol-gum tree allows anyone with Craft (alchemy) to make tanglefoot bags with a +2 bonus to all DCs at a 25% cost increase. If an alchemist with the tanglefoot bomb discovery reads this text they gain a permanent +1 bonus to the DC of their tanglefoot bombs.
28. The Tragedy of Sir Lyonson A play in three acts. The tale of a paladin coming to the end of his career and his fall from grace, as fears of his advancing age and lack of an heir cause him to commit more and more desperate acts to protect his people against an encroaching orcish tribe. This copy is annotated with stage directions that seem to recast one of the minor characters as a scheming succubus that is secretly behind the whole thing, an interpretation missing completely from the original text.
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29. This massive, untitled tome is entirely full of extremely fine water-colour paintings of gripplis in more or less intimate situations.
30. The Jewels on the Horizon. This is an account of a merchant, Jerrenan Durb and his travels in foreign countries far away. He describes fantastical societies, amazing customs, beautiful countries and truly exotic peoples, in well-written, sparkling prose. It is thoroughly engrossing to read, a real page-turner. The only problem is, the countries he describes have only the names in common with the actual places, and are entirely a fabrication of his fertile mind.
I am very much enjoying everyone's contributions to this thread.
I have always liked books as treasure of one sort or another ever since Iggwilv's book collection in Lost Caverns of Tsjocanth. "Of course a wizard would have useful books" I said to myself. And of course, the books found in games like The Elder Scrolls series.
I think that every one of these posted is going to find its way into a treasure pile or bookshelf in my campaign. Thanks everyone.
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34 Yonder and Home Again: A Halflings Journey.
I am very much enjoying everyone's contributions to this thread.
I have always liked books as treasure of one sort or another ever since Iggwilv's book collection in Lost Caverns of Tsjocanth. "Of course a wizard would have useful books" I said to myself. And of course, the books found in games like The Elder Scrolls series.
I think that every one of these posted is going to find its way into a treasure pile or bookshelf in my campaign. Thanks everyone.
There's a third-party adventure I picked up a while ago from TPK Games, The Sinister Secret of Silvermote that includes about a dozen strange books in the mad lich's library. It includes an appendix for creating magical books as treasure. People interested in this thread might want to check that out.
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I've found this (Bookspinner) covers pretty much all my needs regarding stocking a "strange library."
Edited to add: I was pretty much sold on this generator when I got the result of:
The Sex Life of The Centaur
This book is of average clarity due to the well-done illustrations. With a bit of reading, it will be revealed that it has a lot useful information. Unfortunately, the contents show some plagarism.
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35. My First Spellbook: Pop-up Edition
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I like the ideas. It's always hard to come up with a hundred interesting ideas by your lonesome.
36. The Wizard's Guide to Curative Magic, this book thoroughly explains how to cast spells like Cure Light Wounds, Remove Disease, Heal etcetera as arcane wizard spells. The research is impeccable and exhaustive, but it just doesn't work.
37. Fighter's Footwork a manual that introduces very precise jargon to describe movement and positioning in combat; allowing fighters to converse learnedly about AoOs and flanking positions.
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38. Bound volume of the original run of issues by The Galtic Worker--speeches by Hossetter, journalistic pieces by Jubannich, a manifesto for goblin-pinkskin cooperation by one DBAB--and the true story of the fall of the decadent Chelish hellspawn plutocrats.
(Will Save DC 20: Failure means the reader must dedicate himself to the cause of international proletarian goblin revolution and search out and join the nearest chapter of the Commonwealth Party of Galt (M-L). Also gains a +2 Cha bonud and a +10 to Perform: Oratory skill checks.)
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43. Theoretics on Evocation, Conjuration, and the Elements Therein, a study upon the arcane and divine magicks and the differences therein. A theory is provided: If an arcane caster can survive a month-long excursion to the Positive Energy Plane, enough study upon the subject, given all the current information available, may be enough to discover a means of simple arcane conjuration of positive energy. Of course, nobody has ever survived in the Positive Energy Plane for that long.
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Thanks for the links, Haladir and Da'ath!
44. The Domiciles of Chaos by Grigori of Raveholm: a personal diary of one devoted cleric and his struggles against the dark forces of Rovagug, Grigori detailed the last few years of his life, and references several dark volumes in the process. Those with the patience to attempt to decipher his ramblings, drawings, attempts at poetry, quotations heard from gibbering things from beyond, and insights into the nature of Chaos, may glean a +1 saving throw against any mind-affecting ability or spell cast or used by a person or creature of Chaotic alignment (the day of, or the day after the book is studied), OR they may "use up" this insight as a +1 to spell level of any spell or mind affect they use against a person or creature of Chaotic alignment.
The book is addictive. [DC16 to avoid the urge to study the book. Onset: 1 day after reading, -2 to Wisdom, 2 Consecutive Saves]
If the PC's Wisdom is reduced below 5, he or she becomes afflicted with insanity:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/mastery/sanityAndMadness.html
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45. Mercurial weapons is scrawled across the face and spine of this thin book bound in hard leather. The cover and many pages have been partially burned and the whole thing is written in a thick, blocky script using what appears to be charcoal. The contents is part guide book and part journal of a moderately talented and wildly imaginative blacksmith who spent years trying to develop a weapon with a liquid core. His theory is that the weapon would become heavier at the tip when swung, but still maintain balance when at the ready. He was never able to complete the weapon, however, and eventually succumbed to something called "quicksilver poisoning".
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46. A Taste for Adventure by Gort Ribcracker: A journal and cookbook written by a half-orc adventurer and chef extraordinaire. Gort spent nearly a decade wandering the wild frontier fighting all manner of dangerous monsters and wild beasts, and then eating them. The sections of the book that detail his many adventures are rambling and only semi-coherent, but the sections on cooking are lovingly and beautifully written. This volume contains recipes for all manner of monsters, from behir ribs glazed with a reduction of red wine and garlic to yrthak soup with wild shrieker. Anyone perusing the book for an hour gains a +2 bonus on Profession (cooking) checks and a +1 bonus on attack rolls to confirm critical hits against creatures of the Magical Beast type for one day - some of the jointing and butchering sections get a bit gruesome, and recommend the use of a greataxe for best results.
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47. The First Taboo by Melchizadek: only a few copies of this volume are known to exist, and it is known that many of the good religions consider possession of this book a "burnable offense".
Within its pages is the story of Arthur Melchizadek, a human sorcerer who later became a ghoul lord by studying under the tutelage of Vampire Lord Bellicose. The tale recounts his life of loneliness and purposelessness until he swore loyalty to that vampire, who instructed him in the ways of something called "The First Taboo", a reference to the long-lost practice of eating the flesh of one's own species (cannibalism), the development of something called "The Hunger" (the unnatural hunger felt by all ghouls and zombies), and ways to overcome it (and rise to ghast-hood and develop self-control) as a means to obtain immortality.
The Secret: eating the flesh of "one's own kind" heals 1d4 damage per day and grants +1d8 temporary hit points. A Fort save of DC20 must be made to avoid addiction (moderate).
Flesh Addiction "The Hunger"
Type: Injested Addiction:(Moderate)DC20
Effects: Heals 1d4 damage, +1d8 temporary Hit Points
Damage: 1d4 Con damage
A person whose Constitution drops below 10 becomes Chaotic Evil (as the Hunger calls to them). If it drops to 0, they become a ghoul (undead).
If a ghoul can overcome the addiction, they have "mastered The Hunger", and they become a ghast (ghasts are sometimes called "ghouls" as a type of undead).
While possession of this book is not evil in and of itself, to be seen reading it by a member of a holy order (who keep it a secret) will likely label one as evil, or under evil's influence.
48. This one.
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49. Hanover's Potion Recipes #14 by Hanover Fist: A very good and basic potion recipes volume, containing recipes for any practitioner of the art (Craft Potion), including:
- Endure Elements
- Aid
- Cure Moderate Wounds
But what separates Hanover's volume from other potion recipe books, is the inclusion of some strange and wild experimentations, including a recipe for what he calls "Major Eagle's Splendor/Enraged Drunken Bender, a most dangerous concoction:
Major Eagle's Splendor/Enraged Drunken Bender
Using feathers from a Giant Eagle, lavender moss, willow bark, a shot of good bourbon, and a platinum spoon (for stirring), a powerful variation on Eagle's Splendor can be created, but with a +6 bonus to Charisma instead of +4. However, it results in an unstable enchantment which requires the imbiber to make periodic Will saves (per caster level, 1/round), or lose control of the enchantment, becoming affected as though by both Transformation and Confusion for the remaining duration of the spell.
50. This six inch thick tome contains nothing but random letters not even rising to the comprehensibility of gibberish. About a half inch of pages have been entirely struck through with periodic vertical bars indicating this was not done all at once. A final vertical bar marks the end of the struck through section, as does a silk ribbon used as a bookmark.
A DC 20 linguistics check or a DC 15 profession soldier check will reveal that this is a one time pad for encryption. Someone with the Master Spy prestige class can identify it with no check required.
a "one time pad for encryption". Tell us more, please. How can I use this as a hook?
Two people make identical copies of letter masses. One goes elsewhere. The other sends messages in the code determined by their letter masses. So long as every message gets to the first person, in the right order, the second can know exactly what messages were sent... But anyone not in possession of their letter masses won't be able to decipher a message even if they intercept it.
Thus, if you have the book described, you can decipher strange, nonsensical messages you may find somewhere, that are IMPOSSIBLE to decipher otherwise, so long as you find them in the proper order.
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51. 101 Ways to Cook a Human - The book, bound in a type of leather that you're better off not examining closely, appears to be a huge collection of recipes for preparing human meat. "No parts go to waste!" is written on the back.
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52. A collection of magickal tomes, each in a different language. Perfect for the adventurer who's good at pattern recognition but terrible at memorization and needing to speak in a language they're not all familiar with. Opening the page with the desire to find certain words will immediately bring up all the vocabulary pertinent to the situation. All you have to do is put those words together!
(Totally not inspired by my hatred of French class and the amount of failure on my final I just took because I hadn't memorized the effing vocabulary. I'm so good at grammar, just, ugh. x.x)
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53.The forbidden Lust- This book,the color of mud (with squiggly hearts all over it) depicts in complete literary and visual detail...a mans love affair with an Otyugh. Readers must succeed on a DC 25 Fortitude save to avoid becoming blind and nauseated for 24 hours.
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54: Albertus' Amazing Picture Book: See Them Come To Life Without Magic!
This is a thick volume of several hundred worn pages. Some of them are missing. The pages are illustrated, depicting a slow sequence of two stylized dwarves, one smashing a large pie in the face of the other. Most notably, were one to flip these pages quickly through either magical or non magical means, the two characters would almost appear to come to life!
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55: Raising Owlbears for Fun and Profit
A whimsical, but instructive, tome by the renowned halfling magical beast trainer Jamison Brittleburr. The book gives ample instruction on tracking and trapping owlbears, the proper care and feeding of owlbears in captivity, and cultivation and proper care of young. Anyone reading the book from cover to cover gains a +2 insight bonus on Handle Animal checks when dealing with owlbears.
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56: The Handy Guide to Teleportation
This book purports to be a guide to learning to teleport at will "No prior magical expertise needed". Unfortunately, opening the last page of the book causes it to teleport to a new random location.
57: Courtier - My Life in High Society
A librarian's note inside the cover of this book explains that the author is unknown, however the book claims to be the account of a Dragon. The author claims to have used polymorph to assume the guide of various mortal races and infiltrate their courts - each time becoming a major power player, cementing his dynasty with wealth and marriage alliances before faking his death to travel elsewhere and start the process over again. Many of the families the author claims to have begun are extremely powerful today and this book would destroy their legitimacy if it were to be believed.
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58: The Body, A Book of Living Alchemy
This book is made entirely from pale humanoid skin. It's hot to the touch, has veins and a pulse and will only open if stroked or torn apart. There is a ring of sustenance buried in its spine.
Each living page is tattooed with common text, describing the abilities of vivisectionist alchemists, several formulae for potions, extracts and mutagens, how the author slowly altered his body and lessons on the practice of medicine.
Mixed in with all the instructional stuff are accounts of strange sex acts, essays about ethics, an expensive method of growing flesh that has never been part of an animal and a half finished plan for "a new kind of elf".
59: Musings of an Evil Soul Collected for the Benefit of those of Good Moral Character
This small black book explains the author's thought processes and nature as an neutral evil person. His or her identity is never divulged, but various terrible deeds are recounted in detail.
The writer explains that they do not feel that they ever had a choice in being evil, since they cannot find it in themselves to genuinely care about right and wrong, so any good they do would be meaningless.
The book genuinely seems to be an attempt to enlighten the reader and promote understanding, making no excuses or attempts to glorify or promote wickedness.
60: The Last Book You Will Ever Read
The cover of this thin, red leather book bears a large warning in gnomish that it will burn out your eyes if you read it. Another warning has been attached confirming that this is indeed the case, and that the only words known to be read so far are "I am so sorry".
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61. A lady's heart: A book detailing a young woman's infatuation with a rakishly handsome duke's son, and her rags-to-riches adventure in their complicated courtship. It is formulaic and has no literary qualities.
Put it in the library of someone you wouldn't expect to need it. Now you have a spy ring to roll up. Or maybe it's the mucguffin you're after in the first place.a "one time pad for encryption". Tell us more, please. How can I use this as a hook?50. This six inch thick tome contains nothing but random letters not even rising to the comprehensibility of gibberish. About a half inch of pages have been entirely struck through with periodic vertical bars indicating this was not done all at once. A final vertical bar marks the end of the struck through section, as does a silk ribbon used as a bookmark.
A DC 20 linguistics check or a DC 15 profession soldier check will reveal that this is a one time pad for encryption. Someone with the Master Spy prestige class can identify it with no check required.
I dig. :)
Thanks Atarlost. Neal Stephenson novels have given me a fondness for things cryptographic in nature. How we work these into a fantasy rpg is a challenge, given how a simple trap will often befuddle for an hour or more of gameplay.
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62. The Dragons of Navaronne by Pharaus - In the annals of Golarion, there have been many tales told of those mighty wizards and sorcerers who, approaching the end of their lives, pursue paths to immortality in order to defy Death. Most know of the evil depredations of those such as Tar-Baphon, and tales of vampire lords, but who knows of those whom we might call "good"? Where do the studious and dutiful, the principled and the devoted go when they defy Pharasma's call? The book The Dragons of Navaronne is one answer. It is an immortality vault for an old wizard known by history as "Pharaus".
This beautiful book is bound in fine black leather and adorned in silver by master craftsmen. Beneath its gold-embossed title is set seven glittering gems. On the back is embossed a salutation to the readers "You will have to wait forever for the next book, hahaha! - Pharaeus"
Within its pages is the tale of a fantasy world called "Navaronne", a world rich in history that takes place over five continents, and tells the tale of a race of dragons engaged in a power struggle for control of the world and its people.
Once engaged in the story, it is difficult to put down. Will Save: DC 15 as one becomes engrossed in the romance, action and intrigue. If a reader fails three consecutive saves Onset: 1/day, then they come under the effect of an Imprisonment spell, and are drawn bodily into the book.
Once inside the book, the player joins the never ending tale as a dragon character, and may in-fact, only leave if they succeed in overcoming some great fear or personal flaw of theirs (these are the parameters set by Pharaeus long ago when he first created the book), or are otherwise set free by Pharaeus himself.
Note: This could be used as either a trap of sorts, or a quest wherein all the PC's engage in a "recursion" roleplaying game in order to fulfill a quest, such as getting information from Pharaeus that is needed in the real world (Golarion). Pharaeus will NOT be happy to see an outsider, and may work to imprison them in Navaronne forever to protect his immortality.
Time passes incredibly fast for those inside the book, and years can be lived out while only minutes pass by outside. Anyone reading the book may read of their companion in the tale, and it becomes obvious the story never ends. Anyone skipping to the last chapter will come under the effect of the Imprisonment spell. Will Save: DC23
Also note that once in the book, Druids may not become dragons, they have to play as gnomes.
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61: The Inner Spark, being an introduction by the Hidden Master
A small primer on the basics of magic. A person with access can learn the simplest of spells (First level Wizard) over a period of time. Only a person with the possibility of becoming a Wizard can see the book for what it really is, while hiding from others (DC 40). Once they become a real Wizard, they find the book has disappeared. Already Classed mages cannot interact with it. The same applies to Sorcerers, although the text is different. Part of the enchantment allows even the illiterate to read the book.
The appearance is always of a small book, but other details vary. The one detail most recall is the inside of the covers are signed by those who have had the book before. Should a Wizard meet a fellow of the same book, they WILL recognize each other despite all efforts to hide. For this reason, it it known that there are at least a dozen of these.
The Hidden Master is an unknown Wizard that is believed dead.
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64: Safety Protocols of the International Board for Library Standards (Revised and Expanded 473rd Edition)
This book comes in many volumes, filling at least four shelves with cheap, heavy tomes. Anybody foolish enough to read their very fine print finds themselves feeling sleepy. For every full page completed, the reader must make a DC 20 will save or fall into a peaceful sleep for 2d4x10 minutes.
Volume 17 in particular has an additional magical property. If an alcoholic beverage is poured onto it it will absorb it without a trace. It has a capacity of a quart. While absorbed in the book, the drink is perfectly preserved and can be sucked out of the pages as easily as it could be imbibed from a bottle.
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65. Images of Sharks in the 17th Century.
A book chronicling the representation of sharks in the various scientific, religious, and artistic traditions of the world during this century. It is not a part of a set. It has no magical properties, but is quite thick and more than capable of giving someone a good bruise.