Skull’s Breath

6. The Tome of Illusory Magick

Appearance: A small selection of pages kept safely inside a metallic folder polished to a mirrored surface. The pages are loose and, upon reading, anyone perusing the tome will determine that several are missing.

Spells: There are several fragments of spells but the only spells that are completely detailed in this tome are Illusory Script and Shadow Configuration.

Special Features: None. 7. Book of Thorns

Appearance: The Book of Thorns is a dark tome, the covers constructed of obsidian sheets that have been enchanted to strengthen them. The pages of the book are simple parchment and there are over 300 pages total in the book. Magicallyfused to the covers are several bony spikes that make the book dangerous to the touch (Reflex save DC 15 to avoid suffering 1d4 damage if picking up the book without gloves or other protection).

Spells: Blood Knife*, Burrowing Bony Digits*, Chill Touch, Contagion, Darkvision, Disrupt Undead, Emotion, Fe a r, Hold Po rt a l , I n c e n d i a ry Cloud, M agic Circl e Against Good, Mirage Arcana, Phase Door, and Skeletal Spikes*.

Special Features: The Book of Thorns is a living, evil creature that sleeps for 100 years at a time. When sleeping, the book acts like any other spellbook but it does radiate evil if a check is made. When it does awaken, the book transforms, changing into a skeletal humanoid that is covered in hundreds of spiky protrusions and has the ability to cast any of the spells listed above, each one once per day.

8. Lanereal’s Songbook

Appearance: A small book that could be easily confused for an accountant’s ledger or a shopkeeper’s inventory listing, Lanereal’s Songbook is one of the plainest of spellbooks. There are approximately 50 paper pages inside and the book’s covers (constructed of stiff leather) are sewn directly to the front and back of the book, leaving it without a spine.

Spells: Detect Thoughts, Mage Armor, Mage Hand, Sleep, and Whispering Wind.

Special Features: Over half of the pages in Lanereal’s Songbook are devoted to careful study of the Bardic Music ability possessed by all bards. Any bard with access to Lanereal’s Songbook who studies it for a solid week without interruption (other than for sleeping and eating) gains the new bardic music ability, Mesmerize.

Mesmerize: This is a greater form of Fascinate that can only be used by a bard who has studied the contents of this book. It follows all of the rules of the Fascinate ability except that the modifier to Spot and Listen checks is at a -6 penalty.

9. Poisoner’s Handbook

Appearance: This emerald-studded book’s electrum cover is obviously worth a great deal but it’s the information inside that is most valuable to those with an interest in the art of poison. 30 parchment pages detail the recipes necessary to craft three different fantasy poisons. The Craft (Poison)* skill is necessary to create these foul poisons.

Spells: None.

Special Features: The Poisoner’s Handbook instructs someone with Craft (Poison) in the art of creating the following three poisons.

Skull’s Breath: This poison in a whitish powder ground from the skull on an animated skeleton. The skull most be ground down within five minutes of the skeleton’s destruction. The resulting powder can then be used to coat the victim’s skin. On contact the skin of the victim begins to burn and itch but it is only after a minute of time has passed that the poison’s real damage comes into play. The victim’s skin begins to decompose at the area of contact, causing one point of damage per round to the victim for 1d6+6 rounds. Craft DC 15. Save DC 19. 1,200 gp.