Canonfire! - Postfest IV: The Tome of Agony

Coveted by some, feared by many, scholars across the flanaess debate the secrets of the mysterious Tome of Agony. Read on to discover some of the sinister secrets of this dread libram of dark lore.

The Tome of Agony
By: C. Wesley Clough, aka cwslyclgh
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

The Tome of Agony has a long and dreadful history. It first surfaced nearly four hundred years ago, when the men of Waybury found it in the possession of a dwarf who wandered, raving, into town. Though he died a few days later in a delirium, the dwarf’s fevered account of a long lost dwarfhold filled with undead and other horrors deep in the Lortmils was the talk of the town for some time afterwards. The tome next surfaced in the possession of an elven loremaster named Jearin, who dwelled near Axegard, the local people drove him off after foul things began happening around the town and an investigation lead back to Jearin’s door. Later still the tome was known to be part of a horde of rare and valuable books that a group of adventurers from Loftwick claimed from the horde of a red dragon in the Jotens, soon afterwards that party self destructed in a terrible fight over the spoils of their next conquest. The Tome of Agony has surfaced half a dozen more times during the intervening years, always leaving madness and death in its wake. There is no indication of who may have created this dread tome, but the script and writing style found with in its pages is very reminiscent of that which was used in the Sheldomar Valley during the earliest days of the Kingdom of Keoland.

This vile book is fully two feet long, fifteen inches wide and three inches thick. The cover is of sandalwood delicately carved into leering fiendish visages and is quite disturbing to look upon. Most disturbing however is the golden rune inlaid in the center of the front cover, this complex knot like rune causes any good aligned character that looks upon it to be affected as if by an antipathy spell. A successful Will Save (DC 22) will allow the character to handle the book, although they will feel uncomfortable while doing so. A failed save will cause the character to shun the book at all cost. This is affect will last for thirty hours, and requires another save if the character looks upon the rune again after that time.

The Tome of Agony has 600 pages. Within its contents there are many dark secrets better lost to the world, mostly dealing with foul other planner creatures and undead. Any person possessing the tome gets a +2 circumstance bonus to any Knowledge (arcane), or Knowledge (the planes) checks made in relation to information pertaining to undead or creatures from the lower planes as long as they have the book on hand to reference while making their check. The tomes pages contain all of the spells of the necromancy school usable by wizards listed in the Player’s Handbook, as well as lesser planar binding, planar binding, greater planar binding, and the unique spells listed below: acidic blast, bleed out, bone spray, cone of nausea, putrid rain, refresh, vertigo, and wight’s caress.

Even more terrible is the fact that the Tome of Agony has a dark and evil consciousness of its own. The tome is an intelligent magical item. It will generally hide its sentience from new owners until it feels that it can gain an advantage by revealing its intelligence. Once the Tome has revealed itself it will continually extol its possessor to commit ever more evil and chaotic acts, especially those that cause an extreme amount of despair and suffering, even going so far as to try to take control of the possessor should the possessor resist.

Tome of Agony: AL CE, Int 14, Wis 10 Cha 14, speech (abyssal, common, and infernal), 120 ft. vision and hearing, Ego Score 6
Lesser Powers: The tome of agony is continually using deathwatch, and can detect magic at will.
Strong enchantment, CL 15; craft wondrous item, antipathy, deathwatch, detect magic, Price: 131,300 gp Weight: 4lbs.

The Spells:

Acidic Blast
Conjuration (creation)[acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,F
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: 100ft.
Area: line
Duration: instantaneous (see below)
Saving Throw: Reflex Partial (See below)
Spell Resistance: No

A continuous stream of shimmering amber liquid springs from the casters out stretched hand and flashes out to range. Creatures caught in the line take 1d6 points of acid damage per caster level (10d6 maximum) and continue taking damage the following rounds unless the acid is washed or cleaned off somehow (requiring at least a full round action). The acid lingers for 1 round per 3 caster levels (maximum of 7 rounds at 21st level) and inflicts 1d6 points of acid damage on each of these additional rounds, after which if turns to a soft brown powder and crumbles away. Creatures caught in the line can attempt a reflex save, those that make the save take only half damage from the initial line, and no secondary damage at all.
Focus: A flask of acid.

Bleed Out
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Short (25ft.+5ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: Special
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

When this spell is cast the target must make a fortitude save or begin to bleed profusely from its pores, taking 1d2 points of damage per round until it dies, or until the magic is dispelled. Once started the spell can only be stopped by dispel magic, break enchantment, remove curse, or more powerful versions of those spells, healing or curative spells will not end the bleed out spell, but they can prolong the victims life somewhat.

Bone Spray
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: Cone shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: No

You fire a cone shaped blast of small, sharp bone shards from your outstretched hand. Creatures in the area of effect take 1d8 points of slashing and piercing damage for every two caster levels you possess (maximum of 10d8) and are blinded for 2d4 rounds. A successful saving throw reduces the damage by half, and negates the blindness. Constructs, Elementals, Oozes, Plants, Undead and any creatures with out eyes are immune to the blinding affect of the spell, although they still take the physical damage normally. Unlike most other spells Damage Reduction that would reduce slashing and piercing damage will reduce the damage caused by bone spray.
Material component: A handful bone shards.

Cone of Nausea
Necromancy
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: Cone shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

When you complete this spell a cone of ghastly yellow vapor fills the area, and then quickly dissipates. Living creatures caught in the cone mast make a fortitude save or be nauseated for 1d4 rounds. A nauseated character cannot attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action that a nauseated character can take is a single move, or move equivalent action per turn.
Material Component: a scrap of rotting flesh

Putrid Rain
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Cleric 5, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Long (400ft.+40ft./level)
Area: Cylinder (20ft. radius, 40ft. high)
Duration: 1round/4 levels (see below)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (see below)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes a foul smelling, oily, black rain, charged with energy from the negative energy plane, to fall over the area of effect. The rain will continue to fall for a number of rounds equal to the spellcaster’s caster level divided by 4 (rounded down) to a maximum of 5 rounds at 20th level. Living creatures caught in the rain must make a saving throw or gain 1 negative level. This saving throw must be repeated each round that the rain continues to fall. The negative levels caused by this spell never result in permanent level loss, fading away after 1 hour/caster level (20 hours maximum). This spell has no effect on constructs, and undead caught in the rain actually heal 5 hit points per round as long as the rain lasts.
Material component: a sprinkle of water that has been touched by an undead creature.

Refresh
Necromancy
Level: Cleric 2, Druid 2, Paladin 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: touch
Target: creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fort negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (Harmless)

This extremely helpful spell lessens the effects of fatigue or exhaustion. If cast upon an exhausted character the targets status immediately improves to fatigued. If cast on a fatigued character it removes the fatigue, and makes them good as if they had just rested for eight hours. This spell cannot be used to get around the 8 hours of peaceful rest that an arcane spell caster needs to be able to replenish spells for the day.

Vertigo
Enchantment (mind-affecting)
Level: Bard 2, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft.+10ft/level)
Target: Once creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The target is over come by feelings of dizziness and disorientation. An affected creature is considered to be staggered for the duration of the spell. A staggered character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can she take full-round actions).

Wight’s Caress
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: touch
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

By channeling negative energy your successful touch attack gives the target one negative level and you gain 5 temporary hit points (If your touch attack is a critical hit the target gains 2 negative levels and you get 10 temporary hit points). This spell can never result in actual level loss; its effects (both the negative level and the temporary HP) fade after one hour.
Material Component: dirt from the grave of an undead creature.

~fin