Wofano Wotanto
Hero
If you want a good nod to the TSR days, be sure to stick a copy of the Book of Ebon Bindings on the shelves somewhere. The demons in that thing would give Orcus the shudders.
D&D General Books in the Wizard's Library
Stormonu
Legend
Tenser's Guide to Gemstones and their Reputed Magical Properties, volume 1 of 12. A hand-copied tome with a blue velvet cover and fragile pages made of vellum. However, the thin vellum allows an individual to use a candle or more powerful light source to project the page upon a wall or other surface to allow the minute print to be read much easier. As the cover states it is an overview of various gemstones with the reputed magical properties associated with them. About half-way through the book, it devotes a full page to each gemstone, with a cutting diagram "to maximize the focus of magic" and instructions to properly enchant the stone to power a magical item (and an example magical item). Most entries also contain recipes to mix the gemstone with herbs, oils, and chants - then swallow. These create magical gastroliths, stones that remain in the stomach and provide magical benefits, sort of like internal ioun stones. Normally, an individual can only retain a single gastrolith, and swallowing another cause previous ones to be regurgitated. There are hints throughout the series that powerful individuals can keep down more than one - perhaps up to three at a time.
The first book has a summary of all gemstones and covers in detail from A - Agate to C - Corundum. Other volumes cover the remaining gemstones. Some copies that are signed by Tenser himself often contain a special and unique recipe not found in any other copies. Also, there exists a 13th "addendum" volume that covers gemstones that were missed in the original volumes, as well as specific gemstone-related magical items, including a recipe to create the legendary Crook of Rao.
The first book has a summary of all gemstones and covers in detail from A - Agate to C - Corundum. Other volumes cover the remaining gemstones. Some copies that are signed by Tenser himself often contain a special and unique recipe not found in any other copies. Also, there exists a 13th "addendum" volume that covers gemstones that were missed in the original volumes, as well as specific gemstone-related magical items, including a recipe to create the legendary Crook of Rao.
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Blue Orange
Gone to Texas
What, no fiction?
Promise & Prestidigitation. This long and intricate love story involving an impoverished but bright wizardress and an arrogant but good-hearted wealthy noble wizard has been passed around many times among wizards in magical colleges, and has inspired many, many imitators. From the opening line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young wizard in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a spouse", to the happy ending, the book is acclaimed for its literary values and one can often find well-thumbed copies of it in any wizard's library.
Archmage of the Rings. This long, realistic story of a group of junior wizards on a quest to destroy a cursed relic with only the occasional warrior to deal with nonmagical threats is acclaimed for its psychological realism, and is well-known for starting off the lengthy trend of gritty stories about wizards and other magic users struggling with the difficulties of dealing with magic use in the modern era. It's particularly notable for its many well-rendered accounts of love affairs between the characters.
Fifty Shades of Gray Ooze. This notorious text is long execrated for its literary style (or lack thereof), but is nonetheless well-known to be very popular and often found hidden behind other books in a sufficiently large library. The plot involving a young sorceress and a plasmid with singular tastes is despised by all wizardly authorities, not least because its invocation of an 'inner goddess' is feared to invoke rivalries with the always-magophobic clerical groups. (The use of rings of regeneration in connection with certain acts was also feared to start an unfortunate trend.)
Papers & Paychecks. This complicated game involving the use of dice seeks to simulate the adventures of people in a low-magic or no-magic world, with the success or failure of an action dependent on numerical checks against characteristics. Magic is replaced by "technology", a complicated form of artificing which makes use of the natural properties of substances without access to the magical Weave. It is known to have enthusiasts among many wizards, oddly enough. Newer editions under the titles Cellphones & Computers and Smartphones & Social Media, add new forms of "technology", and changes to the imaginary society of the game. Response to these has been mixed among the enthusiasts of the game, and has even led to the emergence of 'Original Technology Return' versions jettisoning some of the newer forms of "technology" and more similar in rules to older versions.
Promise & Prestidigitation. This long and intricate love story involving an impoverished but bright wizardress and an arrogant but good-hearted wealthy noble wizard has been passed around many times among wizards in magical colleges, and has inspired many, many imitators. From the opening line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young wizard in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a spouse", to the happy ending, the book is acclaimed for its literary values and one can often find well-thumbed copies of it in any wizard's library.
Archmage of the Rings. This long, realistic story of a group of junior wizards on a quest to destroy a cursed relic with only the occasional warrior to deal with nonmagical threats is acclaimed for its psychological realism, and is well-known for starting off the lengthy trend of gritty stories about wizards and other magic users struggling with the difficulties of dealing with magic use in the modern era. It's particularly notable for its many well-rendered accounts of love affairs between the characters.
Fifty Shades of Gray Ooze. This notorious text is long execrated for its literary style (or lack thereof), but is nonetheless well-known to be very popular and often found hidden behind other books in a sufficiently large library. The plot involving a young sorceress and a plasmid with singular tastes is despised by all wizardly authorities, not least because its invocation of an 'inner goddess' is feared to invoke rivalries with the always-magophobic clerical groups. (The use of rings of regeneration in connection with certain acts was also feared to start an unfortunate trend.)
Papers & Paychecks. This complicated game involving the use of dice seeks to simulate the adventures of people in a low-magic or no-magic world, with the success or failure of an action dependent on numerical checks against characteristics. Magic is replaced by "technology", a complicated form of artificing which makes use of the natural properties of substances without access to the magical Weave. It is known to have enthusiasts among many wizards, oddly enough. Newer editions under the titles Cellphones & Computers and Smartphones & Social Media, add new forms of "technology", and changes to the imaginary society of the game. Response to these has been mixed among the enthusiasts of the game, and has even led to the emergence of 'Original Technology Return' versions jettisoning some of the newer forms of "technology" and more similar in rules to older versions.
Wofano Wotanto
Hero
Not books, but there are some relatively low-impact system-agnostic magical curiosities on my blog that might be found in a wizard's study:
Edifying Lamp - Quite handy sometimes but awkward to use in the field thanks to its numerous quirks.
Belated Mirror - Usually placed so that it reflects the bookshelves as a sort of nighttime security camera, and during the day it's another bit of weirdness as it won't be reflecting current events.
33 Chessmen - Enchanted chess set and divinatory tool of sorts. Even the wizard who owns the study might be surprised to find it on their shelves, since its creator is fond of leaving these things around for others to find - like adventurers looting a wizard's house.
Ockmock's Unearthly Ear Trumpet - A bit more sinister in tone than the rest, but a scholar might reasonably find innocent uses for this thing - and it fits on a shelf nicely.
Edifying Lamp - Quite handy sometimes but awkward to use in the field thanks to its numerous quirks.
Belated Mirror - Usually placed so that it reflects the bookshelves as a sort of nighttime security camera, and during the day it's another bit of weirdness as it won't be reflecting current events.
33 Chessmen - Enchanted chess set and divinatory tool of sorts. Even the wizard who owns the study might be surprised to find it on their shelves, since its creator is fond of leaving these things around for others to find - like adventurers looting a wizard's house.
Ockmock's Unearthly Ear Trumpet - A bit more sinister in tone than the rest, but a scholar might reasonably find innocent uses for this thing - and it fits on a shelf nicely.
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