Books within the libraries within your campaigns?
- Thread starter Treebore
- Start date
Well, libraries don't come up quite often in my campaigns. It's mostly because the worlds are big, and civilization not especially civilized.
I have used Encyclopaedia Arcane: Tomes and Libraries. And I've used treasure generators to cull book titles. I know it's not much, but it's my 2 cents
I have used Encyclopaedia Arcane: Tomes and Libraries. And I've used treasure generators to cull book titles. I know it's not much, but it's my 2 cents
Stormonu
NeoGrognard
I haven't come up with anything iconic, like the Necronomicon or the other such books that come up in H.P. Lovecraft's books for my campaign, sadly.
A few years back, I had a html web page/program I purchased (I think it was by Creative Mountain Games) that randomly created book names; it was simple enough to customize to make even more names. However, I don't have anything that can help generate random book contents, though I'd love to have something that would.
There are numerous named spell books, grimoires and the like for the Forgotten Realms, spread through various 1E & 2E Dragon Magazine articles by Ed Greenwood; likewise the old Gray Box FR set has several of those books listed in them (primarily spellbooks). I think there's a few articles on Greyhawk books - such as Iggilwiv's Demonomicon. There's also the Flaness Catalogues (seven volumes) by Pluffet Smedger the Elder - of which the World of Greyhawk boxed set was supposed be the contents of the third book.
If you're looking for a library adventure, there's several in the pages of old Dungeon magazines; the most famous in my memory is "Ex Libris".
A few years back, I had a html web page/program I purchased (I think it was by Creative Mountain Games) that randomly created book names; it was simple enough to customize to make even more names. However, I don't have anything that can help generate random book contents, though I'd love to have something that would.
There are numerous named spell books, grimoires and the like for the Forgotten Realms, spread through various 1E & 2E Dragon Magazine articles by Ed Greenwood; likewise the old Gray Box FR set has several of those books listed in them (primarily spellbooks). I think there's a few articles on Greyhawk books - such as Iggilwiv's Demonomicon. There's also the Flaness Catalogues (seven volumes) by Pluffet Smedger the Elder - of which the World of Greyhawk boxed set was supposed be the contents of the third book.
If you're looking for a library adventure, there's several in the pages of old Dungeon magazines; the most famous in my memory is "Ex Libris".
Treebore
First Post
"Private" libraries come up fairly often in my campaigns, either because of a mages tower/laboratory or a temple library, or they go to a Sage, who pretty much has to have a library of some size, right?
Today I was able to write up 13 books authored by old PC's turned into NPC's in my campaigns, and it was surprisingly easy to come up with content summaries as well, since I based it off a questions and things those PC's did in my games.
I have the Dragon Mag CD's. I'll have to search through them for more library content.
Today I was able to write up 13 books authored by old PC's turned into NPC's in my campaigns, and it was surprisingly easy to come up with content summaries as well, since I based it off a questions and things those PC's did in my games.
I have the Dragon Mag CD's. I'll have to search through them for more library content.
TarionzCousin
Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
I wonder if [MENTION=10479]Mark CMG[/MENTION] is going to post here and tell us about this.
Mark CMG
Creative Mountain Games
Thanks for the heads up, TC. Yup, the title generator is one of mine -
(Generator) Unlimited Titles 5 - Creative Mountain Games | ERA 3.5 | Fiction | RPGNow.com
And for me it was usually enough to get the title then riff some general outline that fit the book title or, sometimes if the title lent itself to such, was a play off the book title as if the author was being clever. However, I recall their being a site with a generator that included summaries of what was in a book. I'll look around for it. Also, if you want to simply say it is in a language someone doesn't know, you can print up a few pages on fake parchment using Lorem Ipsum. Many layout programs can do this but there is also a website that can give you all of this you want -
Lorem Ipsum - All the facts - Lipsum generator
One of the fun things about the title generator is that the titles are just specific enough that their contents should be more or less obvious. Combine it with a name generator for the authors and you can rattle off hundreds of these in a row (though I suggest you copy and paste any you generate since players have damnedable long memories for obscura) and I've found once you give them a pile of titles (feel free to make them write them down themselves, particularly any they are taking with them), players usually want to move along once they realize you could go on for hours and especially if you are a DM who rolls for wandering monsters (make sure they know you are!).
I'll see if I can find that other generator. It wasn't mine and I think it was only for use online but as long as you are a laptop DM and have a wifi connection, you'll be good to go.
(Generator) Unlimited Titles 5 - Creative Mountain Games | ERA 3.5 | Fiction | RPGNow.com
And for me it was usually enough to get the title then riff some general outline that fit the book title or, sometimes if the title lent itself to such, was a play off the book title as if the author was being clever. However, I recall their being a site with a generator that included summaries of what was in a book. I'll look around for it. Also, if you want to simply say it is in a language someone doesn't know, you can print up a few pages on fake parchment using Lorem Ipsum. Many layout programs can do this but there is also a website that can give you all of this you want -
Lorem Ipsum - All the facts - Lipsum generator
One of the fun things about the title generator is that the titles are just specific enough that their contents should be more or less obvious. Combine it with a name generator for the authors and you can rattle off hundreds of these in a row (though I suggest you copy and paste any you generate since players have damnedable long memories for obscura) and I've found once you give them a pile of titles (feel free to make them write them down themselves, particularly any they are taking with them), players usually want to move along once they realize you could go on for hours and especially if you are a DM who rolls for wandering monsters (make sure they know you are!).
I'll see if I can find that other generator. It wasn't mine and I think it was only for use online but as long as you are a laptop DM and have a wifi connection, you'll be good to go.
Last edited:
Treebore
First Post
To give a better idea of what I am talking about, here is one I wrote up today using XRP's Tome of Tomes format:
How to Care for Your Pseudo Dragon Owner
Author: Gestafi Mendolez
Race: Gnome
Dimensions: 8x10x4
Weight: 3lbs
Materials: A very sturdy red colored leather with finely etched metal clasps.
Field of Study: Pseudo Dragons.
Special Knowledge Categories: Feeding, housing, health care, and personlity of Pseudo Dragons.
The value: The original would likely sell for over 1,000 GP, but copies generally sell for 500 GP.
Anyone who knows anything of substance about the author knows the love of his life, aside from his wife and children, was his "keeper", the Pseudo Dragon he called Garnet. This book tells in an highly humorous and entertaining manner how Gestafi met and learned to "serve" Garnet over the years they were together before this books writing. So anyone interested in getting, or has already become, a "servant" of a Pseudo Dragon wants a copy of this book! Otherwise you will suffer your "masters" displeasure needlessly, and no one wants that. It also tells of highly interesting and entertaining encounters with the fabled "Fairie Dragons".
How to Care for Your Pseudo Dragon Owner
Author: Gestafi Mendolez
Race: Gnome
Dimensions: 8x10x4
Weight: 3lbs
Materials: A very sturdy red colored leather with finely etched metal clasps.
Field of Study: Pseudo Dragons.
Special Knowledge Categories: Feeding, housing, health care, and personlity of Pseudo Dragons.
The value: The original would likely sell for over 1,000 GP, but copies generally sell for 500 GP.
Anyone who knows anything of substance about the author knows the love of his life, aside from his wife and children, was his "keeper", the Pseudo Dragon he called Garnet. This book tells in an highly humorous and entertaining manner how Gestafi met and learned to "serve" Garnet over the years they were together before this books writing. So anyone interested in getting, or has already become, a "servant" of a Pseudo Dragon wants a copy of this book! Otherwise you will suffer your "masters" displeasure needlessly, and no one wants that. It also tells of highly interesting and entertaining encounters with the fabled "Fairie Dragons".
Li Shenron
Legend
My typical campaigns had more a high middle-ages feel, so books tend to be rare and expensive because the printing press was not invented yet. Personally owning more than a dozen books is for the rich or the sages, and a full "library" is probably maybe a few hundreds books at best but it's also maybe only to be found in a monastery or a royal castle.
I remember there was a free pdf book called "Ink & Quill" for 3ed (probably you can still google for it), but I also remember that I thought it was too concerned with magical books and what bonuses the PCs would get after reading them. I don't remember if it provided guidelines to create your own books, or just a list of ready-to-use books...
I remember there was a free pdf book called "Ink & Quill" for 3ed (probably you can still google for it), but I also remember that I thought it was too concerned with magical books and what bonuses the PCs would get after reading them. I don't remember if it provided guidelines to create your own books, or just a list of ready-to-use books...
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
The Concordance of Planar Cosmology - Geber Al-Kazar
A Treastie on Alchemy - edited by Orbril the Gnome*
The Rider of Thorne, of the young fool who raced with Death - Asser
An essay on the alchemy of combustible gels - Orbril Magerat* (professor)
The Chronicles, a comprehensive history of the knowne world - Brother Lukatus of Vend
The Four Songs of Ancient Heaven - a book of the Yuan Empire (author unknown)
Records of our delegation to the Yuan Empire - Sir Hascot Carek
The Chronicles of Lord Shang - Lord Shang Zhu
*Orbril is my PC, a gnome alchemist
A Treastie on Alchemy - edited by Orbril the Gnome*
The Rider of Thorne, of the young fool who raced with Death - Asser
An essay on the alchemy of combustible gels - Orbril Magerat* (professor)
The Chronicles, a comprehensive history of the knowne world - Brother Lukatus of Vend
The Four Songs of Ancient Heaven - a book of the Yuan Empire (author unknown)
Records of our delegation to the Yuan Empire - Sir Hascot Carek
The Chronicles of Lord Shang - Lord Shang Zhu
*Orbril is my PC, a gnome alchemist
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