Finding the actual Manual of the Planes

[Byrons_Ghost]

I keep wanting to spring Manuel of the Planes on my players as an NPC.

I remember him! He was the Zorro ripoff in the Principality of Belcadiz in Glantri.

I never had a chance to use him, though. I was doing the post-Wrath timeline, and I think he was retired by then.

 

[xnosipjpqmhd]

My favourite theory on the Codex

 

[Evilhalfling]

My intention was to have a PC create such an item. They are approaching the limits of power IMC (no epic used). The world is low power and this is the first time we have reached such heights. So I am looking for Epic Scope, just not rules.

From the details above I am thinking that in his quest to take over as proxy to the god of magic, he will be asked to write a book on the planes. IMC there are only 8 planes, and he has been to 5. Magic is new to the world (only 200 yrs) and it has not yet been done.

The book will be empty at first but show him scenes of the other planes which he will then be compelled to visit, and fill out details in the book. The book will only contain the spells that he himself puts there (so far Planar Binding, Plane Shift, Banishment, & Contact Other Plane are all in his spell books.) Each new chapter will appear, or perhaps be chosen by the writer, and a description, personal anecdote of visiting an area within that plane (chosen by DM) and a spell – which will be useable per epic SRD (w/lower DCs).

The curse of the book will set in slowly -
Putting a spell/description into the book may cause insanity.
the DCs will be low at first, and grow as it approaches completion. Trying to use one spells in it will be even harder, and result in catastrophe if failed.

The idea will be that one person can never complete the catalog of even 8 planes and that the work must be passed on. Even then trying to pass it on will result in the destruction spell per epic SRD. Stopping work on the tome will result in increasing periods of insanity. The writer will have the option of reaching out to others through dreams and passing the burden (perhaps after describing 1-4 (3) planes?) With the book passing automatically after finishing 8 chapters.
The world is not large on people capable of planar travel, so the identity of the new victim will not be known. Several of them are friends, former PCs, or even foes.

The idea of being driven to create an artifact, (once the choice to do so is taken) appeals to me. It’s a bit of a railroad plot, there are turnoffs, but once taken up all choices have heavy consequences.

Suggestions? Comments?

 

[whydirt]

I've always wanted to give a group of PCs a copy of the 1e version of the Manual of the Planes to use as a resource in a 3e game. Of course, the book may have errors from the actual planes.

 

[Dagger75]

It's given stats in the 3.5 ELH, but they don't do it as much justice as the 2e Book of Artifacts, or a series of articles 'The Plane Truth' by David Cook. Cook's reinterpretation of the Codex had that the book (and pardon my retelling of this, I might be off slightly), whatever its origin, continually added to its seemingly infinite page count by reaching out to mortals and sending them dreams, visions of other places, and then compelling them to write these things in a version of the codex found in their dreamscape. When awake, those mortals would inevitably seek out the places from their dreams, enacting in the physical world the events and circumstances that the Codex had revealed to them.

And all the while, the Codex slowly devours them bit by bit, draining their essence like a wizard casting washes till he's reduced to a broken husk.

Sometimes though, a person touched by the Codex manages to send out dreams of themselves to another, filling some hapless soul with memories and visions of the first dreamer, the 'slave of the codex'. This second person begins to find their skin covered in tattoos, words telling about the nature of the codex's slave who seeks to free themselves. Ultimately, before the codex drains them dry, the first dreamer manages to usurp the body of the second person, forever wearing the body of another for the rest of their life, and leaving that victim to die in their place at the touch of the Codex.


As for the actual physical Codex itself, it was used in some capacity by the Archmage Tzunk, in his attempt to conquer the City of Brass. His swathe of destruction through the city is still visible today, though it has, in the innumerable years since, been paved over and rebuilt to some extent. As for Tzunk himself... well... he was ripped to shreds by the Efreet and never actually managed to take the City of Brass itself, seemingly abandoned by the Codex in his moment of need.

And that's the thing with the Codex. Every time it's power is invoked, there's a increasing chance that something absolutely horrible is called down upon the holder of the book.

It'll be some time, but eventually in my 2nd storyhour, I have a side plot that revolves around the Codex, one former 'slave of the codex', and the ultimate fate of Tzunk.

I just finished re-reading these articles myself AND read the entry in the Epic Handbook. Very wierd.

The only cool my book my players ever found was the Book of Infinite Spells. The barbarian opened it first so it bound to him, doh.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

My favourite theory on the Codex

Hear, hear! Great stuff - I stumbled across that page back in the 2E days. Maldin haunts these forums from time to time, perhaps he'll stop in and offer some thoughts...