Intelligent Book of Vile Darkness

[Robbert Raets]

Is an Intelligent Book of Vile Darkness viable as a magic item? Talking Grimoires are a staple of fantasy, but can a one-use minor artifact be combined with the intelligent item rules?

What about a sapient Apparatus of Kwalish?

Or a loqatius Ring of Invisibility?

 

[F5]

Personally, I love the idea of intelligent Magic Books. Even a one-use item like the Book of Vile Darkness. How cool would it be to give it a telepathic communication method, and have the book continually goading the owner into reading it? The little, evil voice in the back of the characters' mind, tempting him with promises of power and glory...
Plus, if you give the Book abilities as an intelligent magic item, it has some use besides just what it can convey by reading it. The Book can invoke Detect Good, or whatever, for its' owner.
Lots of neat options open up. ALL the Book magic items in my campaign are sentient. Of course, there's only been one so far, and the players didn't even have it for an entire session, so I can't really say how well this plays out in the long run...

 

[the Jester]

I like the idea of a seductive female voice coming from the book: "Come on, big boy... flip through my pages. In fact, rub your face on them- they're soft. Ooh, I bet you'd like some of the pictures inside of me... I'll never tell, nobody needs to know; we'll keep it just between you and me. And why don't you slip me under your pillow before bed tonight?"

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I love the idea. Just because it's "one use" doesn't mean it has to end there.

Perhaps the evil intelligence becomes part of the reader after use? Constantly jibbering at him forever...


Wulf

 

[mkletch]

Actually, in the BoVD (the hardcover game supplement), the BoVD (the in-game minor artifact) actually teleports after use, so it is not by any means a "one shot item".

Making it intelligent would be more appropriate than it being non-intelligent. The sentience could be a collection of soul fragments from all of the people that have read it before...certainly bordering on madness.

-Fletch!

 

[Sanackranib]

BoVD

My Necromancer actually held one in his hands . . .
Of course that lasted about 2 rounds then I was incenerated by 44d6 from some bogus epic level spell . . . Of course those 2 rounds will always be special to me . . . It would have been even better if the book could talk!

 

[blackshirt5]

IMC, all the books like that are intelligent. What's more, they all store memories from the people who have used them over the years(most are contained within the Great Library, a Demiplane within my multiverse; most of the books of Vile Darkness are accessed by famous villains; most of the books of Righteous Might are accessed by grand heroes; the BoVD stores parts of the darkest souls as well).

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

Yes, most of those one shot Artifacts are only one shot per person. Another cool idea would be a book that looked like a benificial magical tomb that actually held a spirit. Reading the book allows the spirit to posses you. Or if it sees a PC that it can't control, it makes itself look like an evil book so the PC burns it, thus releasing the spirit.

 

[Derulbaskul]

I've been thinking the same, especially after reading Monte's rules for intelligent items in his new Book of Eldritch Might III.

Basically, Monte has designed a 20-level intelligent item "character" class. It would seem perfect for something like the BoVD.

Cheers
NPP

 

[F5]

Basically, Monte has designed a 20-level intelligent item "character" class. It would seem perfect for something like the BoVD.

Really? Neat. If an item has a "class", does that mean that a character's item can gain experience? Basically, the Paladin's Talking Holy Sword can increase in level along with the paladin? Neat.
Tough to multicalss, though...

PS: Jester, I just read your post. Eeeewwww...