Hi guys,
The next instalment of the Encyclopaedia Arcane, Tomes and Libraries - Secrets of the Written Word is due for release and covers a little touched but certainly vital aspect of wizardry - their books!
Penned by Mongoose Staff Writer Adrian Bott, Tomes and Libraries kicks off with an Overview, inspecting the nature of libraries in a fantasy setting, including those that do not use bound paper, and what impact they can have on civilisations, characters and players.
Libraries and Their Contents forms the basis of the book, providing a detailed list of libraries and the sorts of materials they usually contain. This includes everything from a wizard's own personal horde, to the collections of nobles, bardic colleges, guild libraries and many more. Library 'modifiers' are also covered, so a Clerical Library, for example, could be chaotic, ancient, huge or purged in nature. Library Sections follow on from this, detailing specific areas of interest and research, and how comprehensive any given library is going to be.
The Art of Research provides hooks for players to actually go down to the nearest fantasy library before setting off on their latest quest. Just pouring over books is hardly a fitting pursuit for a brave adventurer? Of course it is - if it is good enough for Gandalf, it has to be good enough for the players. As well as uncovering ancient lore that may help them in their next adventure (served by players engaging in a set of 'queries'), they can also research unknown spells (trying to avoid magical research mishaps in the process. The Rewards of Study builds upon these ideas, explaining just what a good book can do for a studious character - partial proficiency in weapons may be possible, as is access to trained only skills and improvements to existing abilities and skills (we have been doing the latter in our campaigns for yonks - nice to finally have some rules for it!). Specific titles are also listed, and GMs are encouraged to add their own tomes with special effects for characters willing to spend the time studying them - Ars Alchimia, for example, or the Memoirs of a Human Chameleon. For those of you already using EA Demonology, the benefits of research are obvious and we have included a small section on the dark art to set you on your demonic road. . .
The next chapter, Making Magic Items, looks at how a well stocked library can lead to spellcasters augmenting the magic items they create - making text larger on scrolls, for example, so they are easy to understand, making spell effects more potent or even a how to guide for making magical items cheaper.
Tomes of Magic and Other Curiosities details those books that are far more than just bound paper themselves - they are true magical items that can have a profound effect upon their readers. A player chancing upon one of these tomes in the dusty recesses of the local temple library may be quite giddy with his luck! The Tome of Anatomical Revelation, for example, can grant a permanent bonus to Heal checks, while the Tome of the Dead allows communication with those long gone.
This Encyclopaedia rounds off with a chapter on Customising Libraries (adding skilled librarians, vaults, reading rooms, as well as covering the dangers of Warpstress caused by too many magical books being kept in one place) and another on Help for the Games Master, showing GMs how to introduce these rules into their campaign worlds without too much stress or fear that the players will soon uncover the latest evil plot by just a quick spot of reading.
Encyclopaedia Tomes and Libraries is priced at $14.95 and will be available in your local store next week.
The next instalment of the Encyclopaedia Arcane, Tomes and Libraries - Secrets of the Written Word is due for release and covers a little touched but certainly vital aspect of wizardry - their books!
Penned by Mongoose Staff Writer Adrian Bott, Tomes and Libraries kicks off with an Overview, inspecting the nature of libraries in a fantasy setting, including those that do not use bound paper, and what impact they can have on civilisations, characters and players.
Libraries and Their Contents forms the basis of the book, providing a detailed list of libraries and the sorts of materials they usually contain. This includes everything from a wizard's own personal horde, to the collections of nobles, bardic colleges, guild libraries and many more. Library 'modifiers' are also covered, so a Clerical Library, for example, could be chaotic, ancient, huge or purged in nature. Library Sections follow on from this, detailing specific areas of interest and research, and how comprehensive any given library is going to be.
The Art of Research provides hooks for players to actually go down to the nearest fantasy library before setting off on their latest quest. Just pouring over books is hardly a fitting pursuit for a brave adventurer? Of course it is - if it is good enough for Gandalf, it has to be good enough for the players. As well as uncovering ancient lore that may help them in their next adventure (served by players engaging in a set of 'queries'), they can also research unknown spells (trying to avoid magical research mishaps in the process. The Rewards of Study builds upon these ideas, explaining just what a good book can do for a studious character - partial proficiency in weapons may be possible, as is access to trained only skills and improvements to existing abilities and skills (we have been doing the latter in our campaigns for yonks - nice to finally have some rules for it!). Specific titles are also listed, and GMs are encouraged to add their own tomes with special effects for characters willing to spend the time studying them - Ars Alchimia, for example, or the Memoirs of a Human Chameleon. For those of you already using EA Demonology, the benefits of research are obvious and we have included a small section on the dark art to set you on your demonic road. . .
The next chapter, Making Magic Items, looks at how a well stocked library can lead to spellcasters augmenting the magic items they create - making text larger on scrolls, for example, so they are easy to understand, making spell effects more potent or even a how to guide for making magical items cheaper.
Tomes of Magic and Other Curiosities details those books that are far more than just bound paper themselves - they are true magical items that can have a profound effect upon their readers. A player chancing upon one of these tomes in the dusty recesses of the local temple library may be quite giddy with his luck! The Tome of Anatomical Revelation, for example, can grant a permanent bonus to Heal checks, while the Tome of the Dead allows communication with those long gone.
This Encyclopaedia rounds off with a chapter on Customising Libraries (adding skilled librarians, vaults, reading rooms, as well as covering the dangers of Warpstress caused by too many magical books being kept in one place) and another on Help for the Games Master, showing GMs how to introduce these rules into their campaign worlds without too much stress or fear that the players will soon uncover the latest evil plot by just a quick spot of reading.
Encyclopaedia Tomes and Libraries is priced at $14.95 and will be available in your local store next week.
