The Book of Death (Epic Artifact)

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Amiel's picture
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Joined: 2004-05-12
The Book of Death (Epic Artifact)

Appearing as an unassuming tome, the Book of Death (not to be confused with the Book of the Dead) is encased between protective covers of hardened, sullen black flesh and fastened along the left side with the bones of celestials and fiends.

For those of a certain mental fortitude, the Book of Death opens readily, almost eagerly. Scrawled within its pages are thousands, millions of notes and scribbles, a literal black morass of names and circumstances of their deaths. For it is said that the Book of Death confers the power to kill a being almost instantly.

Even illiterates are able to scrawl a name into the book for this name is burned supernaturally into their minds so that they may fastidiously copy.

There is only one constant however. The one whose name is written shall die.

The Book of Death is able to snuff out the existence of any being whose name is inscribed onto its pages. Within 6 minutes and 33 seconds, as they feel excruciating pain beginning in their extremities and ultimately culminating near their midsection, that being's existence will be ended; the Book of Death is considered a DvR 20 deity with a Cha of 52 for purposes of a Fort saving throw: Fort DC 70.

The name however has to be one that the author is familiar with, the degree of familiarity is not relevant; made up names are instantly rejected.

If however, the owner of the Book of Death does not author a name after 13 hours, he or she will die and the tome will be automatically sent to the next willing or unwilling recipient; such victims are chosen at random by the tome.

Those seeking to bring harm or damage to the Book or its many pages are targeted by a focused Hand of Death and must succeed on a Fort DC 70 or die.

Zimrazim's picture
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Joined: 2007-01-14
The Book of Death (Epic Artifact)

Seems overpowered in the game-mechanics sense, but I like the concept. Laughing out loud

Makes me wonder about its limitations:
1) Is there any level of power that it can't work on? Like, if someone scribes "Ao" into it, will the Overgod of Toril die?
2) If someone writes "Joe" into it, does everyone named Joe die, or does it pick a certain person named Joe at random?
3) Can they be raised/resurrected/recipient of speak with dead spell, or are they gone forever?

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Lubaf's picture
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The Book of Death (Epic Artifact)

'Zimrazim' wrote:
Seems overpowered in the game-mechanics sense, but I like the concept. Laughing out loud

Makes me wonder about its limitations:
1) Is there any level of power that it can't work on? Like, if someone scribes "Ao" into it, will the Overgod of Toril die?
2) If someone writes "Joe" into it, does everyone named Joe die, or does it pick a certain person named Joe at random?
3) Can they be raised/resurrected/recipient of speak with dead spell, or are they gone forever?

At a guess, since I'm not the author:
1.) The only real limit is the DC 70. Ao, along with most dieties, would be able to make the roll easily.
2.) Somebody you know named "Joe" who you were thinking of when you wrote it; if you just picked "Joe" at random, then the book would reject it.
3.) I'd say "yes" to all three, with a proviso that the body of the recipient of the book's power has received a DC 70 level attack, and what that usually implies (that is, they've suffered a massive attack on their body; Raise might be out, depending on DM call).

Thanks
Luc "Ob(li)vious" French

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