Boccob's Blessed Book: This well-made tome is always of small size. One will typically be no more than 12 inches tall, 6 inches wide, and 1 inch thick--some are a mere 6 inches in height. All such books are durable, waterproof, iron- and silver-bound, and locked. Copies of Boccob's blessed book gain a +3 bonus on their saving throws (as "leather or book").

The pages of such a book accept magic spells scribed upon them, and any book can contain up to 45 spells of any level. The book is thus highly prized by wizards of all sorts as a traveling spell book. It is unlikely that such a libram will ever be discovered (randomly) with spells already inscribed--inscribed or partially inscribed works of this nature are kept carefully by their owners.

Books of Exalted Deeds: This holy book is sacred to clerics of good alignment. Study of the work will require one week, but upon completion the good cleric will gain one point of Wisdom and experience points sufficient to place him halfway into the next level of experience. Clerics neither good nor evil lose 20,000-80,000 experience points for perusing the work (a negative xp total is possible, requiring restoration but not lowering level below 1st). Evil clerics lose one full experience level, dropping to the lowest number of experience points possible to hold the level; furthermore, they have to atone by magical means or by offering up 50% of everything they gain for 1d4 + 1 adventures.

Fighters who handle or read the book are unaffected, though a paladin will sense that it is good. Mages who read it lose one point of Intelligence unless they save versus spell. If they fail to save, they lose 2,000-20,000 experience points. A thief who handles or reads the work sustains 5d6 points of damage and must successfully save vs. spell or lose one point of Dexterity. A thief also has a 10%-50% chance of giving up his profession to become a good cleric if Wisdom is 15 or higher. Bards are treated as neutral priests.

Except as indicated above, the writing in a book of exalted deeds can't be distinguished from any other magical book, libram, tome, etc. It must be perused. (This applies also to all other works of magical writing detailed below.) Once perused, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from perusing a similar tome a second time.

Book of Infinite Spells: This magical work bestows upon any character of any class the ability to use the spells within its pages. However, upon first reading the work, any character not already able to use spells suffers 5d4 points of damage and is stunned for 5d4 turns. Thereafter, he can examine the writing without further harm. The book of infinite spells contains d8 + 22 pages. The nature of each page is determined by random die roll. Make a percentile roll and consult the following table:

If a spell is written on a page, determine the spell level by rolling 1d10 for a priest spell and 1d12 for a wizard spell. If the result is 8-10 (for priest) or 10-12 (for wizard) make a second die roll--1d6 for priests, 1d8 for wizard spells. Once the spell level is known, the DM can select particular spells or determine them randomly. Record page contents secretly, and do not reveal this information to the holder of the book.

Once a page is turned it can never be flipped back--paging through a book of infinite spells is a one-way trip. When the last page is turned, the book vanishes. The owner of the book can cast the spell to which the book is opened, once per day only. (If the spell is one that the character would normally be able to cast by reason of class and level, however, the spell can be cast up to four times per day due to the book's magical powers.)

The owner of the book need not have the book on his person in order to use its power. The book can be stored in a place of safety while the owner is adventuring and still allow its owner to cast spells by means of its power.

Each time a spell is cast there is a chance that the energy connected with its use will cause the page to magically turn (despite all precautions). The owner will know this and possibly even benefit from the turning by gaining access to a new spell. The chance of a page turning is as follows:

Treat each spell use as if a scroll were being employed, including time of casting, spell failure, etc.

Book of Vile Darkness: This is a work of ineffable evil--meat and drink to priests of that alignment. To fully consume the contents requires one week of study, but once this has been accomplished, the evil priest gains one point of Wisdom and enough experience points to place him halfway into the next level of experience.

Priests neither good nor evil who read the book either lose 30,000-120,000 experience points or become evil without benefit from the book; there is a 50% chance for either. Good priests perusing the pages of the unspeakable book of vile darkness will have to successfully save vs. poison or die; and if they do not die they must successfully save vs. spell or become permanently insane. In the latter event, even if the save is successful, the priest loses 250,000 experience points, less 10,000 for each point of Wisdom he has.

Other characters of good alignment suffer 5d6 points of damage from handling the tome, and if they look inside, there is an 80% chance a night hag will attack the character that night. Nonevil neutral characters suffer 5d4 points of damage from handling the book, and reading its pages causes them to succeed on a save vs. poison or become evil, immediately seeking out an evil priest to confirm their new alignment (see Book of Exalted Deeds for other details).

Libram of Gainful Conjuration: This mystic book contains much arcane knowledge for wizards of neutral, chaotic neutral, and lawful neutral alignment. If a character of this class and alignment spends a full week cloistered and undisturbed, pondering its contents, he gains experience points sufficient to place him exactly at the mid-point of the next higher level. When this occurs, the libram disappears--totally gone--and that character can never benefit again from reading such a work.

Any non-neutral wizard reading so much as a line of the libram suffers 5d4 points of damage, falls unconscious for a like number of turns, and must seek a priest in order to atone and regain the ability to progress in experience (until doing so, he gains no further experience).

Any nonwizard perusing the work must roll a saving throw vs. spell in order to avoid insanity. Characters who go insane can be healed only by a remove curse and rest for 1 month or by having a priest heal them.

Libram of Ineffable Damnation: This work is exactly like the libram of gainful conjuration except that it benefits evil wizards. Nonevil characters of that class lose one level of experience merely by looking inside its brass-bound covers, in addition to the other ill effects of perusing as little as one line of its contents.

Libram of Silver Magic: This mystic text is the reverse of the libram of ineffable damnation. It is greatly beneficial to good wizards, most baneful to nongood ones. Like all magical works of this sort, it vanishes after one week of study, and the character having benefitted from it can never be so aided again.

Manual of Bodily Health: The metal-bound manual of bodily health appears to be an arcane, rare, but nonmagical book. If a detect magic spell is cast upon it, the manual will radiate an aura of magic. Any character who reads the work (24 hours of time over 3-5 days) will know how to increase his Constitution by one point--this involves a special dietary regimen and breathing exercises over a one-month period. The book disappears immediately upon completion of its contents.

The point of Constitution is gained only after the prescribed regimen is followed. In three months the knowledge of the secrets to bodily health will be forgotten. The knowledge cannot be articulated or recorded by the reader. The manual will not be useful to any character a second time, nor will more than one character be able to benefit from a single copy.

Manual of Gainful Exercise: This work is similar to the manual of bodily health, but its reading and prescribed course of action will result in the addition of one point to the reader's Strength.

Manual of Golems: This compilation is a treatise on the construction and animation of golems. It contains all of the information and incantations necessary to make one of the four sorts of golems.

The construction and animation of a golem takes a considerable amount of time and costs quite a bit as well. During the construction/animation process, a single wizard or priest must have the manual at hand to study, and he must not be interrupted. The type of manual found is determined by rolling 1d20 and consulting the table below:

Once the golem is finished, the writing fades and the book is consumed in flames. When the ashes of the manual are sprinkled upon the golem, the figure becomes fully animated.

It is assumed that the user of the manual is of 10th or higher level. For every level of experience under 10th, there is a cumulative 10% chance that the golem will fall to pieces within one turn of completion due to the maker's imperfect understanding.\

If a priest reads a work for wizards, he will lose 10,000-60,000 experience points. A wizard reading a priestly work will lose one level of experience. The DM must decide in advance which it is meant for. Any other class of character will suffer 6d6 hit points of damage from opening the work.

Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms: This scholarly study contains expert advice and instruction regarding weapon use and various attack and defense modes. Any single bard or fighter (but not a paladin or ranger) who reads the manual and practices the skills described therein for one month goes up to the mid-point of the next higher level. The book disappears after it is read, and the knowledge therein will be forgotten within three months, so it must be acted upon reasonably quickly.

The fighter cannot articulate what he has read, nor can it be recorded in any fashion. Paladins and rangers will understand the work but cannot benefit from reading it. Priests and thieves cannot understand the manual of puissant skill at arms. If a wizard so much as scans a few of its letters, he will be stunned for 1d6 turns and lose 10,000-60,000 experience points. A character can benefit from reading a manual of puissant skill at arms only one time.

Manual of Quickness of Action: The heavy covers and metal bindings of this compilation will not distinguish it from other semi-valuable, nonmagical texts. This work contains secret formulae that enable a single reader to assimilate the text (three days of uninterrupted study) and then practice the skills detailed therein.

If this practice is faithfully done for one month, the character will gain one point of Dexterity. The manual will disappear immediately after reading, but the contents will be remembered for three months. However, the reader will not be able to articulate or otherwise record the information he retains. Only after the month of training will the Dexterity bonus be gained. Further perusal of a similar text will not add to the same character's Dexterity.

Manual of Stealthy Pilfering: This is a guide to expertise at thievery. It is so effective that any thief or bard who reads it and then spends one month practicing the skills therein will gain enough experience points to place him at the mid-point of the next higher level. The text disappears after reading, but knowledge is retained for three months. As with other magical texts of this sort, however, the knowledge cannot be recorded or repeated to others. Any additional reading of a similar manual is of no benefit to the character.

Fighters and wizards are unable to comprehend the work. Priests, rangers, and paladins who read even a word of the book suffer 5d4 points of damage, are stunned for a like number of rounds, and, if a saving throw vs. spell is failed, they lose 5,000-20,000 experience points as well. In addition, such characters must atone within one day or lose one point of Wisdom.

Tome of Clear Thought: A work of this nature is indistinguishable from any normal book. Any single character who reads a tome of clear thought will be able to practice mental exercises that will increase his Intelligence by one point. Reading a work of this nature takes 48 hours time over six days, and immediately thereafter the book disappears.

The reader must begin a program of concentration and mental discipline within one week of reading the tome. After a month of such exercise, Intelligence goes up. The knowledge gained from reading the work can never be recorded or articulated. Any further perusal of a tome of clear thought will be of no benefit to the character.

Tome of Leadership and Influence: This leather-and-brass-bound book is similar to a tome of clear thought, but upon completion of reading and practice of what was revealed therein, Charisma is increased by one point.

Tome of Understanding: Identical to a tome of clear thought, this work increases Wisdom by one point.

Vacuous Grimoire: A book of this sort is identical to a normal one, although if a detect magic spell is cast, a magical aura will be noted. Any character who opens the work and reads so much as a single glyph therein must make two saving throws vs. spell. The first is to determine if one point of Intelligence is lost or not; the second is to find if two points of Wisdom are lost. Once opened and read, the vacuous grimoire remains; to be destroyed, the book must be burned and a remove curse spell cast. If the tome is placed with other books, its appearance will instantly alter to conform to the look of these other works.