Books, Librams, Manuals, Spellbooks, and Tomes
In the AD&D game system, each of these terms has a unique definition:
Books may used only by priests and sometimes raise a specific character statistic.
Librams are books used only by wizards, and occasionally boost stats.
Manuals may be used by both fighters and thieves, and some include boosts to stats.
Spellbooks contain spells and surprises. Most are restricted to priests and wizards, but a few may be used by any class.
Tomes may be used by all classes and some grant boosts to stats.
All magical books, librams, manuals, and tomes appear to be normal works of arcane lore. Each is indistinguishable from others by visual examination or by magical detection.
A Wish spell can identify or classify a magical work. Other spells, notably Alternate Reality, Commune, Contact Other Plane, Limited Wish, and True Seeing are useless. A wish reveals the general contents of a book, telling what classes or characteristics are most affected (not necessarily benefitted) by the work. A second wish is required to find the book's exact contents.
After being studied by a character, most magical works vanish forever. However, one that is not beneficial to the reader may become attached to the character, and he or she is unable to get rid of it. l f the work benefits another character alignment, the owner is Geased to conceal and guard it. As DM, you should use your judgment and imagination as to exactly how these items are to be treated, use the rules in this section as parameters.
By the time a wizard completes his or her apprenticeship, one or two spell books have been aquired; a book of 1st-level spells and, perhaps, a book of cantrips as well. The latter depends upon the options of both the DM and the concerned player. The following general rules apply to all spell books.
Types of Spellbooks: There are two varieties of spell books.
Standard books contain up to 36 cantrips, up to 24 spells of 1st to 3rd level, up to 16 spells of 4th to 6th level, or up to eight spells of 7th to 9th level.
Traveling books contain at most one-quarter of the number of possible spells contained in a standard spell book - either nine cantrips; six spells of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level; four spells of 4th, 5th, and 6th level; or two spells of 7th, 8th, and 9th level.
Cost of Spellbooks: A standard spellbook costs 1,000 gp for materials, plus an additional 100 gp per spell level for each spell contained therein. (For this determination and all other similar ones, consider cantrips as 1st-level spells.) The cost of a new wizard's or illusionist's initial books is assumed to be borne by the new spellcaster's former master, so the fledgling spellcaster will have one or two spell books at no cost to him or her. Books which are prepared later in a wizard's career (having higher spell-level capacity than "beginning" books) are not supplied by the character's master, but must be composed by the character in question as part of his or her training when the spellcaster is trying to rise to a higher experience level. This composition will take from d4+3 weeks for each new standard book; the book is composed during and after the time when other training exercises are taking place.
These same costs apply when a book is being manufactured and composed. Any standard spellbook requires a 1,000 gp investment for materials, plus 100 gp per level for each spell entered in the book, payable when a wizard adds a new spell to his or her repertoire. (Entering a 1st-level spell costs 100 gp, a 2nd-level spell costs 200 gp, and so on.)
A traveling spell book costs 500 gp for materials. The cost of each spell contained within such a book is the same as the cost for entering a spell in a standard book. All traveling spellbooks must be fabricated by the wizard, or otherwise discovered as treasure by the wizard or his or her associates. A player character cannot automatically possess a traveling spell book at the beginning of his or her career.
Physical Aspects of Standard Spellbooks: A standard spellbook is approximately 16 inches in height. 12 inches wide, and 6 inches thick. (The DM has leeway to reduce or enlarge this general size, although nothing smaller than 12 by 12 by 6 inches or larger than 18 by 12 by 9 inches is recommended.) The weight of a standard book of median size is 15 pounds (adjusted upward or downward for varying sizes).
The cover of a standard book is typically heavy leather - dragon hide or something similar - inlaid with metal so as to provide both extra durability and a means to close and secure the book. Vellum pages are sewn together and secured to a fine, supple leather spine backing. Pages are secured additionally by fine leather front and back pieces. It is also usual for such a tome to have vellum stubs at intervals for insertion of additional pages, although this by no means allows for any increase or change in the number and types of spells the book can contain.
Notwithstanding any special protection placed upon them, a standard spellbook has a saving throw equal to that of "leather" or "book" and with +2 to die rolls made to save against acid, magical fire disintegration, and lightning attacks.
Physical Aspects of Traveling Spellbooks: A traveling spell book is approximately 12 inches tall, 6 inches wide, and 1 inch thick; 9 by 9 by 1 is also a good working size. The weight of such a book is approximately three pounds. Five such books will fit within a backpack, twice that number in a large sack.
The cover of a traveling spellbook is strong, supple animal skin, such as that from a giant cobra. The hand-sewn leaves of parchment are carefully secured to a fine leather backing and glued to the spine. The whole is further secured by front and back pieces of vellum. A small lock or leather ties are typically used to secure the whole. Pages are very thin and fragile, so great care must be taken to protect the book when it is in use.
Notwithstanding any special protections, a traveling spell book has a saving throw equal to that of "leather" or "book," with no bonuses (as a standard book has) against certain forms of attack.
Value of Spellbooks: Most standard spellbooks have an experience point value of 500 points per spell level contained (again, considering cantrips as 1 st-level spells), and a gold piece value of 1,000 gp per spell level (applies to all spells, including cantrips).
See also Mage.
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