Spellbook protection

[Tr011]

I'm sometimes having problems with people stealing my spellbook, so I decided to invest some money in protecting it since I just learned a lot of spells and have some money "too much".
I'm playing a wizard 8 with evocation banned.

Two things should be handled:
1. People stealing the book. This should include getting my book back and punishing the thieves.

2. People trying to destroy my spellbook should fail to do so.


What I figured out so far:
The book is made out of good material and has most of the upgrades from Complete Arcana. But Resistance 12, Hardness 8 and 20 hp won't help very far. Also, I try Alter Self since this allows to polymorph away parts of the equipment. But I can't Alter Self/Polymorph all the day (Alter Self only lasts 10min/lvl and costs still a spell slot).
Also, I used Serpia Snake on the front cover of the book and am going for a Trap with a str-dmg poison on touch of the book (Search DC 21, Disable Device DC 1). When you open the book, you get a Quest casted on you, that says you have to find my char and bring him the book and all your belongs. Also I saved one page of the book with a Phantasmal Killer-on-touch-trap, just in case.

[SowZ]

I'm sometimes having problems with people stealing my spellbook, so I decided to invest some money in protecting it since I just learned a lot of spells and have some money "too much".
I'm playing a wizard 8 with evocation banned.

Two things should be handled:
1. People stealing the book. This should include getting my book back and punishing the thieves.

2. People trying to destroy my spellbook should fail to do so.


What I figured out so far:
The book is made out of good material and has most of the upgrades from Complete Arcana. But Resistance 12, Hardness 8 and 20 hp won't help very far. Also, I try Alter Self since this allows to polymorph away parts of the equipment. But I can't Alter Self/Polymorph all the day (Alter Self only lasts 10min/lvl and costs still a spell slot).
Also, I used Serpia Snake on the front cover of the book and am going for a Trap with a str-dmg poison on touch of the book (Search DC 21, Disable Device DC 1). When you open the book, you get a Quest casted on you, that says you have to find my char and bring him the book and all your belongs. Also I saved one page of the book with a Phantasmal Killer-on-touch-trap, just in case.

Magic Mouth should be on your spellbook, activating whenever anyone tries to touch it that isn't you. In fact, every article of mundane clothing you wear that isn't covered up, (shoes, robe, cowl,) should be magic mouthed to activate when certain events occur.

[Dragonsoul]

for number 1

Place your spellbook in your bag, under shrink item,along with 50 Swords, they won't be able to find it while its shrunk, and if they dispell magic, well 50 swords.

[NNescio]

Shrink Item -> Alchemical Tooth -> Place in Mouth.

As a bonus, your body will block Line of Effect, so you don't have to worry about the nasty issues with going kablooey.

Granted, it does not work on Blessed Books.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Isn't there a spell that lets you summon a pre-marked object at-will? Just use that on your book so if anybody steals it (combine with an Alarm spell put on "silent" to alert you) just recall it.

EDIT: Judicious use of Illusory Script (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/illusoryScript.htm) and Secret Page (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/secretPage.htm)? Along with your Sepia Snake symbol, it will make reading it even more frustrating than the spellcraft checks make it.

EDIT the 2nd: Found the spell (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/instantSummons.htm)I was looking for earlier. It is a bit above your spell level , but a scroll (or two) can be used if need be. And admittedly it won't work unless the thief puts it down (some DM's may say its still in their possession). Its tricky, you may want to put up various anti-detection methods on your book but in the case of theft, you just screwed yourself.

[Bhaakon]

Shrink Item -> Alchemical Tooth -> Place in Mouth.

As a bonus, your body will block Line of Effect, so you don't have to worry about the nasty issues with going kablooey.

Granted, it does not work on Blessed Books.

Can't wait until the PC walks into an anti-magic field.

[Boci]

Can't wait until the PC walks into an anti-magic field.

Not the blocked line of affect. He just needs to make sure he doesn't open his mouth.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Not the blocked line of affect. He just needs to make sure he doesn't open his mouth.

Luckily he doesn't/can't cast spells :smallamused:

[Boci]

Luckily he doesn't/can't cast spells :smallamused:

Yeah thats not a problem. Communication is, but the area is pretty small most of the time.

[Flickerdart]

As long as his mouth is less than one foot wide, he can open it without fear of involuntary spellbook expansion.

[Tr011]

It's a really nice trick. I think in a anti-magic field the tooth would still be enough to block LoE, wouldn't it?
Also, what do you mean Flickerdart?

As long as his mouth is less than one foot wide, he can open it without fear of involuntary spellbook expansion.

[NNescio]

It's a really nice trick. I think in a anti-magic field the tooth would still be enough to block LoE, wouldn't it?
Also, what do you mean Flickerdart?

He's referencing this part:

... An otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square foot through it does not block a spell’s line of effect. Such an opening means that the 5-foot length of wall containing the hole is no longer considered a barrier for purposes of a spell’s line of effect.

[Squiggles]

Complete Adventurer has the Possum Pouch, you can hide your book on your abdomen, requiring a DC 30 search check to find.

I've seen other spellbook threads reference a spell that creates a pocket inside your stomach where you store items and regurgitate them later.

[NNescio]

Complete Adventurer has the Possum Pouch, you can hide your book on your abdomen, requiring a DC 30 search check to find.

I've seen other spellbook threads reference a spell that creates a pocket inside your stomach where you store items and regurgitate them later.

Hoard Gullet, Spell Level 1, from Dragon Magic. IIRC it can be dispelled or AMF'ed though, since the caster is the target of the spell.

[Calimehter]

As much fun as it is to stuff one's spellbook into various parts of one's body and dare other people to find it . . . :smalleek:

. . . it is also often a good idea to simply make a second copy of most/all of your spells and store it in a safe location such as a bank or royal vault. That sort of solution is not available in all campaigns or settings, but it is available in just about any of them that also allow the PCs to visit reasonably large settlements.

[RedWarrior0]

I recall, from Zaq's Truenamer thread, something about how he protected his Truespeak item: He had a light shield, IIRC, with a slot inside that lets an item be stored, then used the Assassin SpC spell Absorb Weapon (because shields can be used to bash) to keep it in his arm overnight. It would be expensive, but if you could get a 1/day Extended CL 12 version, that would be best.

[Flickerdart]

As much fun as it is to stuff one's spellbook into various parts of one's body and dare other people to find it . . . :smalleek:

. . . it is also often a good idea to simply make a second copy of most/all of your spells and store it in a safe location such as a bank or royal vault. That sort of solution is not available in all campaigns or settings, but it is available in just about any of them that also allow the PCs to visit reasonably large settlements.
It's also rather prohibitively expensive, once you realize that scribing costs are exorbitant, and Blessed Books only slightly less so, until well into the teens.

[Yuki Akuma]

As much fun as it is to stuff one's spellbook into various parts of one's body and dare other people to find it . . . :smalleek:

. . . it is also often a good idea to simply make a second copy of most/all of your spells and store it in a safe location such as a bank or royal vault. That sort of solution is not available in all campaigns or settings, but it is available in just about any of them that also allow the PCs to visit reasonably large settlements.

This is advice that WotC has given directly in Complete Arcane.

So you know it's absolute bollocks. That is ridiculously expensive.

[NNescio]

As much fun as it is to stuff one's spellbook into various parts of one's body and dare other people to find it . . . :smalleek:

. . . it is also often a good idea to simply make a second copy of most/all of your spells and store it in a safe location such as a bank or royal vault. That sort of solution is not available in all campaigns or settings, but it is available in just about any of them that also allow the PCs to visit reasonably large settlements.

...Which is prohibitively expensive even at half cost. (50 gp per page and 12 hours per spell.)

Unless the wizard uses Permanent Image or Secret Page, that is. Not that DMs who target spellbooks would allow the above, but anyway.

Alternatively, the Wizard can use spells to fund his expenses (i.e. Wall of Iron), but letting spellcasters break WBL six ways to Sunday isn't a particularly good idea either.

[Tr011]

As much fun as it is to stuff one's spellbook into various parts of one's body and dare other people to find it . . . :smalleek:

. . . it is also often a good idea to simply make a second copy of most/all of your spells and store it in a safe location such as a bank or royal vault. That sort of solution is not available in all campaigns or settings, but it is available in just about any of them that also allow the PCs to visit reasonably large settlements.

The problem is, that a wizard needs 24 hours and some expensive ink to write a single spell, I'm pretty short on time (that's very DM depended I guess) so I couldn't take the weeks to write down a copy. And if I could, I could better get new spells to my single spellbook since this improves the versatility.

[NNescio]

The problem is, that a wizard needs 24 hours and some expensive ink to write a single spell, I'm pretty short on time (that's very DM depended I guess) so I couldn't take the weeks to write down a copy. And if I could, I could better get new spells to my single spellbook since this improves the versatility.

Costs are halved when duplicating spellbooks (including scribing time). Still, it's a very impractical solution, and as you said, it would be better to get new spells anyway with your time and money.

[Calimehter]

Hmmm . . .

Others in our group have utilized the "backup" strategy before, but it seems that I have underestimated the cost they were willing to bear and/or the amount of extra aid they got (using captured books as backups, getting free storage as rewards for helping folks, etc.).

Fair enough. Carry on with the orifice stuffing!!

[Stix]

If it's the same people who keep stealing your book a bit of negative reinforcement may be in order. start carrying 3 identical spell books.
1. your real spell book
2. a back up hidden about your person in one of the aformentioned ways
3. not a spell book just a book with explosive runes cast on every page.

[Tr011]

3. not a spell book just a book with explosive runes cast on every page.
Never, NEVER ever carry such a thing on your person. One AoE Dispel will possibly blow up the whole book and even a single 5d6 in the wrong moment will be lethal to a caster. You should get this into a bag of holding (but a real spellbook should never be there since a bag can easily be destroyed)

[Celebrochan]

Things that I have tried and that have failed to protect my spell book. (my dm is a jerk)

-Have a back up spell book
-Hide spell formulas in works of art or architecture.
-Pen your spell book on your person in the form on tattoos.
-Craft an alternate spell book out of finely beaten Adamantine pages. (and then place explosive runes and fire trap on it)
-Cover your spell book in a contact poison and handle it with gloves
-A High quality lock on the binding

I wouldn't recommend your quest / geas idea... asking them to bring you all of their belongings wont help you if they can't carry it all at once or would take them a long time to gather up. If that is the case others may stop them before you get your spellbook back (if you are imprisoned by the local lord for example)

[mint]

Have multiple spell books. Make most of them traps and decoys and don't keep them all in the same place.
You can make them thematically or combine them in suites so that if you have at least one book you won't be useless. You may want to make some redundancy or save a lot of gold for new scrolls.
If someone tries to sunder or steal them in combat, there will be too many of them to destroy practically.
If someone is determined to destroy or steal your spell book, chances are they will succeed at some point. So try instead to make what is inevitable, less big of a deal.

[silver spectre]

Purchase a dog (or similiar inconspicuos animal) that has been trained to gaurd, fetch, and track (in the event that your book is taken despite your precautions). Alternately have your familiar (they are excellent for this) gaurd your books.

As to spells...
Fire trap (energy substitution or research to change the energy type can keep it from blowing up your other goodies if it goes off)
Magic mouth (set to scream if the book is moved after the fire trap goes off)
Sepia snake sigil (you've already applied)
Secret page (make it seem like a very boring treatise on variations of pig dung)

Those are tricks (from just the PHB) that I have used in the past.
If you're playing a dedicated wizard type I also suggest a few levels of Geometer. It will greatly reduce the number of spell books you need and make it more difficult for others to use them.

Word of caution... If you make it too mechanically complicated, be wary of an angry DM making it difficult for you to get into it.

[Alefiend]

Shrink Item -> Alchemical Tooth -> Place in Mouth.

As a bonus, your body will block Line of Effect, so you don't have to worry about the nasty issues with going kablooey.

Granted, it does not work on Blessed Books.

I like the humor of this concept and the replies it has generated. Of course, and GM who allows such a trick of faulty reasoning deserves any misery it creates.

[Boci]

I like the humor of this concept and the replies it has generated. Of course, and GM who allows such a trick of faulty reasoning deserves any misery it creates.

Why is the trick of faulty reasoning?

[Deth Muncher]

Someone mentioned a spell earlier that recalled a marked item. That's Drawmij's Instant Summons, originally in FR as I recall and reprinted in the Spell Compendium. Just be sure you Arcane Mark your book and you're golden, though you may have to cast it a few times since I think attended objects get a save.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Someone mentioned a spell earlier that recalled a marked item. That's Drawmij's Instant Summons, originally in FR as I recall and reprinted in the Spell Compendium. Just be sure you Arcane Mark your book and you're golden, though you may have to cast it a few times since I think attended objects get a save.

That was me and I edited my post with a useful link. Technically, you can't use it to "steal back" your book if the thief has it on his person but it will tell you who stole it and where they are, in general. But my DM's have always allowed the carrier a Will Save and on a fail doing what its supposed to (DUH!) and if they succeed, it does what it says in the description if some one has it.

[hangedman1984]

Someone mentioned a spell earlier that recalled a marked item. That's Drawmij's Instant Summons, originally in FR as I recall and reprinted in the Spell Compendium.

actually it is in the PHB, and for that matter the srd (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/instantSummons.htm)

[Alefiend]

Why is the trick of faulty reasoning?

A couple of reasons.

One, you establish line of effect to a particular target (an object or creature), but having it means you can affect all of the target. A person's teeth, prosthetic or otherwise, are part of the person as long as they're where they belong.

Two, it would open the door to negating LOE entirely. Hiding under a blanket or (fantasy-material) clear plastic tarpaulin makes you immune to directed spells.

[Niceman]

Here's what I have planned for my own spellbook.

1) duplicate books. Yes this is time and money but having a back up is worth it and for me I was able to lessen the cost and time I needed to spend by making a deal with one of the city's (Waterdeep) reputable Wizarding Guilds... the use of their scribes to duplicate my book and in return I give to the guild spells of mine they do not have.
1a) multiple books by spell type or level. the duplicates will be a volume of books rather than one copy of the whole book, so even if one is found, the loss is minimized and easier to replace.

2) Nystul's Magic Aura on the book via Permanency so the book itself and it's magical enhancements and protections will appear to be some worthless book in my library, and several of my worthless books Aura'd to appear that they are magical and have concealment spells on them.

3) backup library is in a space only able to reach by spell. Our group has a tower as a base of operations. My quarters and Wizarding lab is on the third floor of the tower, but I've constructed a room underground away from the tower within range of a Dimension Door spell. Only I know where to stand and what direction and how far to go to reach it. It has structural protections and concealments so by and large it would be a matter of blind luck to stumble upon it.

4) in my workshop itself the walls are decorated with symbols and mosaics which incorporate a code containing several 'emergency' spells I may need.

[sreservoir]

A couple of reasons.

One, you establish line of effect to a particular target (an object or creature), but having it means you can affect all of the target. A person's teeth, prosthetic or otherwise, are part of the person as long as they're where they belong.

suppose I cast animate objects, targeting, say, some marbles I stuff in my mouth, then close my mouth. now suppose someone casts acid arrow. can they target the marbles?


Two, it would open the door to negating LOE entirely. Hiding under a blanket or (fantasy-material) clear plastic tarpaulin makes you immune to directed spells.

it does, you realize.

[Dragonsoul]

so a blanket with a couple of eyeholes grants you immunity to targeted spells in addition to its +5 disguise bonus to impersonate a ghost?

[Tyndmyr]

Never, NEVER ever carry such a thing on your person. One AoE Dispel will possibly blow up the whole book and even a single 5d6 in the wrong moment will be lethal to a caster. You should get this into a bag of holding (but a real spellbook should never be there since a bag can easily be destroyed)

I have done this, but I also wore rings of counterspelling charged with two forms of dispel magic, and had other, less restricted forms of counterspelling available.

Traps are the best of things.

I suggest starting with three books. The book you hang at your side, marked spellbook, and covered with a nice looking protective cover. This is, of course, a completely blank book with a few enchantments tossed on it for the sake of auras.

Then, there's the non-descript book you stick in your bag of holding/handy haversack. It consists of nothing but traps, which should turn it into a miniature bomb for whoever attempts to pilfer from you.

Your real spellbook is stored in a more obscure location. Hoard gullet or the tooth are both good. Familiar pocket is my method. My personal preference involves selecting a pocket on the inside of my inner hat. I say inner hat, because the outer hat is a shrunken adamantine cone. This should also be alarmed, and enchanted repeatedly with hardness boosters, etc, then hit up with Magic Aura to remove the traces.

[Alefiend]

suppose I cast animate objects, targeting, say, some marbles I stuff in my mouth, then close my mouth. now suppose someone casts acid arrow. can they target the marbles?
I answer your question with a question. A really annoyed wizard casts Circle of Death on a 1st-level human commoner woman who is pregnant. Nobody else is in the spell's area. Does the fetus die?


it does, you realize.
If what you say is true then the rule and the situation are idiotic; you realize that, don't you?

[sreservoir]

I have done this, but I also wore rings of counterspelling charged with two forms of dispel magic, and had other, less restricted forms of counterspelling available.

Traps are the best of things.

I suggest starting with three books. The book you hang at your side, marked spellbook, and covered with a nice looking protective cover. This is, of course, a completely blank book with a few enchantments tossed on it for the sake of auras.

Then, there's the non-descript book you stick in your bag of holding/handy haversack. It consists of nothing but traps, which should turn it into a miniature bomb for whoever attempts to pilfer from you.

Your real spellbook is stored in a more obscure location. Hoard gullet or the tooth are both good. Familiar pocket is my method. My personal preference involves selecting a pocket on the inside of my inner hat. I say inner hat, because the outer hat is a shrunken adamantine cone. This should also be alarmed, and enchanted repeatedly with hardness boosters, etc, then hit up with Magic Aura to remove the traces.

what, you shrink your book and give it to your familiar?

[Qwertystop]

1: Set up a lot of different places the spellbook might be hidden.
2: Make your spellbook Intelligent (So it counts as a creature)
3: Set a Contingent Spell on it to Greater Teleport (or maybe Plane Shift, if necessary) to a hiding place that is unoccupied, and also send you a Sending telling you which place it is, an time someone other than you enters the place it is in or it is magically transported by someone other than you.
4: Fill all the places with the most powerful Effigy Swarms you can manage.

There, now your spellbook cannot be stolen in person or magically unless people are in every hiding place at once, and anyone who opens a hiding place gets attacked by hundreds of ROBOT {PIRAHNAS/WASPS/RATS/WHATEVER}!

[Flickerdart]

I answer your question with a question. A really annoyed wizard casts Circle of Death on a 1st-level human commoner woman who is pregnant. Nobody else is in the spell's area. Does the fetus die?
Fetus is not a creature because it has no ability scores, including Charisma and Wisdom.

[Tr011]

4) in my workshop itself the walls are decorated with symbols and mosaics which incorporate a code containing several 'emergency' spells I may need.
That's cool and practical xD



I have done this, but I also wore rings of counterspelling charged with two forms of dispel magic, and had other, less restricted forms of counterspelling available.
I think the ring counters only on you targeted dispels, not the AoE dispels (and they are the problem). Since I rely heavily on buffs, I will have a Spellblade vs. Dispel Magic and a Ring of Counterspells vs. Greater Dispel Magic, but AoE dispels still can set the Explosive Runes off.

[Yuki Akuma]

I answer your question with a question. A really annoyed wizard casts Circle of Death on a 1st-level human commoner woman who is pregnant. Nobody else is in the spell's area. Does the fetus die?

Answering a question with a question is incredibly rude, FYI.

Also a fetus is not a creature and is in fact a parasitic organism dependent entirely on its mother. If she dies, it's dead anyway.

The soul enters the body on its first breath, in D&D, so before that it's not really a living creature.

[Tyndmyr]

what, you shrink your book and give it to your familiar?

Nah. It's inside my inner hat. My familiar probably got traded off for an ACF.


I think the ring counters only on you targeted dispels, not the AoE dispels (and they are the problem). Since I rely heavily on buffs, I will have a Spellblade vs. Dispel Magic and a Ring of Counterspells vs. Greater Dispel Magic, but AoE dispels still can set the Explosive Runes off.

From SRD "Should that spell ever be cast on you"...

Nah, it works. You need not be the sole target.

That said, I have the actionless, spellless 1/day counter anything from the Magic church in Complete Champ for covering any persistent dispellers, or any obscure dispels.

And, if I AM subject to a dispell or AMF, well, that's what the shrunken hat is for, see.