Tips to keeping your spellbook safe from damage etc.

[bot]

As the topic indicates I'm interested to hearing all the best ways to keep your spellbook even in the face of damage, capture, planeshifting etc.

Specifically I have an 12th lvl. Shadowcraft mage, so I'd love to hear any ideas about shadow conjuration - but I'm also interested in a broader take on spellbook protection.

Other thread I read mostly advised simply to pretend its not there, or try not to bring attention to this weakness - however that's not an option for me. DM will not overlook it, but will be deterred if reasonably protected.

I love the secret chest via shadow conjuration, however that leaves me needing to protect a focus instead - so not much better. Also force chest is lovely, but that could be stolen and might be a bit to cumbersome for a gnome to walk around with.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[sleepyphoenixx]

The safest i can think of is a level of Psion (Nomad). They get their own dimensional space as an ACF that no one can take away from you.
Even AMF will only block your access to it.

[GutterFace]

Hoard Gullet

i love it for all manner of storage. hahahaha.

[Darrin]

Any suggestions?


Find a loadstone (DMG p. 276). Enchant it with a continuous expeditious retreat effect (4000 GP). Now cast polymorph any object to turn it into a spellbook with aurorum pages and a riverine cover. Put arcane mark, sepia snake sigil, and illusory script on it in case it gets hit with dispel magic.

[vampire2948]

1) Permanence Invisibility on your spellbook, buy an Eternal Wand of See Invisibility.
2) Keep a fake or illusory spellbook.
3) Prepare spells by putting your invisible spellbook on top of your fake one, and use See Invisiblity. So it looks like you're reading the fake one.


Making your original spell book out of sheets of adamantium ought to keep it safe from general damage.

Safest way is to just keep in in your private demiplane, and go there to prepare spells.
Also - Keep backup spellbooks always!

[Fouredged Sword]

I once built a warforged who got the dragonshard thingy that acts like a spellbook, and componented it to his chest. Best choice I could have made as a warforged wizard as that spellbook turned out to be really hard to separate from him.

He also componented his spell component pouch. Also a good call.

[Deophaun]

Shrink Item + Permanency your spellbook. Turn it into a tiny cloth object and hide it anywhere... even there... completely removed from line-of-effect.

Permanent Image. Now you have as many spellbooks as you want. (YMMV with DM)

Tattoos.

[Samalpetey]

Shrink Item + Permanency your spellbook. Turn it into a tiny cloth object and hide it anywhere... even there... completely removed from line-of-effect.

Would make reading it hell though :tongue:

[bot]

Lots of cool suggestions - nice, thanks : )

Hoard gullet would be sweet, if it wasn't for the thematics (e.g. coughing/puking up your stuff). Also a spellbook would be far too big, but I guess Shrink Item combination should be used.

Sweet trick with the loadstone, that can only be removed with remove curse (so that part isn't susceptible to dispel magics). But is it a bit of a stretch to make a magic (cursed) item into a spellbook?

[CaladanMoonblad]

Don't forget... invest in a spare spellbook copy. Keep your grimoires of research inside a vault. At low levels, this can be at a bank (safety deposit boxes), or later, install one in your Tower (see Stronghold Builder's Guide, just add an Iron Door, an Amazing lock and use the Storage Basic with 10' thick stone walls, then later when you have the extra 15k gold, hit that Stronghold Space with Magically Treated Walls to add +20 hardness).

Travel with a spellbook with your normal list. If it gets stolen or destroyed, who cares? Your grimoires are still safe and it's a hop and skip back to the vault. A GM who continually messes with your spellbook will have to deal with a wizard who is often missing due to travel time.

The Magic of Faerun book has a section on enchanting a spellbook (vs water damage, fire damage, etc.).

[Chronos]

The most important thing is to have multiple copies, and protect them in different ways. One of them should be perfectly mundane, and hidden in a nondescript hole in the ground. One should be in an extradimensional space. One should be on a private demiplane, if you somehow have access to one. A few key spells can be tattooed onto your body. And so on.

[Emperor Tippy]

Would make reading it hell though :tongue:

Permanent Shrink Item can be turned on and off with a command word.

I recommend sewing one inside your sock and another inside your underwear.

Granted, I have also on occasion sewn a portable hole inside my underwear and cast non detection on them.

You would be amazed how many times the bad guys fail to strip you totally naked when they capture you.

[thethird]

Why don't you just tattoo most of it on yourself?

[Emperor Tippy]

Why don't you just tattoo most of it on yourself?

And get yourself skinned when you are captured? So not worth it.

[angry_bear]

Have a fake one with Exploding Runes, or whatever the insanity spell is called cast on it. Anyone who steals the decoy and tries to read it, gets a nice little surprise.

That combined with the Permanent Shrink Item on your real book strategy should leave you all set.

[Gildedragon]

Memorize it: eidetic spellcaster

Alternate spellbooks stored as decoration on mundane items: mugs, staves, armor...