Good alternate choices for a Wizard Spell Book? (potential Out of the Abyss Spoilers)

[Skadi]

Planning on running Out of the Abyss and I am sure those of you who have played it before would know that the player characters start off as prisoners of the Drow and are stripped of all their stuff, and while I could make it easy for them and place their gear in a box outside of the cell conveniently labeled "Player's ****" I really don't want to make it easy for them, in fact I kind of want there to be a very high possibility that they may have to escape Velkynvelve without their stuff depending on their choices and how the dice land and have them scavenge equipment and supplies from whatever they can find along the journey, this of course does leave Wizard characters at a significant disadvantage as their spell book is pretty vital to memorising and preparing spells as well as learning new spells, so if the players are unable to retrieve their own equipment I do need to provide the opportunity for any wizard characters to be able to replace their spellbooks.

Sure I could position the corpse of a wizard in some random encounter clutching a mundane spell book with spells identical or similar to the ones prepared by the player but where is the fun in that? Just wondering if anyone has any ideas for cool magic items that could replace the wizard's spell book and provide an interesting alternative to the mundane spellbook, not looking for anything too powerful, maybe something with a minor benefit that is offset with a minor detriment or some sort of quirk that sets it apart from the regular spellbook, Tome of the Stilled Tounge looks like it could be fun, just wondering if anyone had any other suggestions that might be fitting for this sort of adventure?

[micahaphone]

There's some spell books for loot later in the adventure- some OP ones in the slime royalty of Blindenstone that I personally didn't include when I ran it, and I think some in the whorlstone tunnels. These books are made out of slices of certain shrooms or animal skins or so.


But you still need arcane ink to scribe spells into your book, and that stuff's expensive. Personally, if you want to keep a tough feeling but not 100% gimp your wizard, I'd have your players spend at least a few days in game in the prison camp doing chores and whatnot. During some punishment or collective pain, Ilvara can sneer out something about "and I've been reading your silly little diary before bed, you can't even cast anything useful!" Or similar. The chores/labor are also a great way for your players to get a better understanding of the layout of this place.




In general for the adventure, Elven Tower has a great DM guide to the adventure, lots of tips and helpful organization, sample encounters, etc.

[Zhorn]

It is worth noting that the PHB (p114) for wizards preparing spells reads "You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest." so their previous prepared list of spells would persist until they try to change them out for a different list. Changing the prepared spells will require a spellbook, but starting the adventure you are fine to say they still have their prior list of spells prepared from previous days just rolling over to the next.
From there you only need to account for [6 - (1 + INT mod)] spells, ask the player what of their six spells they had prepared. During the opening sequence they can find a blank book with a scroll (or scrolls) with their unprepared spells, and enough ink to transcribe their whole 6 spell list they'd have from level one.
Prior to that, getting an arcane focus or component pouch to enable spell casting will be the larger need for the wizard.

[JackPhoenix]

I'd like to point out that

per the adventure, the character's stuff is in a 'box', but it's in the priestess' room and trapped... I wouldn't call that convenient or easily accessible.

[Skadi]

Yeah there is a reminder at the start of the adventure about Wizards only needing the spellbook to change their prepared spells, that said getting a spellbook into the wizard's hands isn't really a problem, there are plenty of ways that I could introduce a spellbook into the loot tables of a random or scripted encounter or even hint at the location and give them a chance to retrieve their own spellbook, what I am looking for is an item or minor magic item I can give to the player in place of their regular spellbook, something that has some sort of minor quirk or benefit/detriment that sets it apart from a regular spellbook, like a spellbook that causes a wild magic surge whenever a spell is cast from it or a sentient spellbook that is actually a mimic who will agree to allow itself to be used as a spellbook in exchange for food or something like that.

I was reading through some of the items in the official source books and found the Tome of the Stilled tongue which could be a fun addition

Tome of the Stilled Tongue
DMG
p208
Wondrous item, major tier, legendary (requires attunement by a wizard)
5 lb.
This thick leather-bound volume has a desiccated tongue pinned to the front cover. Five of these tomes exist, and it's unknown which one is the original. The grisly cover decoration on the first tome of the stilled tongue once belonged to a treacherous former servant of the lich-god Vecna, keeper of secrets. The tongues pinned to the covers of the four copies came from other spellcasters who crossed Vecna. The first few pages of each tome are filled with indecipherable scrawls. The remaining pages are blank and pristine.

If you can attune to this item, you can use it as a spellbook and an arcane focus. In addition, while holding the tome, you can use a bonus action to cast a spell you have written in this tome, without expending a spell slot or using any verbal or somatic component. Once used, this property of the tome can't be used again until the next dawn.

While attuned to the book, you can remove the tongue from the book's cover. If you do so, all spells written in the book are permanently erased.

Vecna watches anyone using this tome. He can also write cryptic messages in the book. These messages appear at midnight and fade away after they are read.

Found On: Magic Item Table I
Source: DMG, page 208


I was just wondering if anyone had any other ideas either from the official sourcebooks or even homebrew creations that could be interesting substitutions?

[Skadi]

I'd like to point out that

per the adventure, the character's stuff is in a 'box', but it's in the priestess' room and trapped... I wouldn't call that convenient or easily accessible.

Yes I am very much aware of that, I think people might be missing the point here

[micahaphone]

Tome of the Stilled Tongue seems incredibly powerful, and it doesn't seem to solve the issue of not having your spell book. Every spell book is personal to the wizard, if you get another wizard's book you still need to spend the gold and time testing out and transcribing spells into your own personal shorthand. Even making a copy of your own spellbook has a (much lower) cost.

If we assume the wizard has 16 int, they'll have 4 spells prepared in their head, and they should be starting out with 6 in their book. Running out of camp without the spell book is effectively saying goodbye to two spells and 100 gold/4 hours worth of time, and committing to needing 200 gold of supplies and 8 hours of work to write those 4 spells down before they can prepare new spells without losing those 4 originals.

You could have the party find an attacked or otherwise waylaid merchant whose cargo also contains 300 gold worth of magic ink and paper. Maybe a section of road fell down into the underdark from the main world - this kind of thing happening is one of many signs that weird **** is happening to the world.

Xanathar's Guide does have a common magic item of the Enduring Spellbook, which is unaffected by water/fire, so harsh conditions don't destroy your book. TBH I've never tried doing that to a player as a DM, mostly because I'll assume that a player is wrapping it in oilskins/keeping it safe in general.

[Xapi]

So, they are escaping, running for their lives, they turn a corridor, and they find... the room where the most badass Drow task force is stationed. Lucky for them, no one's around, but they left something behind... Heatable needles, and flasks with special ink, next to a chair with a single armrest, and a bunch of drawings, of military symbols.

If the wizard takes the stuff, he can start scribing spells onto himself. You can manage how much space it takes, how much he has, how much ink he has left, etc.

I would probably allow him to keep the spells he has prepared and write those on himself on a need to basis, while also scribing on himself new/found/learned spells, so that he only has to have written down the ones he wants to substitute in, and the one he is substituting out in case he wants it back later.

Edit: I know it doesn't work like that RAW. But there is a rule 0 and a rule of cool, so...

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Put a Drow Wizard at areas 1 and 13 (the two watch posts), use the CR 1/4 Apprentice Wizard stats in Volo's since they're replacing a CR 1/4 normal Drow, just add the Drow racials to it. Each of them carries an arcane focus and a spellbook, written in Elvish. Include a few gaming sets (dice, cards) in area 10 (guard tower), along with paper, ink, and pens for keeping score, and other interesting trinkets a guard tower would have. This way it actually makes sense for him to get what he needs right off the bat without it looking too easy, and he'll be able to add new spells when he levels up as well.

[Democratus]

Our wizard simply did without a spellbook until we reached the first major city. Took about 3 months of (IRL) adventuring to get there and she had a blast playing her situation to the hilt. :smallsmile:

[Segev]

What is the goal, here?

Are you trying to get the wizard back the spells he chose at chargen to be in his spellbook? Are you trying to get him a selection of spells you pick (or have picked for you by books/dice)? Are you trying to make it possible for the wizard to add scrolls he finds to his spellbook, or to research spells, or to add spells as he levels up?

If it's for his own level-up additions, let him fashion a new spellbook from makeshift parts. Let him get creative in the "arcane ingredients" for his ink and vellum. Maybe he starts tattooing himself. Or ritually scarring. Maybe he uses magical monster hides as parchment and their blood to brew an ink that will work.

If it's for spell replacement, then wands are always good. So are scrolls. And, yes, random loot drops from enemy wizards.

If it's to recover HIS spells...well, maybe he already was doing the "tattoo spellbook" thing? You could suggest that to him....

[Skadi]

Tome of the Stilled Tongue seems incredibly powerful, and it doesn't seem to solve the issue of not having your spell book. Every spell book is personal to the wizard, if you get another wizard's book you still need to spend the gold and time testing out and transcribing spells into your own personal shorthand. Even making a copy of your own spellbook has a (much lower) cost.

If we assume the wizard has 16 int, they'll have 4 spells prepared in their head, and they should be starting out with 6 in their book. Running out of camp without the spell book is effectively saying goodbye to two spells and 100 gold/4 hours worth of time, and committing to needing 200 gold of supplies and 8 hours of work to write those 4 spells down before they can prepare new spells without losing those 4 originals.

You could have the party find an attacked or otherwise waylaid merchant whose cargo also contains 300 gold worth of magic ink and paper. Maybe a section of road fell down into the underdark from the main world - this kind of thing happening is one of many signs that weird **** is happening to the world.

Xanathar's Guide does have a common magic item of the Enduring Spellbook, which is unaffected by water/fire, so harsh conditions don't destroy your book. TBH I've never tried doing that to a player as a DM, mostly because I'll assume that a player is wrapping it in oilskins/keeping it safe in general.

Am I not being clear enough? The issue is not getting a spellbook into the hands on the player, if I wanted to give the player a standard spellbook I would give them a standard spellbook, I am the GM, I can make it rain standard spellbooks and ink if I wanted, what I want to do is introduce a situation where the wizard needs to rely on a spellbook that may not necessarily be their own, something that has a weird quirk that may have some sort of benefit/detriment over a regular spellbook or something that may contain forbidden knowledge that hints at the goings on in the underdark but could take a toll on the wizard's sanity whenever they use it or something like that.

Something like the Tome of the Stilled Tounge that allows cryptic messages to be left to the player to give them the feeling that they are being watched by a dark power or something, I was just wondering if anyone knew of any cool items like the Tome of the Stilled Tounge that can be used as a spellbook but has some sort of additional effect, I don't mind if it is from the official material or homebrew, just looking for ideas.

[Skadi]

So, they are escaping, running for their lives, they turn a corridor, and they find... the room where the most badass Drow task force is stationed. Lucky for them, no one's around, but they left something behind... Heatable needles, and flasks with special ink, next to a chair with a single armrest, and a bunch of drawings, of military symbols.

If the wizard takes the stuff, he can start scribing spells onto himself. You can manage how much space it takes, how much he has, how much ink he has left, etc.

I would probably allow him to keep the spells he has prepared and write those on himself on a need to basis, while also scribing on himself new/found/learned spells, so that he only has to have written down the ones he wants to substitute in, and the one he is substituting out in case he wants it back later.

Edit: I know it doesn't work like that RAW. But there is a rule 0 and a rule of cool, so...

Yeah I don't mind the idea of letting a Wizard scribe their spellbook on their own skin and if the Wizard had done that before being captured then I would let them keep their spellbook as it is kind of hard to remove it from them without being able to remove their skin which might be a little too far

[micahaphone]

Oooooh okay gotcha.


RAW each spellbook is unique / usable only by the wizard who created it. But magic item wise, DM rules, etc, sure.

Personally, I have some agents of hell scouting the underdark, checking on rumors that maybe the Blood War is spreading to this place too. This gives the pcs extra incentive to take care of **** pronto, as we don't need an eternal fiend war taking place here too, while also giving them a potential ally. My wizard PC signed a contract with him.


You could have a devil-touched book mysteriously appear, perhaps in a serendipitous manner, pre-filled with the wizard's own handwriting and usable spell notes. Once attuned to, you can make the book appear and disappear with a snap of your fingers. New spells occasionally show up in the book, or bits of advice are written in it while you sleep. Some devil is using this book to help the wizard, but they have their own goals that aren't 100% lined up with the player's.

[Klorox]

If people knew about this limitation going into the game, I wonder how many would steer clear of wizard.

If you don't get your spellbook back, it really does hinder the character, and I don't think it's an insignificant amount of time.