Value of the Book of Vile Darkness

[Brennan1612]

Is there a GP value of the Book of Vile Darkness? (or can it be calculated?)

[Tzardok]

Artefacts are never given gp values, as they are not supposed to be something you can simply buy or create using the normal item creation feats.

[An Enemy Spy]

Is there a GP value of the Book of Vile Darkness? (or can it be calculated?)

Artifacts are effectively priceless. They're meant to be one of a kind super items that a whole campaign can be built around, not just another piece of loot.

[Saintheart]

Is there a GP value of the Book of Vile Darkness? (or can it be calculated?)

0.07 ounces of gold (https://goldprice.org/gold-price.html) at current prices, given the value of 133.88 American dollars (https://www.google.com/search?q=Book+of+Vile+Darkness+for+sale&rlz=1C1GCEB_enAU868AU868&oq=Book+of+Vile+Darkness+for+sale&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3j69i60l2.8415j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) wherever good books are sold? :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

[Crake]

0.07 ounces of gold (https://goldprice.org/gold-price.html) at current prices, given the value of 133.88 American dollars (https://www.google.com/search?q=Book+of+Vile+Darkness+for+sale&rlz=1C1GCEB_enAU868AU868&oq=Book+of+Vile+Darkness+for+sale&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3j69i60l2.8415j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) wherever good books are sold? :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

At 50gp/pound, that comes out to about 2 silver and 2 copper.

[icefractal]

Book of Vile Darkness (Flawed)
This non-magical tome is a treatise on the nature of evil, and contains many examples thereof and description of evil magic and creatures. However, the ethical system described therein is confusing, self-contradictory in some places, and describes certain things as extremely evil with no explicable reason. Many people are more confused on the subject after reading it than they were prior. It's said that this tome has a companion, describing the nature of good, which is even more confusing and questionable in its statements. Studying both could potentially drive the reader mad.
Price: 2 sp, 2 cp

[Fizban]

It grants a +1 Inherent bonus to Wisdom, and a full level. That's 27,500gp, and "error: value not found."

If we assume that directly granting xp is worth 5gp per point of xp (the amount you pay if someone casts/crafts an xp cost spell or item for you), and that as a standard DMG artifact it is expected to be provided to characters no higher than 20th level and cannot increase their level beyond 20th, then the maximum value of the xp is 27,500*5= 137,500gp, if read at the minimum xp for 18th level.

So, 165,000gp, if you really want to value it that way. The actual value is: it gives an evil divine spellcaster a free level and +1 Inherent Wis. Either someone in the party is using it for 27,500gp worth of Wis bonus (that won't stack if they want to upgrade later), and a giant pile of free level and extra xp, or the party is Good and should be destroying it on principle, or the party doesn't care and wants to sell it. The latter of which means they find an evil divine spellcaster who pays them whatever you say they will.

Since NPCs often have functional monetary assets of "whatever the DM feels like/the DM isn't bothering to track," and only level up when the DM says they do, a high level evil divine spellcaster NPC is quite likely to find the book extremely valuable and be able to pay the "formula" price given, or even more. Or just kill the PCs and take it.

[Fouredged Sword]

It grants a +1 Inherent bonus to Wisdom, and a full level. That's 27,500gp, and "error: value not found."

If we assume that directly granting xp is worth 5gp per point of xp (the amount you pay if someone casts/crafts an xp cost spell or item for you), and that as a standard DMG artifact it is expected to be provided to characters no higher than 20th level and cannot increase their level beyond 20th, then the maximum value of the xp is 27,500*5= 137,500gp, if read at the minimum xp for 18th level.

So, 165,000gp, if you really want to value it that way. The actual value is: it gives an evil divine spellcaster a free level and +1 Inherent Wis. Either someone in the party is using it for 27,500gp worth of Wis bonus (that won't stack if they want to upgrade later), and a giant pile of free level and extra xp, or the party is Good and should be destroying it on principle, or the party doesn't care and wants to sell it. The latter of which means they find an evil divine spellcaster who pays them whatever you say they will.

Since NPCs often have functional monetary assets of "whatever the DM feels like/the DM isn't bothering to track," and only level up when the DM says they do, a high level evil divine spellcaster NPC is quite likely to find the book extremely valuable and be able to pay the "formula" price given, or even more. Or just kill the PCs and take it.
That's the one time use value. I don't believe reading the book consumes it. Therefore it's an item that can be used once on everyone who interacts with it. That ups the value considerably, as it's not "+1 inherent bonus to wisdom, +1 level" It's "X +1 inherent bonuses to wisdom, X +1 levels" where X is the number of evil spellcasters who act as antagonists.

The 137,500 gp would be the market price to rent the book of vile darkness from someone who owns it. I could totally see it falling into the hands of a powerful devil who turns around and rents it out to evil spellcasters in exchange for 137,500gp worth of souls or something.

That would actually be a cool plotline. All the evil spellcasters in a world suddenly get somewhat more powerful and the balance between good and evil tips towards evil. The devil with the book of vile darkness is to blame, but it's not some byzantine plot. It's just a devil who got their hands on a valuable commodity making as much evil dosh as they can before the gig is up. The players stumble onto this when all the evil wizards they fight have the equivalent of a "for a good time call" fliers with the devil's name.

[liquidformat]

0.07 ounces of gold (https://goldprice.org/gold-price.html) at current prices, given the value of 133.88 American dollars (https://www.google.com/search?q=Book+of+Vile+Darkness+for+sale&rlz=1C1GCEB_enAU868AU868&oq=Book+of+Vile+Darkness+for+sale&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3j69i60l2.8415j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) wherever good books are sold? :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

ouch where are you shopping that is a crazy high markup, I think it was only $40 USD new when it was first printed...

[Thurbane]

About $81.50 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/0786926503/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=book+of+vile+darkness&qid=1618437539&sr=8-1).

[Saintheart]

ouch where are you shopping that is a crazy high markup, I think it was only $40 USD new when it was first printed...


About $81.50 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/0786926503/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=book+of+vile+darkness&qid=1618437539&sr=8-1).

I think we're down to 1 sp and 1 cp now, fellas, thanks!