Tomes of Knowledge
XP Value 3,000; GP Value 30,000.
Background
The first known examples of these tomes come from the old Saxaran kingdom of Shem and were scribed on several clay tablets placed together by fine copper wire. Later versions have been found written on papyrus during the unified kingdom and more contemporary versions are usually written on fine vellum pages that are bound into books.
These rare tomes are prized by their owners for they can be used to give the user a complete set of skills within a specific field, as if they had just finished a full apprenticeship under a master of the field. In game terms, they grant the user a set of proficiencies that would be available as if they had the secondary skill.
Powers
There are various Tomes of Knowledge, each one is distinct from
another, but they all follow the same governing principles. Like all
magical books these appear to be "normal'' works of lore. Each is
indistinguishable from all others by visual examination of the outer
parts or by detection for magic aura.
A
wish spell can identify or classify a magical work. Other spells such as
commune,
contact higher planes,
limited wish, and
true seeing are useless. A
wish reveals the general contents of a book. A second
wish is required to determine the book's exact contents. If the DM chooses, after being perused by a character, these magical works vanish forever.
Uniquely these works can be used by any person or class that can
understand the contents. Those persons who do not know how to read are
able to understand the works and practice the skills within.
Below is a list of several different Tomes of Knowledge. Each one grants the user the listed proficiencies as if they had spent the required slots to learn them. Once the user completes a specific tome that tome will no longer work for them though others with different skills may do so, at the DMs discretion.
List of Known Works
Below is far from a complete list for these tomes. Feel free to add more tomes to the list as needed or wanted for your campaign.
- Usurer's Ledger: Appraising, Basic Mathematics, Read & Write Native Tongue.
- Weiland's Curaiss: Armorer, Appraising.
- Diplomat's Treaty: Observation, Oratory, Read & Write Foreign Language.
- Materia Medica: Healing, Herbalism.
- Ju Yuan Hao's Flechery: Bowyer/Fletcher.
- Fukawa's Garden: Agriculture, Flower Arranging.
- Old Man Sea: Fishing, Boating.
- Ilm al-Jabr Wa'l Muqabalah: Mathematics, Engineering, Read & Write Native Language.
- The Atharvaveda: Fortune Telling, Fast-Talking.
- Treatise on Precious Stones: Mining, Stonemasonry.
- Tsai Lun's Paper Techniques: Paper-Maker, Read & Write Native Tongue, Seamstress/Tailor.
- Almagest: Seamanship, Navigation, Swimming, Astronomy.
- Xi Yuan Lu (Washing Away of Wrongs): Anatomy, Entomology, Law, Observation.
Notes
Most of the skills are loosely based on those listed in the PHB under Secondary Skills. An expanded list of secondary skills that I personally use in my games is listed below. To use the charts the player or DM rolls a d6 and d100. The results of the d6 determine which of the three charts to use, 1-2 uses the first chart, 3-4 the second, and 5-6 the last. The percentage roll determines which skill the character possesses on that chart. These are by no means exhaustive
| Secondary Skills (1-2) | % Roll | Proficiencies |
| Armorer | 01 to 02 | Armorer |
|
| Appraising |
| Bowyer/Fletcher | 03 to 04 | Bowyer/Fletcher |
| Farmer | 05 to 10 | Agriculture |
| Fisher | 11 to 14 | Fishing |
|
| Boating |
| Forester | 15 to 20 | Survival (Woodland) |
|
| Lumbering |
| Gambler | 21 to 23 | Gaming |
| Groom | 24 to 27 | Animal Handling |
| Hunter | 28 to 32 | Survival (Woodland) |
|
| Tracking |
|
| Butchering |
| Jeweler | 33 to 34 | Appraising |
|
| Gem Cutting |
|
| Goldsmithing |
| Leatherworker | 35 to 37 | Leatherworking |
| Limner/Painter | 38 to 39 | Appraising |
|
| Cartography |
|
| Read/Write, Native Tongue |
| Mason | 40 to 42 | Stonemasonry |
| Miner | 43 to 44 | Mining |
|
| Stonemasonry |
| Navigator | 45 to 46 | Seamanship |
|
| Navigation |
|
| Swimming |
|
| Astronomy |
| Sailor | 47 to 49 | Seamanship |
|
| Swimming |
| Scribe | 50 to 51 | Read/Write, Native Tongue |
|
| Numeracy |
| Shipwright | 52 to 53 | Seamanship |
|
| Carpentry |
|
| Boatwright |
| Tailor/Weaver | 54 to 56 | Seamstress/Tailor |
| Teamster/Freighter | 57 to 59 | Animal Handling |
|
| Carpentry |
| Trader/Barterer | 60 to 62 | Appraising |
|
| Numeracy |
| Trapper/Furrier | 63 to 66 | Survival (Woodland) |
|
| Set Snares |
|
| Butchering |
| Weaponsmith | 67 to 68 | Weaponsmithing |
|
| Appraising |
| Woodworker/Carpenter | 69 to 71 | Carpentry |
|
| Carving |
| No Skill of Measurable Worth | 72 to 85 |
|
| Roll Twice (Reroll and result of 86-00) | 86 to 00 |
|
| Secondary Skills (3-4) | % Roll | Proficiencies |
| Apothecarist | 01 to 02 | Healing |
|
| Herbalism |
| Astrologer | 03 to 04 | Astrology |
|
| Weather Sense |
| Baker | 05 to 10 | Cooking |
| Barrister | 11 to 14 | Law |
|
| Bureaucracy |
|
| Read/Write, Native Tongue |
| Bookbinder | 15 to 20 | Seamstress/Tailor |
|
| Read/Write, Native Tongue |
|
| Paper-Maker |
| Brewer | 21 to 23 | Brewing |
| Butcher | 24 to 27 | Butchering |
| Candlemaker | 28 to 32 | Candlemaking |
|
| Animal Lore (Bees) |
| Cartwright | 33 to 34 | Carpentry |
|
| Blacksmithing |
| Cobbler | 35 to 37 | Cobbling |
|
| Appraising |
| Cooper | 38 to 39 | Carpentry |
|
| Blacksmithing |
| Dyer | 40 to 42 | Herbalism |
|
| Brewing |
| Falconer | 43 to 44 | Animal Lore (Birds) |
|
| Animal Handling (Birds) |
|
| Animal Training (Birds) |
| Glassblower | 45 to 46 | Fire-Building |
|
| Glassblowing |
|
| Appraising |
| Hatter | 47 to 49 | Seamstress/Tailor |
|
| Appraising |
| Interpreter | 50 to 51 | Languages, Modern |
|
| Read/Write, Native Tongue |
|
| Read/Write, Foreign Tongue |
| Locksmith | 52 to 53 | Locksmithing |
| Messenger | 54 to 56 | Read/Write, Native Tongue |
|
| Direction Sense |
|
| Riding, Land-based |
| Moneylender | 57 to 59 | Appraising |
|
| Numeracy |
|
| Read/Write, Native Tongue |
| Potter | 60 to 62 | Pottery |
| Rat Catcher | 63 to 66 | Appraising |
|
| Pest Control |
| Shepard | 67 to 68 | Animal Lore (Rodents) |
|
| Animal Handling |
|
| Survival (Grasslands) |
| Undertaker | 69 to 71 | Anatomy |
|
| Carpentry |
|
| Stone Carving |
| No Skill of Measurable Worth | 72 to 85 |
|
| Roll Twice (Reroll and result of 86-00) | 86 to 00 |
|
| Secondary Skills (5-6) | % Roll | Proficiencies |
| Architect | 01 to 02 | Numeracy |
|
| Engineering |
|
| Read/Write, Native Language |
| Artist/Painter | 03 to 04 | Painting |
| Bricklayer | 05 to 10 | Bricklaying |
| Barber | 11 to 14 | Grooming |
| Cartographer | 15 to 20 | Read/Write, Native Language |
|
| Numeracy |
|
| Cartography |
| Cheesemonger | 21 to 23 | Cheesemaking |
| Cook | 24 to 27 | Cooking |
| Diplomat | 28 to 29 | Oratory |
|
| Read/Write, Native Language |
|
| Observation |
| Engineer | 30 to 32 | Numeracy |
|
| Engineering |
|
| Read/Write, Native Language |
| Engraver | 33 to 34 | Metalworking |
|
| Engraving |
| Fortune-Teller | 35 to 37 | Fortune Telling |
| Furrier | 38 to 39 | Seamstress/Tailor |
|
| Pelt Working |
| Gardener | 40 to 42 | Agriculture |
|
| Herbalism |
| Grain Merchant | 43 to 44 | Appraising |
|
| Numeracy |
|
| Agriculture |
| Herald | 45 to 46 | Oratory |
|
| Read/Write, Native Language |
|
| Heraldry |
| Herbalist | 47 to 49 | Agriculture |
|
| Herbalism |
|
| Survival (Woodland) |
| Midwife | 50 to 51 | Anatomy |
|
| Herbalism |
| Peddler | 52 to 53 | Appraising |
|
| Haggling |
| Physician | 54 | Anatomy |
|
| Healing |
|
| Herbalism |
|
| Read/Write, Native Language |
| Playwright | 55 to 56 | Read/Write, Native Language |
|
| Acting |
|
| Disguise |
| Politician | 57 to 59 | Read/Write, Native Language |
|
| Local History |
|
| Bureaucracy |
| Porter/Coolie | 60 to 62 | Direction Sense |
| Servant | 63 to 66 | Any 1 Domestic Skill |
| Storyteller | 67 to 68 | Ancient History |
|
| Local History |
|
| Oratory |
| Tobacconist | 69 to 71 | Herbalism |
|
| Pipe-Making |
|
| Appraising |
| No Skill of Measurable Worth | 72 to 85 |
|
| Roll Twice (Reroll and result of 86-00) | 86 to 00 |
|
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment