The books of the Masters were written by twelve different people, each an expert in their own field of magic. The books were written over the course of 1500 years, and several were written on other worlds across the Astral Sea. The lore states that the books were bound in iron and magic by a man named Bartemaes, a warlock of Iggwilv (whom most people know as Tasha, or the Witch Queen, adopted daughter of BabaYaga). The Archfey goddess, or so Bartemaes claimed, instructed the warlock to collect the writings of the twelve, to bind them in magics she provided to him to keep them from being known to the whole world. The Iron Bound lore says it will take a word, or a short phrase, to break the binding and give access to the book within. Many believe the word or phrase will be found in the life of the original author, likely quoted in the writings within. However, some are of the mind that Bartemaes chose phrases he felt described the type of magics within. Each book is bound in thick leathers and locked by crisscrossing bands of iron that do not have any seams. These bands do not react in any way to magics or physical damage. They cannot be melted, cut, or ripped away by any means. Embossed in the cover of the book is the name of the author, his or her title, as well as a symbol that seems to stand for the type of magics they were a master of.
Speaking the word or phrase will loose the iron bindings, giving access to the book within to the one whose voice spoke them. (Your DM will decide what lore is needed to be discovered to unlock the phrase you will need to open the book). Each time the person who broke the bindings closes the book, the bindings will rejoin, but can be opened at any time by that person. Once the bindings are loose and you begin to read the book within, you may gain an advantage on a skill check or two. When you have read through (60 hour minimum) the book, it will grant abilities to the reader. After the book has been read, begin to roll for “comprehension”. Over the course of a number of days (one check each day), different skill checks will be made in an attempt to comprehend and attune to the book’s knowledge. Once the knowledge is gifted to the owner of the book, they will retain this knowledge until the “attunement" with the book is broken. Only by remaining 100’ from the book for 13 days can the attunement be broken, at which time the iron bindings will return to lock the book for 99 years. This particular book, known as Atharraich, The Book of Transmutation, was written by Astra, the Witch of Plod. (Your DM will come up with the lore required for this person)
Discovering the key and opening the book will grant you an Advantage on Arcana and History checks when dealing with the effects of and discovery of transmutation magics. It will also grant you advantage on Perception checks when trying to determine if transmutation magics have been used.
Pardon Me - When you have read through the entire book (60 hours in game, minimum), you gain the ability to temporarily transmute a solid (non-living) material into air, such as creating a doorway through a solid wall. As an action, placing your hand on the surface of the material and casting the spell, you turn up to 14 cubic feet of solid material into air. The material will revert back to its natural state 21 seconds later. If anything is still in the space when the material reverts, it will be forcefully expelled and will take 1d10+5 force damage. You can perform this magic thrice per long rest.
Comprehension of the book will take longer as you continue to study the book after reading through it the first time. Once per day while studying the book, you must make each of the following saving throws (DC14 each saving throw) - Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma and Constitution. After this, you can attune to the book and learn its darkest secrets. Failing a saving throw, you may choose to make another check, but you cannot retry the failed ability for 24 hours.
Upon successfully succeeding the Comprehension process (and thereby attuning to the book), you gain the ability to cast any two of the following spell effects per day, and only once each per day, as a ritual that will take 1 minute to perform:
- Blade of Grass - Taking a simple blade of grass in your fingers, you transform it into a scimitar that glows with emerald radiance. A +2 scimitar appears in your hand for the spell’s duration. Attacks made with this weapon are melee spell attacks, and all damage dealt by this weapon is radiant damage. It will return to its original form after 5 minutes, or when you cease to touch it.
- Iron Wood - You transmute up to 30lbs of natural wood into Ironwood. While remaining natural wood in almost every way, ironwood is as strong, heavy, and resistant to fire as steel. Spells that affect metal or iron do not function on ironwood. Spells that affect wood do affect ironwood, although ironwood does not burn. This wood will weigh more than wood, but it will weigh less than steel.
- Permanency - Performing this ritual in conjunction with one of the following spells, you cast that spell with a duration of forever: Magic Stone, Alter Self, Darkvision, Magic Weapon, Elemental Weapon, Tiny Servant, Barkskin, Primal Savagery. You must be capable of casting the spell by other means.
- Repair- This spell will cause a wave of restorative energy to wash over the construct you touch. This can be a bridge, a ship, a building, or a similar type of construct, or a magically manufactured being. This spell will "heal" 10d10+10 hp to this construct.
- Stone to Flesh - You can reverse the effects that caused a living creature to become Petrified. This will only work upon a creature that was once alive.
- Alter Flesh- You invoke powerful transmutation magics to permanently change your, or another willing creature's form. You decide what the target looks like, including height, weight, facial features, sound of voice, hair length, coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, if any. The only stipulation is the body mass must be the same (someone made "thinner" will be taller, for example). The target will still appear as a member of their race, or a similar subrace. This spell also cannot remove magical marks or brands, such as a magical tattoo, a rune, or a scar received from powerful magic, or an extraplanar entity. It will also not affect curses or other entities possessing the body. You can affect ability scores in the following ways:
- You can add 1 to the subject's strength, but this will subtract 1 from their dexterity, and vice versa.
- You can add 1 to the subject's constitution, but this will subtract 1 from their charisma, and vice versa.
- A subject's Intelligence and Wisdom can never be affected by this spell.
Notes: Advantage: Arcana, Advantage: History, Advantage: Perception, spellcaster capable of casting transmutation magics.
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