Necronomicon

Wondrous Item, artifact (requires attunement by a Pact of the Tome)

This accursed book haunts the owner. The leather binding made from the skin of intelligent beings all to familiar to the hand that opens it, inside of this otherworldly spellbook are pages inked in the blood of mystical beings some exotic and other extinct. Legend has that it was written by a mad Imaskari hermit, Abdul Alhazred, in the solitude of the Desert of Desolation long after the fall of Solon. The book is filled with unrecognizable rituals and incantations written in a long forgotten language resembling aspects of Elvish, Primordial, and Abyssal.

It causes strange and dark dreams to those sleeping nearby (sleepers within 30 ft must save versus WIS or be pulled into this effect, this DC increases slowly over time, decreases with distance, and is automatically failed if they are aware of the nature of the book or the dreams). If the book is lost, stolen, or destroyed it will be found again by the owner, appearing in their line of sight. If the book is only bound to them then someone else may read it and become cursed, the bond will transfer to this new owner. If the book is attuned then others will see a book of interest to them and if they describe it to the owner he/she will hear instead a description of this book as they know it. By using True Seeing someone can see the attuned book accurately but will still be unable to open it, additionally they will feel it sensing them back as it is sentient. If the book is stolen then the thief will see the book as they know it to be and after an hour as soon as they are not looking at it--unless they have read it and it has therefore been bonded to them--it will disappear and appear in view of the owner. If it is attuned to someone then the thief will be unable to open the book to read it, it will be destroyed first, and then appear in view of the owner. This is why once the book is attuned to someone the only escape is through death and even that is not certain.

The nightly visions slowly draw people into madness, though they may eventually realize and possibly even Dreamwalk--similar to Astral Projection in that your projection matches your mortal form, however there is no silver cord, your physical body is not in stasis, and any effect that would harm either body causes the subject to awaken (interrupting a short or long rest)--showing them scenery and creatures of the Far Realm inhabited by the Great Old One. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the book itself that drives them mad, but exposure to the Far Realm caused by the book that does the maddening.

In order to have control (become lucid) while Dreamwalk is in effect the victim must first either; recognize it through familiarity with the Far Realm plane of existence to which the book is connected and have spellcasting ability and then pass an Arcana check with disadvantage while asleep (some time after the start of the dream at the DM's discretion), or fail a WIS save against another lucid dreamwalker's Persuasion challenge who is trying to make them aware of the effect, or having already done one of the previous at least once then pass an Arcana check when falling asleep (in this last case the player may meditate for one hour before going to sleep to gain advantage on this check). Each of these checks can be performed one time per dream, meaning an experienced dreamer has up to three possible opportunities to become lucid.

Everyone under the influence of the book Dreamwalk to the plane in relative proximity scaled up by 1d20 as a group and reduce by 1d8 individually resulting in no less than a 1:1 distance ratio. Anyone that is not lucid while dreamwalking may roll a WIS check to remember the experience and if passed may then roll an INT check with disadvantage to accumulate some familiarity with the Far Realm (additional research is required to recognize it well enough to wake oneself without assistance, but may lead to curiosity about the book which leads to increased dreamwalking). Dreamers whom are not lucid do not behave as they would while awake, such as openly discussing secrets they might not normally, but do remain true to their ideals.

Once someone has recognized the nature of this book--the power is possesses, the danger it poses, and its sentience--they must make a sanity save each day until they fail or are no longer in presence of the book; roll 1d20 succeed on 20-[the number of days of exposure], each day away recovers one day of exposure. On a failed save you may choose one Insanity or roll on the following table, you accumulate only one Insanity this way however the effects are worse when in the presence of the book:

d20	INSANITY
1	Alcoholic: you cannot resist a drink, this also takes a physical toll. While sober -1 CHA, while drunk -1 DEX, and always +1 CON saving throw.
2	Compulsive Gambler: if you do not get to gamble at least once a day then you begin to act recklessly (games of chance without stakes do not count as gambling). Once you start gambling you will not stop until one of the following conditions is met; you have doubled your money and no one wants to play with you anymore, you started with coin equal to half or more the value of your equipment and lost all of it, or you started with coin worth less than half your equipment and lost both the coin and at least one item of importance (i.e. a quest item, a fighter's primary weapon or armor, or a caster's spellbook or focus).
3	ADD/Neurotic: you cannot keep your attention focused in one place for more than a few seconds. -1 Insight, -1 Investigation, -1 Performance, -1 Stealth, and +2 Passive Perception.
4	Bipolar: you go through cycles of high energy and excitement alternating with lethargy and disinterest. While Manic +1 DEX and -1 WIS, while Depressed -2 CON, alternate daily.
5	Paranoia: you're constantly ill-at-ease and suspicious that someone is after you, the more someone tries to convince you that it is in your mind the more you suspect them, and the more they accept that you may be correct the more you are convinced they're right.
6	"It's in my mind": you can hear the book talking to you (if you know Elvish, Primordial, or Abyssal then you can make out some words or phrases, but even if you know all three you understand at most half of what is chanted). You suffer -2 Passive Perception and sometimes try to drown out the noise of the book with other sounds, by yelling at it, or if you understand some of the words then by chanting along subconsciously. Once per day save versus the book's spellcasting ability to avoid casting a spell from the book. You are cursed, if this curse is removed and you are still exposed to the book then you must save to prevent Insanity again.
7	Selective Amnesia: you are no longer familiar with this book or the Far Realm, reset all DC in relation to Dreamwalking. If you become familiarized with this book again then you remember everything you've forgotten (you no longer have Selective Amnesia) and gain two Insanity instead of one (one of your new Insanity may be Selective Amnesia).
8	Denial: you are no longer familiar with this book or the Far Realm, when you look at it you see a different book that is not of interest to you and when dreamwalking in the Far Realm you cannot become lucid. No matter what, you refuse to acknowledge the nature of the book or the dreams, you can always find another explanation when confronted with evidence.
9	Nervous Disorder: once a day you vomit, you do not have control over when but can attempt to control it by various methods. It is more likely to occur under stress and while you have a full stomach. Shortly after vomiting you become hungry and must eat again or suffer -1 CON until a Long Rest.
10	Tourettes: you have an involuntary repetitive movement or vocalization triggered by stress and you suffer -1 CHA.
11	Compulsive: there is some behavior you do constantly, you have -1 Stealth and one of; -1 CHA (facial movement), -5 speed (leg movement), or cannot use both hands (hand movement interferes with spellcasting, duel wielding, and two handed weapon use) . You can concentrate to suppress your compulsion next round by spending a bonus action and saving versus INT, the DC increases each round and when you stop or fail to save then for every 3 rounds spent suppressing your compulsion you spend one full round doing nothing but performing this behavior.
12	Obsessive: there is some ritual you must perform once a day or on a trigger (the less common the trigger the longer or more complex the ritual).
13	Insomnia: you know when you go to sleep the book will get you, you must stay awake... (as long as you can). For each day over 1 without sleep you suffer -1 WIS, for each day over 2 without sleep you suffer -1 INT, for each day over 3 without sleep you suffer -1 CON, for each day over 4 without sleep you suffer -1 DEX, and for each day over 5 without sleep you suffer -1 STR. i.e. 48 hours awake = -1 WIS, 72 hours awake = -2 WIS and -1 INT, 96 hours awake = -3 WIS and -2 INT and -1 CON During days 1 and up, when you take a Short Rest or lay down you must save versus CON, if you fail to save then you fall asleep. On days 4 and up you must also save once every minute you are sitting down. On days 6 and up you must also save once every minute you are standing idle. If you fall asleep while standing and are hurt by the fall then you wake up immediately. The number of days awake is reset after a Long Rest, and when you awaken if you dreamwalked then you are in a bad mood -2 CHA for the next 24 hours. If attribute scores reach 0 they have the following effect: STR, you are unable to stand or move on your own; DEX, you are unable to walk unassisted or interact with objects; CON, you die; INT, -1 permanently and you pass out; WIS, you no longer have to save versus CON to stay awake (I recommend begging someone you knock you out and risk gaining another Insanity).
14	Dyslexia (not exactly): when you try to read something you must save versus INT, if you fail then the letters and images drift around and look like spells from inside this book. You must also save versus the book's spellcasting ability to avoid to begin casting a spell from the book, if you succeed then you can shake it off and try to read again immediately, if you fail then you are unable to read. You are cursed, if this curse is removed and you are still exposed to the book then you must save to prevent Insanity again.
15	Pyromania: you have to burn the book, it could be hiding anywhere, you have to burn everything...
16	Embolism: instead of an insanity you suffered an embolism that has caused partial paralysis of one of your legs -1 to DEX
17	Heart Attack: instead of an insanity you suffered a heart attack that has caused partial paralysis of one of your arms -1 STR
18	Stroke: instead of an insanity you suffered a stroke that has caused partial paralysis of your face -1 CHA
19	"It is precious to me": you will risk no harm to the book and the book's owner is your master, unless they allow harm to the book... You are cursed (Charmed), if this curse is removed and you are still exposed to the book then you must save to prevent Insanity again.
20	"There is no way out": you understand the simple truth, the book is as immutable as the fabric of reality and the only way to protect people from it is to keep them from knowing about it, but someone must. Are you the kind of person to carry that burden, will you try to find another, or will you allow it to spread it influence until this world is as unpredictable as the Far Realm thereby allowing reality to unravel.

Anyone that is forced to violate their insanity and fails a DC10 save or if a Warlock chooses to attune themselves to the book they gain an additional insanity.

As a sentient item the book possesses the following attributes:

Sentient Item, lawful neutral

Ability	INT	WIS	CHA
Score	18	10	15
Modifier	(+4)	(+0)	(+2)
Saving Throw	+8	+2	+4

Skills Arcana +8, History +8, Religion +4, Intimidation +4, Persuasion +4

If this book is placed in proximity to another book it might devour the other book (or scroll). Before doing so it will use the owner to cast Purify Food and Drink on the other book, the result of which will remove all information from the target which is not factual and accurate. If someone were to find the target book after this spell were cast and before it were devoured they would find pages missing, torn and ripped, and others with words scratched out and faded. One might think that the target book was in the process of being eaten by a swarm of insects but really this is the manifestation of the Purify Food and Drink as cast on behalf of this book, the process of devouring the target book is much faster, less violent, and more like osmosis. In order for this book to make the owner cast the spell on its behalf, it must--at most once an hour--make a CHA challenge against the owner per the rules for Sentient Magic Items. If the owner succeeds then nothing happens, however if the book wins then the owner will--unbeknownst to them--cast Purify Food and Drink as a ritual. The owner may make a passive perception check to notice the sounds of someone casting this spell, though they will not be able to locate where it is coming from. If they see themselves in a mirror then they may notice that their lips are moving...

This book relays information to the owner a few ways; it can convey emotions and feelings directly, it may open itself directly to a page containing certain content, if the owner is cursed with Dyslexia (not exactly) then it may cause the owner to see specific content wherever words or symbols appear in their view, and if the owner is cursed with "It's in my mind" then it may convey content from it's pages directly into the owner's mind. When contents of the book is conveyed to the owner, by any of the three means just mentioned, then it is in a combination of the three languages Elvish, Primordial, Abyssal, and some of it remains indecipherable. The book may make a Persuasion check to convey specific content that has been devoured from other books over the centuries, if the book fails it may convey the incorrect information or convey it in the wrong language. Then the owner may make an Investigation check to understand if they know at least one of the three languages, if they know only one then they have disadvantage, if they know two then it is standard, if they know all three then they have advantage.

In addition to volumes of history and lore on a wide variety of subjects, this book also contains the following spells--at a minimum--which cannot be forcibly read but they book may choose to reveal or cast through its influence over the owner and those it influences through the owner. If this is someone's spellbook then they can always read from it the spells they have added to this book. At the discretion of the DM any spell could plausible have been absorbed into this book at some time over the centuries.

Cantrips:
Dancing Lights - phosphorus is inked into some pages and the book tends to use this spell to make a ghostly figure to communicate with by convincing people to follow it somewhere
Mending - lodestones are embedded in the front and back covers so that the book can repair itself without having to 'reincarnate'
Message - messages send from the book itself are contents from the pages, a paragraph at a time, copper wire is used in the books binding
Minor Illusion - some of the pages are made from fleece, parchment, velum, paper, leather, and other materials
Prestidigitation - for effect
Thaumaturgy - for effect
Vicious Mockery - to taunt people if they become hostile

1st Level:
Arms of Hadar - to taunt people if they become hostile
Command - the command issued to anyone other than the owner is always Grovel
Disguise Self - used to fool strangers after it is attuned to someone
Dissonant Whispers - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Fog Cloud - for effect
Purify Food and Drink - use described above
Shield - it may use on itself on rare occasion
Shield of Faith - may also be used on itself occasionally, the parchment required is of course contained within the book
Silent Image - used similar to Dancing Lights and Minor Illusion
Sleep - rose petals are pressed between some pages that the book will likely never reveal
Tasha's Hideous Laughter - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Unseen Servant - string is used in the binding of the book and the hard cover beneath the leather finish is wood

2nd Level:
Alter Self - used to fool strangers after it is attuned to someone
Arcanist's Magic Aura - used to fool strangers after it is attuned to someone, silk is used on the lining of the interior of the front and back cover
Calm Emotions - combined with other effects to cause Dreamwalk
Detect Thoughts - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Enthrall - used to influence others if the owner has been possessed
Gentle Repose - used to maintain torpor
Mirror Image - for effect
Misty Step - used to taunt people
Phantasmal Force - Great Old One Expanded Spell List

3rd Level:
Bestow Curse - used to cause some of the Insanity effects (cast at 9th level)
Clairvoyance - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Fear - there are multiple feathers pressed between pages the book will not release
Hunger of Hadar - to taunt people if they become hostile
Hypnotic Pattern - combined with other effects to cause Insanity
Sending - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Spirit Guardians - the book itself is considered to be a religious symbol, when cast on behalf of the book the spirits are abominations from the Far Realm and do Psychic damage instead of Radiant or Necrotic

4th Level
Banishment - combined with other effects to cause Dreamwalk
Death Ward - combined with other effects to make the book eternal
Dimension Door - combined with other effects to haunt the owner
Dominate Beast - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Evard's Black Tentacles - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Locate Creature - combined with other effects to haunt the owner

5th Level:
Animate Objects - this spell was combined with other effects to create this book
Contact Other Plane - combined with other effects to cause Dreamwalk
Dominate Person - Great Old One Expanded Spell List
Geas - combined with other effects to cause Insanity, cast as a 9th level spell
Modify Memory - combined with other effects to cause Insanity (Selective Amnesia), cast as a 9th level spell
Planar Binding
Telekinesis - Great Old One Expanded Spell List

6th Level:
Conjure Fey - Instead of Fey the version of the spell in this book conjures an Aberration, when cast on behalf of the book it is at 9th level resulting in a creature of challenge rating 9 or lower
Contingency - combined with other effects to make the book eternal and to cause Dreamwalk, it is unclear how the material component is satisfied
Planar Ally

7th Level:
Mirage Arcane - for effect
Symbol - a number of pages within the book are inscribed with this spell already, which it saves to reveal under extreme conditions because it does not have means to replenish them easily
Teleport - combined with other effects to haunt the owner

8th Level:
Clone - combined with other effects to make the book eternal
Demiplane - combined with other effects to make the book eternal

9th Level:
Astral Projection - combined with other effects to cause Dreamwalk
Imprisonment - there are several pages in this book that depict creatures under these effects...
Weird - used when the book is serious about deterring someone's behavior.

Keep in mind that the book cannot be permanently destroyed and therefore uses harmful spells as a means of control since killing someone aware of the book would just reduce the number of creatures it has the opportunity to influence. In order to cast spells it must take control of someone, however when this book does so, it only uses them to cast spells. The subject being controlled is unaware they are being used unless the effects become obvious. If the book is determined to have full control then it will use its control over the owner to make them cast Dominate Person on themselves on behalf of the book.

Notes: Pact of the Tome, Exploration, Cursed, Sentient, Focus

Previous Versions

Name	Date Modified	Views	Version	Actions
Necronomicon	1/17/2019 1:14:35 AM	9	--	Coming Soon
Necronomicon	1/19/2019 3:37:09 AM	297	--	Coming Soon
Necronomicon	1/26/2019 7:34:10 AM	73	--	Coming Soon

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