[d20r, Weapon] Librum

[Fax Celestis]

{table=head]One-Handed Exotic Melee Weapon | Cost | Dmg (S) | Dmg (M) | Critical | Range Increment | Weight | Type
Librum | 50 gp + Special | 1d4 | 1d6 | 20/Special | - | 3 lb. | Bludgeoning[/table]

A librum is an iron- or steel-shod book attached to a long chain. Many people liken a librum to a flail, but the similarities stop with their appearance. In actuality, the book on the end of a librum is actually a collection of scrolls (up to 20 of them, in fact), bound together, shod, and then chained.

A librum deals no extra damage on a critical hit; instead, it attempts to activate one of the scrolls within it (selected randomly by rolling 1d20). This attempt acts as a caster level check, using the caster level of the item. A non-magical librum has an effective caster level of 0 but may still attempt to activate the scroll--it just does so with no bonus. A librum treats no spells as being on a class spell list even if the wielder has that spell on its spell list. Despite this, a librum does not need to make Use Magic Device checks to activate a scroll.

A scroll activated by the librum inflicts that scroll's spell upon the creature struck. If the spell has an area effect, the effect is centered on the creature struck and has its usual results in its area. If the spell affects multiple targets, it affects the creature struck and the closest creatures to it, which may include the wielder of the librum and any allies thereof. If the spell affects its caster even when the caster is not the target of the spell, the wielder of the librum is considered the caster for the purpose of those effects. Spells that have a direction (such as a cone- or line-shaped spell) start from the creature struck and continue directly away from the wielder of the librum.

Like a regular attempt to activate a scroll, if the attempt fails, the librum suffers a mishap. Since most librums are not intelligent items, they automatically fail the DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap. Intelligent librums may attempt the Wisdom check as normal.

Scrolls activated by the librum become blank, as usual for used scrolls. If the randomly determined scroll is blank or missing, nothing happens.

Most found librums are empty, though they occasionally have scrolls from their previous wielders in them. Purchased librums are always empty.

[MammonAzrael]

That's....very different. I'm assuming that you can "refill" the Librum with new scrolls? Or do you have to have someone scribe the spell directly into the Librum?

[Fax Celestis]

That's....very different. I'm assuming that you can "refill" the Librum with new scrolls? Or do you have to have someone scribe the spell directly into the Librum?

You can refill it.

As you can tell: I'm trying to set a standard of "worth it" for exotic weapons.

[Inyssius Tor]

A book? On a chain?

I'll give it an eight. Above the dire flail but below the orcish quadruple axe and the big sword with a bunch of little swords taped to it.

[Fax Celestis]

It's an ironshod book. Think of it as a morning star, just...instead of a ball with spikes, it's a metal-bound book. That occasionally casts a spell.

[Inyssius Tor]

Oh, I know it would work--it's just funny. It would actually be a good idea, if it worked. Better than many exotic weapons produced in reality, actually.

[MammonAzrael]

Proof that words can break bones just as well as sticks or stones!

It's a great exotic weapon Fax. Unique, strange, and something you'd really want to build around (and thus worth the feat). There could also probably be a couple enchantments that could be customized for this thing and be pretty cool.

This would be crazy as a Spellstoring weapon!

[Fax Celestis]

This would be crazy as a Spellstoring weapon!

Yes. Yes it would. I've actually had this item sitting in the back of my brain for weeks...in fact, ever since I made the Holy Word Discipline. You'll notice that one of it's favored weapons is the librum.

[The Neoclassic]

It's a great exotic weapon Fax. Unique, strange, and something you'd really want to build around (and thus worth the feat). There could also probably be a couple enchantments that could be customized for this thing and be pretty cool.

Because I cannot say it any better myself. This is one of those things I look at and say "Why didn't I think of that?! It is freaking amazing." The book on a chain as a weapon at least. The scrolls on top of it all are beyond the normal limits of nifty.

[Jasdoif]

Hey, an exotic exotic weapon! Sweet.

A non-magical librum has an effective caster level of 0.

Does that mean it rolls without any bonus for caster level, or that it simply can't make the attempt?

A scroll activated by the librum inflicts that scroll's spell on the defender. Should the spell have an area effect, the spell is centered on the defender and affects all creatures within range as normal. Should the spell affect multiple targets, the spell affects the defender first and the next closest creature (friend or foe) next, continuing to the next closest creature until the spell runs out of targets. If a spell affects its target adversely and affects the caster beneficially, the defender is treated as the target and the wielder is treated as the caster for the purposes of its effects.

Maybe it's just me (it's been one of those days all week), but I found the "defender" bit here unusual and difficult to follow. If I may....

A scroll activated by the librum inflicts that scroll's spell upon the creature struck. If the spell has an area effect, the effect is centered on the creature struck and has its usual results in its area. If the spell affects multiple targets, it affects the creature struck and the closest creatures to it, which may include the wielder of the librum and any allies thereof. If the spell affects its caster even when the caster is not the target of the spell, the wielder of the librum is considered the caster for the purpose of those effects.

I'm also curious how this will work with cones and other area effects that involve a direction.

[adanedhel9]

Interesting... I'm having a bit of trouble visualizing it though. The chain makes me think that it's flail-like (as opposed to morningstar-like), but if the chain is non-essential, then I don't see how you can compare a book to a morningstar (unless it's a really oddly shaped book).

[Darkkwalker]

Interesting... I'm having a bit of trouble visualizing it though. The chain makes me think that it's flail-like (as opposed to morningstar-like), but if the chain is non-essential, then I don't see how you can compare a book to a morningstar (unless it's a really oddly shaped book).

A morning star is a spiked ball attached to a short chain attached to a short handle.

A Flail is many long chains, barbed, spiked, maybe with small weights on the end, attached to what is essentially a quarter staff.
Though that may be a dire flail. I think a cat-o-nine-tails would qualify as a small flail. if the nine tails were chains/barbed.

[Solaris]

This's a natural for the Scholar base class I made a couple weeks ago. Mind if I use it?

[Simanos]

A morning star is a spiked ball attached to a short chain attached to a short handle.

A Flail is many long chains, barbed, spiked, maybe with small weights on the end, attached to what is essentially a quarter staff.
Though that may be a dire flail. I think a cat-o-nine-tails would qualify as a small flail. if the nine tails were chains/barbed.

No, stop confusing it:
"The morning star first came into widespread use around the beginning of the fourteenth century, and the term is often mistakenly applied to the military flail (fléau d'armes in French and Kriegsflegel in German) which consists of a wooden shaft joined by a length of chain to one or more iron balls or an iron shod wooden bar, in either case with or without spikes (heavy sword pommels have also been used as weights)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_star_(weapon)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flail_(weapon)
Look at the pics if you're too bored to read.

[Solaris]

No, stop confusing it:
"The morning star first came into widespread use around the beginning of the fourteenth century, and the term is often mistakenly applied to the military flail (fléau d'armes in French and Kriegsflegel in German) which consists of a wooden shaft joined by a length of chain to one or more iron balls or an iron shod wooden bar, in either case with or without spikes (heavy sword pommels have also been used as weights)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_star_(weapon)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flail_(weapon)
Look at the pics if you're too bored to read.

There are entirely too many names for spikey clubs that may or may not have chains involved.

[Fizban]

I'd think the initial description is pretty explicit: it's a metal box on the end of a chain, filled with scrolls. You hit people with the box by swinging the chain. The box is shaped like a book, but all you need to know is that it's a metal weight on a chain that you hit people with.

As for the weapon itself..uh, no idea. It's obviously better than existing exotic weapons, but the 1/20 chance of getting a free spell (especially when you could just case a touch spell and punch them, or use a spell storing weapon), isn't going to break anything. I'll go with unique, though it reminds me of Klaus from Tales of Phantasia: one of the probably many characters that hit things with a heavy book.

Heh, there's an idea. Treat a book full of scrolls as a spell storing club: 1/round you can use one of the scrolls within as if it had been stored, (or even just require them to cast it out of the scroll form and into the book) and you can even throw the book at them.

Hmm, the Librum suggests a less uniqey but more practicall...y Wandsword of some sort, that does the same thing with a wand. Less changeable but more reliable and you get bulk charge price.

[Heliomance]

You said it doesn't treat any spells as on the spell list. Does that mean it has to make a UMD check for it?

[Simanos]

There are entirely too many names for spikey clubs that may or may not have chains involved.

There are entirely too many names for pointy swords that may or may not have hilt-guards (basket, cross, etc) or pommels involved.
Just look at the pictures already, the flail and the morning star are pretty distinct in the D&D books.

This item sounds nice, but what are the limits of the spells on the scroll? Casting level limit? Spell level limit? The cost of the scrolls (they are used up after all) is a nice balancer, but the fact that a fighter can get many attacks a round plus a chance to score something like an extra 10d6, maybe even AoE, could be too much. Is this weapon two handed at least?

[Fax Celestis]

This's a natural for the Scholar base class I made a couple weeks ago. Mind if I use it?

Go right ahead.

You said it doesn't treat any spells as on the spell list. Does that mean it has to make a UMD check for it?

Actually, I originally had the item making a UMD check, but it got too complex (17 + item's enhancement bonus + wielder's CHA mod rather than CL check using CL of the item), so I think I need to change that now.

This item sounds nice, but what are the limits of the spells on the scroll? Casting level limit? Spell level limit? The cost of the scrolls (they are used up after all) is a nice balancer, but the fact that a fighter can get many attacks a round plus a chance to score something like an extra 10d6, maybe even AoE, could be too much. Is this weapon two handed at least?

It's a one-handed exotic weapon. The item's caster level is what determines the (reliable) use of scrolls, and the cost of the scrolls themselves is what determines which scrolls you can have. Since the librum can't activate a scroll without a check, every time it activates it has a chance of mishap...unless you're using a really low-level scroll in a really beefed up librum--in which case you're nigh-epic anyway, so the low level spell schtick is kinda lame.

[Fax Celestis]

Does that mean it rolls without any bonus for caster level, or that it simply can't make the attempt?

The former. I've clarified this.

[quoteMaybe it's just me (it's been one of those days all week), but I found the "defender" bit here unusual and difficult to follow. If I may....[/quote]Better. I'll use that.

I'm also curious how this will work with cones and other area effects that involve a direction.

Hm. I hadn't considered that. Should I make it random, using grenade-like misses, or should I let the wielder decide?

[Human Paragon 3]

Hm. I hadn't considered that. Should I make it random, using grenade-like misses, or should I let the wielder decide?

I would make the point of origin (for spells that require one) the square that the book is in when the scroll activates (i.e. the square your enemy is standing in) and the direction of the spell (for thsoe that require one) directly away from the wielder (i.e. begins in the enemy's square closest to the wielder and travels through the enemy, away from the wielder and through the other side).

By the way, this is extremely silly.

[Athaniar]

Cool and innovative weapon. Also, people thinking morningstars are flails is one of the little insignificant things that really shouldn't but still annoys me.

[SurlySeraph]

Fax, I love this. Does your creativity has no limits?

[Fax Celestis]

Fax, I love this. Does your creativity has no limits?

I certainly hope not.

[Jasdoif]

The item's caster level is what determines the (reliable) use of scrolls, and the cost of the scrolls themselves is what determines which scrolls you can have. Since the librum can't activate a scroll without a check, every time it activates it has a chance of mishap...unless you're using a really low-level scroll in a really beefed up librum--in which case you're nigh-epic anyway, so the low level spell schtick is kinda lame.

Wait. Wait wait. Mishaps...as in, activating a scroll above your caster level?

If so, you'll need to elaborate on the check...somewhere. The standard rules for activating a scroll require it to be on your spell list, and the librum specifically has no spells on its spell list. Additionally, there's the DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid mishap (which I imagine the librum will automatically fail since it doesn't have a Wisdom score, unless it's an intelligent item, but probably worth noting for clarity).


The same concern applies to the biblios (on my way to comment there right now)

[Fax Celestis]

Wait. Wait wait. Mishaps...as in, activating a scroll above your caster level?

If so, you'll need to elaborate on the check...somewhere. The standard rules for activating a scroll require it to be on your spell list, and the librum specifically has no spells on its spell list. Additionally, there's the DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid mishap (which I imagine the librum will automatically fail since it doesn't have a Wisdom score, unless it's an intelligent item, but probably worth noting for clarity).


The same concern applies to the biblios (on my way to comment there right now)

See, I figured "attempted activation of a scroll" would indicate that there was potential for mishap as normal. I'll add that though.

[DrakebloodIV]

If its spiked then wouldn't it do bludgeoning/piercing damage

[Siosilvar]

If its spiked then wouldn't it do bludgeoning/piercing damage

It's not. .....

[Cute_Riolu]

...I love this. I'm going to steal it and use it for my Artificer.

[DrakebloodIV]

Wait. Wait wait. Mishaps...as in, activating a scroll above your caster level?

If so, you'll need to elaborate on the check...somewhere. The standard rules for activating a scroll require it to be on your spell list, and the librum specifically has no spells on its spell list. Additionally, there's the DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid mishap (which I imagine the librum will automatically fail since it doesn't have a Wisdom score, unless it's an intelligent item, but probably worth noting for clarity).


The same concern applies to the biblios (on my way to comment there right now)

Hmm... It seems to me that that wouldn't be much of a risk with the price of scrolls. If a 1st level character has max wealth for it's level, it still has to spend 50gp on the librarum and 25-125gp on a 1st level spell. Considering that, its even difficult for them to get 5 (a one in 4 chance of casting on a crit) 1st level spells, so even a rich rogue would have to skimp on equipment to get a decent librarum.