Ritual Spellbooks

Torphine Athraky will ask Rydin Meirdarel to look at a unique book when the five of you arrive at the Palerium.  It will take two days of at least eight hours study each day to fully decipher the tome which will reveal this is a ritual book of the ancients, written under the old ways of magic.  Rydin’s magical helm will allow a fully functional translation of its contents. 

Arch Mage Endroth Rynmund

Coincidentally, Endroth Rynmund is speaking on specific ancient tomes that he believes were lost in the destruction of the Arch, The Seven Rituals of Sin. His current class teaches graduate level students on several types of magic the ancients practiced and theories regarding their loss.

Book ofHarms (Level 5 Evoker)

The leather wrapping of this book is of an indeterminate type, and gives off a faint and unpleasant scent, as of charred meat. The writing inside is in a jagged hand, and many notes on the ash-smudged pages indicate its previous owner sought ever more damaging magic. A glittering rune in the cover’s center is shaped vaguely like a lightning bolt.

Protection Average lock (DC 25)

Oppositional schools Divination, transmutation  Value 900 gp with preparation ritual

Spells A “S” indicates a spell from the caster’s specialty school, whereas a “OP” ndicates a spell from the spellbook creator’s opposition school.

3rd—fireball S, lightning bolt S

2nd—acid arrow, darkness S, ghoul touch, gust of wind S

1st—burning hands S, color spray, corrosive touch S [APG], hydraulic push S [APG], hypnotism, magic missile S, ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp S

Preparation Ritual

Harmful Surge (Su) You can maximize a spell, but doing so damages you. Spend this boon effect as a free action when you cast a wizard evocation spell. When you do, you can treat that spell as if it were cast with the Maximize Spell metamagic feat, but you take 1d4 points of damage × the level of the spell that you are maximizing. The damage you take cannot be reduced in any way.

Each ritual spellbook is a unique reflection of the personality and capabilities of its creator. Many of these tomes contain more than just spells, such as notes on the caster’s other research, personal diaries, naturalist sketches, or even political treatises. Most contain preparation rituals, each of which grants a boon—or sometimes a hindrance—to spellcasters who use the book to prepare their spells.

Ritual spellbooks and ritual formula books list a description of the book, information on the caster’s specialty school and opposition schools (if any), the book’s spells, and a preparation ritual. Some books also contain precautions against prying eyes.

A standard spellbook includes all cantrips from the Core Rulebook except those in the wizard’s oppositional schools. Books containing cantrips from additional sources are noted in the content description.

Using Preparation Rituals

When a spellcaster who prepares spells uses a ritual spellbook, as long as he prepares at least three spells (not including cantrips) from the spellbooks, he gains a temporary boon granted by the ritual. The boon lasts until its effect is spent (as specified by the boon description) or the spellcaster prepares spells again (at which time it can be reapplied by preparing at least three spells from the book). A spellcaster can only take the effect of one preparation ritual when she prepares spells, no matter how many ritual spellbooks she uses to prepare spells. (Source Ultimate Magic)