Swords and Sorcery Book of Eldritch Might 3 - The Nexus, Dungeon and Dragons Complete(Full), D&D Complete (English)
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®
THE NEXUS
An arcane sourcebook
By Monte Cook
Requires use of the
Dungeons & Dragons®
Third Edition Core Books, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
This book utilizes updated material from the v. 3.5 revision.
Additional Credits
Editing and Production:
Sue Weinlein Cook
v. 3.5 Updating Assistance:
Mike Johnstone
Cover Illustration:
Kyle Anderson
Interior Illustrations:
Kieran Yanner and Sam Wood
Cartography:
Rob Lee
Proofreading:
Mark Ashton
Art Direction:
Monte Cook
Cover and Interior Page Design:
Peter Whitley
Playtesters:
Matthew Arieta, Jérôme Beaulieu, Michele Carter, Andy Collins, Sue Cook, Brenda Copping, Bruce Cordell, Philippe
Daigneault, Jesse Decker, Donovan Dufault, Mylène Dumais, Kelly Graham, Frauke Jürgensen, Matt Locke, Marie-France Matte,
Erik Mona,Susan Patrick, Chris Perkins, Nicholas Pevishan, Sean Reynolds, Del Shand, Nicolas Shand, and Keith Strohm
Special Thanks for Inspiration:
Jay Peterson
For supplemental material, visit Monte Cook’s Website: <
www.montecook.com
>
“d20 System" and the "d20 System" logo are Trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast and are used according to the terms of the d20 System
License version 5.0. A copy of this License can be found at <www.wizards.com/d20>.
Dungeons & Dragons
®
and Wizards of the Coast
®
are
Registered Trademarks of Wizards of the Coast and are used with Permission. All other content is ©2003–2004 Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
Malhavoc is a registered trademark and Eldritch Might and the Malhavoc Press logo are trademarks owned by Monte J. Cook. Sword & Sorcery and
the Sword & Sorcery logo are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. The mention of or reference to any company or product
in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This book is compatible with the Revised 3rd Edition rules. This edition of
Book of Eldritch
Might III: The Nexus
is produced under version 1.0a, 4.0, and/or draft versions of the Open Game License, the d20 System Trademark Logo Guide, and System
Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast. Subsequent versions of this product will incorporate final versions of the license, guide, and document.
Designation of Product Identity:
The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with Section 1(e) of the Open Game License,
version 1.0a: Any and all Malhavoc Press logos and identifying marks and trade dress, such as all Malhavoc Press product and product line names including but
not limited to
The Book of Eldritch Might, Book of Eldritch Might II: Songs and Souls of Power, Requiem for a God, Skreyn’s Register: The Bonds of Magic, Book
of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus, Book of Hallowed Might,
any specific characters, monsters, creatures, and places; capitalized names and names of places, arti-
facts, characters, countries, creatures, geographic locations, gods, historic events, magic items, organizations, spells, and abilities; any and all stories, storylines,
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Designation of Open Game Content:
Subject to the Product Identity designation above, the following portions of
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus
are des-
ignated as Open Game Content: the prestige classes, feats, spells, magic items, artifacts, and new monsters in their entirety; the NPC statistics; and anything else
contained herein which is already Open Game Content by virtue of appearing in the System Reference Document or some other Open Game Content source.
Some portions of this book which are Open Game Content originate from the System Reference Document and are ©1999, 2000, and 2001 Wizards of the
Coast, Inc. The remainder of these open portions of this book are hereby added to Open Game Content and if so used, should bear the COPYRIGHT NOTICE
“
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus
©2003–2004 Monte J. Cook.” This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any
reproduction, retransmission, or unauthorized use of the artwork or non-Open Game Content herein is prohibited without express written permission from Monte
Cook, except for purposes of review or use of non-Open Game Content consistent with the Open Game License. The original purchaser may print or photocopy
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This document is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.
Check out Sword & Sorcery online at <www.swordsorcery.com>
BOOK OF ELDRITCH MIGHT III
2
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus
Table of Contents
Introduction:
WHAT IS THE NEXUS?
Using This Book ...............................................3
Sidebar:
Incorporating These Rules ...........................49
Sidebar:
More Than Just Swords...................................53
Sidebar:
Variant: Multiclassing Items ........................55
Chapter One:
THE NEXUS
Background......................................................4
Layout ................................................................4
Using this Location in Your Campaign ........5
Transport .........................................................................5
Scrying .............................................................................6
Sidebar:
Scrying ................................................................6
Alternate Use ..................................................................6
Characters and Creatures ............................6
Niveral-Sca, Mistress of Eternity ...............................6
Revensfall, the Gatemaster..........................................7
The Kallendine ...............................................................8
Feat ....................................................................9
Spells .................................................................9
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 12+)............................9
Magic Items .....................................................13
Chapter Five:
THE VALE OF STARS
Background ....................................................57
Castle Arthanath..........................................................57
The Starlight City of Kargoth ...................................57
The Strange Magic of the People of the Vale .........57
Starlight Wells of the Dao ........................................58
Using this Location in Your Campaign......58
Alternate Use ................................................................59
Character .......................................................59
Anathe the Kargothi ...................................................59
Sidebar:
The Dao..............................................................59
Dragon Magic
..............................................................59
Liquid Starlight ...........................................60
Starlight Material Coating.......................................60
Starlight Baths ............................................................60
Subliminal Spellcasting..............................60
Map:
The Vale of Stars ..................................................61
Prestige Class: Starlight Mage ..................62
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 10 to 13) ..................64
Spells...............................................................64
Magic Items ....................................................68
Chapter Two:
BASTION OF THE D’STRADI
Background ....................................................14
Layout...............................................................14
Using this Location in Your Campaign ......14
Alternate Use.................................................................15
Map:
Inshabiv ..................................................................15
Characters and Creatures ...........................15
Alikaba the Marilith.....................................................15
Kalias of Uth-Aratell ...................................................16
Map:
D’Stradi ..................................................................16
D’Stradi Demons............................................................17
Feats ................................................................20
Spells................................................................21
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 8 to 12) ....................23
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 3 to 5) ......................24
Magic Items ....................................................26
Chapter Six:
TOMB OF FROZEN DREAMS
Background ....................................................71
Using this Location in Your Campaign.......71
Frozen Dreams...............................................................71
The Hedrudal ...............................................................72
Map
: Caves of Ice...........................................................72
Alternate Use ................................................................73
Character........................................................73
Piotraon of the Hedrudal ..........................................73
Feats .................................................................73
Sidebar
: Memory Checks ................................................73
Spells ...............................................................73
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 5 to 8) ......................77
Magic Items.....................................................77
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 17 to 20)..................78
Chapter Three:
POOL OF GLENMASIS
Background ...................................................29
Using this Location in Your Campaign......29
Sidebar:
Fey Cursed Items .............................................30
Alternate Use................................................................30
Characters .....................................................30
Vas the Centaur
................................................
30
Nycarak the Green Hag ...............................................30
Babiran the Pixie ...........................................................31
Spells ................................................................31
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 1 to 5) .......................37
Magic Items ....................................................38
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 1 to 3).......................38
Chapter Seven:
CITY IN THE STORM
Background....................................................79
Sanneth Today................................................79
Sidebar:
Why a City in the Storm? ................................79
The Families of Sanneth .............................................80
Using this Location in Your Campaign ......81
Alternate Use ................................................................81
Creatures........................................................82
Sohr ................................................................................82
T’kraam, the Thunderkin ............................................83
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 6 to 8) .....................83
Creature of the Mist Template ..................................84
Spells...............................................................86
Magic Items ....................................................89
Sidebar:
Origin of the Elemental Blades ..................89
Chapter Four:
VABRIN’S FORGE
Background ....................................................43
Using this Location in Your Campaign ......43
Alternate Use ................................................................43
Layout ..............................................................44
Map:
Vabrin’s Forge ......................................................44
Characters .....................................................44
Vabrin the Ettin............................................................44
Leatherstrong, Intelligent Belt ...............................45
Feats.................................................................45
Spells...............................................................46
Sidebar:
Adventure Seed (Levels 6 to 10)....................47
Intelligent Items ..........................................48
Appendix:
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Permanency and Eldritch Might ................91
Spellsong Conversions ................................91
Eldritch Might Variant Sorcerers.............91
Index and Spell Lists ....................................92
Open Gaming License....................................95
Introduction
3
What Is the Nexus?
“Then I came to a new chapter in the
Book of Eldritch Might
.Page after page, it told of various places of power—locations here
and on other planes where one could find new facets of the art of arcane spellcasting. ‘Facets’ was certainly the right word, for what I
read conjured forth visions of a many-sided gem of magical knowledge, with each facet of the gem being a secluded locale that held
some unique secret. I knew I had to go to each of these places and learn what I could. Take what I could.
“I searched the Book for how to accomplish this, and finally I saw the truth between the lines. While each facet was a place of power,
the gem itself was a place as well. A place that bound them all together. A place from which one could reach all these locations and more.
“A place called the Nexus.”
—Malhavoc
own right, is a tome of magical knowledge that sur-
passes most other tomes. Hidden deep within its
pages is a compendium of lore long thought lost regarding a
magical place called the Nexus. This hub leads to many other
locales, each with its own magical secrets. Malhavoc used the
Nexus (and other means) to explore these places and learn
their secrets. Now your characters can, too.
In the
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus
, you will find
seven new locations that can be placed within any cam-
paign. Most are very small and serve perfectly as secluded
adventuring spots about which few people know or speak.
Each location is described just enough for you to fit it easi-
ly into your existing setting. Nonplayer characters (NPCs)
and creatures presented in this book can populate these
locales. Most importantly, however, each place has its own
new spells, feats, and magic items, as well as associated
new rules.
The locations allow you to introduce the new material
in its own context. They provide a story regarding where a
new spell or item came from, who created it, and why.
Thus, when the player characters (PCs) travel to the
Bastion of the D’Stradi, they can learn the new feats and
spells found there, or gain a magic item as treasure from
someone who lives there. Or, they can learn the new bit of
arcane knowledge from someone else who has been to
D’Stradi and told them wild tales of the place. Either way,
the context provides a great deal of flavor for your game.
Of course, if you don’t want to use the new locations,
you can easily lift the rules material out of this book and
simply use the 111 spells, 45 feats, 97 magic items and abil-
ities, and so forth as you would with either of the previous
Books of Eldritch Might
.You’ll find the index in the
Appendix particularly helpful for referencing a certain
spell, feat, or item.
Using This Book
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus
presents each of the
seven locations as its own chapter. The chapters detail the
locales in roughly the same format, with sections on each
place’s background, layout, using the locale in your game,
characters and creatures, new feats, spells, and items, plus
sidebars with adventure seeds and helpful suggestions for
where to place a portal from the Nexus in each spot.
In this reprinting of the original electronic edition of the
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus,
we have updated all the
material to conform to the v. 3.5 revision of the core rules.
Throughout this sourcebook, sidebars offer special
information and guidelines for the DM. Some spells,
items, feats, and classes mentioned in this book were
introduced in
The Book of Eldritch Might
(the game product,
not the magical artifact); a double dagger (‡) indicates
these references. Some were introduced in the
Book of
Eldritch Might II: Songs and Souls of Power
; two double dag-
gers (‡‡) indicate these references. Spells, items, feats, etc.
introduced in this book are marked with a single dagger
(†). Otherwise, all references to spells, feats, and other rules
are from the v. 3.5 revision of the three Core Rulebooks: the
Player’s Handbook
, DMG, and MM.
If you’re playing a variant bard or variant sorcerer from
the
Book of Eldritch Might II: Songs and Souls of Power,
take
a look at the supplemental material in the Appendix
before using the spells in this book.
Bonus source material and ideas to augment the infor-
mation in
Book of Eldritch Might III: The Nexus
appear on
Monte Cook’s website. To find the links to these free web
enhancements, visit the book’s product page online at
<www.montecook.com/mpress_BOEM3.html>.
This sourcebook is protected content except for items
specifically called out as Open Gaming Content on the
title page. For full details, please turn to the legal page of
the Appendix. Open content is not otherwise marked in
the text of this book.
T
he
Book of Eldritch Might
, an intelligent artifact in its
Chapter One
The Nexus
A magical spot and difficult to find, the Nexus contains arcane gateways that lead to all sorts of places. The Nexus provides DMs with an
excellent way to get PCs from one interesting, far-flung locale to another quickly—assuming they can deal with the enigmatic custodians
of the place. The Nexus is a center not only of magical transportation, but of scrying as well. The magical secrets found here deal primarily
with those two topics, particularly the latter.
idea, the Nexus lies nowhere that can be understood
by the mortal mind. Some claim it can be found on a
distant plane, or deep within the earth. Others say it hides
within the center of the moon, under the World Tree, or in
the mind of a single sleeping angel. None of these, however,
is exactly right.
Background
The minor god Niveral, Lord of Secrets and Master of the
Five Lost Lores, and the creature known as Sisansca, Sister to
Serpents, hated each other. Eons ago, these divine beings
engaged in a bitter struggle. While it was not an outright war,
Sisansca’s spies sought Niveral’s secrets, and he wanted her
dead for the affront. Most paid little heed to the feud, which
continued for centuries. Finally, the two agreed to meet face
to face to either settle their differences or slay each other once
and for all. To create a place suitable for their meeting, they
jointly commissioned a being known only as the Wandering
Architect to create a neutral ground where neither would be
cut off from their sources of divinity or places of power, but
which was hidden from the eyes of others.
They got so much more than they asked for.
The Wandering Architect created a vast complex filled
with chambers of gothic archways. Each archway led to a dif-
ferent locale. Each locale held great secrets of arcane power.
He called this complex the Nexus, for it was the place
through which all streams of magical power flowed.
When Niveral and Sisansca met there, in their newly
fashioned neutral ground, they found themselves
enthralled by the wonder of the place. Together, they
explored its vast reaches. As they did, they discovered that
they had much in common. Their animosity faded, and a
friendship began. They remained within the Nexus togeth-
er for over a year. Friendship led to romance. Soon, to the
surprise of beings throughout the universe, Niveral and
Sisansca had a child together. Knowing they had to return
to their respective realms and duties, the two gods left
their offspring, Niveral-Sca, in charge of the Nexus. Born
in a mortal-created realm, even one as wondrous as the
Nexus, makes Niveral-Sca only partially divine.
Nevertheless, she carries obvious traits of both her parents.
Niveral-Sca calls herself the Mistress of Eternity, and calls
the Nexus the Gateway to Eternity. She is very tall and lithe
with graceful elven features, although her skin glistens like
jeweled, serpentine scales. Her pupil-less eyes are long and
narrow, and shine with a golden light. Her small feet do not
actually touch the ground when she walks—a visible sign of
her semidivine nature. She seems supremely confident and
coolly composed at all times, yet she does not act imperious
or overtly arrogant. If given the choice between speaking and
simply giving a meaningful look, she will choose nonverbal
communication, giving rise to her reputation as a highly
mysterious individual.
Revensfall is the only son of Niveral-Sca. Although he
shows no signs of carrying on the traits of her serpentine or
partially divine nature, he remains a very powerful and
skilled individual who excels in almost every area. Like his
mother, he stands tall and has a graceful yet powerful build.
His hair is bright red and his eyes sparkling blue. The iden-
tify of his father remains a mystery—it is possible that he is
a magical creation with no actual sire at all. Like his mother,
Revensfall is quiet and reserved. He prefers to act rather
than talk.
The Nexus is guarded by hulking insectoids known as the
kallendine. Niveral-Sca fashioned the kallendine by studying
and collecting various creatures from throughout the Nexus
and magically interbreeding them in isolated locations.
When she developed the guardians she sought, she brought
them to the Nexus and destroyed all her notes and records
so no one could ever replicate them. She even fashioned
armor for them, fastening it permanently to their natural
shells. Currently only 44 of the creatures exist, but Niveral-
Sca keeps hundreds of fertilized eggs in stasis in the event
that she ever needs more.
Layout
No one, perhaps not even Niveral-Sca or Revensfall, knows
truly how big the Nexus is. It is a vast maze of round cham-
bers, each with multiple levels—a ground floor and one to
four levels of balconies that run the circumference of the
room, joined by circular stairs. Each chamber has anywhere
from two to a dozen archways that serve as magical gateways
to other locales, as well as one to four exits that lead into
other similar chambers.
Only three chambers do not fit this profile. The first is a
S
ecreted away, like a forgotten wish or a discarded
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