OSR - Stygian Library

The Stygian Library
A dungeon for bibliophiles.

With thanks and apologies to Terry Pratchett.
The Stygian Library
An adventure designed for old school roleplaying games and their modern cousins.
Written by Emmy ‘Cavegirl’ Allen.
Artworks all in the public domain. Original works by Arthur Rackham, Virginia Frances Sterrett, Harry
Clarke, Aubrey Beardsly, John Dixon Batten, Dugald Stewart Walker, and others.
Personally, I consider intellectual property laws to be a total mess. Do what you want with this, steal whichev-
er ideas you want, reproduce it. If you want to remove my name and sell this for a profit, that kind of makes
you an asshole but I’m not stopping you.
Dying Stylishly Games

Contents
Contents - 3 Vault, Chained Books, Too Small, Phosphorescent
Lamps, Stacked Papers, 36
Negligible Gravity, Silent - 37
Section 1: Introduction Letters, Spirit Illumination, Too Large - 38
Haunted - 39
What Is The Stygian Library - 6 Smoking, Spirit Tubes, Watchful, Morbid, Time-
How Do You Get There? - 6 Locked - 40
Why Go There? - 6 Semi Corporeal, Doorway Out, Tangled Passages -
How to Run the Adventure - 7 41
Running Blindly, Events , Settling In - 8
Between Locations, Life in the Library, Magic in
the Library - 9
Searching for Specific Books - 10
Section 5: Bestiary
The Librarians & The Great Avernian Calculation - The Librarians of the Red, Yellow, Brown, Black,
11 Grey & White Orders - 43
Phantoms - 44
Visitors, Giant Bookworms, Rust Moths, Dust
Section 2: The Tables Elementals - 45
Lantern Bearers, Skeleton Crew, Furious Books -
Table: Locations - 13 46
Table: Details - 13 Paper Bees, Origami Golems, Guardian Shades,
Table: Events - 14 Ogre Spiders - 47
Table: Daytime Encounters - 15 Researchers, Floating Brains - 48
Table: Night-time Encounters- 15 Obsidian Marmosets, Bandersnatches - 49
Animate Books, Lost Souls - 50
Section 3: Locations Ink Elementals, Inkblots - 51
Skull-wardens, Tooth-wardens - 52
Entrance Foyer, Catalogue of Contents, Help Animate Spells - 53
Desk, Chained Lectern - 17 Neurovores, Hungry Books - 54
Display Case, Ink Vats, Map Gallery - 18 Archivist-Liches - 55
Boiler Room, Auditorium, Skeleton Collection - 19 Infernal Merchants - 56
Chapel, Tea Room, Statuary, Stuffed Animals - 20 Escaped Fictions - 57
Mausoleum, Storage Vault - 21 Crawling Things, Educated Rodents - 58
Planetarium - 22 Patrolling Apparitions, 59
Calculation Engine - 23 Eye-Sentinels, Black Ooze - 60
Phantom Databanks, Spider Trapdoor - 24 Conceptual Wells - 61
Printing Machine, Ossuary, Syphon of Phantoms -
25
Steam Vents, Paper Beehive - 26 Section 6: Useful Tools
Furnace, Holding Pen, Phantom Pumps - 27 Table: Types of Books - 63
Infernal Gateway - 28 Table: Extraordinary Books - 64
Jarred Brains - 29 Table: Treasure - 66
Dissection Theatre, Mummy Vault - 30 Table: Weapons - 67
Sheol Computer - 31 Table: Weapon Properties - 67
Table: Rumors in the Library - 68
Section 4: Details Table: Dreams & Portents in the Library - 69
Table: I Search The Body… - 70
Empty, Treasure Pile, Notes - 33 Table: I Search The Room… - 70
Oriental Rug, Candles, Webs, Fireplace, Lamp- Class: The Mummified Sage - 71
post, Gas Lamps, Glass Tubes, Staircase - 34
Candle-sticks, Portcullis, Scrolls, Funeral Urns,
Turning Gears - 35
Section 1: Introduction
Part 1: Introduction
4
Well, people seemed to like Ynn. So, here’s more in a similar vein. Ynn was outdoors, this is in-
doors. Different locations and monsters, but the same basic tone and structure.
The biggest source of fun in RPGs, for me at least, is the sense of discovery. Encountering and
exploring new things, learning about a setting or location. That’s a big part of why the book is
designed as a series of random tables: by rolling up locations as you go, the GM gets the same
sense of discovery that the players do. Players and GM discover the library’s layout and contents at
the same pace.
Before running the adventure, I seriously recommend you read the book cover-to-cover a few
times, so you’re familiar with what information is where. Put bookmarks in useful places to save
time flipping back and forth.
Remember that any GM-facing random table is a prompt for your imagination, not an absolute
rule. Combining locations and details already forces you to improvise somewhat, so hacking things
on the fly is fine. Make the adventure your own.
Whilst some of the contents in this book can be portrayed in a rather dark light (it is, fundamental-
ly, about necromancy), it’s not intended as a particularly grim setting. One thing that often strikes
me about the fiction I enjoyed in my youth is how the dark and the whimsical so often go hand in
hand. Not as a subversive contrast, but rather how the imagination (when allowed to wander) will
flit between ideas that fill us with wonder and with dread. Like exploring an empty house, all it
takes is a slight change in context (nightfall, say) to make the experience creepy.
The stuff’s was written and tested using a weird mishmash of OSR systems; mostly Lamentations
of the Flame Princess and Swords & Wizardry.
Stuff that inspired me, in no particular order:

The various novels of Terry Pratchett, particularly those around the Unseen University. Roald
Dahl’s book ‘The BFG’. Castle Gargantua by Kabuki Kaiser.
The Seclusium of Orphone of the Three Visions by Vincent Baker. Corpathium by Logan Knight.
A Red And Pleasant Land by Zak S.
The Adaptus Mechanicus in Warhammer 40,000, and likewise the Infinity Circuits of the Eldar.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Clan Giovanni. The music of Nadja and Sunn 0))).
G+ and the people on it.
5
entrance if they contain information that is
What is the Styg- interesting or potent enough.
The entrance to the Library is a simple thing.
Somewhere in the library, there will be an
ian Library? unmarked door. It is invariably locked. It is
probably hidden, perhaps behind a shelf
Books are condensed collections of against the wall, beneath wallpaper, in rooms
knowledge, and knowledge is power. As any the public are barred from entering, or under
physicist will tell you, power is a function of a painting or sign. Find it, unlock it, and on
energy, and energy and mass are interchange- the other side the rows of shelves continue.
able, and enough mass warps space time.
Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. The
more power, the more it corrupts. Sufficient
knowledge twists the world around it into
strange shapes.
Put enough books in one place, and they

Why go there?
distort the world. Space bends in on itself, The Stygian Library is potentially infinite in
forming a sort of wormhole, linking the li- its scope and complexity, touching - however
brary to other libraries likewise afflicted. The tangentially - on every library built, that has
space between is a sort of pocket realm, bud- ever been built, or that ever might be built.
ded off from reality, maintained by the sheer Any knowledge can be found within its laby-
power of books. rinthine corridors, if you find the right book.
Scholars have known about this, or at least Whatever information the players might need,
had their suspicions, for centuries. They the Library has it if they only venture in.
know that if you spend too much time in the Of course, the Library is not without its per-
libraries, you don’t come out, and that a dedi- ils. The library-dimension forms a network of
cated enough archivist can find almost any- sub-dimensional corridors and rooms, struc-
thing if the venture deep enough into the tured eerily like a traditional dungeon. And,
shelves. of course, there are residents. Strange crea-
This, then, is the Stygian Library. tures adapted to the academic environment.
Often mad, often frighteningly intelligent,
often hostile. An expedition into the Library
How Do You Get is no trivial thing, and all manner of academ-
ics, archivists and researchers have been lost
in its depths.
There?
Only a few locations form a proper connec-
tion to the Library and thus can be used to
access the place. The requirements are this:
It must be a collection of books or similar
written works. A library, archive or perhaps a
particularly large bookshop. It must be large
enough that you can’t see all of it from the
entrance. Somebody must have died there
(you can get this by killing somebody and an
entrance will appear).
Any such space will contain an entrance.
Other collections of books might contain an
6
How to Run the Adventure

When the players first enter the Library, roll a Combine the results. The Location rolled will
d20 on the table for locations to see where give you the core of the place, and the Details
their doorway leads. In addition, roll a d20 on will modify it.
the table for details for the specifics of the From a given location, the players can Go
place, and on the table for Events for anything Deeper multiple times. Each time they do,
that’s going on there. draw a new line from the current location,
You will map out the Library every time the branching off.
players visit it. When the players Go Back, they travel back up
Take a sheet of paper. In the centre, at the top, the line, to a previously visited location. (This
write in the location where the players entered. is probably on the previous layer, but the map
This is layer 0. Here, the players have 3 op- can get complex as players double back and
tions. These are: find paths linking disparate locations.)
I. Stay Here
II. Go Deeper They can Stay Here there, Go Back Again, or
III. Go Back. Go Deeper again, either to a location they
When the players Stay Here, they remain in the visited before or to a new location (roll it up).
same location. Every turn after the first, roll Going Deeper and Going Back both take a
for Events. turn as the players search for pathways.
Whenever the players Go Deeper, draw a line The library shifts and rearranges itself. Until
from their current location, leading down and the PCs actually look, the next location exists
write the location they find at the end. in a state of quantum uncertainty. There is,
Roll on page 13 for the location and its details; therefore, no need to roll up locations ahead
a d20 plus the layer they are now on. So, the first of time.
time they Go Deeper that takes them down to
Every time players visit the Stygian Library,
layer 1, so roll d20+1. If they go down again
from there, that’s layer 2, so d20+2. roll up a new starting location from scratch.
7
Running Blindly
The normal exploration procedure of going
deeper assumes that PCs are moving carefully;
drawing maps, taking note of landmarks, fol-
lowing paths and so on, but this is not strictly
necessary.
Perhaps PCs flee a fight. Perhaps they chase
after something at full tilt. Perhaps they have no
light and are groping blindly in the darkness.
Perhaps they’re just idiots.
Their flight takes them d4-1 layers deeper, not

Events
one layer deeper. They lose track of just how While PCs are actively interacting with a loca-
deep they are. tion - either exploring it, moving through it or
If they roll maximum for how much deeper dealing with the things in it, roll a d20 every
they go, step up the dice size (from a d4-1 to a exploration turn for events.
d6-1) and roll again, adding the result. If that is If they are not exploring or paying attention to
also maximum, step up the dice size again (to the location, instead roll a d12.
d8, d10, d12 and then d20).
For each extra dice rolled, something bad has
happened: perhaps they trip, or something falls
Settling In
on them, or they blunder into something Players can settle into a location and rest there,
pointy. Regardless, they take 1 damage from particularly when there is furniture. Essentially,
minor accidents while fleeing. they are setting up camp, although they proba-
Moving blindly resets the party’s Progress if bly have no need for things like tents. Things
they’re looking for information. Start again with tick forward according to their wake-sleep cy-
a score equal to the highest Intelligence in the cle, rather than in exploration turns.
party. A single cycle is about 12 hours; a full ‘day’ of
activity or a full ‘night’ of sleep. Players can
Once you’ve determined how much deeper spend a single cycle to do things like setting up
they go, roll up an new location at the appropri- a camp-site, preparing food, building tools and
ate depth. so on. While settled in, roll for events (with a
Do not link the new location to where they d12) once every cycle, not once every turn.
came from (don’t draw a line between them on
the map). The PCs do not know the way back
to where they came from. Instead, they must
press on.
Results on the Events chart will likely link their
new location back to previously explored areas,
but until then, they’re stranded.
8
and the ceiling plaster. Unless otherwise stated,
Between Locations every location’s walls are covered in book-
Locations are simply points of particular inter- shelves.
est. Between them, the Library sprawls out over In some locations, food and drink appears if
many floors, a network of corridors, staircases left unobserved. Presumably, the Librarians
and rooms all lined with books. Nothing inter- replace it, although where they’re getting it
esting; if it was interesting, it would be a loca-from is unclear.
tion. The whole place is incredibly flammable. All
Travelling from one location to the next is that dry paper would go up in a flash.
quick. It takes about a turn (ten minutes).
Doors are not normally locked in the Library,
nor are there particular obstacles to exploration Magic in the Library
unless a location indicates it. Extraplanar travel does not function in the
You can go between locations by smashing Library. Teleporting cannot take you out of the
through the ceiling Library. The only ways in and out of the place
are the doorways from the real world libraries.
Pathfinding spells and similar divinations work,
Life in The Library but only temporarily. The layout changes, and
The library is entirely indoors. There are no the accurate route plotted yesterday is no longer
windows, no signs of a theoretical ‘outside’. there to day.
Some locations are lit, by fireplaces or candles When you die in the Library, your soul lingers
or soft gas lamps, but the bulk of them are among the stacks rather than passing on. Very
dark, as are the spaces between. Explorers will soon, the white librarians will capture and cata-
need to bring their own lights to explore. logue it. To resurrect one who died here, you
Unless otherwise noted, you can assume that must find where their soul has been stored by
the floor is made of aged wooden floorboards, the librarians.
9
Searching For Specific Books

The most obvious reason to explore the Library  Obscure information, the sort of thing
is to find information. For any given question known only to a few scholars and jealous-
the PCs might want answers to, assume that the ly guarded, has a target of 30.
answer is in the Library somewhere. Likewise with  Information that has been forgotten en-
specific books, texts and so on.
tirely in the real world has a target of 35.
When the PCs enter the Library, they can de-
clare they’re looking for a given piece of infor-  Information that has never been uncov-
mation. Track the player’s progress towards ered in the real world has a target of 40.
finding a specific work using the following The PCs find what they’re looking for as soon
method. as they meet two criteria at the same time:
Give the party as a whole a Progress score, that  Their Progress score is equal to or higher
tracks how close they are to finding what they than the target value for the information
want. This single score encompasses all the they want.
relevant factors: cross-referencing from other  They are at a depth equal to the target
related texts, following rumours, making deduc- value minus 20. (IE if the information has
tions about the layout of the shelves, and so on. a target of 25, they must be at depth 5 or
Any factor that might bring the party closer to more.).
or further away from what they want to know is Various locations, events and encounters will
abstracted into this score. tell you to increase or decrease the party’s pro-
The Progress score starts out with a value equal gress score. However, you should feel free to
to the highest Intelligence in the party. Various adjust the score on the fly based on events that
events, encounters and locations will cause the seem right but don’t mention progress. As a
Progress to rise and fall. rule of thumb:
For any given piece of information sought, the Increase progress by 1 if:
GM must set a value for how hard it is to find.  The party talks to somebody knowledgea-
 Basic information found in most good ble on the topic they’re researching.
libraries in the real world has a target of  The party gets an accurate idea of the
20. library’s layout.
 Slightly specialist information, the sort  The party finds books related to the topic
you’d need to find specific experts or they’re researching.
collections for, has a target of 25. Decrease progress by 1 if:
 The party receives misleading information.
 The party lets themselves get off track.
10
The Librarians & The Great Avernian

Calculation
The Library is inhabited by its own peculiar Phantoms are a form of lesser, immaterial un-
race of custodians, known only as the Librari- dead. They are the soul of one who has passed
ans. Diminutive figures, clad in figure- on, stripped of humanity or emotion. All that is
concealing robes, they rarely speak or interact left is memory and information, condensed into
with visitors, instead hurrying about their tasks. a greasy wisp that hangs in the air like the
Perhaps the Library created them to inhabit it; smoke from a snuffed-out candle. Most phan-
every library must have librarians, after all. They toms have little power to act or think, and are
tend to its structures, like gardeners almost, and hardly beings in their own right. The white
pursue more esoteric goals. librarians store them in bottles and pump them
The Librarians are split into 5 orders; the red, through glass tubes.
yellow, black, white and grey librarians, each
distinguishable by the colour of their robe. The Great Avernian Calculation is the over-
The red librarians see to it that the physical arching goal of the librarians of all orders, alt-
structures of the library are maintained; they see hough only the grey librarians interact directly
to it that the shelves do not break, that the with it. What the calculation might actually be is
library’s corridors do not catch fire, and that the hard to say; it exists in a scope that is so huge
ceiling stays up. and complex that any attempts to divine its
The yellow librarians tend to the books them- purpose produces incomprehensibly incomplete
selves, repairing and restoring them as neces- results.
sary. What is known, at least to the librarians and
The black librarians are tasked with the library’s those who study them, is that the calculation
doorways. Whilst this covers the doors within will, one day, reveal some grand truth about the
the library itself, more importantly, it also deals universe as a whole. Matters of the soul, the
with the doorways out into the real world. They written word, entropy, and information play
keep the doors open (or at least open-able) on into it. The calculation is far from complete, but
their side, and construct further doors into the every day the vast information-processing ma-
real world wherever sufficient knowledge accu- chinery of the Library - through which the
mulates. librarians scurry like ants through a glass maze -
The white librarians deal with corralling souls. explores and finalizes ever more specific details,
The library attracts visitors, and is not without and over the course of centuries the entire an-
its dangers. The white librarians collect and swer is brought into focus.
manage these souls, filing them away as if they
were perfectly normal books. These souls,
now compressed into a simple, easily managed
form, become phantoms.
Lastly, the grey librarians see to it that the
Great Avernian Calculation be continued,
maintaining the Calculation Engines, Phantom
Databanks and Sheol Computer itself.
11
Section 2: The Tables
Part 2: The Tables

12
Locations Details
(roll d20+ Depth) (roll d20+ Depth)
1) Entrance Foyer (p. 17) 1) Empty (p. 33)
2) Catalogue of Contents (p. 17) 2) Treasure-pile (p. 33)
3) Help Desk (p. 17) 3) Notes (p. 33)
4) Reading Lounge (p. 17) 4) Oriental Rug (p. 34)
5) Chained Lectern (p. 17) 5) Candles (p. 34)
6) Display Case (p. 18) 6) Webs (p. 34)
7) Ink Vats (p. 18) 7) Fireplace (p. 34)
8) Map Gallery (p. 18) 8) Lamp-Post (p. 34)
9) Boiler-room (p. 19) 9) Gas Lamps (p. 34)
10) Auditorium (p. 19) 10) Glass Tubes (p. 34)
11) Skeleton Collection (p. 19) 11) Staircase (p. 34)
12) Chapel (p. 20) 12) Candle-sticks (p. 35)
13) Tea-room (p. 20) 13) Portcullis (p. 35)
14) Statuary (p. 20) 14) Scrolls (p. 35)
15) Stuffed Animals (p. 20) 15) Funeral Urns (p. 35)
16) Mausoleum (p. 21) 16) Turning Gears (p. 35)
17) Storage Vault (p. 21) 17) Vault (p. 36)
18) Planetarium (p. 22) 18) Chained Books (p. 36)
19) Calculation Engine (p. 23) 19) Too Small (p. 36)
20) Phantom Databanks (p. 24) 20) Phosphorescent Lamps (p. 36)
21) Spider Trapdoor (p. 24) 21) Stacked Papers (p. 36)
22) Printing Machine (p. 25) 22) Negligible Gravity (p. 37)
23) Ossuary (p. 25) 23) Silent (p. 37)
24) Syphon of Phantoms (p. 25) 24) Letters (p. 38)
25) Steam vents (p. 26) 25) Spirit Illumination (p. 38)
26) Paper Beehive (p. 26) 26) Too Large (p. 38)
27) Furnace (p. 27) 27) Haunted (p. 39)
28) Holding Pen (p. 27) 28) Smoking (p. 40)
29) Phantom Pumps (p. 27) 29) Spirit Tubes (p. 40)
30) Infernal Gateway (p. 28) 30) Watchful (p. 40)
31) Jarred Brains (p. 29) 31) Morbid (p. 40)
32) Dissection Theatre (p. 30) 32) Time-locked (p. 40)
33) Mummy Vault (p. 20) 33) Semi-corporeal (p. 40)
34) Sheol Computer (p. 31) 34) Doorway Out (p. 41)
35 or more) Re-roll (d20+d12+2) 35 or more) Tangled Passages (p. 41)
13
Random Events (roll d20 or d12)

1. Something turns up; it is unfriendly. Roll instead the creature who’s home you
for an encounter. found comes back.
2. Something turns up; it’s merely curious. 13. A cache of hidden treasure is found
Roll for an encounter. under the floorboards! Roll for what the
3. Something is disturbed while eating or treasure is.
reading. Roll for an encounter. 14. A cache of hidden treasure is found in a
4. A fight or argument spills into the loca- chest of drawers! Roll for what it is.
tion. Roll two encounters, they’re al- 15. An extraordinary book is found on one
ready fighting each other before the of the shelves! Roll for what it is.
players get involved. 16. A set of detailed notes on the library’s
5. Something’s territory is disturbed and it layout, left by previous researchers, is
defends its lair, office, etc. Roll for an found! Add d4 to the party’s progress.
encounter. If more than one of a thing 17. A bookshelf swings out from the wall to
shows up, double the amount. reveal a secret passage! It leads some-
6. Something turns up, badly injured, total- where else on the map-draw a line lead-
ly lost or otherwise at a disadvantage. ing to a previously explored location,
Roll for an encounter. ideally one less deep than the current
7. Something is returning to its home, location.
office, etc, and is surprised to find PCs 18. An ominous locked door is found. If it
here. Roll for an encounter. can be opened (lockpicking, force, etc) it
8. An unexpected gust of wind extin- leads to a location d6+1 layers deeper.
guishes any exposed flames such as 19. A spiral staircase is found behind one of
candles, torches etc. the shelves! It leads back to where the
9. The PCs become disoriented and lose PCs first entered.
track of their position. Reduce their 20. Behind the party, the bookshelves rear-
progress by 1. range themselves, blocking their route
10. An ominous ticking can be heard from back! Erase one of the exits .
beneath the floorboards. Nothing hap-
pens yet. Next time an Event is rolled in
this location, roll two events instead.
11. Footprints, litter, research notes or other
signs of passage are found. Roll an en-
counter to see what left them. The next
encounter in this location will be with
that.
12. Something’s empty home or office is
found. Roll for treasure and an extraor-
dinary book for what’s there, and roll an
encounter to see what lives there. The
thing’s not home currently. Next time
you’d roll an encounter in this location,
14
Encounters for Visitors Encounters for Intruders

(roll d20 + depth) (roll d20 + depth)
1. A Black Librarian (p. 43) 1. A Black Librarian (p. 43)
2. D6 Visitors (p. 45) 2. D6+6 Tooth-wardens (p. 52)
3. A Giant Bookworm (p. 45) 3. A Giant Bookworm (p. 45)
4. D4 Red Librarians (p. 43) 4. D4 Red Librarians (p. 43)
5. A Rust Moth (p. 45) 5. A Rust Moth (p. 45)
6. A Dust Elemental (p. 45) 6. A Dust Elemental (p. 45)
7. A Lantern-Bearer (p. 46) 7. A Lantern-Bearer (p. 46)
8. D6 Skeleton Crew (p. 46) 8. D4 Furious Books (p. 46)
9. 2d6 Paper Bees (p. 47) 9. 2d6 Paper Bees (p. 47)
10. An Origami Golem (p. 47) 10. A Guardian Shade (p. 47)
11. D6 Yellow Librarians (p. 43) 11. D6 Yellow Librarians (p. 43)
12. D4 Ogre Spiders (p. 47) 12. D4 Ogre Spiders (p. 47)
13. D4 Researchers (p. 48) 13. A Phantom (p. 44)
14. D6 Obsidian Marmosets (p. 49) 14. D6 Floating Brains (p. 48)
15. A Bandersnatch (p. 49) 15. A Bandersnatch (p. 49)
16. A Flock of d6+1 Animate Books (p. 50) 16. A Flock of d6+1 Animate Books (p. 50)
17. A Lost Soul (p. 50) 17. A Lost Soul (p. 50)
18. D6 Black Librarians (p. 43) 18. D6 Black Librarians (p. 43)
19. An Ink Elemental and d4 Inkblots (p. 19. A Skull-warden and 2d6 Tooth-wardens
51) (p. 52)
20. An Animate Spell (p. 53) 20. An Animate Spell (p. 53)
21. D6 red and D6 yellow Librarians (p. 43) 21. D6 red and D6 yellow Librarians (p. 43)
22. A Neurovore (p. 54) 22. A Neurovore (p. 54)
23. A Hungry Book (p. 54) 23. A Hungry Book (p. 54)
24. 2d6 Lantern-Bearers (p. 46) 24. 2d6 Floating Brains (p. 48)
25. An Archivist-Lich (p. 55) 25. An Infernal Merchant (p. 56)
26. An Escaped Fiction (p. 57) 26. An Escaped Fiction (p. 57)
27. A Throng of d6 Phantoms (p. 44) 27. A Throng of d6 Phantoms (p. 44)
28. D6 White Librarians (p. 43) 28. D6 White Librarians (p. 43)
29. 2d6 Crawling Things (p. 58) 29. 2d6 Crawling Things (p. 58)
30. 2d6 Educated Rodents (p. 58) 30. A Patrolling Apparition (p. 59)
31. An Eye Sentinel (p. 60) 31. An Eye Sentinel (p. 60)
32. D6 Grey Librarians (p. 43) 32. D6 Grey Librarians (p. 43)
33. A Black Ooze (p. 60) 33. A Black Ooze (p. 60)
34. A Conceptual Well (p. 61) 34. A Conceptual Well (p. 61)
35 or more. Roll again, d20+d10+d6-2, 35 or more. Roll again, d20+d10+d6-2,
don’t add Depth. don’t add Depth.
Use the column for ‘visitors’ initially. Use the column for ‘intruders’ once the PCs
have pissed off the librarians enough to warrant a hostile response.
15
Section 3: Location
Part 2: Locations
16
The paperwork is largely useless to the PCs.
Entrance Foyer It details things like supplies in the library,
A small room, lit with candles, furnished with rotas for the librarians, and so on. There’s
mahogany and brass. Seating, and a ‘Wait enough useful information here, however,
Here’ sign. A desk facing towards the real that it can help with finding specific infor-
world for the Library’s staff. 50% chance the mation. Each turn spent going through the
desk is currently manned by a Black Librarian records increases progress by 1, up to a maxi-
(p. 43). mum of +3.
On the desk, there’s a bell to ring for atten- 75% chance that the desk is manned by a
tion. Roll an encounter for what turns up Yellow Librarian (p. 43). The librarian is, in
every time the players ring it. fact, genuinely helpful.
Reading Lounge
A comfortable room, with richly upholstered
couches, and elegant coffee tables. Cigar
smoke and notebooks. 50% of encounters
will be with Visitors, Researchers, Lost Souls
or Archivist-liches.
Catalogue of Contents Chained Lectern

Chained onto a lectern, a single huge book
An ornate lectern, raised on a slight platform.
with pages the size of a human torso, bound
On it, open, a large book.. Each corner of the
in black leather.
book’s cover is fastened to the lectern, and
The catalogue lists what books are stored
the lectern is bolted to the floor. When no-
nearby, and where. The instructions and di-
body is observing it, it gives a soft creak or
rections given are confusing to follow; the
gentle rattle, as if straining against restraints.
PCs can get a picture of what’s nearby but
Roll random Extraordinary Book (p. 64) for
actually tracking things down will be difficult.
what the book on the lectern is.
Consulting it for a turn allows one of the
This version, however, is dangerous. Reading
following benefits:
it results in paper-cuts as the pages twist awk-
• Increase the party’s Progress score by 5. wardly beneath your fingers, dealing 1 dam-
This benefit can be gained only once per age for each turn spent reading. If two cor-
piece of information sought. ners of the book are unfastened (perhaps in
• Roll a random Extraordinary Book (p. order to remove it), the book animates and
64). The next time the party discovers an rips itself free of its bindings.
Extraordinary Book, this will be with it. Furious Book: 3 HD, 12 HP, Armour as
Once the party rolls the same Extraordi- leather, slam (+0, d6 and Intelligence Drain), saves
nary Book a second time, that is all that as fighter 3. Can levitate. Immune to poison, cold,
can be found. backstabs and other things that need the victim to be
alive. Double damage from fire.
Each successful hit by the book permanently
Help Desk reduces the victim’s Intelligence by 1: each
In an alcove, a small desk, laden with papers. time this happens, the book gains another
Shelves behind it stuffed with more paper- chapter and a half-inch of thickness.
work. Lit by an oil lamp.
17
Display Case Ink Vats

A glass-fronted case to display valuable or Large brass vats of ink, the tops open to the
interesting exhibits. Roll a d20 for what: air, stirred slowly by a clockwork whisk that
1. Butterflies pinned to card. hangs from the ceiling. Five vats total,
2. Snake skins. providing black, red, green, blue and infernal
3. Various bits of a dead saint - teeth, fin- ink.
gerbones, bits of hair. Enough to recon- On the sides of each vat is a tap, labelled, that
struct the entire saint if assembled. allows you to refill an inkwell or bottle from
4. Exotic hats. the vat.
5. Dried, pressed flowers. The black ink is mundane.
6. Deep-sea fish, squid, jellyfish and The red ink stings when touched: anything
worms, all in jars of slightly yellow- written on flesh in it appears as if a it were a
tinted preservative. birthmark or scar.
7. Spiders pinned to cards, their webs en- The green ink permanently stains anything it
cased in blocks of glass. touches, and can never be washed off.
8. Interesting shoes. The blue ink is invisible during the daytime.
9. Surgical tools through the ages. The infernal ink can be used to write infernal
10. Ancient pottery and glassware. contracts. Any contract written in this ink is
11. Glass eyes. magically binding. Every signatory on the
12. Candlesticks and lamps. contract instinctively knows if anybody else
13. Ancient coins. has broken the contract as soon as it hap-
14. Signet rings of various noble houses, pens.
some from exotic lands or the distant 1-in-6 encounters here will always be with an
past. Ink Elemental oozing out of the vats (P. 51).
15. Fabulous masks.
16. Paraphernalia for consuming narcotics.
17. Prosthetic limbs. Map Gallery
18. Vials of blood from various animals. A number of maps on the walls, in picture
19. Samples of strange rocks and minerals. frames. Some depict familiar lands. Others,
20. Exotic herbs and spices. more exotic places such as Voivodja, Leng,
Anything on display is either very old, very Ynn or Laputa. There’s a 1-in-6 chance that
rare, or from very far away; possibly even all there’s a map of any particular exotic country
three. As a result, if take and sold to a collec- that the PCs might wish to explore in future,
tor in the real world, the items on display are or have visited in the past.
worth at least 100 silver multiplied by the If the PCs are looking for information about
display’s depth. an exotic location, then observing the map
gallery for a turn will give them clues: they
add 2 to their Progress score.
18
Boiler Room Auditorium

A room devoid of bookshelves. Against one A large room empty of bookshelves, semi-
wall, a huge black-iron furnace, over which a circular in shape. In the middle of the flat
tank of water boils. Large pipes channel the side, there is a small stage with a desk and,
steam elsewhere in the Library. behind it, a large blackboard. Around this in
If the boiler itself is broken (which will take half-circles are rings of benches, each row a
some skilled sabotage, or 20 damage in one few feet higher than the one in front.
go), it ruptures and bursts, dealing 4d6 dam-
age to all in the room.
Steam vents on the front of the boiler or the Skeleton Collection
pipes that snake away from it can be damaged Around a dozen skeletons in glass cases.
or released: the blast of steam that issues Wired into position. Labelled neatly.
deals d6 damage. Damage to the steam pipes Roll a d10 for what skeletons there are:
can have a similar result. 1. Babies
A successful save vs dragon breath halves the 2. Children
damage taken. 3. Human adults
4. Human mutants
5. Birds
6. Snakes
7. Long-extinct monsters
8. Fish
9. Giants
10. Apes
19
Chapel
A long room supposedly dedicated to reli-
gious devotion. A high arched ceiling, sup-
ported by pillars. Rows of pews, and at the
front a pulpit before the altar.
The pulpit has, built in, a small lectern with
an Extraordinary Book resting on it: roll for
which (p. 64).
The altar is a simple affair, with the suitable Statuary
trappings of a common faith - maybe a cruci- A long gallery, filled with several dozen stat-
fix and candles, perhaps a bowl and sacrificial ues on pedestals. Each life-size. Most reclin-
knife, depending on the religion. ing, seated or otherwise relaxed. Each worth
Under the altar, there are a few stored trin- 300 silver multiplied by the room’s depth;
kets; roll for Treasure (p. 66). being a life-sized statue, getting one out will
be tricky.
If the party is looking for a specific person,
50% chance there’s a statue of them here.
Any corpse brought here slowly turns to
stone over the course of a turn. Anybody
sleeping or unconscious here likewise turns to
stone after a night-cycle’s worth of sleep.
The statues are all have a neat brass plate
labelling their pedestal, detailing the subject.
Tea-Room If looking for information about a historical
A small, well furnished room. Comfortable figure, 50% chance there’s a statue of them
chairs, low tables. Cosy. here, and if there is increase the Progress
To one side, there’s tables against the wall score by 1.
with food and drink, and the chinaware and
cutlery required. Roll 3 d10s for what:
1. Scones, jam and cream. Stuffed Animals
2. Cake. A gallery full of taxidermied animals, dis-
3. Sandwiches. played alongside detailed information. The
4. Port and sherry. animals are all interesting in some way: rare,
5. Cheese and biscuits. foreign, extinct, mythical.
6. Tea. If looking for information about a particular
7. Cocktails. type of animal or legendary beast, 50%
8. Coffee. chance there’s a taxidermied example here. If
9. Fried breakfasts. there is, increase the Progress score by 1.
10. Pastries - croissants etc.
Every time the party visits the room, re-roll
what food is present: Red Librarians re-stock
the room periodically.
20
Lastly, roll 3d20s to see what mundane mate-

Mausoleum rials are stored here:
Among the bookshelves, a large stone sar- 1. Sheaves of blank paper.
cophagus. A rectangular block of stone, 2. Janitorial Equipment.
carved into rococo flutes and scrolls. The top 3. Sealing wax.
has an inscription, and can be lifted up. 4. Unused furniture.
Within, there is a skeletal corpse, and roll for 5. Woodworking tools.
Treasure (p. 66) twice to see what else got 6. Empty glass globes and bottles.
interred with them. 7. Candles.
8. Sawdust.
9. Ladders.
10. Paint and brushes.
Storage Vault 11. The hooded monastic robes of the Li-
Behind a closed, locked door, the material brarians.
treasures of the Library are stored. The door’s 12. Barrels full of human teeth.
lock will need to be picked, or else the door 13. Dyed leather.
broken down to get in. 14. Salt.
Within, there are a wealth of materials in 15. Glass tubes.
marked cases. 16. Pens and similar stationary.
Roll for Treasure (p. 66) twice to see any 17. Metalworking tools.
items of particular interest that are here. In 18. Books that need repairing.
addition, there are rare materials - pigments, 19. Books that need replacing.
silk, semiprecious stones, etc - worth 100 20. Vats of ice.
silver multiplied by the depth of the room.
21
Lastly, re-setting the position of the orrery
Planetarium has a distorting effect on the time-stream.
A high domed ceiling, onto which lanterns Those present find their state re-set to the
project dots of light that resemble alien con- time shown on the orrery. If they set it to a
stellations. point in the past, then the consequences of
In the centre of the room, a large clockwork events after that point are negated for those
orrery modelling the solar system. A lamp present- injuries disappear, curses were never
burning in the centre, and long arms that bestowed, healing never happened, etc etc.
hold model planets, moons and comets in Likewise, if set forwards, then any healing,
place. The whole thing clicks and grinds as it ageing, disease etc that might happen in the
slowly turns. time set forward occurs immediately.
The planetarium moves to represent accurate- The orrery can go forward or backwards in
ly the position of the celestial bodies outside increments of one round, turn, hour, day,
in the real world. It can, however, be manual- week, month, year or century.
ly re-set to a past or future position of the The time-stream for the rest of the world
celestial bodies. remains unaffected: only the PCs party skips
Bookshelves at ground level contain infor- back or forward in time.
mation on astronomy and astrology.
Anybody who uses the planetarium to cast an

astrological horoscope for the subject of
information they are seeking adds d6 to their
Progress score. Furthermore, if they roll a
d20 under their intelligence, they may ask a
single yes-or-no question about the subject of
the horoscope and get an accurate answer.
22

Calculation Engine If the players input a fact that is known
to be true (which is to say, correctly
The shelves give way to a huge machine made recorded as factual in any book any-
of clockwork and steam pumps. Incredibly where in the world), the response is:
complex, the machine hisses, creaks, clicks
and turns. ###Data Confirmed###
There is a terminal in the front-centre of the
calculation engine. Tiles marked with letters a
-z, numbers 0-9 and punctuation, that can be  If the players input a fact that is known
pushed. to be false (which is to say, correctly
Above the tiles, there is a slot from which refuted in any book anywhere in the
emerges a long ribbon of paper that winds world), the response is:
down into a pile on the floor, like ticker-tape.
A mechanical pen writes onto the paper rib- ###Data Contradictory###
bon as more is extruded.
It is, effectively, a mechanical computer, us-  If the players input a question that has
ing gears and valves rather than electrical an answer in any book anywhere in the
components. It is only one part of a much world, the machine responds by naming
greater whole that lies in a huge network the closest book which contains an an-
spread through the library. swer. They get +1 Progress if the ques-
Pushing a tile results in a series of clicks and tion asked is related to the information
new wheels within the machine starting to they are looking for. This +1 Progress
turn. You can type things into the engine applies for each related question they
using these tiles. ask, each getting the response of a new
Anything the players type in is input to the book, until they have a list of 6 books
calculation engine. The output will be written (and so a total of +6 progress). After
on the paper ribbon, extruded out into the this, the calculation engine begins to
pile. The players can read the response, which repeat the same books.
will vary depending on what input they used.
Go down the list in the next column, starting
 If the players input a question to which
at the top, and use the first response that
no answer is recorded in any book any-
applies to their input.
where in the world, the response is:
###Data Not Found###
 If the players input anything which is

neither a stated fact nor a question, the
response is:
###Unknown Input###
###Recalibrating###
The Calculation Engine is attended to by d4

Grey Librarians at all times. If they are slain
or removed, more will arrive within a turn.
23
Phantom Databanks
The room contains a set of shelves against
one wall. Each shelf holds a row of glass jars.
Each jar has a set of wires emerging from it,
linking it to a small machine at the end of
each shelf that displays the pressure, tempera-
ture, emotional state and acidity of each jar’s
contents on a set of dials.
There are 30 jars in total. 24 contain a phan-
tom, the rest are currently empty. Each phan-
tom appears as a condensed mist, thrashing
wildly, flickering with colours and patterns,
glowing softly.
Opening a jar releases the contained phantom
(see page 44). It doesn’t really want things or The spider can sense the footsteps of those
have a sense of self, but in the jar it was com- walking above it as vibrations and sound. It
pressed unnaturally, and it will expand to its knows how many are present, if any are in-
full size (about that of a human) when re- jured, and how heavy they all are. From this,
leased. it can make a good guess as to who makes the
A newly released phantom is agitated and best victim. Typically, this will be whoever is
energetic. Whilst it does not have enough bringing up the rear. Sometimes, it waits for a
awareness of its surroundings to attack per se, group of victims to disperse to explore the
it will almost certainly cause problems. room, and grabs somebody who stands over
Alternatively, a phantom in a jar can be used its pit undefended.
as a dim source of light, illuminating out to a When the spider makes its move, a section of
five-foot radius. floorboards lift up, and it’s front half (face
and front legs) emerges from its pit. It grabs
its victim and tries to drag them into its pit,
Spider Trapdoor closing the lid behind it.
Under the floor of this location, there lurks a It makes a single surprise attack. If the attack
huge spider, an ambush-predator adapted for hits, the victim is pulled into the spider’s pit
the Library’s environment. It can lift up a as well as taking damage. Furthermore, there
section of floor, and emerge to grab prey, is a 3-in-6 chance that the spider does this
dragging it down to feed on. It’s burrow is quietly enough that (unless the victim states
just about big enough to fit itself, and a few that they are going to cry out) that nobody
prey (either bundled up ready to eat, or else notices it has happened unless they’re looking
one still being subdued). at the victim.
When the players first enter this location, Inside the spider’s pit, there are various valua-
describe the floor-boards as being a little bles taken from its previous victims. Roll for
uneven, and that there are strands of cobweb Treasure.
over the floor. This is the only clue they get. Trapdoor Spider: HD 4, HP 16, Armour as
If they test the floor, tell the players there is a chain, Bite (+4, d10 damage and save vs poison),
hollow space beneath. If they don’t think to saves as fighter 4.
check, it’s their own fault when they get am- 3-in-6 chance to make no noise at all when it does
bushed. something. If a victim fails their save vs the spider’s
venom, they are paralysed for a turn.
24
Printing Machine Syphon of Phantoms

A large, steam-powered printing press, its In the centre of this room is a hollow metal
operation automated. It is plumbed into the cone, narrow at its base and broad at the top,
larger structure of the Library, powered by riddled with holes the size of a finger. The
high-pressure steam piped in from the boil- whole thing is like a huge sea-sponge or coral
ers. It produces replacement pages, important made of etched metal.
paperwork and so on, which slide from the The hollow space within the conical syphon
printing press and into collection baskets. is filled with glass vials. Some are empty,
It creaks, clatters and grinds as it works. It is some contain condensed phantoms as a wrig-
in constant motion, and the piles of paper it gling turquoise mist. Thin glass tubes and
produces build up over time. wires link the vials to one another and to the
exposed plumbing of the library, like some
huge alchemist’s distillery.
Ossuary Whenever somebody dies in the library, their
A collection of bones packed tetris-style into soul is inexorably drawn towards the Syphon.
six glass-fronted display cases. Each neatly While they may only drift a few feet closer
labelled with who it was taken from, when it each day, the Syphon acts like the near-
was taken, the circumstances of their death, inescapable gravity-well of a black hole in the
and what killed them. spiritual plane. A few souls, not yet converted
Of the bones present, only a handful are to phantoms, can be seen hanging in the air
from somebody interesting enough to be of as dim shimmers, oozing closer to the Sy-
value. There are d4 interesting bones in each phon inch-by-inch.
case, each bone worth 10 silver multiplied by A soul that is sucked into the syphon is
the location’s depth. drawn through its various channels and tubes,
Trying to remove the bones will involve compressed and distorted and rendered down
smashing open or unlocking the display cases. by the process until only a phantom remains.
This releases the Bone Beast within: an ani- Once this process is complete (which takes a
mated swarm of bones of indistinct for- few minutes) the machine gives a cheerful
mation that behaves like a cross between a ‘DING!’ and another glass vial is filled with
swarm of hornets and a small landslide. Just the new phantom.
hundred of bones all battering whoever tried
to steal from them. Once the Bone Beast is The room’s thanatropic machinery constantly
defeated, the valuable bones from that cabi- tugs at your soul. Death comes easily here.
net can be taken. Whenever damage is taken in this room, the
Bone Beast: HD 6, HP 12, Armour as leather, syphon deals 1 additional damage the next
Batter every nearby victim (hits automatically, d4 round as it attempts to pull vulnerable souls
damage), saves as fighter 6. free of their fleshy homes.
Swarm form reduces most physical damage to a max
of 1, area attacks do double damage.
Undead, with all the vulnerabilities and immunities
which that implies. Cannot be backstabbed due to
lack of vulnerable anatomy.
25
1. The consumer can speak to and under-
Steam Vents stand any insects, mundane or other-
Here, the steam-pipes that thread through the wise.
library are exposed. A large valve is set into 2. The consumer can see into the ultravio-
the wall, that can be opened or closed by let spectrum, allowing them to see
turning a huge wheel. If the valve is opened, through most camouflage and to per-
the steam from the pipes is vented into the ceive electrical charges by the ultraviolet
room, dealing d6 damage to everybody pre- glow they produce.
sent as it scalds them and filling the room 3. The consumer’s skeleton becomes brit-
with blinding fog. tle. -2 HP, permanently, to a minimum
Even if the vents aren’t fully opened, smaller of 1.
pressure valves constantly release little bursts 4. Subtle yellow-and-black bands appear
of steam into the room. The air is humid, hot on the consumer’s skin.
and thick with mist, allowing those present to 5. The consumer sprouts a sting over the
re-roll failed rolls to hide in the mist. course of the next few days. It can be
Because of the damp air, the books here are used as a weapon, with a successful hit
all protected by a thin layer of wax, or else doing 2d12 damage to both the victim
etched into paper-thin sheets of metal. Bring- and the consumer (as the sting is
ing in normal paper books will ruin them wrenched free, bringing their viscera
rapidly. with it).
6. The consumer’s body becomes light and
filled with hollow spaces. Halve all fall-
Paper Beehive ing damage.
The room here has been infested with ver- 7. The consumer sprouts two pairs of
min; bees the size of a human hand. They transparent wings from their shoulder
have built a hive against one wall out of pa- blades, allowing them to hover a few
pier-mâché, layers of pages built up into a feet above the floor.
blister-like nest twelve feet across that 8. The consumer’s skin hardens into a
stretches from floor to ceiling. brittle exoskeleton. +1 AC.
Although the entrances the bees use are only There are 20 mouthfuls of honey in the hive.
a few inches across, you can get into the bee- In the room, there are 2d6 bees on guard. So
hive pretty easily, simply by cutting through long as the PCs don’t harm the guard-bees or
its paper walls. Within, chambers the size of a their hive, the bees will ignore them. If a fight
human head contain eggs, larvae, dormant is started, d8 bees emerge from the hive each
bees, and the Black Honey that the bees round. The first time an 8 is rolled, then 8
make. If the entire hive is ransacked, there are bees emerge and their queen comes with
6 pints of Black Honey. them. There are 120 bees and their queen in
Black Honey is made without flowers: instead total.
the bees harvest ink from open books and Bee: HD 1, HP 3, Armour as leather, sting (+1,
blood from corpses. Over time, the honey is d8 damage to the bee and its victim) saves as fighter
condensed and refined, producing a sub- 1.
stance dense with magical potential. Roll a d8 Queen Bee: HD 4, HP 12, Armour as leather,
for anybody who consumes it to see what sting (+4, d8 damage to the bee and its victim) saves
changes it works upon them: as fighter 4.
26
one of the phantoms encountered here is that
Furnace soul is 1-in-10.
A metal chamber filled with coal burns fierce- Each turn either d4 more phantoms arrive in
ly, its heat used elsewhere to power steam the pen, deposited by the tubes, or d4 are
engines or warm the library. Opening the sucked out into the library’s plumbing.
shutters to the furnace produces a blast of There’s a 50% chance that the first encounter
hot air that deals d6 damage to those directly here will be with d6 white librarians.
in front of it. Actually going inside the fur-
nace does 4d6 damage a round.
Phantom Pumps
Built into the wall of this room is a huge
Holding Pen steam-powered machine, made of black iron,
Within this room, a huge glass vat is set up, all tubes and pistons and valves. It serves to
like the fish-tank in an aquarium. Copper pump phantoms around the library to where
tubes connect it to the rest of the library’s they’re needed. The whole contraption clanks
plumbing. A single brass hatch is set in one and groans constantly as it moves.
side, that can be opened from the outside but There is a control panel nearby, with various
not from within. The hatch is locked. dials, switches and levers to control what the
Within, there are d10 phantoms hanging like pumps send where. A single white librarian is
oily smears in the air. If the soul of a specific here, manning the controls.
person is sought by the PCs, the chance that
27
Roll a d6, d8 and d10 for it’s specifics.
Infernal Gateway The d6 determines its appearance. It is:
This room contains, as well as the normal 1. Angelic
exits, a single huge horrible doorway. Made of 2. A goat-human hybrid.
gnarled dark wood set into a stone frame, 3. A bat-human hybrid.
with black iron hinges and a sturdy lock. The 4. Serpentine.
whole thing - door, frame and lock - is en- 5. Corpselike.
graved with the sort of horrible sigils that 6. Perfectly human looking other than tiny
hurt to look at for too long. horns.
The doorway leads to hell.
Each turn, there is a chance that a minor The d8 determines its role in the infernal
devil will come through the doorway. This hierarchy. It is:
chance depends on how depraved the PCs 1. A thrall.
are (sin attracts the devils): check the list of 2. A lawyer.
sins below for the chance. 3. A librarian.
 Trespassing into another’s home, petty 4. A jailer.
theft and other minor crimes give a 1-in- 5. A torturer.
6 chance. 6. A tempter of mortals.
7. A financier.
 Serious theft, such as armed robbery, 8. A diplomat to other realms.
grave-robbing, extortion and so on gives
a 2-in-6 chance.
The d10 determines a special ability the devil
 Unnecessary violence or mayhem (such possesses.
as arson, pointlessly attacking people, or 1. Can turn any object to solid gold by
acts designed to outrage the public) touching it, at will.
results in a 3-in-6 chance. 2. Can grant a single wish in exchange for a
 Murdering people results in a 4-in-6 mortal’s soul upon death.
chance. 3. Can transform into a cloud of flies.
 Wilful sadism and cruelty - such as tor- 4. Can transform into a harmless-looking
ture, murder out of spite and so on - animal.
gives a 5-in-6 chance. 5. Can mimic the appearance of the view-
If a devil shows up, it has the following basic er’s loved-ones.
statistics: 6. Touch drains memory (d12 damage to
HD 2d4, HP 2 per, HD Armour as chain, Whip/ intelligence).
claws/pitchfork/flensing knife (bonus to-hit same as 7. Can teleport short distances in a puff of
hit-dice, d8 damage), saves as fighter of equal HD. smoke.
Halve damage not from holy, magical, or silver weap- 8. Can locate the soul of a specified indi-
ons. Double damage from holy sources. Immune to vidual unerringly.
mind-control that doesn’t specifically target infernal 9. Immune to fire.
beings. 10. Casts charm person when it shakes your
hand.
The devil wants you to damn yourself. It will
seem helpful until you anger it. Everything it
offers has an unforeseen price.
28
Of the brains present, at least one (perhaps
Jarred Brains more) will be an intellectual figure (recent or
The shelves here are lined with glass jars, historical) known to the PCs. 1-in-4 chance
each filled with a clear fluid. Floating in the that it’s somebody directly connected to the
fluid is an intact human brain, with wires subject of the PCs’ research. Conversing with
linking where the spinal column would be to this figure might answer all sorts of questions,
a small mechanism set in the jar’s base. Each and adds 4 to the party’s progress score if
jar is labelled to say who’s brain it contains, their area of knowledge is relevant. Being
and when they were interred. stuck in a jar has almost certainly given the
Each jar’s fluid is a nutrient solution designed brain a long time to spend in self-reflection
to keep the brain within alive. Occasionally, a with little external stimulus. It has no doubt
bubble rises to the surface as the jar’s mecha- become deeply strange in its outlook and
nisms keep the fluid oxygenated. The mecha- priorities.
nism links to a small metal grille in front of The remaining brains are split roughly evenly
the jar; this is how the brain within communi- between those incapable of intelligible com-
cates, in a tinny, staticky voice. The brains are munication due to language barriers, those
torpid and dormant as the PCs enter, but can incapable of intelligible communication due
be roused by - for example - shaking their jars to total jar-induced madness, those unable to
or speaking directly into the grille at the front be roused from their torpor, and those with
of their jar. little worth saying.
A brain-in-a-jar exists in a weird halfway state
between life and death. It is affected just as
easily by magic that affects the living, the
dead and the undead.
1-in-4 encounters here will always be with
Floating Brains (P. 48).
29
Dissection Theatre Mummy Vault

A surgical table sits in the centre of this This is where dead librarians go. Each is dried
room, illuminated by bright lights and sur- out, treated with the same chemicals used to
rounded by seating for spectators. This is a preserve the books, and wrapped in a tight
space where researchers can take apart bodies shroud. The shelves are packed with little
(alive or dead) to see what’s inside them. corpses swaddled up in off-white grave-
Sometimes there is an audience when this cloths. It smells of natron and vinegar here.
happens, but always a grey librarian taking The dead librarians won’t rise, ever.
notes.
Roll a d4 for who’s present when the PCs
arrive.
1. Nobody.
2. A pair of black librarians preparing or
cleaning up after a dissection.
3. A neurovore performing a dissection,
watched by 2d4 visitors and a grey li-
brarian.
4. An archivist-lich performing a dissec-
tion, observed only by a grey librarian.
Roll a d12 for what’s being dissected.
1. A human baby.
2. A monkey.
3. A large spider.
4. A pregnant ape.
5. An injured human youth.
6. An elderly human.
7. A goat.
8. A large shark.
9. The egg of a huge serpent.
10. A vampire, staked to keep it dormant.
11. A lobotomized elf.
12. An octopus.
1-in-4 chance the subject is still alive.
30
The possible inputs and responses are as
Sheol Computer follows:
The Sheol Computer is the heart of the li-
brary, the vast machine whose calculation  All of those for a Calculation engine (P.
drives everything else that happens here. 23)
The computer fills the entire room. Mostly, it
is a tangle of thin glass tubes and valves And also:
through which phantoms flow like electricity  If the players include a dead person’s
through a computer’s circuit-boards. Other, name in their input, the computer will
more odd, components are present though. state their date and cause of death.
There are a few each of::
 Clockwork engines that tick up the  If the players include a living person’s
count of souls in the machine. name in their input, the computer will
 Human brains wired into the computer. state their most likely cause of death and
 Collections of dials and displays, allow- then:
ing the white librarians to monitor the 
computer’s workings. ###Date Unknown###
As well as this, there are one each of the
following components:
For PCs, pick a cause of death that is most
 A huge canvas screen onto which is likely for that PC. The character takes maxi-
projected text that reflects what the mum damage from that danger, always fails
computer is currently working on. The all saves against it, is always the first affected
text flickers and scrolls past almost too by it, and so on.
fast to make out.
 A keyboard, with the letters A-Z, num-  If the players include the name of a
bers 0-9, and punctuation, which can be deity, demon, angel, fairy or other im-
used to input text to the computer. mortal being in their input, the comput-
If text is inputted with the keyboard, it ap- er will list the date of their death as the
pears on the screen, followed by the comput- accurate date of the end of the world,
er’s response. and the cause as ‘Armageddon’.
 If the players ask about the purpose of

the library of the computer, it simply
answers:
###Entropic Transcendence.###
The Sheol Computer is attended to by d8

white librarians at all times. Damaging it will
earn the enmity of all librarians, forever.
31
Section 4: Location Details
Part 3: Location Details

32
 “I Hate Ghosts.”

Empty  “I left the index here.” (It’s long-gone).
The shelves are bare, and there is no furniture
 “This should be obvious, but don’t trust
or fittings. The place is totally empty.
the devils, they screwed me and they’ll
screw you too.”
Treasure-Pile  “The brains and the brain-eaters are
both at war with the librarians. And each
On one shelf, a little stack of treasure. 3d6 x
10 gold coins in various denominations, and other.”
roll for treasure twice (p. 66)  “Deeper in, there are more doors lead-
ing to other places!”
 “You can get to Hell from here. Can
Notes you come here from Hell? Could this
A previous visitor has written something. place let you escape Death Itself?”
Perhaps it’s a note pinned to the shelves or a  “For crying out loud, don’t set anything
little moleskin to collect their observations. on fire.”
If there’s some threat inherent to the loca-  “Beware the Bandersnatch, my friend!
tion, the graffiti warns about it. If there’s Just give it what it wants, or kill it like
something valuable that could be salvaged any other fairy.”
inherent to the location, the graffiti points it
 “The ink is alive! It’s everywhere, watch-
out. In addition, roll three d20s for what else
ing and waiting! Is civilization
the graffiti says - each piece is in a different
doomed?” (Civilization will be fine).
hand.
 “I met Lady Macbeth. Like in the play.
 “The librarians come in five types: avoid
It was very weird, but if you play by her
the grey ones, bold visitor.” (true, and
rules you’re safe.”
good advice).
 “This place is evil. It should be burned
 “They tried to steal our souls!”
and destroyed.” (An understandable
 “We came in near here, look for the sentiment).
doorway out.”
 “[Robilar/Angry Fran/Baz & Dave/Ser
Jaime/Black Elsie] Was Here.”
 “The bodiless ghosts are mostly harm-
less if you leave them alone.”
 “Spiders lurk beneath the floor!”
 “The astrolabe lets you control Time
Itself!” (basically true).
 “I have forgotten something. I don’t
know what. If I try to remember, I con-
vulse and black out. If you start forget-
ting, flee or it will happen to you
too.” (A reference to Conceptual Wells).
 “I put it back! Don’t hurt me! Don’t
turn me into one of THEM!” (A refer-
ence to the dire fates that can befall
thieves here.)
33
Oriental Rug Lamp-post

A huge Persian rug lies across the floor, or- An iron lamp-post bolted to the floorboards,
nate in its pattern and probably over a centu- with a lamp at the top that illuminates the
ry old. Worth 50 silver multiplied by the shelves nearby.
depth of the location.
Gas Lamps
Candles The location is lit by a number of gas-lamps
Candles stuck onto the tops of the book- fixed to the walls, fed gas by delicate copper
shelves, and on every table. Old, fat, dribbly. pipes that run along the skirting-boards. If
Once-molten wax pools and cracks on the the gas is let out into the room, it can be
floor and forms glossy white speleothems on made to explode by lighting it, dealing 3d6
the walls. Needless to say, the room is well lit. damage (Save vs Breath halves) to everybody
present.
Webs
The place is thick with cobwebs, stretching Glass Tubes
across the corridors and over the books The room is criss-crossed with glass tubes
themselves. Getting through, or getting to the fastened to the ceiling and walls, and that
books, is perfectly easy, since the webs break snake over the tops of the shelves. Roll two
as soon as you push through them, but it’s a d8s for what the tubes carry:
little unpleasant none-the-less. The first en-  Ink
counter here is always with several mundane,  Steam
harmless spiders.
 Molten wax
 Gas, for lamps and so on
Fireplace  Hot water
The location is lit by a roaring fire in a grate,  Petrol
with a bucket of coal nearby as well as tongs,  Brandy
pokers and so on.
Where the chimney opens out, its impossible
 Pressurized air.
to say; you’ll get stuck or die from smoke
inhalation long before you escape.
However, if more than one location has been
Staircase
generated with a fireplace, you can use the The location is built not on a flat floor but
chimneys to travel between them. Climb into instead on the sides of a long spiral staircase
the chimney of one, and you can climb out of that goes down several hundred feet; the
the chimney of the other. If the players try party always enters at the top. Falling down
this before a second such location is generat- the stairs d6 damage for every 20 feet fallen.
ed, instead it links to another location with a Pushing somebody down the stairs requires a
fireplace; roll a d12 for depth and then roll roll to hit, and they get a Save vs Paralysis to
the location randomly. avoid falling by grabbing onto something.
34
Candle-sticks Funeral Urns

The location is lit by candles in big three- Each shelf ends with a china urn containing
pronged candle-sticks that can be picked up the ashes of a former visitor to the library,
and carried about. labelled with their name, and the date of their
death. If the party are looking for a specific
person, there’s a 1-in-10 chance that one of
Portcullis the urns contains their remains (or at least
The location lies behind a huge portcullis that claims to).
must be broken down (requiring an Open
Doors roll or similar feat of strength) or else
have the lock picked (similarly requiring a Turning Gears
roll). Otherwise, cunning or strange solutions One wall has affixed to it an array of clock-
must be found, or else the party must go back work gears, some delicate and as small as a
to the previous location. thumb-tack and some as big as a cartwheel
By way of temptation, roll for a Treasure (p. and all manner somewhere in between, which
66) that can be glimpsed on the other side of interlink and turn slowly with an irregular
the portcullis. ticking sound. The gears link into a greater
mechanism below the floor or above the
ceiling.
Scrolls Getting pushed into the gears, or sticking part
Rather than books, the shelves here hold of yourself in, deals 2d6 damage.
scrolls rolled neatly and fitted into tubular
cases.
35
Vault Phosphorescent Lamps

The location is within a locked vault, behind a The room is lit by a number of glass orbs
strong iron door. The contents of the vault suspended from the ceiling, each of which
are summarized in a neat sign above the door. gives off a soft blue-green glow. The atmos-
To get in, you’ll need to open the door by phere is relaxed and cool.
picking the lock or using some other cunning
method: brute force might work but the
chances of success are halved. Stacked Papers
Once access to the vault has been gained, you Rather than books, the shelves hold stacks of
go deeper by leaving it again and continuing loose papers: mostly forms and documents,
down the corridor. formed into piles and tied into blocks with
string.
Chained Books
The books here are all chained to the shelves.
Perhaps to prevent theft, or perhaps to pre-
vent them escaping, depending on the nature
of the books.
Too Small
The room is sized for people 1/3 the size of
humans, with a ceiling only four feet high and
the books, furniture and similar things con-
tained likewise smaller. To explore, the PCs
(other than children, halflings, etc) must crawl
between the cramped shelves.
Things encountered within are sized appro-
priately, but keep the same stats: the excep-
tion is visitors from outside the library, who
are likewise too big for the location.
36
Negligible Gravity
Gravity’s effect is drastically reduced here,
much like on the moon. Things drift down-
wards rather than falling. Nobody ever suf-
fers damage from falling or having things fall
on them. Creatures can jump to great heights
and long distances; five times further than
normal. Shooting takes a -3 penalty to hit
(except at point-blanc range or with firearms),
since the drop-off of missiles is far less than
the shooter is used to.
Silent
It’s stereotypical for a library, but an air of
total silence hangs over the room. Speech is
inaudible, and even the loudest noises are
barely more than a whisper. Needless to say,
this has a number of benefits for entities
wishing to be stealthy, but means that the
incantations to cast spells are impossible.
A spellcaster who tries casting by shouting at
the top of their lungs might succeed if they
pass a strength-roll (their shouted spell is as
loud as a handkerchief hitting the ground). If
the roll is failed, they only succeed in damag-
ing their vocal chords, and if they had more
than 1 hit-point left they take 1 damage.
37
Letters Spirit Illumination

Rather than books, the location’s shelves hold The room is lit by an ingenious, if subtly
stacks of letters, most still in their envelopes. disturbing, method. Around the room are
There’s a 1-in-4 chance that, if the players are glass orbs, each containing a phantom. The
looking for information about a famous per- orb is held in a clockwork device which, every
son known for their correspondence, there is few minutes, shakes the orb gently, agitating
a letter addressed to them or written by them the phantom within and causing it to produce
present (giving them +1 progress). If there is, pulses of light that express its irritation. The
there’s a 1-in-6 chance they can find the reply, room is, therefore, lit by a constantly shifting
and then 1-in-8 that they can find the reply to and flickering glow of different colours that
that, and so on. +1 Progress for each such rises and falls as the different phantoms are
letter found. given a good shake periodically.
Too Large
The room is sized for being twice the size of
humans. The ceiling is 30 feet high, and all
the books, furniture and so on are sized for
12-foot-tall people.
Any creatures encountered in here (save for
those who are also visitors) are likewise dou-
ble-sized, but keep the same stats.
38

Haunted 
To be forgotten by mortals.
To break free of the forces binding
The room contains the echoes of a long dead them into the library.
individual that have oozed into its structure
 To learn some arcane secret.
and now controls the place. Roll a d6, a d8, a
d10, and a pair of d12s to determine the na-  To be given a proper grave.
ture of the haunting.
The d12s determine what the haunting can do
The d6 determines the immediately visible if roused. As well as these, it can always talk
signs of the haunting - things that give away in whispers to those present.
the fact that something is wrong:  Move objects about like a poltergeist.
 Shadows move even when the light Roll to hit at +3 for d6 damage if it
source doesn’t. throws them at people.
 Whispers can be heard on the edge of  Create illusions out of mist.
your hearing.  Cause wet inky writing to appear on
 The rooms smells of decay. things.
 Inky footprints and handprints appear  Alter the memories of those present in
on unattended objects and places. minor ways: a Save vs Magic resists and
alerts the victim.
 The room is unnaturally cold.
 Cause something to catch fire for a few
 There is a sense of being watched.
moments: a Save vs Breath might be
needed to avoid fire, and it does d6
The d8 determines who the dead person was:
damage.
 A mortal librarian.
 Cause ice to appear on things, potential-
 A lost child. ly freezing them in place..
 A nun.  Extinguish lights and erase text.
 A mad noblewoman.  Lock doors securely.
 A master burglar.  Speak in a loud voice.
 A pair of star-crossed lovers.  Make vermin appear: masses of flies,
 A plague-stricken doctor. cockroaches or woodlice attacking do d6
 An emotionally tormented artist. damage.
 Create gusts of wind.
The d10 determines what the dead person  Make objects collapse or fall apart. Roll
wants: to hit at +3 for d6 damage if used to
 Spiteful revenge on the living. attack.
 For the location to be left alone.
 To have the tale of their death returned
to the mortal world.
 Revenge on those they think were re-
sponsible for their death.
 To harm the library.
 To protect some book (roll a random
extraordinary book on p. 64 for which)
from being removed.
39
spurts until the tube is mended or at least
blocked up.
Watchful
The room is under constant observation.
Those present feel like they are constantly
being scrutinized, assessed and judged. Set
into the corners where wall meets ceiling,
there are four dark glass orbs, each one con-
taining a dull purple mist that swirls idly. The
mist is a phantom that has been set to watch
what happens in the room and remember it
Smoking so that its observations can be learned by the
librarians.
The room is uncomfortably warm. Smoke Halve the chance of any roll to hide or avoid
seeps into the air from cracks in the floor- notice in this location: it has been set up to
boards, from behind furniture and from any minimize hiding spots.
other crevice or gap.
It’s hard to breath in here. Each turn spent
breathing the hot, smoky air deals 1 damage. Morbid
Everything here is made of human (or human
-ish) remains: shelves are built from slats of
human bone held together through ingenious
joinery, upholstery is human leather and even
the door handles are preserved human hands.
Death is a constant presence here. Small
animals tend to lie down and die peacefully,
and people feel an urge to drift off into
dreamless sleep. If damage is taken here,
increase the amount of damage by 1. Sleeping
here heals all lost HP.
Spirit Tubes Time-locked

The room is paused in time. Unless living
The room’s ceiling has, bolted to it, a number
beings make a conscious effort to move and
of glass tubes running the length of the room.
change things, everything is in stasis.
Each tube is six inches across and contains a
While in the room, time does not progress:
glowing pink mist that surges down the tube
diseases and bleeding are halted, spell dura-
like milkshake through a drinking straw.
tions last indefinitely, sleep does not return
The tubes allow phantoms to be pumped
lost HP, and so forth. Furthermore, any
from one part of the library to another.
changes made to the room’s layout or con-
Breaking a tube lets out d6 phantoms imme-
tents reset after a turn.
diately. Each turn thereafter, another d6
phantoms will seep out of the tube in fits and
40
 Administrative records.

Semi-corporeal  Ancient tomes taken from an archaeo-
The location’s contents flicker in and out of logical site by historians.
reality, existing partially in a misty ethereal
state and partly in normal physicality. Roll a d8 for how close to your original en-
Each round, there is a 50% chance that a trance this doorway leads.
particular object in the room is treated as
 Same building.
immaterial. A shelf can be stepped through, a
book falls through the holder’s hands, and so  Same town
forth. Objects in the room remain solid to  Same county.
each other (immaterial books do not fall  Same nation.
through immaterial shelves) and the floor,  Neighbouring nation.
walls and ceiling remain solid at all times.
Any monsters found in the room likewise
 Same continent.
have a 50% chance each round to be treated  Further afield.
as immaterial by the PCs, but also treat the  Another plane of existence.
room’s contents as likewise immaterial when
this is the case.
Doorway Out
The room contains a doorway leading out to
the real world. It is set neatly into the wall,
largely incongruous but bearing a smart brass
plate that states where in the real world it
leads to. The location is manned by d4 Black
Librarians 50% of the time.
Roll a d12 for which type of library the door-

way leads to.
 A noble’s private collection of cultural
works.
 A university’s central library. Tangled Passages
 Government archives. This deep, all that can be found are a maze-
 The collected works of a localised artis- like network of largely abandoned passage-
tic movement. ways. Dust lays over everything, the books
 A monastery’s library. are so ancient as to be almost unreadable.
 A wizard’s arcane library. The librarians rarely come here.
Successfully going deeper requires navigating
 A scientist’s collected references. the abandoned labyrinth of shelves. Roll
 An archive connected to a public muse- under the party’s Progress on a d% to do this.
um. If they fail then this is effectively a dead end
 A collection of suppressed texts guarded and they can only Go Back.
by the church.
 A cult’s hidden collection of forbidden
tomes.
41
Section 5: Bestiary
Part 4: The Bestiary

42
no intervening space, so long as the start and

The Librarians end points are both unobserved - effectively
These are the closest the library has to allowing teleportation.
native inhabitants. They were mortal
academics once, who found their way
into the library and - like a breed of The Red Order -
fishthat finds its way into a deep under-
ground cave and slowly becomes troglo- Those who Maintain The Library's
dytic - remained there indefinitely. Over Infrastructure.
time, the library has warped them into Can cast the following each once per turn:
the beings they now are. Mending, Message, Shape Stone, Shape Wood,
The librarians are diminutive, standing Spider Climb, Levitate, Create Stone.
no more than five feet tall at most, and
possess a slender, almost emaciated
frame. Under their voluminous robes, The Yellow Order -
wide eyes peer out from pallid faces. For Those who Maintain The Books.
the most part, these beings are furtive Can cast the following each once per turn:
when visitors are around, and can make Mending, Message, Charm Person, Suggestion,
themselves scarce with surprising speed Detect Thieves (as detect undead), See Invisible.
and quietness when they wish to.
The librarians are divided into five or-
ders - the red, yellow, black, grey and The Black Order -
white orders - who each attend to differ- Those who Maintain the Portals.
ent duties in the library and teach differ-
Can cast the following each once per turn: Hold
ent magical arts with which to pursue
this work. The orders are broadly coop- Portal, Knock, Hold Person, Turn Mortals (as
erative, acting in synchrony to keep the turn undead), Wall of Iron.
library running and the sheol computer
working, much like a colony of social
insects. It seems they possess no leader- The Grey Order -
ship among their own kind - each order Those who Shepherd the Restless Dead.
is considered broadly equal in rank - and Can cast the following each once per turn: De-
instead seem to serve the sheol comput- tect Undead, See Invisible, Trap the Soul,
er and calculation engines directly. Command Undead, Reduce to Phantom.
Reduce to Phantom targets a single un-
Hit Dice 4, HP 8, armour as unarmoured dead being or trapped soul. If a save vs
humans, unarmed attacks (+0, d2) or magic magic is failed, the target is stripped of
missiles (hits automatically, d6), saves as magic- its individuality and becomes a phantom.
user 8.
All librarians possess the following abilities:
They do not sleep or tire. The White Order -
They are totally immune to any mind-controlling Those who Tend to the Calculations.
effect that would turn them against their work Can cast the following each once per turn: Invis-
on the great calculation. ibility, Dispel Magic, Levitate, Inflict Blind-
They can, if hidden behind a bookshelf, step to ness, Inflict Deafness.
any other bookshelf in the library as if there was
43

Phantoms Contentment or torpor: The victim gets
disadvantage to all rolls to act in anger
Phantoms are, effectively, the spiritual re- or other strong emotions for one round.
mainders of a dead mortal, stripped down to  Pain or irritation: d4 damage.
their most basic form. Personality and
thought are eroded, leaving little more than a  Rage or anguish: The victim takes d8
spiritual automata laden with the collected damage if they don't spend their next
data of that mortal's lifetime. Suffice to say, action attacking the subject of the phan-
such beings are ripe for exploitation by the tom's emotions.
skilled necromancer. Thus, they have become  Fear or despair: The victim takes d8
invaluable to the infrastructure of the library, damage if they don't spend their next
which stores them in glass tubes and uses action hiding or cowering.
them to power all manner of arcane ma-
chines.  Hunger or envy: The victim takes d8
damage if they don't spend their next
Hit Dice 1, HP 1, Armour as unarmoured humans, action presenting the phantom with
Emotional Lash (save vs paralysis to avoid, see below what it desires.
effects), save as fighter 1.
Phantoms are gaseous beings, immune to all physical A phantom's emotions are simple and direct,
damage save that caused by magical items. They can like those of an infant not yet able to talk or
pass through permeable objects, and are unaffected by an unsophisticated animal. It understands
fire, poison, and so on. speech only vaguely, able to detect emotion
An emotional lash is not a physical attack (indeed a and tone but not precise meanings. Influenc-
phantom is incapable of affecting the physical world ing its emotions - to calm it, or agitate it and
directly) but rather a projection of raw emotion into direct it against enemies - is simple to achieve,
the mind of its victim. The effects of a phantom's perhaps requiring a charisma roll if the PCs
emotional lash depend on its current emotional state, have a sensible plan. It always fails saves to
as listed. resist magical effects that manipulate its emo-
tions.
44
Visitors Rust Moths

These are harmless mortals who have wan- Related to a wide variety of similar insectile
dered into the library and are now exploring. creatures (most notably the cockroach-like
They are wholly unprepared for the strange rust monsters), these creatures feed by cor-
and terrible things they will encounter within. roding metal into an oxidised powder that
Roll a d8 for who the visitors are: they can digest.
1. University students. Rust moths resemble hand-sized moths, with
2. Schoolchildren, and one teacher. orange-brown bodies covered in flaky metal-
3. A family on an outing. lic scales and wings like corroded metal foil.
4. Lost government archivists. Most noticeable are the antennae that sprout
5. Aspiring adventurers. from their heads, which are their main form
6. Researchers into esoteric spaces. of attack.
7. An occultist and acolytes. Hit Dice 1, HP 4, Armour as plate, 2 Antennae
8. Very lost tourists. (+0, ruins a piece of metal equipment), save as fighter
Hit Dice 1, HP 1, Armour as unarmoured humans, 1.
Improvised weapons (+0, d4), save as magic user 1.
Dust Elementals
Giant Bookworms Little elemental incarnations, conglomerates
This creature appears as a huge, fleshy, pallid of dust, grit, dirt and fluff. Like somebody
insect larvae. A fat segmented body, like that scattered detritus on the ground in the rough
of a caterpillar or maggot, ends with a head shape of a human. It lurks under book-
studded with tiny black eyes, and bearing six shelves, drifts on imperceptible drafts, creeps
waving tendrils around the creature’s mouth. forward.
The creature is about the size of a human The quasi-elemental nature of dust is one of
torso, in length and thickness, with the ten- things broken down, crumbling, desiccated. It
drils extending another foot or so. is not particularly compatible with life, and
The bookworms can chew a tunnel through the attentions of such an elemental are likely
wood or paper, but this is not their preferred extremely unpleasant.
food and they favour hunting as ambush Hit Dice 5, HP 20, Armour as unarmoured, crum-
predators. Many bookshelves and floors hide bling touch (+5, d8 damage), save as fighter 5.
- beneath a seemingly normal surface - a net- Immune to normal weapons and physical attacks.
work of bookworm tunnels through which Fire, cleaning with water, strong winds and so on all
the creature crawls in search of prey, bursting deal 2d6 damage per round. Immune to poison, pain,
from its burrows to pick off vulnerable visi- fear, etc.
tors to the library. Can seep through any crack or gap.
Hit Dice 2, HP 11, Armour as leather, 6 tendrils
(+0, paralysis for d6 rounds) or bite (d6 damage vs
helpless victim), save as fighter 2.
45
A conversation with the skeletons, if relevant
Lantern-Bearers to the information the players want, will give
A little hunched figure, no larger than a child, +1 progress.
in a faded red robe that conceals its form Hit Dice 1, Hit Points 5, Armour as leather, Im-
entirely. It carries a lamp hooked on the end provised weapons (+1, d6), saves as fighter 1.
of a long metal pole, that sways and bobs as All the normal undead immunities and vulnerabili-
the lantern-bearer shuffles through the library ties. If injured but not killed, can use their action to
on its endless patrol. put themselves back together, healing all damage.
This is the fate of those thieves who try to
steal from the library, their bodies withered
and their minds warped into loyal servants of
the librarians, tasked with rooting out others
of their kind.
Hit Dice 3, Hit Points 10, Armour as leather,
Smack with Lantern (+3, d4) or Radiant burst
(everybody illuminated saves vs magic or takes 1
damage), saves as Thief 3.
As a librarian: They do not sleep or tire. Furious Books
They are totally immune to any mind-controlling effect An animated book that, as a result of the
that would turn them against their work on the great
horrible and inflammatory knowledge within,
calculation.
is really just… unreasonably pissed off at the
They can, if hidden behind a bookshelf, step to any world.
other bookshelf in the library as if there was no inter- Flaps about using its covers like wings, and
vening space, so long as the start and end points are
then hurls itself into anything that attracts its
both unobserved - effectively allowing teleportation.
fury.
All invisible beings within the area illuminated by the 3 HD, 12 HP, Armour as leather, slam (+0, d6
lantern-bearer are revealed, all illusions negated while and Intelligence Drain), saves as fighter 3. Can
the light touches them. levitate. Immune to poison, cold, backstabs and other
things that need the victim to be alive. Double damage
Skeleton Crew from fire.
Each successful hit by the book permanently reduces
Animated skeletons, tasked with the basic the victim’s Intelligence by 1: each time this happens,
maintenance and cleaning of the library. They the book gains another chapter and a half-inch of
wear overalls, and carry mops and brooms. thickness.
They make their way through the library
slowly, washing, polishing, scrubbing and
dusting as they go.
They are intelligent, and self-aware, but single
-mindedly devoted to their task. If you engage
with them while they work, they will happily
talk with you, and prove to be well-educated
and philosophical. Many of their conversa-
tions among themselves take an existential
bent. It’s not clear how, without lungs or
larynxes, they are able to talk at all, but this
doesn’t bother them.
46
Paper Bees Guardian Shade

Bees the size of a human hand that inhabit A human soul, compressed and refined into a
the less frequently visited corners of the li- weapon. Appears as a patch of darkness
brary. They feed on ink and grime rather hanging in the air, vaguely reminiscent of a
than nectar, and distil it into black honey. human silhouette. Like a miasma or shadow.
When paper bees are encountered, they’ve It does not remember its former life. It exists
probably got a hive not too far away. If the to serve, to hunt and destroy those who
players decide to track where the bees go, threaten the library. It is single-minded and
then after d4 locations of Going Deeper they has little ability to conceptualize ideas outside
will find a paper beehive. of its role as a guard.
Bee: HD 1, HP 3, Armour as leather, sting (+1, Conscious beings can tell that it is unnatural.
d8 damage to the bee and its victim) saves as fighter It’s presence makes their skin crawl, their
1. stomach churn.
Hit Dice 2, HP 7, Armour as unarmoured humans,
Chilling Aura (save vs paralysis to avoid, d4 damage
and strength drain), save as fighter 1.
Shades are gaseous beings, immune to all physical
damage save that caused by magical items. They can
pass through permeable objects, and are unaffected by
fire, poison, and so on.
As well as damage, those affected by a shade’s aura
lose d4 points of strength permanently. Those reduced
to 0 strength by this are resurrected as another shade
totally enslaved to their progenitor.
Ogre Spiders
Origami Golems Huge spiders the size of dogs that dwell in
A construct made of scrap paper, glued into a the ceilings and vents of the library. They
rough humanoid form, folding at the joints. hunt in the dark, creeping above their prey
Flat, angular, ragged and misshapen, it sham- before dropping their webs over the victim
bles and limps on asymmetric limbs. like a net.
The golem is built to serve the librarians An ogre spider’s abdomen is long and thin,
when they need actual muscle, either in the resembling that of a praying mantis more
manual labour of maintaining the library or in than the normal bulbous appearance of typi-
dealing with intruders. It obeys silently. It cal spiders. Meanwhile, their faces feature
lacks identity of its own, and is a mere tempo- huge black eyes and thick maxillae that re-
rary thing that serves for a time before being semble a human skull.
taken apart for materials. 3 HD, 12 HP, Armour as leather, bite (+3, d6
8 HD, 28 HP, Armour as leather, 2 slams (+8, and save vs poison) or net (+3, save vs paralysis or be
d6), saves as fighter 8. entangled and helpless), saves as fighter 3. Can walk
Halve all damage from non-magical weapons. Triple up walls and over ceilings. Poison does d8 damage to
damage from fire. Immune to poison, cold, backstabs dexterity.
etc. Mindless.
47
along on invisible psychokinetic currents,
Researchers trailing their useless spinal columns behind
Academics who have, for whatever reason, them.
travelled to the library in search of lost or Needless to say, such beings are not too fond
forbidden knowledge. Cautious, erudite and of the librarians that imprisoned them.
experienced, they are aware of some of the They’re not too fond of any neurovores in
hazards they face in search of information. the library either, since they form those crea-
Roll a d% twice on the table of Types of tures’ main diet.
Book (p. 63) for what they’re researching.
Roll a d8 for where they came from:
1. University.
2. Noble’s Private Research.
3. Government Bureaucracy.
4. Monastery.
5. Intelligence Agency.
6. Heroic Adventurers.
7. Esoteric Order.
8. Nunnery.
If the topic of their research is related to the
information sought by the PCs, conversing
with the researchers about their findings so
far adds d4 to the PC’s Progress score. Hit Dice 8, Hit Points 8, Armour as chain
Hit Dice 3, Hit Points 6, Armour as unarmoured, (forcefield), Gentle Bump (+0, 1 damage) or see
Improvised weapons (+1, d4), saves as magic-user 3. below, saves as MU 8.
Each can cast 3 spells (select them completely at Can levitate. Blind. Perceives the world through
random from the MU or Cleric list) once per day psychic resonances, so hiding behind things won’t help
each. but emptying your mind of thoughts effectively makes
you invisible to them.
Roll two d10s on the list below for what else the choir
Floating Brains can do. All will have the same powers.
Remember those brains in jars? Sometimes, 1. Project pain (all nearby save vs magic or take
the isolation of a brain-jar has an odd effect d4 damage).
on the mind of the interred brain. Introspec- 2. Communicate telepathically.
tion and contemplation cut off from all sen- 3. Cause hallucinations (save vs magic resists).
sory stimulus or ability to act result in pro- 4. Teleport objects short distances.
found shifts in outlook and ways of thinking. 5. Read memories. Erase memories read, if they
At its most dramatic extreme, such a para- want (save vs magic resists erasure).
digm shift in the imprisoned brain’s thinking 6. Move things telekinetically (roll to hit at +8,
can unlock the mind’s hidden psychoactive damage is d4-d12 depending on what’s used to
potential. Flexing newly-discovered psionic attack).
muscles, the brain breaks free of its glassy 7. Cause inanimate objects to crumble to dust.
prison and escapes. 8. Predict the immediate future. (1-in-6 save to
Such brains only interact with the world resist any effect through prescience).
through their psychic powers, and thus form 9. Teleport self short distances.
a beacon to others of their kind. Soon, they 10. Cause sleep (save vs magic or sleep).
will gather together into a sort of psionic
choir, a loose flock of floating brains bobbing
48
Hit Dice 10, Hit Points 25, Armour as un-
Obsidian Marmosets armoured, two hands (see below), saves as thief 10.
Like little statues of monkeys made of inter- Half damage from non-iron weapons, double from
locking shards of jagged black volcanic glass. iron ones.
As if made by a master artist who merely 3-in-6 chance to go unnoticed if it wants to and hasn’t
teased out the monkey-shape nascent in the done anything dramatic.
stone. Not artificial constructs, silicaceous Long arms give 15 feet of reach.
life. Each round, it can use each hand to do one of the
It’s not clear how they got to the library, but following:
they live here now. They form shy troops • Slap (+10 to hit, d4 damage).
among the tall stacks of the shelves. They • Grab (+10 to hit, grabs the victim, no damage.
don’t need to feed, instead basking in the heat Escaping from the grab requires 3 successful
or electric glow of the library’s machinery. strength rolls).
Alternatingly retiring and territorial.
• Squeeze (hits automatically, does 2d6 damage
Hit Dice 3, Hit Points 12, Armour as plate plus
to a grabbed victim).
shield, two obsidian fists (+0, 2d4) , saves as thief 3.
Half damage from slashing or piercing weapons. • Pick a Pocket (3-in-6 chance to succeed).
Healed by heat/fire/electricity rather than taking • Snatch a Held Item (5-in-6 chance to succeed).
damage. Double damage from cold. Roll a d12 every so often for what the Bandersnatch
wishes to steal right now.
 Food
 Shiny Things
 Beautiful People
 Eyes
Bandersnatches  Stolen Things
A strange monster that has escaped into the  String & Rope
library from fairy realms.  Tools
It’s form is essentially avian, like a heron.
 Weapons
Long legs, and a serpentine neck ending in its
head. Instead of wings, it possesses two spin-  Clothing
dly arms that end in wide human-like hands  Skin
with splayed fingers.  Tongues
The Bandersnatch lurks. It has an uncanny  Maps
ability to avoid drawing attention until its
hands have closed around whatever it wishes
to steal. This might be an object, a piece of
equipment, or a person.
As a fairy creature, the Bandersnatch is as
mad as a box of frogs. It’s a sort of kleptoma-
niac, collecting things with no seeming con-
nection between its collection. If prevented
from taking the object it desires, it becomes
enraged.
49

Animate Books 
A plague-stricken doctor.
An emotionally tormented artist.
Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Put
 A mortal census-taker.
enough knowledge in something and it will
inevitably start to overreach itself, behaving in  A historian.
ways it was never meant to.  A genteel necromancer.
That’s what’s happened here. A text with Hit Dice 4, HP 8, Armour as unarmoured humans,
sufficient information-density warps itself, see below for attacks, save as fighter 4.
achieves a sort of intelligence and a sort of Souls are gaseous beings, immune to all physical
life. It doesn’t realise it’s not alive. damage save that caused by magical items. They can
Animate books roam the library like animals, pass through permeable objects, and are unaffected by
hiding under bookshelves and making nests fire, poison, and so on.
in the rafters. When the librarians catch them, Roll two d12s for what powers the lost soul
they’re disenchanted and returned to their has.
proper place, inanimate on the bookshelves.  Move objects about like a poltergeist.
3 HD, 12 HP, Armour as leather, slam (+3, d6) Roll to hit at +3 for d6 damage if it
or grab (+0, d4 and grab), saves as fighter 3. Can throws them at people.
levitate. Immune to poison, cold, backstabs and other  Create illusions out of mist.
things that need the victim to be alive. Double damage
from fire.
 Cause wet inky writing to appear on
things.
Once grabbed by an animate book, breaking out
requires a full round spent making a strength roll.  Alter the memories of those present in
Until this succeeds, d4 damage and 1 intelligence loss minor ways: a Save vs Magic resists and
as the book chews on its victim and digests the data alerts the victim.
stored within them.  Cause something to catch fire for a few
moments: a Save vs Breath might be
needed to avoid fire, and it does d6
Lost Souls damage.
The soul of one who died within the library,  Cause ice to appear on things, potential-
not yet drawn into the library’s machinery ly freezing them in place.
and distilled into a phantom.  Extinguish lights and erase text.
A lost soul knows what happens to the souls
 Lock doors securely.
of the dead here. They seek to avoid capture
by the grey librarians and to preserve their  Speak in a loud voice.
own independence and sanity. Talking with  Make vermin appear: masses of flies,
one can reveal a great deal about the inner cockroaches or woodlice attacking do d6
workings of the library and the nature of the damage.
engines and calculations within.  Create gusts of wind.
Roll a d12 for who the Lost Soul once was.  Make objects collapse or fall apart. Roll
 A mortal librarian. to hit at +3 for d6 damage if used to
 A lost child. attack.
 A nun.
 A mad nobleman.
 A professor of mathematics.
 A master burglar.
 A famed assassin.
50
Ink Elementals Inkblots

An oozing, creeping mass of ink. By turns, The residue created by Ink Elementals. Slith-
black, deep blue, or iridescent. Formless and ering black stains that trail behind the ele-
fluid. As big as a horse. It seeps and drips. It mental, leaving a trail of black smudges. The
leaves a sticky black residue behind it. size of a handprint.
The semi-elemental nature of Ink is to Hit Dice 1, HP 1. Armour as unarmoured humans,
spread, stain and flow. Whilst its own form is engulf (+1, d10), save as fighter 1.
transient and ever-shifting, the marks it leaves Immune to physical weapons, normal damage from
behind are indelible. It is the constantly- fire, cold, electricity and other elemental damage.
shifting force that leaves a permanent record. Immune to backstabs due to lack of anatomy. Can
Hit Dice 5, HP 30, Armour as unarmoured hu- take any shape, seep through gaps, creep up walls.
mans, engulf (+5, d10), save as fighter 5. Anything it touches is permanently stained black.
Immune to physical weapons. Set alight by fire (takes Can combine with up to 4 other inkblots to produce a
1 less damage each subsequent round as it continues new Ink Elemental with d6 HP per inkblot.
to burn), normal damage from cold, electricity and
other elemental damage. Immune to backstabs due to
lack of anatomy. Can take any shape, seep through
gaps, creep up walls.
Anything it touches is permanently stained black.
Each round, can ‘spend’ d6 HP to produce an Ink-
blot, or absorb an Inkblot to heal d6 damage.
51
Skull-wardens Tooth-wardens
A large skull with a single eye-socket, perhaps Little floating teeth, each perfectly preserved.
taken from a cyclops, perhaps from some They hang in the air in a roughly mouth-
beast such as an elephant or deformed whale. shaped pattern. They talk in unity, the
Bleached white, perfectly preserved. Hanging ‘mouth’ they create changing shape to match
in the air as if from invisible threads. their words.
Intelligent. Pompous, impressed only by its Their intelligence is somewhere between a
own cleverness. Uses big words, belittles the group of children and a flock of birds. They
intellect of those in discussion with it, loudly chatter endlessly, think everything is exciting.
proclaims its own genius in conversation or If a skull-warden is present, then the tooth-
battle. Despite its arrogance, a mighty foe that wardens fawn over it like children over a
projects beams of necrotic power from the favourite grandparent. Everything the skull-
cavities and crevices in its skull. warden does is wise and interesting and bril-
Hit Dice 11, HP 22 Armour as chain, d6 necro- liant.
mantic laser-beams (+11, d6), save as magic-user 11. Hit Dice 1, HP 1 Armour as chain, chomp (see
Normal undead immunities & vulnerabilities. Levi- below), save as magic-user 1. Normal undead im-
tates. munities & vulnerabilities. Levitate.
The skull-warden’s single eye-socket emits a gaze that All the tooth-wardens make a single attack represent-
supresses magic. All magic ceases functioning where it ing their collective jaws biting. It rolls to hit at +X,
looks for as long as its gaze lingers. and does exactly X damage, where X is the amount
Each round, it can use one each of any of the follow- of tooth-wardens in the jaws.
ing rays instead of one of its laser-beams. (They roll to
hit as normal).
• Levitation (subject is lifted 10 feet per round
while in the ray).
• Expansion (subject doubles in size while in the
ray).
• Contraction (subject halves in size while in the
ray).
• Stasis (subject is held in place and cannot move
from its current position while in the ray).
• Attraction (subject is pulled 10 feet closer to the
skull-warden each round that they remain in
the ray, and cannot escape or move back).
• Petrification (turned to stone for d6 rounds,
save vs magic resists).
52
Animate Spells
A spell that has broken free of its constrain- Hit Dice = spell level, HP = double spell level Ar-
ing spellbook and now roams the library as an mour as unarmoured, cannot attack, save as magic-
independent entity. A data-cloud of disem- user level = spell level.
bodied text hanging in the air, paragraphs Can cast itself once a round at no cost, with perfect
intersecting with one another at odd angles. control over the results.
Letters cast strange shadows from the emer- As a spell rather than a creature, immune to all
gent, occult-significant, shapes they form. damage from non-magical sources. Furthermore,
The spell’s personality, nature and goals will physical magical damage (IE from magic weapons)
depend on which spell it actually is, as will its only ever deals 1 damage at a time.
powers. It wants to see itself cast and to see Immune to damage and negative effects from sources
the effects of its magic repeated (IE an ani- that match up to the spell’s type (IE an animate
mated fireball spell just likes to see things ‘fireball spell’ is immune to fire).
burn in general, while an animated charm Whenever the spell’s own spell (or a related spell) is
person spell likes people to be friends with cast nearby, that effect is controlled by the animate
each other). spell, not the spellcaster (IE if you try to cast any
Roll up a completely random spell from ’charm’ spell near an animate ’charm person’, that
whichever game you’re using. If there are spell is controlled by the animate spell). Effectively you
multiple spell lists, randomly select one, and lose the spell and it gets to cast it instead.
then roll up a spell of a random level from A successful antimagic field, dispel magic, etc, neutral-
that list. ises the animated spell.
Where the stats below refer to ‘spell level’, Any unfilled spell-slots in magicians are immediately
roll a d8 to determine the spell’s level if the filled by the animate spell’s own spell on encountering
system you’re using (Wonders & Wickedness, it. Likewise spellbooks immediately gain a copy of it
for example) doesn’t use spell levels. for free.
53
Neurovores Hungry Books

Half-man, half-octopus, all-evil. Neurovores Books exist to hold information. Of course,
are strange creatures that feast on the data with the density of information present,
electrically encoded in the brains of mortals. sometimes this goes wrong. The books want
They possess frightening psionic powers. A more. They scour the data from every other
repository of knowledge like the library is a book on their own shelf, absorbing it into
veritable buffet for them, if they can subdue themselves, and head off in search of more.
its guards. A hungry book is only clumsily animated by
Needless to say, the librarians hate them for the dim intelligence stirring within it. It uses
the way they consume and destroy its pages to crawl along the ground, sniffing
knowledge. out data to absorb.
If you’re the enemy of the librarians, the 3 HD, 12 HP, Armour as leather, slam (+3, d4
neurovores will be unwaveringly helpful and and information drain), saves as fighter 3. Immune to
support you to the best of their power. They poison, cold, backstabs and other things that need the
need all the allies they can get in here. victim to be alive. Double damage from fire.
Hit Dice 8, HP 30 Armour as chain, psionic blast A hit from the book drains data from the victim.
(save vs magic to resist, stun for 3d4 rounds), save as Pick one of the options below:
magic-user 8.  The party loses d4 points of progress.
Instead of attacking, can do one of the following each  The victim loses 1 point of intelligence, perma-
round:
nently.
• Cast Charm Person, Hold Person or Sugges-  A scroll carried by the victim is absorbed and
tion (save resists).
becomes useless.
• Cast Levitate, Invisibility or Detect Living.  A spell in the victim’s spell-book is absorbed
• Attach one of its four tentacles to a helpless or and becomes useless.
willing victim’s skull.  Another book carried is absorbed and becomes
• Attach the second, third or fourth tentacle to the useless.
skull of a victim with a tentacle already holding
it.
• Consume the brain of a victim with all four
tentacles attached, healing all lost HP.
54
The lich is a spellcaster. Each day it can cast
Archivist-Liches the following once each:
A once-mortal scholar whose need to see  Hold Person
their work finished has seen them seamlessly  Disintegrate
transition into undeath. Hundreds of years
 Dispel Magic
old, consumed by their research. Little more
than a dusty skeleton in a robe by now.  Detect Magic
An impressive intelligence. Highly educated, Furthermore, roll three d20s on the list below
well spoken, polite and genteel. Obsessive. for what other spells the lich has available.
Has been exploring the library for decades. 1. Wall of Ice
Roll two d%s on the table for random books 2. Wall of Iron
(p. 63) to determine the current nature of the 3. Flesh to Stone and Stone to Flesh
lich’s research. Conversation with the lich 4. Charm Person (twice)
about the library and its layout gives you +3 5. Suggestion (twice)
Progress, or +5 if the topic of your research 6. Heat Metal
matches theirs. 7. Teleport Self
10 HD, 40 HP, Armour as plate, lich’s finger 8. Antimagic Sphere
(+10, d10 and paralysis 1 turn), saves as MU 10. 9. Dominate Monster
Normal undead immunities and vulnerabilities. 10. Animate Dead (twice)
Cannot be turned. 11. Sleep (twice)
12. Cloudkill & Mist Form
13. Magic Jar
14. Animate Object (twice)
15. Lightning Bolt (10d6)
16. Magic Missile (twice, for 5 missiles doing d4+1
each)
17. Mirror Images
18. Create Illusions (three times)
19. Power Words: Kill & Blind & Madness
20. Polymorph Self
Although the lich has a body that can be
destroyed, it cannot be killed permanently.
Somewhere in the library is its phylactery - an
item to which the lich’s soul is bound. The
lich’s body will slowly re-form at its phylac-
tery over the course of a day, and it will come
back angry. Only by first destroying the phy-
lactery can the lich be killed properly.
To determine what the lich’s phylactery is,
roll up an extraordinary book. The next time
that exact book is encountered by the PCs,
that’s the lich’s phylactery.
55
Roll a d12 to determines a special ability the
Infernal Merchants devil possesses.
A visitor from Hell. The library contains 1. Can turn any object or being to solid
souls, trapped and catalogued, and consider- gold by touching it, at will.
ing that souls form the main currency of Hell, 2. Can transform into a cloud of flies.
this has resulted in a certain degree of finan- 3. Can transform into a harmless-looking
cial interest from the devils. animal.
The infernal merchant is here to trade souls. 4. Can mimic the appearance of the view-
He might buy them or trade them for some er’s loved-ones.
service, or else be willing to sell souls from 5. Touch drains memory (d12 damage to
his stock if a good price is offered. intelligence).
He will seem helpful. He isn’t. His three goals 6. Can teleport short distances in a puff of
are to enrich himself, to entice mortals into smoke.
damning themselves and to cause mortals to 7. Can sculpt flesh like soft wax (2d6 dam-
suffer. Everything he offers is a trap, his con- age when used to mutilate).
tracts carefully worded to screw the mortal 8. Can locate the soul of a specified indi-
signee. Small print is written on an atomic vidual unerringly.
scale. 9. Immune to fire.
His prices are, when you think about them, 10. Casts charm person when it shakes your
very reasonable. hand.
HD 8, HP 16, Armour as chain, Whip/claws/ 11. Casts suggestion at will, but requires the
pitchfork/flensing knife (+8, d8 damage), saves as victim to answer a direct question to do
fighter of equal HD. so.
Halve damage not from holy, magical, or silver weap- 12. Can resurrect the dead. No need for an
ons. Double damage from holy sources. Immune to intact body. The dead come back…
mind-control that doesn’t specifically target infernal altered.
beings.
The devil can grant each mortal a single wish.
Roll a d12 for its appearance. It is: It requires payment to do so. Perhaps their
1. Angelic soul upon death. Perhaps the murder and
2. A goat-human hybrid. delivery of somebody else’s soul. Perhaps
3. A bat-human hybrid. some seemingly innocuous task. Unless
4. A huge serpent. you’re incredibly precise with your wording,
5. Corpselike. the wish will be perverted and made evil.
6. Perfectly human looking. other than tiny You’ll get precisely what you asked for, but
horns. you’ll wish you hadn’t.
7. Perfectly human looking, with an evil It is evil. It is smarter than the PCs.
goatee and moustache.
8. A serpent-human hybrid.
9. An empty robe that oozes smoke.
10. A mass of chains and locks in a human-
oid form.
11. An innocent-looking human child, with
a forked tongue.
12. A savage-looking humanoid with six
arms.
56
5 HD, 15 HP, Armour as that worn by the char-
Escaped Fictions acter, as weapon carried by the character (+5, d8) or
Once, these beings were mere characters in a else unarmed (+0, d4), saves as Thief 5.
story-book, but now they’ve clawed their way Have any vulnerabilities, quirks, powers or immuni-
out into the fractally-dense information-cloud ties appropriate to their character.
of the library. They’re not really real, but its Attacks or other actions against them that do not fit
hard to tell because they’re so convincing. the setting or ‘narrative style’ of the work they are
They subconsciously crave reality. To warp from fail automatically. (For example, guns simply
the real world around their narrative so that don’t exist to Sir Lancelot, and he cannot be harmed
they are part of the everyday order of things. by them).
Reality obliges. Where they pass, things alter Reality shifts to accommodate the character, and
to fit the fiction they have emerged from. behaves like the setting they’re from, not ‘real’ reality.
You’re playing by their rules, now. Actions intended to fit the character’s setting and
Roll a d12 to determine who you meet: narrative (such as deceiving Don Quixote into behav-
1. Don Quixote, who tilted at windmills. ing chivalrously) automatically succeed.
2. Frankenstein’s Monster, who was built In practice, this means that you should alter
from corpses. the tone and feel of your game while an es-
3. Grendel, a monstrous inhabitant of the caped fiction is around. Some examples in-
wilderness who hates noise and celebra- clude:
tion, one arm torn clean off.  Blood doesn’t get spilled around charac-
4. Doctor Faustus, an occultist regretting ters written for children. Tone down any
selling his soul. descriptions of gore or violence.
5. Count Dracula, the monstrous vampire.  Conversely, for characters from more
6. Lady Macbeth, ambitious and murder- bloody and brutal tales, ratchet the vio-
ous, and of much-degraded sanity. lence all the way up.
7. The Ghost of Christmas Future, who
 Horror characters come with appropri-
delivers dire warnings to the mean-
ately gothic lighting and effects.
spirited.
8. Bluebeard, a dashingly handsome mur-  Technology reverts to that of the time-
derer of his many wives. period of the character’s setting. Items
9. Sir Lancelot, brilliant knight and enthu- from later in history (such as guns and
siastic adulterer. clockwork, perhaps) simply cease to
10. Robin Hood, a charitable bandit and function.
excellent shot.  In extreme examples, the PCs may be
11. Puck, the mischievous fairy sprite. able to hear the non-diegetic soundtrack
12. Jack the Giant-slayer, young and reckless (trumpet fanfares for Lancelot, or low,
but cunning. tense strings for Lady Macbeth for ex-
ample).
57
Crawling Things
Improbable chimerical organisms that should
not be biologically viable, and yet somehow
live. Twitching, shuddering, crawling. Driven
by glitching muscle-memory and scrambled
genetic instincts. A broken democracy of
mismatched anatomies. Tragically incomplete.
They want to be a whole organism. They do
this by incorporating parts from those they
encounter, torn off and jammed into the
crawling thing’s amalgamated flesh. The first mouse has studied the arcane arts. It
1 HD, 5 HP, Armour as leather, clawing and can cast Detect Magic and Dispel Magic once
clutching (+1, d6), saves as fighter 1. per day each.
Move only slowly. Basically blind and deaf, but not The second has studied engineering. 50%
completely, allowing a dim awareness. chance if it wishes to open or seal any lock,
If its attack hits, it latches onto the victim and begins fix or disable any mechanical item, etc. Takes
incorporating their flesh into itself. Each round there- only a round to do this.
after it deals damage automatically and heals by that The third has studied military history. It’s bite
much. Removing it requires a strength check or killing is instead (+3, d8).
it. The fourth has studied medicine. It can spend
its action in combat healing d3 HP an ally has
lost, taking the full round to do so.
Educated Rodents The fifth has studied theology and become
Mice that have achieved human-like self devout. It’s attacks count as holy and magical
awareness simply by absorbing the residual and do double damage to undead or unholy
knowledge of the library. They know things things.
they’ve read, but have little to no direct expe- The sixth has studied oratory. It can cast
rience of the outside world. They are some- Charm Person once per day.
what credulous but formidably cunning. They The seventh has studied physics. It can cast
enjoy cheese, wine, interesting conversation levitate once per day.
and elegant music. They dislike cats, ghosts The eighth has studied zoology. It can cast
and other scary things. Charm Animal and Speak With Animals once
If angered, they attack with sophisticated per day each.
tactics, gleaned from books on chess and The ninth has studied thanatology and can cast
famous battles. They outflank, pin enemies in Detect Undead and Speak With Dead once
place, cut off retreats and hold dominant per day each.
positions. The tenth has studied fine cuisine. It is well
1 HD, 3 HP, Armour as leather, clawing bite (+1, nourished and healthy. It has 6 HP.
d4), saves as thief 1. The eleventh has studied politics. When it at-
In any brood of educated rodents, each will tacks a surprised or unaware enemy, it gets
have studied different fields of knowledge. +4 to hit and does double damage.
Go down the list to see what each rodent can The twelfth has studied psychology. 5-in-6
do, starting with the first (IE if five rodents chance to spot any lie told to it (all other mice
are encountered, the first five roles are pre- believe any lie they hear).
sent). Any other mice have studied some interesting
but ultimately useless field in the humanities.
58
Patrolling Apparitions Hit Dice 3, HP 9, Armour as unarmoured humans,

Chill Miasma (save vs paralysis to avoid, d8 dam-
A spiritual monstrosity, dozens of souls
age), save as fighter 3.
stripped down to their barest essential nature
Apparitions are gaseous beings, immune to all physi-
and fused into an amalgamated weapon. Like
cal damage save that caused by magical items. They
the spiritual equivalent of weaponizing nucle-
can pass through permeable objects, and are unaffected
ar waste.
by fire, poison, and so on.
It’s barely more than a presence. A shimmer
Merely being in an apparition’s presence is painful.
in the air, a mirage. Out of the corner of your
Each round, take 1 automatic damage.
eye, an impression of humanoid silhouettes,
Attacking it (in melee, at range, with spells, or in any
screaming faces, grasping hands. The smell of
other way) likewise forces you to concentrate on it,
dust and rusty water.
dealing another 1 automatic damage.
It should not be. Every conscious being
Any damage dealt by the apparition also permanently
knows that what has been done is degenerate,
reduces your lowest stat by that much.
instinctively finds the presence horrifying.
If anybody is killed by damage by the apparition,
They loathe and fear it.
their soul is ripped from their body, twisted and muti-
The librarians use these beings to track down
lated by the apparition, and becomes a shade (See P.
thieves and spies. They don’t seem to mind
47) under its total control.
their presence at all.
If anybody is reduced to 0 in an attribute by the
apparition, their soul is syphoned out by the appari-
tion and consumed. It is gone forever, that person can
never be recovered or resurrected. As a final insult, the
apparition heals all damage when they consume a soul
in this way.
59
Eye Sentinels Black Ooze

A single huge floating eyeball, levitated by Like the green slime found infesting less gen-
psychic might alone. teel dungeons. Black ooze is a simple life-
Sometimes, a jarred brain develops mighty form that grows in unattended nooks and
psionic powers and escapes its jar. Some- crannies. It feeds on mental energy. Touching
times, such beings are re-captured by the it allows it to digest your brainwaves, causing
librarians. This is what the librarians do to it to grow rapidly as it absorbs and incorpo-
them. rates your mind. It oozes like an amoeba. It
The eye sentinels are used by the librarians to creeps under floorboards and behind wallpa-
monitor less frequently-visited areas to ensure per. It’s hungry.
everything is kept running according to the Hit Dice d8, Hit Points = Hit Dice, Armour as
librarians’ schedule. unarmoured. Mental Digestion (see below) saves as
Hit Dice 8, Hit Points 8, Armour as chain Fighter = Hit Dice.
(forcefield), Gentle Bump (+0, 1 damage) or see As an ooze, takes a maximum of 1 damage from any
below, saves as MU 8. slashing or piercing attack. Immune to backstabs due
Can levitate. Perceives the world through psychic to lack of anatomy. Mindless. Can climb up walls,
resonances, so hiding behind things won’t help but squeeze through gaps, etc.
emptying your mind of thoughts effectively makes you Mental Digestion gets a bonus to hit equal to the
invisible to them. ooze’s current hit-dice (IE a 5HD ooze gets +5 to
An eye sentinel has mighty psionic powers. Each hit). Every time you touch it, it gets to make a free
round, it can use them to do one of the following: Mental Digestion attack against you (rolling to hit as
 Project pain (everybody must save vs magic or normal).
take d4 damage). It deals d6 damage to the victim’s intelligence score,
 Project fatigue (one victim must save vs magic or plus the victim’s current Intelligence modifier. (IE an
Int 8 victim takes d6-1 intelligence damage, because
fall asleep)
they have a –1 intelligence modifier). The ooze then
 Read a mind. Edit one memory in the mind gains as many hit dice as the damage dealt.
being read (save vs magic resists).
 Cast Suggestion (save vs magic resists).
 Summon Librarians. Either d6 from a particu-
lar order, or one of each order. The librarians
step out from behind a bookshelf next round.
60
Hit Dice 1, Hit Points 1, Armour as unarmoured,
Conceptual Wells Erase Concepts (save vs magic to resist, see below)
An intellectual absence, cosmic censorship. A and unreal knife (+1, d6), saves as magic user 1.
space that cannot be perceived or conceptual- Each round, for each PC that fails their save, the
ized. Like a psychological black hole. conceptual well drains their ability to comprehend
It cannot be perceived directly. Describe it in some idea or concept. Roll a d20 for what they forget:
the negatives; for example ‘there isn’t some- 1. That People Can Die
thing horrible in the room’ or ‘nothing has 2. How To Use Mathematics
rolled a 6 for its initiative’ or ‘the thing that is 3. Money & Its Value
not in front of you attacks’ or ‘nothing is defi- 4. What Romance Is
nitely responsible for your comrade’s death’. 5. That Violence Exists
The players might catch on eventually, it’s 6. Anybody Related To Them By Blood
just a matter of how badly it will have mutilat- 7. What Fire Is
ed their PCs. 8. That Other People Have Feelings Too
The PCs can target it using the same lan- 9. Gravity & That Things Fall
guage. ‘I’m going to shoot nothing’ or ‘I’m 10. Anybody Who is Their Superior & Why They
not fleeing from anything’. Likewise they can Should Be Obeyed
get details about it by asking negative ques- 11. That Animals Cannot Talk or Reason Like
tions, such as ‘where isn’t there anything?’ or People
‘what does nothing here look like?’ 12. Anybody That They Currently Hate
(If it matters, the conceptual well doesn’t look 13. That People Can Lie
like a helpless child of around four years old. 14. What Pain Is
It isn’t young and innocent, and it isn’t curi- 15. Where New People Come From (IE Babies
ous about its surroundings and playful. It isn’t etc)
basically helpless as soon as the PCs actually 16. What Families Are
attack it, and it doesn’t die pitifully. It also 17. That Social Inequality Exists
might not be violent towards the PCs. It 18. Why We Should Obey The Law & What
doesn’t fundamentally fail to comprehend Happens When We Don’t
them, and doesn’t try to take them apart to 19. Where Food Comes From
see how they work.) 20. That Dreams Are Not Real
It will get confusing. Good. This is an accu- Acting in any way that suggests the PC is, in fact
rate simulation of what it’s like encountering aware of an erased concept deals d20 damage to them
something you can’t perceive and which di- unless they immediately retcon the action when
rectly assaults your ability to comprehend the prompted.
external world.
61
Section 6: Useful Tables
Part 5: Useful Tables

62
Types of Books (roll d100)

1. Reference Materials to 33. Books about Law 71. Teaching Manuals for
Other Books 34. Books about Politics Craftsmen
2. Books about Libraries 35. Books about Economics 72. Guides to Symbolism in
3. Treaties on Information 36. Heraldic Indexes Art
Theory 37. Guides to Military Strate- 73. Books about Music
4. Essays about Mathematics gy 74. Books about Wine
5. Essays about Statistical 38. Collections of Prophecies 75. Books about Cryptog-
Analysis 39. Social Almanacs raphy
6. Guides to Journalism 40. Dictionaries of Current 76. Children’s Picture-books
7. Books about Royalty Languages 77. Songbooks
8. Books about Printing 41. Dictionaries of Dead 78. Musical Scores
9. Collections of Statistics Languages 79. Diaries
10. Treatises on Ancient 42. Dictionaries of Construct- 80. Romantic Novels
Philosophy ed Languages 81. Epic Poetry
11. Essays on the Occult 43. Dictionaries of Arcane 82. Collections of Mythology
12. Works discussing Meta- Languages 83. Mystery Novels
physics 44. Guides to Calligraphy 84. Tragedies
13. Works discussing Parallel 45. Books for Children 85. Comedies
Worlds 46. Books about Dragons 86. Scripts for Plays
14. Books about Children 47. Survival Guides 87. Speculative Fiction
15. Guides To Psychoanalysis 48. Books of Military Proto- 88. Works of Political Allego-
16. Books of Incomprehensi- col ry
ble Gibberish 49. Address Books 89. Erotic Poetry
17. Guides to Treating the 50. Scientific Essays 90. Chronologies
Insane 51. Bestiaries of Common 91. Essays on Historical
18. Self-Help Books Beasts Battles
19. Essays on Gambling 52. Bestiaries of Mythical 92. Biographies
20. Holy Scriptures Beasts 93. Archaeological Catalogues
21. Translations of Holy 53. Medical Guides 94. Essays on the Classics
Scriptures 54. Alchemical Texts 95. Atlases
22. Heretical Translations of 55. Books about Geology 96. Navigation Charts
Holy Scriptures 56. Books about Botany 97. Travelogues
23. Scriptures for Extinct 57. Books about Insects 98. Guidebooks for Tourists
Religions 58. Books about Meteorology 99. Collections of Gossip
24. Guides to Funeral Rites 59. Star-charts 100. Books about Games
25. Guidebooks to the After- 60. Technical Manuals
life 61. Cookbooks
26. Books about Religious 62. Repair Manuals
Customs 63. Guides to Magic Items
27. Books about the Restless 64. Farming Almanacs
Dead 65. Books about Drugs
28. Essays on Comparative 66. Commercial Catalogues
theology. 67. Books about Fashion
29. Astrological Almanacs 68. Exercise Manuals
30. Essays on Social Struc- 69. Martial Arts Manuals
tures 70. Encyclopaedias of Fine
31. Census Results Art
32. Genealogies
63
Extraordinary Books (roll d20+Depth)

Take the previous result if a duplicate is rolled. 8. A hyper-dense dictionary, allowing the
Fully reading a text to gain its benefit takes at least a reader to learn a single language to near-
day’s worth of study. For each individual book, a native fluency.
character only gets the benefit once, but finding dupli- 9. An esoteric treatise, allowing a magic-
cates of the same sort of text allows the character to user reading it to learn a random spell
gain new insights and so repeat the benefit. from the cleric spell-list.
Any extraordinary book fetches a price of around 10. A book of prophecies. To represent the
500 silver from a collector. vague insights gleaned, each reader gets
to pick a type of dice and roll it, record-
1. A spellbook with one random magic- ing the result. Once only, they may sub-
user spell. stitute the result of a roll of that type of
2. A bestiary of strange heraldic monsters. dice with the result recorded.
The reader has a 1-in-6 chance to recog- 11. A spellbook with three random magic-
nise any monster encountered that re- user spells.
sembles two (or more) mundane crea- 12. A manual detailing secret mental tech-
tures combined (such as centaurs or niques to unlock the hidden potential of
owlbears), and have a good idea of its the mind. The reader improves one of
capabilities. their mental attributes (intelligence,
3. An apocryphal scripture, allowing a wisdom or charisma) enough to increase
cleric reading it to learn a random new its modifier by 1, or else by 1 if it was
spell from the magic-user list. already 18 or higher.
4. A book listing the true names of de- 13. A heretical scripture, allowing a cleric
mons, angels and other spiritual beings reading it to learn two new random
Whenever such a being is encountered, spells from the magic-user spell-list.
there’s a 1-in-20 chance for the reader to 14. An atlas of extradimensional spaces and
recognise it, knowing its true name and other worlds. The book describes a way
some hints as to its capabilities. of getting to Ynn/Voivodja/Carcosa/
5. A genealogy listing the true heir to every Leng/Hell/The Dream world. The
nation’s throne. When the reader en- method will be one that is useful to the
counters or learns of a monarch, there’s reader once they leave the Library.
a 2-in-6 chance that they know that 15. A book detailing strange funerary rites.
monarch is not the true ruler according The reader can spend a day preparing
to the laws of succession, and a further 1 the body of a dead PC for burial: if they
-in-6 chance that they know the mon- do, that PC’s replacement comes in at
arch is hiding their status as a usurper. the same level as the reader.
6. A spellbook with two random magic- 16. A collection of cosmic secrets, granting
user spells. enough XP to the reader to gain a level
7. An alchemical guide, allowing the reader immediately.
to brew some poison, drug or potion 17. A spellbook with four random magic-
with a day’s work in a proper laboratory. user spells.
The materials to brew an alchemical
concoction cost 25 silver.
64
18. A text detailing the techniques of a lost 24. A revelatory scripture, allowing a cleric
martial art. A fighter-type character reading it to learn three new spells from
(including paladins, barbarians, dwarves the magic-user list.
etc) who reads the book becomes able 25. An evangelical screed, allowing a cleric
to do d8 damage with their bare hands, who reads it to switch their patron deity
and when unarmed and dressed in a to a new one and altering the list of
simple monks robe or gi has armour spells they know appropriately.
class equivalent to chain. 26. A book of mind-rending revelations,
19. A manual of secret exercises and train- allowing the reader to swap their class to
ing regimes that can tap into the body’s being a Magician at any point once
reserves of power. The reader improves they’ve read it. Their attributes and any
one of their physical (strength, dexterity features like permanent injuries, muta-
or constitution) enough to increase its tions and so on remain un-altered. Take
modifier by 1, or else by 1 if it was al- their XP total and work out what level
ready 18 or higher. magician that makes them, which deter-
20. An occult manual, allowing a magic-user mines their new saves, hit-points etc.
reading it to learn two new random Once the character has become a magi-
spells from the cleric list. cian, they cannot go back.
21. An initiatory text, allowing the reader to 27. A spellbook with six random magic-user
swap their class to being a Cleric at any spells.
point once they’ve read it. Their attrib- 28. A book detailing the secrets of eternal
utes and any features like permanent youth. Unlocking these secrets will re-
injuries, mutations and so on remain un- quire work in a laboratory for a full
altered. Take their XP total and work month, and rare materials from across
out what level cleric that makes them, the world worth several thousand silver.
which determines their new saves, hit- Once achieved, the reader ceases aging
points etc. Once the character has be- and is forever protected from any de-
come a cleric, they cannot go back. generative diseases or conditions.
22. A spellbook with five random magic- 29. An arcane grimoire, allowing a magic-
user spell. user reading it to learn three random
23. A book detailing the hidden techniques spells from the cleric list.
of an order of oriental assassins. A spe- 30. A cursed nihilistic manifesto. -1 HP,
cialist-type character (a thief, assassin, permanently.
Halfling, etc etc) who reads the book 31+ Roll again twice, using a d30. The book
can move with perfect silence found is an omnibus of both results.
(automatically passing quietness-based
stealth rolls) and never leaves footprints
or other traces of their passing.
65
Treasure (roll d20+Depth)

1. 2d20 candles, each burns for a turn. shelf like the Librarians do/see in the
2. A lantern and 3d6 turns worth of oil. dark/become invisible to anybody who’s
3. A set of scrimshawed human teeth/ property they have stolen and are cur-
scrimshawed knucklebones to be used rently carrying/befriend any undead be-
like dice/an ink-stand made of silver/a ing they encounter by offering a hand-
snuff-box made from dragonbone/a shake).
collection of signatures from various 17. 2d4 scrolls of random spells.
prominent figures/the finger of a minor 18. A set of d6 magical candles, each burns
saint preserved in amber. Worth 100 for 1 turn. In the area they illuminate,
silver. illusions, invisibility etc are automatically
4. A healing potion in a black glass bottle. dispelled.
Heals d8 HP. 19. A bottle of enchanted ink that is invisible
5. A box of coins worth d10 x depth x 10 to nobles, police, soldiers and anybody
silver. else in a position of legal authority.
6. A glass jar of poison. Save vs Poison or 20. A metal-bound chest of coins. Worth d20
suffer 2d8 damage. D6+2 doses remain. x level x 100 silver.
7. A stash of ammunition. 20 Shots. 21. A coat that makes its wearer (immune to
8. A scroll of a random spell. the cold/immune to fire/immune to
9. Calligraphy by a famous artist/a lapis- electricity/able to blend into indoors
lazuli lantern, with a candle in it/a set of environments with a 4-in-6 chance to
golden cutlery/a strange mutant baby, escape all notice/able to pass through
pickled in a jar. Worth 200 silver. bookshelves as if they were intangible).
10. An armoury. Roll d4+3 weapons, and a 22. A magical weapon intended for warfare.
suit of leather/chain/plate armour with +3 to hit and damage against enemies
each. that use weapons, and roll a magic weap-
11. A magical glass eye. The wearer can (see on property. Roll for weapon type.
magic/see in the dark/see invisible 23. A burial shroud that if worn (by the dead
things/read any written language/see or living) makes the wearer’s soul both
through walls). untouchable to magic and spiritual enti-
12. A potion of (intangibility/invisibility/ ties.
spider climbing/levitating). Lasts 1 turn. 24. A wand that lets you cast (dispel magic/
13. A magical duelling weapon. +2 to hit and hold person/wall of ice/shape stone/
damage in single combat and roll a weap- animate dead/break curse/cure disease).
on property. Roll for weapon type. 2d6+2 charges remain.
14. A small pouch of gemstones worth d10 x
depth x 100 silver.
15. A pen made from delicate gold filigree/a
porcelain mask resembling a human
skull/a violin out of glass. Worth 500
silver.
16. An enchanted hooded robe that lets the
wearer (teleport from bookshelf to book-
66
25. A suit of magical plate-mail that protects
against (weapons, natural attacks, fire, Weapons (roll d12)
electricity, corrosion, poison, spells). Half 1. Dagger
damage from the thing protected against. 2. Rapier
26. A monocle, the lens a single cut diamond 3. Longsword
disk/A crown made of silver, set with the 4. Scimitar
teeth of vanquished kings. Worth 1000 5. Battle-axe
silver. 6. Spear
27. A collection of d10 jewelled rings. Each 7. Mace
worth 200 silver. 8. Flail
28. An absolute masterpiece of a magical 9. Whip
weapon. +2 to hit and damage, and roll 10. Throwing knife
twice for magic weapon properties. Roll 11. Bow/Pistol
for weapon type. 12. Crossbow/Musket
29. A magical ring that renders the wearer
(invisible/able to walk on walls/immune
to mind-altering magic/non-existent to Weapon Abilities
the undead/immune to sneak attacks).
30. Gloves that let you affect gaseous or (roll d20)
immaterial beings as if they were physical. 50% chance the special abilities only function for
31. A box of unearthly glowing gemstones, fighter-type characters.
worth d10 x depth x 500 silver. 1. Completely indestructible.
32. A collection of occultum coins. Occul- 2. Can cut through anything.
tum is a smoky, glassy metallic sub- 3. On fire. +d6 fire damage.
stance, magically potent and insanely 4. Electrified. +d6 electric damage.
valuable. You can bribe gods and pur- 5. Made of ice. +d6 cold damage.
chase kingdoms with it. D4 coins, each 6. Hits surprised foes automatically.
worth depth x 1,000 silver. 7. Rusts any metal items it touches into uselessness.
33. An undiscovered masterpiece by a leg- 8. Dispels spells on anything it hits.
endary artist/legal documents ennobling 9. Double damage vs undead.
the holder and granting them a small tract 10. Double damage vs constructs.
of land/the teeth of a dead saint. Worth 11. Poisonous. Save vs Poison or 2d8 damage.
2,500 silver. 12. Double damage vs wild animals.
34. A legendary monster-slaying weapon. +3 13. Wielder can cast Light, 5 per day.
to hit and damage against non-mundane 14. Wielder can cast Invisibility, 2 per day.
enemies, and roll 3 weapon properties. 15. Turns victim to wax: save vs Paralysis resists.
Roll for weapon type. 16. Wielder can see invisible things.
35 or more. Roll d20+d10+d6-2. Get that, 17. Affects gaseous/immaterial things as if physical.
twice. 18. Parrying. +2 AC.
19. Wielder can see in the dark.
20. Vorpal. Roll of 20 to hit does double maximum
damage.
67
Rumours in the Library

(roll d20+Depth or pick most relevant)
1. Church-sanctioned thieves recently stole 12. Spiders ate a white librarian, and now
a veritable hoard of heretical texts. the librarians are going on a spider-
2. The librarians kidnapped the world’s hunting crusade.
most famous poet lately and are forcing 13. Thieves recently stole the bottled ghost
him to transcribe calculations in verse. of a long-dead emperor.
3. The librarians want to replicate the crea- 14. The librarians want to tear down the
tion of the universe, with different varia- barrier between life and death, making
bles so the new universe is to their lik- all beings immortal!
ing! 15. A famous composer’s last, greatest work
4. A swarm of floating telepathic brains are has been fed into the calculation en-
making everybody they encounter dream gines: if you listen carefully you can hear
of the distant future, and the future her music reverberate through the pipes.
looks grim. 16. Babies conceived or born in the library
5. Hell’s estate agents are looking to pur- have no souls, are immune to magic, and
chase sections of the library, giving them instinctively know truths that drive nor-
a direct route through to the Church’s mal mortals mad.
archives. 17. The librarians want to work out how to
6. A famous professor is working on his capture God in a bottle!
greatest theory yet, he’s been ensconced 18. A coalition of floating brains and neuro-
in here for years and his grad-students vores have made a truce in order to
venture in periodically to bring him food wage guerrilla war against the librarians!
and news. 19. The elemental planes of Dust and Ink
7. The librarians want to learn what the are using the library as a proxy-
word that God was was, in the belief that battleground in their ongoing cold
it is the spell ‘Power word: Omnipo- war—the forces of Elemental Ink are
tence’! winning.
8. The true prophecies of a saint are near- 20. The library was built by an ancient race
by, ghostly nuns sent by a necromantic of Sidhe following some cosmic disaster,
sect are looking for them. in the hope of finding a way to recover
9. A famous mortal inventor actually stole from the fall of their civilisation.
his greatest work from machines he
observed in the library!
10. An eccentric duke led troops into the
library to try to liberate the captured
soul of his daughter; they all died.
11. Mysterious visitors have been seen,
carrying boxes that paint a picture of
whatever they’re pointed at in a fraction
of a second.
68
Dreams & Portents in the Library

(roll d20+Depth or pick most relevant)
1. You are trapped in a bottle filled with 14. You find yourself in darkness. Ink pours
pickling fluids; huge alien figures observe down your throat, you drown in irides-
you and tap on the glass. cent black pigment.
2. Shuddering gears churn up a graveyard. 15. A nun is crucified against the wall, ink-
3. A knife is stabbed through an old book, pens stabbing through her hands and feet
which bleeds and shudders. to pin her in place. As she dies, her gasps
4. An infants body hangs suspended in the are prophecies.
air, comatose. Its skin is covered in tiny 16. A human made of wax is sculpted into a
tattoos of holy texts. wax sword.
5. Graverobbers dig up every coffin in a 17. The impression of a human form can be
cemetery; inside are books, not corpses. seen behind wallpaper, as if they were
6. A snow-globe containing a model church stuck to the wall and the paper plastered
is shaken by a withered, pale hand. In- over them. Their hands grasp for you.
stead of snowflakes, pages of written- 18. A human eye stares at you from the bot-
music flutter around it. tom of a cup of tea.
7. A huge clanking steam engine crawls 19. An old man is writing a letter, dipping his
through a palace, leaving a trail of de- pen in a honeycomb instead of an ink-
struction. well.
8. Ink seeps from under a closed door, 20. Rats wear human clothes and dwell in
staining everything black. houses, setting traps for the tiny naked
9. The words slip from a book’s pages, humans who live under their floorboards.
fluttering through the air before plunging
into a child’s head through her eyes.
10. A circle of brains, plugged together by
wires that crackle with electricity, rise
slowly into the air, and lightning arcs
between them.
11. A robed figure vomits up moths and dies.
The moths form a human face as they
hover above him.
12. Three old women are spinning silk. Spi-
ders creep from under their eyelids and
fingernails, and their bodies slowly col-
lapse; they were nothing more than skin
held up by a mass of arachnids.
13. Pale, androgynous figures are encased in
glass blocks. They communicate with one
another via text that appears engraved on
the glass’s surface. Their faces are old and
anguished.
69
I search the I search the

body… Room...
(roll a few d30s) (roll d30)
1. Pens & paper. 1. A mouse’s nest.
2. D6 candles. 2. A violin.
3. Dice. 3. Loose floorboard that can be lifted.
4. An erotic woodcut. 4. Peeling wallpaper, with a mad scrawled
5. Paintbrushes. rant underneath.
6. A shoe with a hidden compartment in it 5. A pair of shoes, still warm.
for hiding valuables. 6. A porcelain doll.
7. Playing cards. 7. A chamber-pot.
8. Steel mirror. 8. Behind a shelf, a conspiracy-theory dia-
9. Key. Roll d%: this is the chance that it gram pinned to the wall (string, newspa-
opens a lock you try it on. Once it fits a per clippings etc).
lock, that’s the lock it was for. 9. 2d6 human teeth.
10. Padlock. 10. Funnel-web spider nest.
11. A few ice cubes in a jar, not yet melted. 11. Tiny funeral urn.
12. A paper bag of candies. 12. A holy symbol drawn in chalk.
13. A human eyeball, pickled in a jar. 13. A holy symbol drawn in blood.
14. A box of matches. 14. Abandoned undergarments.
15. D6 weird silver coins. 15. Water dripping from the ceiling.
16. A last will and testament. 16. Bloody footprints.
17. Cigars. 17. Picture of an angel on the ceiling.
18. Swiss army knife. 18. The carpet lifts up, beautiful mosaic
19. Spectacles. beneath.
20. Sealing wax. 19. Candle-stubs.
21. A small bottle of brandy. 20. Spiderweb with words written in the
22. A bar of highly addictive chocolate. silk.
23. A letter to the carrier’s beloved. 21. Scorch-marks on the ceiling.
24. A warrant for somebody’s arrest. 22. Book nailed to the wall.
25. A notepad full of poetry. 50% chance to 23. Door that opens onto a brick wall.
be any good. 24. Empty bottles.
26. A dead mouse, dried and mummified. 25. Jar of pickled vegetables.
27. A silk handkerchief, with a few speckles 26. Mouse-sized doorway leading to a
of blood. mouse-sized home.
28. A book (roll on p. 63 for what). 27. Key. Roll d%: this is the chance that it
29. A tinderbox and a pouch of loose tobac- opens a lock you try it on. Once it fits a
co. lock, that’s the lock it was for.
30. A lock of hair, preserved in glass. 28. D6 carnival masks.
29. A box of addictive chocolates.
30. A prayer scrawled on the wall.
70
They can read magical texts, such as spell-
New Class: The books or scrolls, with no need for a roll or
casting of Read Magic. They can cast spells
from any scroll as normal.
Mummified Sage While they don’t begin with a spell-book or
known spells, they have a single spell slot in
It may happen (realistically, it is inevitable) which they can memorize any spell they find
that a player character dies while in the Li- written on a scroll or spellbook. Memorizing
brary. Since the party are likely quite distant a spell in this way takes a turn, and can be
from the real world, no replacement PC will done whenever the Sage has their one spell
come from there. slot free.
What to do? The answer is the Mummified
Sage. These are professors, scholars, theologi-
ans and more who have ventured into the Post-Mortal Physiology
library and stayed there. They discard mortali- A Mummified Sage is not quite alive and not
ty and life, spending eternities researching. quite undead. They are vulnerable to anything
The Mummified Sage is unlike other PCs in that affects living people and to anything that
that they exist in a state close to undeath, affects the undead.
kept going by their own will. While they pos- They do not need to breath, eat, or sleep.
sess a little magical talent, their primary They cannot be poisoned or fall sick.
strength is as scholars, and their esoteric A Mummified Sage has total control over its
knowledge can prove invaluable to those own soul. It is immune to any magic that
exploring a place as strange as the library. targets or affects its soul, including the effects
If your PC dies in the library, your replace- of phantoms, shades and apparitions, necro-
ment must be a Mummified Sage. Similarly, mancy, magic jars, and so on.
new people joining the game in mid-
expedition generate Mummified Sage PCs.
You cannot be a Mummified Sage if your PC Extensive Knowledge
is not going to be joining a party already in Due to the breadth of their studies, conduct-
the library. Reinforcements from back in the ed over many mortal lifetimes, a Mummified
real world cannot be Mummified Sages. You Sage has a chance to identify otherwise mys-
certainly can’t be one in games that don’t terious things encountered, such as monsters,
involve the library at all. magic items, interesting locations, diseases,
A Mummified Sage uses the basic structure of historical figures, artworks etc.
a Magic-User. XP Costs, Hit Points, Saves, The chance to do so is 50% normally, or 20%
Attack Chances and so on all function like a for unique, truly bizarre or highly secret
Magic User. things.
The Mummified Sage has none of the MU’s If their chance to identify something suc-
spellcasting abilities. Instead, they gain the ceeds, the Mummified Sage realises they
following benefits: know its correct name. Furthermore, they
have a good guess at its nature, capabilities,
Read Anything weaknesses and so on: the GM provides
appropriate scholarly information.
A Mummified Sage can read any written lan-
guage. Spoken languages they don’t know are
still unintelligible to them, and they cannot
write in a language they don’t know either.
71

OSR - Stygian Library

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

OSR - Stygian Library

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

OSR - Stygian Library

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What is the Stygian Library?

What is the Stygian Library?

How do characters get into the Stygian Library?

How do characters get into the Stygian Library?

The Stygian Library

A dungeon for bibliophiles.

Dying Stylishly Games

Stuff that inspired me, in no particular order:

Put enough books in one place, and they

How to Run the Adventure

Their flight takes them d4-1 layers deeper, not

Searching For Specific Books

The Librarians & The Great Avernian

Part 2: The Tables

Random Events (roll d20 or d12)

Encounters for Visitors Encounters for Intruders

Catalogue of Contents Chained Lectern

Display Case Ink Vats

Boiler Room Auditorium

Lastly, roll 3d20s to see what mundane mate-

Anybody who uses the planetarium to cast an

###Data Not Found###

 If the players input anything which is

The Calculation Engine is attended to by d4

Printing Machine Syphon of Phantoms

Dissection Theatre Mummy Vault

 If the players ask about the purpose of

The Sheol Computer is attended to by d8

Part 3: Location Details

 “I Hate Ghosts.”

Oriental Rug Lamp-post

Candle-sticks Funeral Urns

Vault Phosphorescent Lamps

Letters Spirit Illumination

Spirit Tubes Time-locked

 Administrative records.

Roll a d12 for which type of library the door-

Part 4: The Bestiary

no intervening space, so long as the start and

Visitors Rust Moths

Paper Bees Guardian Shade

Ink Elementals Inkblots

Neurovores Hungry Books

Patrolling Apparitions Hit Dice 3, HP 9, Armour as unarmoured humans,

Eye Sentinels Black Ooze

Part 5: Useful Tables

Types of Books (roll d100)

Extraordinary Books (roll d20+Depth)

Treasure (roll d20+Depth)

Rumours in the Library

Dreams & Portents in the Library

I search the I search the

You might also like