Necromantic Lore (CBN)

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Tomes of power, forbidden books, and ancient, long-dead sages can help bring an atmosphere of necromantic tradition to the campaign, a historical perspective that adds another dimension of realism for your players. Among the early writers of the Cthulhu cycle, it was almost mandatory to create a book of necromantic secrets.
H. P. Lovecraft had such success with his fictional Necronomicon, from which he “quoted” so accurately, that many of his readers believed that the book existed, convinced by Lovecraft's stories that it had been penned by the Arab Alhazred before he was driven mad with his own revelations. Clark Ashton Smith retorted by creating the Book of Eibon, and Robert Bloch invented Mysteries of the Worm, giving it a Latin title (De Vermis Mysteriis) to further bolster its authenticity. All of these authors heightened the realism of their tales by discussing their tomes in a historical context of known treatises on necromancy, such as the Book of Secrets by Albertus Magnus, or the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
These same techniques work surprisingly well in an AD&D® campaign. How often does a party of adventurers stumble across the private study of an evil necromancer and scan the shelves for an interesting title? In my experience, this has happened many times, and the most successful DMs have had a few clever descriptions prepared to intrigue their players. Obviously, we are not suggesting that the DM invent a whole library of necromantic titles and their contents. It is sufficient to make up a few books and refer to these frequently so that the players quickly come to recognize them as symbols of necromantic lore.
Here, then, is a small sample of what a group of adventurers might find on the bookshelves of a powerful necromancer. These books can be used as an item of treasure for a successful raiding party, or the object of a quest by the adventurers, who may seek to recover some of the ancient lore contained therein.
Note that many of these books contain knowledge about evil, extraplanar creatures or black necromancy. Although many of the evil-aligned magical tomes in the DMG carry powerful wardings to prevent their use by good characters, there is no such magical protection for the books mentioned here, unless a trap has been set by the book's current owner as a deterrent to theft. Instead, feel free to use the system of punishments outlined in Chapter Three whenever a good character willingly uses an evil tome mentioned in this section. Of course, all of these books (whether good or evil) will be widely sought after by necromancers, and if one of the tomes happens to be in the party's possession at the time, they could be in store for a nasty encounter or perhaps even a new adventure.
The Art of Necromancy. This heavy tome was penned by Kazerabet, the former queen of an entire undead principality and a renowned scholar of the ancient Necromancer Kings of the Ruined Kingdoms. This book contains many useful necromantic spells (gray a nd white necromancy mostly) and also descriptions on how to create and recharge various necromantic magical items (as alluded to previously in this chapter). The book includes an encyclopedic description of undead, along with a discussion of their special powers and weaknesses. Finally, the book ends with a translation dictionary for Kadari, the ancient language of the Necromancer Kings. Wizards who read the Art of Necromancy can learn necrology and ancient languages (Kadari) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies (see Chapter One) at a rate of one proficiency for every 1–4 months of the character's studying.
The Book of Shadows. It is said that Nebt Bhakau dictated this account of black necromancy to his summoned shadow familiars while he lay in an oubliette before his execution. After his death, copies of this book started to appear in nearby cities, and although all available copies were promptly burned and the book was banned by the local authorities, it is a widely known fact that some copies escaped the interdiction. The book is a thorough treatise on the Black Arts, and includes all of the baneful spells listed on Table 7 on page 46.
Of more interest, perhaps, to the Undead Master especially, the book also contains many of the secret rites necessary to raise up crawling claws, enslave evil genies, summon fiendish familiars from the Outer Planes, and subjugate skeleton warriors. Wizards who read this book carefully gain a +1 bonus on their netherworld knowledge nonweapon proficiency check.
On Coming Forth By Day. This clerical tome has been compiled over countless generations by the priests of the Dead, and contains a description (but not the actual secrets) of all clerical spells from the necromantic sphere. It also contains the procedure for fashioning scarabs of protection by a priest of at least 9th level.
Any priest who reads this magical tome and ponders its contents for over a month gains minor access to the necromantic sphere (if she or he had none before) or major access to the necromantic sphere (if he or she had only minor access before). A priest who already has major access to the sphere achieves an improved understanding of necromantic spells, gaining a permanent +1 bonus on his or her saving throws against these spells (whether cast by a wizard or priest).
The Necrophidicon. This thin, magical volume is a specialized manual of golems that can be used to create a necrophidius (a type of golem described in full in the Monstrous Manual). Normally, the process requires a wizard of at least 14th level (or a priest of at least 9th level), approximately 10 days of labor, and at least 8,000 gp in materials.
If the wizard or priest is not sufficiently powerful, he or she may invoke the necessary incantations from the book, although this destroys the Necrophidicon in the process (the manufacture of the golem still takes the same amount of time and cost in materials). Many of these tomes were also used as notebooks by skilled necromancers and death priests and may contain the secrets of creating other kinds of necromantic golems.
The Nycoptic Manuscripts. These twin papyrus scrolls are inscribed with ancient tales and cryptic prophesies by an anonymous author who was probably (at least partially) insane. Despite their dubious accuracy, the manuscripts contain many useful descriptions of necromantic spells (both priest and wizard) and magical items, particularly those incantations and devices that affect a person's life force. The details of such spells and items are not present, but the manuscripts can be used to cut the time and expense for researching these topics in half. The Manuscripts are thus an invaluable tool of necromantic research and, as such, are highly prized by both necromancers and death priests. Some spellcasters—once their sanity has faded from reading the Manuscripts too many times—are said to at last understand the author's doomsday prophesies. Finally, the Manuscripts supposedly contain the full rite of creating an undead plague (a quest spell outlined in TOM). This powerful incantation can only be comprehended and invoked by a priest (or necromancer) who has already failed at least one madness check (see Chapter Three). The spell disappears from the Manuscripts after it has been read, only to reappear when the work passes on to a new owner.
The Fabric of the Human Body. This oversized book is a comprehensive monograph about the structure and function of the human body. It is recognized as one of the most thorough and accurate texts on human anatomy and contains dozens of drawings depicting dissected cadavers. This work will be found on the shelf of almost any respected Anatomist. Provided a wizard or priest already has a basic proficiency in healing, he or she would be able to learn the Anatomy nonweapon proficiency after three months of study (and at least one dissection of a human cadaver).
The Eleven Baneful Gates. This ancient scroll is thought to contain the secret of immortality, symbolized by eleven tests or riddles. The work was bestowed by a prophet of the gods on a wizard-king (perhaps one of the Necromancer Kings). According to legend, this king sundered his realm after becoming immortal, leaving nothing in his wake but sand and dust.
Copies of the original are known to exist, and these rare books cover in full detail the various rites involved in becoming a lich. The process requires a powerful necromantic potion and a wizard of at least 18th level (in order to survive the transformation at least). This work is one of the books most coveted by necromancers and would-be liches alike.