Codex of the Infinite Planes

Name	Codex of the Infinite Planes
Sorted Name	Codex of the Infinite Planes
Family	Artifact
Subcategory	Major Artifact
Aura	Overwhelming
Caster Level	30
Version	SRD
Sources	System Reference Document

Description: The Codex is enormous-supposedly, it requires two strong men to lift it. No matter how many pages are turned, another always remains. Anyone opening the Codex for the first time is utterly annihilated, as with a destruction spell (Fortitude DC 30 for only 10d6 damage). Those who survive can peruse its pages and learn its powers, though not without risk. Each day spent studying the Codex allows the reader to make a Spellcraft check (DC 50) to learn one of its powers (choose the power learned randomly; add a +1 circumstance bonus on the check per additional day spent reading until a power is learned). However, each day of study also forces the reader to make a Will save (DC 30 + 1 per day of study) to avoid being driven insane (as the insanity spell). The powers of the Codex of the Infinite Planes are as follows: astral projection, banishment, elemental swarm, gate, planar ally, greater, planar binding, greater, plane shift, and soul bind. Each is usable at will by the owner of the Codex (assuming that he or she has learned how to access the power). The Codex of the Infinite Planes has a caster level of 30th for the purposes of all powers and catastrophes, and all saving throw DCs are 20 + spell level. Activating any power requires both a Concentration check and a Spellcraft check (DC 40 + twice the spell level of the power; the character can't take 10 on this check). Any failure on either check indicates a catastrophe befalls the user (roll on the table below for the effect). A character can only incur one catastrophe per power use, even if he or she fails both checks. d% Catastrophe 01-25 Natural Fury: An earthquake spell centered on the reader strikes every round for 1 minute, and an intensified storm of vengeance spell is centered and targeted on the reader. 26-50 Fiendish Vengeance: A Gate opens and 1d3+1 balor demons, pit fiends, or similar evil outsiders immediately step through and attempt to destroy the owner of the Codex. 51-75 Ultimate Imprisonment: Reader's soul is captured (as trap the soul; no save allowed) in a random gem somewhere on the plane while his or her body is entombed beneath the earth (as imprisonment). 76-100 Death: The reader utters a wail of the banshee and then is subject to a destruction spell. This repeats every round for 10 rounds until the reader is dead.

Source Copyright: System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

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