Book of Night without MoonSource The Midnight Mirror pg. 7
Aura moderate illusion; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 15,000 gp; Weight 4 lbs. DescriptionThis black grimoire’s pages are mostly blank, but a few contain rough watercolor silhouettes. The Book of Night without Moon is a repository for trapped shadows. To sever a shadow from its owner and add it to the book, the user must speak a command word and snap the book shut on the shadow. The shadow must be very still when it is severed, so the victim must be either willing or helpless. The book has 40 pages; a shadow takes up a number of pages equal to the Hit Dice of the creature that cast it.
A creature whose shadow is stolen must succeed at a DC 18 Will save or be sickened by a nameless melancholy until its shadow is returned (in the meantime, the creature casts no shadow). Losing its shadow has no adverse effect on a creature that cannot be sickened. A remove curse spell cast on the creature ends the effect and retrieves the shadow from the book.
As a standard action, the book’s bearer may release a shadow from the book, conjuring an illusory duplicate of the shadow’s owner as if with the spell shadow conjuration (DC 18 Will save to recognize that the conjuration is an illusion). The shadow is intelligent and can follow complex commands, but cannot speak and lacks the memories or personality of the creature that cast it. The shadow serves the character who released it for 1 hour or until destroyed, whichever comes first. The shadow then returns instantly and permanently to its original owner, wherever he or she may be. It cannot be commanded to return to the book and cannot be stolen again. The book’s magic can sustain up to five active shadows at a time.
A Book of Night without Moon purchased or found as treasure contains 2d6 shadows, chosen by the GM. ConstructionRequirements Craft Wondrous Item, shadow conjuration; Cost 7,500 gp
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