Codex of Infinite Planes

Wondrous item, legendary

The Codex of Infinite Planes is an ancient text said to have been penned by the lords of creation at the beginning of time and recounts histories lost to the minds of mortals.

The Codex is massive in size and scope, and no mortal can ever hope to read it in its entirety. No matter how many pages are turned, another always remains. Anyone opening the Codex for the first time must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, being utterly annihilated on a failure and taking 35 (10d6) force damage on a success. 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 DC 23 Intelligence (Arcana) check to learn one of its powers (choose the power learned randomly; lower the DC by 1 per additional day spent reading until a power is learned). However, each day of study also forces the reader to make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC of 20 + 1 per day of study to avoid being driven insane (as the confusion spell, but permanent).

The powers of the Codex of the Infinite Planes are as follows: astral projection, banishment, elemental swarm, gate, planar ally, planar binding, and plane shift. 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 spell save DCs of 25 and a spell attack bonus of +17. Activating any power requires both a Concentration check and a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Any failure on either check indicates a catastrophe befalls the user (roll on the table below for the effect). A character can incur only one catastrophe per power use, even if he or she fails both checks.

A character who reads from the Codex for more than 99 weeks is automatically consumed by the power of the book and dies instantly. Such a character cannot be raised or returned to life, even by a wish; only a god’s magic can restore such a creature to life.

1d4	Catastrophe
1	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.
2	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.
3	Ultimate Imprisonment: Reader’s soul is captured in a random gem somewhere on the plane while his or her body is entombed beneath the earth (as imprisonment).
4	Death: The reader is subject to a disintegration spell. This repeats every round for 10 rounds or until the reader is dead.