The Grimorium Squamosum

The dragon queen of Vanarland, Hilsendoriel, took the form of a human to write with a quill in the huge ancient tome covered in green dragon scales. She mixed the blood of the princess she had replaced with the ink, and the crimson letters smelled of salt, metal, and death. The book was ancient, even to dragons, being passed down from one dragon to another. It contained histories of lost kingdoms, stories of ancient dragons, lizardfolk, and viperians, and spells made by wizards and priests of the Cult of Scales. It was this tome that had corrupted Hilsendoriel, twisting her into a thing of darkness, and it was what had taught her the dark magicks that she used to steal the throne of Vanarland. Today she adds her own dark knowledge to it...

This weighty tome is bound in the skin of a dragon, stitched with golden thread, and has mithral clasps. It is a massive book, filling two gear slots. Composed over countless centuries by reptilian priests and wizards, it is written a variety of ancient dialects of Reptilian and Draconic with smatterings of Diabolic and Primordial. Because of this, learning checks to study the spells in this tome require knowledge of all four of these rare languages, and are always rolled at disadvantage by non-dragons.

Benefit. Studying this tome will allow a character to learn a suite of spells listed below. If all of the spells are successfully learned, the student becomes a sage of reptilian history and culture, gaining advantage on INT checks when answering questions about dragons, viperians, and other reptilian creatures.

Curse. Anyone who fails to cast a spell learned from this book must make a DC 15 CON check or be polymorphed into a cobra for 10 rounds.

Personality. Chaotic. Imperious, arrogant, and vain. The tome will berate and insult a non-reptilian user, and insist that a humanoid user be obedient and worshipful to reptilian creatures. In the hands of a reptilian user, it is strict and perfectionistic, but respectful.

Basking Rays

“Bask in the sun and be warmed wherever you are…”

Tier 2 priest, wizard Duration: 1 hour real time Range: Near

A specific near sized circular area you point to glows with a bright, hot light, illuminating it for 1 hour of real time, and warming the area like a hot, dry summer day.

Chameleon Skin

“Hide in the tall grass like a chameleon…”

Tier 1, wizard Duration: 10 rounds Range: Self

Your skin and equipment continually change colour to blend into your environment, making you harder to spot. So long as you stand still or move at close speed, you gain advantage on your hiding check.

Embrace of the Serpents

“Embrace your enemy with a grip of fangs and venom…”

Tier 3, wizard Duration: 10 rounds Range: Self

Your arms take the form of venomous snakes, allowing you to attack an enemy with a snake bite. On a successful hit your target takes 1d4 damage and must make DC 12 CON check or go to 0 HP in 1d4 rounds.

Prehensile Tongue

“Loose tongues are worse than wicked hands…”

Tier 1, wizard Duration: 5 rounds Range: Self

You can make your tongue stretch out to grab things like a chameleon so 1 creature in near range must make DC 12 DEX or be pulled to close range. You can pull any item that would fill a single gear slot toward you.

Raptor’s Form

“They were here before you, and if you are not careful, they're going to be here after...”

Tier 3, Wizard Duration: Focus Range: Self

You and your gear transform into a velociraptor for the spell's duration. You assume the dinosaur's STR, DEX, CON, HP, AC, speed, attacks, and physical characteristics, but retain your INT, WIS, and CHA. You can cast spells in this form. If you go to 0 HP, you revert to your true shape. If you are level 5+, you can transform into a pterodactyl instead.

Salamander Cloak

"We are the flame that burns away the darkness..."

Tier 4, wizard Duration: 10 rounds Range: Self

Your skin turns red and takes on a moist sheen like a salamander as flames flicker around you. You become immune to fire and creatures in close range must make a DC 12 CON check on their turn or take 1d8 damage.

Piercing Gaze

“If looks could kill…”

Tier 3, wizard Duration: focus Range: Self

You gain the cold, detached gaze of a serpent’s eyes and intimidate a single opponent whose intentions you can see through. You can add your INT modifier to all attack and damage rolls against this single chosen opponent. The target has disadvantage on attacks against you.

Shed Skin

"Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again."

Tier 4 , Wizard Duration: Instant Range: self

Your skin starts to peel, revealing healthy but tender new flesh underneath over the course of 2 hours while you rest. After just 2 hours of resting you heal all damage taken, regrow lost limbs, and any curse, illness, or affliction affecting you ends, but you suffer a -2 penalty to AC and STR checks until you have a full natural rest.

Slithering Form

“Snakes slither in the grass spineless…”

Tier 1, wizard Duration: 5 rounds Range: Self

You alter your physical form so you have a snake-like lower body instead of legs. You gain advantage on checks to move quietly and may constrict an opponent as a giant snake would, making a contested STR check to hold a target immobile for one round.

Sticks To Snakes

“He cast it down, and behold! It was a snake, moving quickly…”

Tier 3 , wizard Duration: 10 rounds Range: close

You transform a staff or other stick of wood into a snake that follows your commands. If the snake is slain or the spell ends, it turns back into a normal stick of wood.

Viper Arrow

“Seek…”

Tier 2, wizard Duration: Instant Range: Close

The caster transforms a common snake into a projectile. When fired from a bow at a creature, it deals 1d4 damage and forces the creature to save versus Constitution against your spellcasting check or be reduced to 0 hp. The snake returns to normal afterward.