The Book of Vile Darkness | D&D Artifacts and Lore | The Dungeoncast Ep.360

[@MrDe4dGuy34]

Vecna: I shall call it the Book of Bad Stuff. Acererak: Why not something cooler like the Book of Vile Darkness? Vecna: I got it, I shall call it the Book of Vile Darkness. I’m so glad I thought of that. Acererak: You know what boss, I heard Kas wants to show you a new trick he learned with his sword.

[@notsae66]

I love the idea that the dread Book Of Vile Darkness is actually a well laid out, commentator guide full for tips and tricks to becoming a successful infernalist. Like, everyone thinks it's so evil and chaotic it drives you insane (and it can), but to those open to its mysteries it is a carefully lined out, clear and even cheerful guide on how to be successful with the forces of darkness. Like a friendly, actively helpful version of the necronomicon that genuinely helps you rise and survive as long as it can.

[@andrewkoester8169]

Clippy appears. "Looks like you're trying to bind a devil, want some help with that?"

[@StevenPJames-fl1un]

So ... toxic positivity?

[@notsae66]

@@StevenPJames-fl1un No, toxic positivity is being positive to the point it becomes abusive, victimizing those that are realistic or pessimistic. This is just a genuinely friendly, helpful guide on how to be an evil overlord.

[@adamchristopher6917]

Because the further one goes, the more the book benefits... probably.

[@leilahamm8597]

In the original Lovecraft stories, the Necronomicon is friendly and actively helpful, but unfortunately not at all organized or well laid out.

[@orcishdad8075]

So Vecna wrote down his most evil thoughts in the book? What about his thoughts that didn't make the cut? Does he journal? Is there a Book of Uncomfortable Darkness with Vecna just ranting about Kas?

[@brandoncarlson2862]

*secretly reads the book* The rest of the party: "... Why is Greg skinning a baby?"

[@howdy4504]

The short rest was hysterical. It really got me on the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia reference

[@jasonh4098]

There's an item somewhere that gives you xray vision or something, that says you can read books without opening them. How would this mix with the book of vile darkness? Or even the good boy book.

[@WesleyMcLain-kj5if]

Pro tip: be a lich while reading BoVD. Negates the following downsides: Death Liquid brain (you don’t have one) You’re already mad / an abomination beyond redemption

[@ManOfSteel6153]

These guys are literally some of the best and funniest D&D content creators out there, I genuinely look forward to each new vid you guys drop🔥🔥 Never change yall lol

[@destonlee2838]

im recalling but not finding in canon, a book called "codex of inescapable madness", the book has an aura that gives its holder the impression it can answer questions. when a person attempts to read it, they must read til done. on completion the reader gains a wisdom of 20 for one turn, just long enough to understand it is a cursed item- and then they must roll on the random psychosis table in the DM guide. from there out they babble incoherantly about the gifts the book can provide to the world, hoping to hand it off to another victim. once handed off the book is utterly forgotten as they slip into paranoid dementia

[@Mordalon]

Lovecraft's stories were full of examples mixing real-world myth with his own creations to give them that sense of realness and mystique. While the original Necronomicon was created by a man that went mad and was "torn apart by demons in broad daylight", many of his stories have intellectual characters reference it as a book has been spread with copies that basically anyone can look up just as you can look up actual books of demonology. So when Evil Dead and other fiction writers insert the Necronomicon into their stories to make it feel "reel", they're actually continuing a tradition Lovecraft himself started.

[@jhamler1]

Lovecraft is honestly tough to read but the lore he explored is... Fun?

[@nathanthaxton7492]

Add the O so they know.

[@darklightstudio]

Shoutout to Demogorgon, Yeah :)

[@jdrvargo287]

11:10 Adventurer: "For some reason, the Malcanthet chapter is just a list of her safe words and favorite movies."

[@Nox-eg3rq]

I mean....you gotta do your research to impress them baddies

[@jdrvargo287]

​@@Nox-eg3rqVery true. Very true.🤔

[@redemption101caleb]

What list of properties did you use? I need it, please 🙏

[@Cbev1994]

I like the new setup

[@morganlangham4251]

I am glad I listened to the ad.

[@quantumperception]

Any chance you would upload a copy of the "shout out to Demogorgon" songs? I like a couple, and they get caught in my head sometimes, so when it pops into my head, I'd love to actually listen to it rather than just sing it to myself, without having to dig through an episode to find the version I was thinking of. Definitely give info on the artists and how we can find them too, so they get a plug and are rewarded for contributing to the show too. If they don't want to let you upload it to your channel, maybe a short video telling us where to find their channel, or where to buy their stuff; that said, it would be stupid to turn a chance at exposure like this, especially if you are willing to link to their stuff for those that want more. My favorite is the light, acoustic guitar one, but I have also caught myself singing the metal one too. Either way, thanks and best of luck. Shout out to Demogorgon, oh yeah! P.S. You already have multiple song versions, so going forward, you could also just stop using those in new videos that don't want to have that arrangement (use parts of their song, in exchange for exposure and you plugging their sites/shops), and use music from those who will take the opportunity; my guess is from similar situations on podcasts that have music contests or use fan songs (like BotBAB on LoS, for example, or how Ari Shaffir got his theme song for later Skeptic Tank episodes from a fan "Ari Shaffir owns this song/this song belongs to Ari Shaffir", after he had legal issues using popular music without approval in earlier ones), there are plenty of people with talent on par with those that you used, who would jump at such an opportunity, and why not give them that chance to blow up (well, at least increase their audience by a portion of your audience, who might not be aware of them otherwise)? Just a thought, but either way I'd love to hear more of the ones that you already have. Again, thanks, and keep up the great work, fellas! P.P.S. Actually, Ari Shaffir did exactly what I am talking about! If you search "Ari Shaffir Owns This Song: The Music Video" you find a music video on his channel, that he actually made with the artist! Whenever I want to hear that song, I don't have to skip around a long episode, I can just play the music video. Not saying you guys have to star in the music video, but again, putting her music on his channel made me aware of her, and more people definitely checked her out after she began associating with Ari. (It is also simple, repetitive, and SUPER catchy, where you find yourself internally singing it hours later, in a moment of wandering mind).

[@Thedungeoncast]

All music we use is made in house by us. The Shout-out to Demogorgon song specifically is Brian's writing and performance.

[@aimeemorgado8715]

❤❤❤❤Illian and Bearn. Also the acoustic version of Shout Out to Demogorgon song❤❤❤❤ Best wishes to you and yours .

[@phoenixiwaki]

Nice!! I just reskinned this as an evil Quori / Dreaming Dark artifact in my Eberron game!

[@mosshivenetwork117]

Is there a book of unvile darkness?

[@jamesgordon364]

When a player read the whole book and succumbed to its philosophy I would give them a blind eye. Not only would it be thematic with vecna but I would give it some powers. May be an extra attunement slot, spell slot, meta magic points. And let it store a spell to cast on a bonus action!!!

[@calebrenegar1992]

Just got my WHAT THE GRUUMSH beanie for winter. Happy fall y’all lol

[@FoxBatinaHat]

I hope they have more; emotes, dances and customizations in Classic+.

[@jamesoboyle3026]

You guys should keep up the spooky books and do strahd's diary

[@epiccthulu]

or even Cyrinishad, a book commissioned by Cyric the mad that turns all who read it into his follower. How scary is it? During the novels Prince of Lies and The trial of Cyric the mad…the other gods were terrified to look at it because it converted Mask and when Cyric read it…he began worshiping himself and thinking him Ao’s peer xD

[@heathstephens4068]

I was looking forward to the new episode. Great surprise for the dive home!

[@xhaggy6969]

I dont know why the "No soul, huh? ..wow." Got me so bad lmao 🤣 like a devil asking about mind flayers

[@natezabinski5615]

Do the Book of Exalted Deeds next

[@natezabinski5615]

I mean after Hades

[@epiccthulu]

If I wanted to get rid of the book of vile darkness without destroying it I would place it in Pandemonium. The river styx starts there and in that area the water there removes your memory. Just chuck it in (after making yourself immune to sound/thunder damage) the water and even if a demon reaches in …it would forget why. By the Nine Hells, it may even remove spells from the book or have the book forget its evil

[@sithis36]

All memories forgoten, ho look at this I'm holding...

[@OutlawKing13MistaJ]

Bruce Campbell definitely knows the book of vile darkness

[@WarrNPeace11]

The Harry Potter book is "The Monster Book of Monsters" i believe, also congrats on 50k, you guys deserve it!

[@overlordofmidgard5876]

In the first campaign I ran for 5e, the knowledge cleric got ahold of the Book of Vile Darkness by accident and tempted by the secrets inside read the book. Bob the Cleric is know a reoccurring villain in our games.

[@GenoReaper333]

So... we're in a campaign and the dm has allowed magehandpress's valdas spire content. I made a level3 char that is 2 sleep wizard and 1 level necromancer as the party didnt have a healer or any support. Basically a paladin, an illrigger. And a barbarian. I took srarting gold at char creation and went to go to bookstore for some level 1 ritual scrolls to help bolster my support arsenal. Long story short while in the bookstore i failed a wis save and felt pulled to a safe. The bookkeep refused to sell me the contents saying it was nothing but trouble, i wanted to test something so i laid out three scrolls on the table one of which was sleep. And casted sleep spell of my own, hoping to say it was an accident if it failed. The sleep wizard feature Basically doubles the roll of the sleep spell total as it's Level 2 feature so i was able to put her to sleep, it succeeded and i was satisfied so i put everything back and went to leave. I was asked to make another wisdom save and failed again. I was then told that i felt compelled to get to the safe contents. When i got the book outside i casted the valdas rumor spell, which basically spreads a rumor and people hear it from different sources making it hard to pin down. My rumor was that cultists broke into the library attacking people inside and robbed the safe. Well the dm pulled me aside and told me privately that this was the book I've just recieved with some changes mainly being that it can't be removed through conventional means..... she allowed me to say i had put it back when we rejoined the party since the rumor spell would be spreading, so the party doesn't know what i have now. If i don't do an evil deed every 10 days my allignment also will shift to more evil each time. So now I'm struggling as a dreamer race i can enter and interact with the dreams of a target ,i asked Would slowly indoctrinating the paladin into following vecna through dream manipulations such if we come across the location for three hand or eye of vecna and using disguise self to appear as his God and entering his dream and send him on a holy quest to find the eye of the "eye of Sir. Perfidy, a holy relic of a paladin that's been kept secret to all but the most informed of the clergy. In his quests he came across the holy texts that upon reading imbued his eyes with the ability to see one's true form with magic so powerful that not even a demon lord could fool. And The hand of Lady Polluere, a woman chosen by his God to lead a tidal wave of healing and cleansing on the world her touch was was able to cure the the most severe injuries and malignant curses. Would tricking the paladin be considered evil

[@clintmyers6359]

Tobin’s Spirit guide joins the chat 💬 xD

[@alexmazepa3499]

@dungeoncast Tobin's Spirit Guide is a Ghostbuster reference!

[@1GonzalezAR1]

I imagine a charismatic empyrean, like Jason Mamoa in the new fast and furious. Everybody in your party hates you and they want to sleep with this empyrean

[@odinulveson9101]

Very fitting spooky episode! Came to think of.. Have started to play alooot of Vaesen/ Being ( Being ) and Dragonbane/ Dragebane( Drakar och Demonar ). Could you do an episode or more of these Free League tabletop games? They are PERFECT for spooky season with mirth, mayhem and nordic dark fantasy investigations. Most images/ drawings/ illustrations are made by the sewde Johan Egerkrans. HIGHLY recommend buying his books about Dragons, Vaesen, Undead/ Living Dead 👌

[@anthonycalfa2048]

The Necronomicon, also referred to as the Book of the Dead, or under a purported original Arabic title of Kitab al-Azif, is a fictional grimoire (textbook of magic) appearing in stories by the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound" wikipedia book ,mentioned maybe invented by lovecraft however there was a story about an arabic title of the same name said to contain the names of all demons author disappeared after publishing

[@zero3045]

wait, when does an Empyrean show up? You talking about the Aasimar or?

[@williamburden2308]

wtf the short rest was amazing

[@twohorsesinamancostume7606]

So if someone writes "Vecna drinks his own pee" in the book it'll show up in all other copies?

[@destaniebarnes]

Was that show the Mummy perhaps? The original not the remake.

[@majik725]

50k woo!!!

[@judebrown1172]

Love your content guys

[@codasinger5298]

With magic items, especially artifacts, and ESPECIALLY unique and multiversal artifacts like the Books of Vile Darkness or Exalted Deeds, they transcend regular physical damage. One of the few times I think it makes sense to not have a listed AC or HP for sentient and/or evil items that players may want to try to destroy, it is immune to all harm until the conditions are right: like being torn in half by a Planar or destroying all evil in the multiverse.

[@nickferal22]

Grimly and Gromly! Yes!!! They're back! I love those guys! *fixed 😅

[@GangusBong1]

Love watching you guys grow

[@Fuzzypizzas]

Volo in bg3 is a wizard

[@prodbysharki4244]

Shout out to Demogorgon

[@rippertrain]

I love you guys

[@jasonh4098]

Looking back two years to the tharizdun episode, would there be information in this book about him? Half the lore says the book was written by vecna, but the other half says its been around much longer.

[@pernicious8523]

I wonder what would happen if one were to stitch the Book of Vile Darkness and the Book of Exalted Deeds together, the pages interlaced. Such an interesting experiment

[@quantumperception]

How about this for a cheesy analogy for "the one ring": one book to BIND them all. You know, like being bound in servitude, but also like book bindings?

[@chantingzhang]

Canonically Illitheids not having souls probably only means that the life on the material plane is literally the only one they have, thus they are very obsessed with their "afterlife" in the Elder Brain, or extending their life as liches or Alhoons.

[@FattyMcFox]

For any MCU fans, the Darkhold is supposed to be the the Marvel version of the Book of vile darkness. Both always try to corrupt, promise knowledge, numb you to the price or horrors committed in persuit of that power, and is always trying bring you and the world around you to ruin.

[@BuboStabbins]

I would like to point out that there are a LOT of types of clerics and paladins, and only ~3rd of them are good. =)

[@adampetra7865]

My young edgelord ass loved the 3rd Ed Book of Vile Darkness when WotC published it. Dancing Chains was a hell of a spell. Vile Lance was fun too, don't recall the name of it offthe top of my head, but there was also a spell that allowed you to pull drugs out of mundane materials like wood or stone which also weaken the materiel. I remember making a wizard who was a little shit that would do that to wagon wheels and buildings; than snort them before combats.

[@Walupof]

More like book of vile dankness

[@larstollefsen1236]

The darkest entry in the book is about WotC's attempt to dissolve the OLG.

[@cernunnos_lives]

Will... hitting dat "O" so you know... This book is Asmo's dirty mag, don't touch. Some pics you really don't want to see. Trust me. Too much soft skin.

[@tiogah]

monster book of monsters

[@calebrenegar1992]

Lol so the book gets wiped out by a Zordon wave?

[@tombirmingham7033]

want to be wizards and fight the army of darkness? read on john dee and the liber loagaeth. to me my adventurers

[@rikkinevers9616]

😄 'PromoSM'

[@AncientRylanor69]

🐃

[@shagrimm]

The book is a hard light holo-projection? And yet it still needs lotion?? What's going on here???