Bag of Books

Summary

The Bag of Books is a satchel of reference materials purchased by Cat in Rex Tree for 10 coins during Session 4 of the campaign. The bag contains approximately five paperback books selected from a flea market vendor's collection of roughly 2,000 books. Cat acquired these books both for entertainment during the three-day journey to New Smoke and to provide practical assistance with knowledge checks. The bag functions as a consumable resource, offering five uses that grant a +1 bonus to Spout Lore rolls, with each use representing finding and consulting an appropriate book from the collection.

Properties

The Bag of Books provides five discrete uses, each granting a +1 bonus to Spout Lore rolls. When Cat or another character needs to research information, they can root around in the bag, mark off a use, and retrieve a relevant book. The books serve as an alternative to making standard knowledge rolls, allowing characters to consult written references instead.

The bag was filled by an old vendor described as having "like 2,000 paperback books" at what amounts to a 99 cent book section in a flea market. The selection process was handled by the vendor, who simply filled the bag with various titles. The contents include advanced reference materials on chemical and alchemical theory, though the exact titles and subjects of all five books remain unspecified.

The books represent Cat's literacy and desire for both entertainment and practical knowledge during travel. The mechanical benefit reflects Cat's ability to research topics rather than relying solely on recalled knowledge.

History

Session 4

Cat [purchased the Bag of Books in Rex Tree](timestamp://86cd404c-d3fc-4850-9eff-ab865b388df9/08:15) before departing for New Smoke, stating "Cat would like to buy a sack of books to read on the road." The purchase cost 10 coins, and Cat received confirmation that "a bag of books is 10 coins, and you get five uses, which gives you a plus one to a spelt lore."

Later in the session, Cat used the bag to investigate The Frozen Nilik. When examining the flash-frozen creature, Cat consulted the books, saying "Oh, maybe one of these books that I have would tell me." Cat successfully found a book containing diagrams and descriptions of advanced chemical and alchemical theory. The book described "the application of" alchemical concepts that Cat didn't fully understand but could use to analyze the freezing phenomenon. This consultation helped explain how The Frozen Nilik had been flash-frozen.

The GM also noted that Brad or other characters could borrow from the bag's uses, stating "You could also use one of the uses from the bag of books" when discussing how to learn more about Spellslay and the freezing effect.