D100 Forbidden Tomes and Their Effects

In forgotten crypts, behind locked monastery doors, and inside the minds of the mad, there exist tomes that no mortal should possess. Some were written in blood. Some in languages no longer spoken—perhaps never meant to be. All of them are dangerous. This supplement offers 100 forbidden tomes, each with strange effects and mysteries. Use it when your players stumble across a sinister library, loot a cursed scholar’s corpse, or follow clues into an ancient vault. Roll a D100, or choose freely, to reveal the arcane and unsettling book your players have found. Each tome offers an effect, some subtle and others terrifying—some useful, others deeply cursed. These entries are rich seeds for storylines, character arcs, or one-shot horror detours. For example, roll a 72: “The Coil of Ink – Reading a page tattoos the words onto your skin. They whisper if left unread.” That single line could spawn a mystery, a madness mechanic, or a terrifying patron. As always: you are not bound by the dice. Use what inspires you. Reroll. Combine entries. Twist them to fit your world. These are tools—not rules.