Dungeons & Dragons - A Guide to the Book of Vile Darkness

Today we're going to look at a famous D&D item - The Book of Vile Darkness. I'm going to go through old D&D products and try to collect all of the known lore right here. Really, I just want to answer the question: "What is actually written in the Book of Vile Darkness?"

Tomes: This guide joins the ranks of some of my favorite things to write about - D&D tomes. I've written guides like this on 2 other legendary D&D items:

• Demonomicon of Iggwilv
• Codex of the Infinite Planes
  

Combining the Lore: I've taken all the lore and information from various editions and crammed it into my version of the book. I took a few liberties, attributing certain ideas written in various sourcebooks to Vecna. Let's look at my Book of Vile Darkness, then we'll go through each product and see how we got here.

What is in the Book of Vile Darkness?

• Vecna's Introduction: This is actually written out in the 4e Book of Vile Darkness sourcebook.
• Vecna's Notes on The Beginning: Vecna writes about how Atropus created the gods, and that in the early days there was no evil, just order vs. chaos. 
• Energy Planes: Vecna writes about how the multiverse seems to spring from two planes: The Positive Energy Plane and the Negative Energy Plane.
  
• Atropus: Vecna writes about Atropus, a "stillborn god" who floats in the multiverse destroying worlds. Atropus apparently created the gods, and now wishes to destroy them.
  
• The Vasharans: Details on the Vasharans, a human subrace that pre-dates mortals, linked to Graz'zt.
• Notes on Evil: Vecna's vast research on the secrets of the multiverse and the nature of evil.
• Apotheosis: The book contains the ritual for becoming a lich, and the process on how one might become an evil god.
• God of Death: Concepts linked to Nerull, a god of death, written by his priests.
  
• Infernal Writings: Topics relating to the Nine Hells, written by Baalzebul, the arch-devil.
• The Chained God: Writings of a mad follower of Tharizdun, detailing the shard of evil that lurks at the bottom of the Abyss. A claim is made: "Evil wasn't born until Tharizdun plucked a shard of darkness from the furthest reaches of the cosmos."
• God of Decay: Information on Amnissos, a god of decay. Written by high priest Xenothrakti Ur-tocul.
• Vecna's Following: Writings of The Heart, high priestess of Vecna, detailing what Vecna's followers have learned following Vecna's apotheosis.
  
• Mad Zakharan Scrawlings: Random notes written by Thuba Mleen's prisoners.
• Im-Ravin's Research: A lich named Im-Ravin may have used the information in this book to become a lich. He writes about Vytholus, an ancient serpent god who rules an abyssal layer, and the lifebane, sentient energy that, in theory, could empower Atropus.
  
• Ancient Evil Gods: Writings relating to many of the most evil deities: Karaan, Rallaster, The Patient One, Scahrossar, The Xammux, and Yeathan.
• The Age of Worms: A prophecy that speaks of transforming the world through Kyuss, the Worm God.
• Shemeshka's Notes: Shemeshka the Marauder, an arcanoloth, provides wry notes in certain sections, possibly about the baernoloths.
• Nhagruul's Dragon Magic: The writings of a mad wizard who has since merged with the book. Includes information on corrupting dragon eggs to create Nhagruul Dragonspawn.
• Black Magic: Many new spells, including Apocalypse from the Sky (from Elder Evils) and a huge pile of spells from the 3e Book of Vile Darkness supplement (converted to 5e here).
• Sacrifices: "Methods on extracting pain from the innocent." This topic is also covered in the 3e sourcebook.
• Forbidden Secrets: How to use Dark Chant to empower undead.
• Dark Speech: How speakers can use Dark Speech to empower magic items, weaken physical objects, command vermin, and cause magical fear.
• Stealing Divine Magic: The book details the process in which an Ur-Priest can actually steal divine magic and spells from other deities.
• Demon Husbandry: Summoning demons, using demons.

AD&D 1st Edition Dungeon Master's Guide

We start off in 1st edition. The original version of the book is described in a single paragraph. We learn the following:

• It takes a week to read it.
• Evil clerics gain +1 WIS and XP.
• Neutral clerics either lose XP or become evil.
• Good clerics who read the book must SAVE OR DIE. They go permanently insane if they live.
• Good characters who handle the tome take 5-30 damage.
• Good characters who look inside the book gain the attention of a night hag. Why a night hag?

So basically, evil characters who read the book gain a stat point and a pile of XP.

Dragon Magazine #37 - The Pit of the Oracle

The Stalker

In this issue is an adventure called "The Pit of the Oracle."

The Stalker: The town of Narrion is being menaced by a creature known as "the stalker." It is a "huge, shambling, mottled green toad-thing with 2-inch-long claws and a maw like a bear trap. The art of the monster makes it look a bit similar to a slaad.

Temple of Apathy: This town has the most unique D&D church I've ever read about: The Temple of Apathy. "The religion preaches that only through the ignoring of day-to-day events can a true state of oneness with God be reached."

The monster lives in a dungeon called The Pit of the Oracle.

Piles of Treasure: This place has everything. An amulet of the planes, a sphere of annihilation (in a room that has walls that are immune to the sphere), a mirror of life-trapping, A room full of bubbles containing a diamond worth 40,000 gp, another mirror of life-trapping, and that's all before the heroes find the Hall of Treasure.

In order to actually kill the Stalker, they need to find its heart, which has been removed from its body and placed deep in the dungeon. It is guarded by TWO balors and an ancient red dragon made of tarnished metal.

The Stalker (who is also the Oracle) lurks in the Hall of Treasure, "...languishing in his immense treasure pile." This pile includes:

• A Hammer of Thunderbolts
• Ring of Regeneration
• Staff of Power
• Rod of Lordly Might
• Staff of Withering
• Cloak of the Manta Ray
• Horn of Blasting
• "One copy of the Necronomicon (Latin)"
• Deck of Many Things!
• Magic Carpet
• and... "one book of vile darkness"
  

We are told: "Note that though the treasure is great the risks and obstacles are incredible."

Who is the Dark Lord? In this adventure, it is explained that the Stalker/Oracle and this dungeon was created by an evil entity known as the Dark Lord.

The Dark Lord is described as a man in "...a long, flowing, floor-length robe with a face-covering, horned helmet through which only two evil, orbless eyes can be seen." His symbol is "the indullable Red-Eye..."

AD&D 2nd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide

This entry is virtually identical to the 1e version. 

I figured there would be info in the Book of Artifacts, but there isn't!

Temple, Tower, & Tomb

This book contains three adventures for characters lvl 7-12. The first one is The Temple of Amnissos.

The heroes live in a land that is on the brink of war. The ruler is hoping to find magic that will aid him. He has located a few items:

1. The Hesper (A crystal ball/gem of seeing)
2. The Fasces ( bundle..? containing a rod of lordly might, a rod of passage, and a rod of terror)
3. The Annulus (a helm of telepathy/comprehending languages).
   

The heroes are sent to a ruined temple of Amnissos to retrieve the Hesper.

Aminissos: An ancient god of decay. No longer worshiped - his death-loving cult has disappeared. Destroyed by a paladin-king named Leonidas.

The Hesper is in the Temple. This temple is a cruel, cruel locale. Here's one room: A hallway with dust.

There is a Hall of Relics, containing items important to worshipers of Amnissos.

• Ring of Regeneration
• Staff of Withering
• Gem of Seeing
• A bunch of potions
• A Book of Vile Darkness. "The chest contains a book of vile darkness that belonged to the mightiest high priest of Amnissos, Xenothrakti Ur-toxul. Any good-aligned PC who touches the book receives 5d6 damage; nonevil neutral characters suffer 5d4 damage."

Labyrinth of Madness

This is the ultimate D&D adventure! An insane, deadly dungeon for characters level 17-20, written by Monte Cook himself. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that the guy who wrote the 3e Book of Vile Darkness included the magic item in this adventure.

The final room of the dungeon is the tomb of Im-Ravin, a lich/yuan-ti high priest of a serpent god called Vytholus. Once the group deals with Im-Ravin and his phylactery, they can loot his sarcophagus.

In it is a "ring of woven unicorn hairs worth 10,000 gp", a portable hole, and a Book of Vile Darkness.

Die Vecna Die

In this adventure, the heroes will go to the Palace of Vecna. Deep inside is a crypt thing that guards a tiny chamber. The creature has the ability to teleport intruders into a prison cell in another area.

"Inside the crypt thing’s chamber is a bier it rests upon when not active, and a small iron box containing three gems (worth 50 gp, 1,000 gp, and 1,400 gp). The box rests upon a book whose white covers are smudged with dirt and bloody fingerprints. This tome is a book of vile darkness."

Much deeper in the palace, is a chamber that is home to The Heart, Vecna's High Priestess.  She has a book of vile darkness that she was in the process of reading.

In the back of this adventure, artifacts linked to Vecna are detailed:

• The Eye of Vecna
• The Hand of Vecna
• The Sword of Kas
  

Nothing on the Book of Vile Darkness, though.

AD&D 2nd Edition Trading Cards - Thuba's Book of Vile Darkness

There are a few cards detailing an Al Qadim NPC named Thuba Mleen. He was a psionicist who wore yellow robes. He acquired the Book of Vile Darkness from a priest who visited him and tried to usurp his throne. Thuba enjoyed having prisoners read from the book so he could learn more bout it.

So.. the prisoners probably lost XP and went mad.

D&D 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide

I did not expect this. The 3.5 Book is basically identical to the one in previous editions, just updated to the new rule set. "Good divine spellcasters (LG, NG, CG) perusing the pages of the Book of Vile Darkness have to make a DC 16 Fortitude save or die."

I'm really interested in what is actually in the book, but so far, not getting a lot of info. You read it for a week. What are you reading? Hopefully the next few books will fill in some details. 

D&D 3e Book of Vile Darkness

This supplement is all about evil. It was intended for "mature audiences," as it was pretty graphic and explicit.

A lot of the book is D&D stuff - classes, advice on using evil in your game, torture devices, etc. But I'm looking for things that might be in the actual book of vile darkness - the one in the game. 

There is a 5th edition conversion of much of this content on the DMs Guild.

Vile Gods: We learn about some new deities:

• Karaan: A beast god of the dark side of nature.Karaan may be related to Yeenoghu, the demon lord of gnolls.
• Rallaster: The Razor God, a deity of murder, torture, and psychotic behavior. He is a tall, glistening, ebony-skinned humanoid without hair or wrinkles. His entire body is made of razors, dripping with blood and oil.
• The Patient One: An alien creature that whispers secrets to itself. It "waits until its time comes, and then it strikes, destroying or consuming everything in its path. Revered by aberrations (mind flayers and beholders worship it!)
• Scahrossar: The Mistress of Exquisite Pain. She wears studded black leather and holds a whip and a hook. She is Olidammara's sister. Her followers wear leather or iron masks.
• The Xammux: An entity comprised of 6 different beings. It represents cold, analytical thinking taken to its extreme. It is a patron of utter indifference and delves into forbidden knowledge through exploration and experimentation.
• Yeathan: God of the evil depths, master of the last gasping breath. A sea god worshiped by kuo toa and aboleths.
  

Vile Races and Cultures: The supplement details 2 sub-races:

• Vasharans: A race created by Graz'zt (!) from the remains of the first mortal the gods had tried to create. The Vasharans are evil humans with black hair.
• Jerren: A halfling tribe that committed atrocities against goblins and bugbears.
  

History: In a sidebar, we learn more about the Book of Vile Darkness:

• The book was originally a scroll written by a Vasharan spellcaster millenia ago.
• Years later, a cleric of Nerull found it and added to it.
• Other evil priests added to it.
• Eventually the collected works fell into the hands of a genocidal wizard and warlord named Vecna.
• After he died and rose as a lich, Vecna transcribed the scrolls into a bound book. He created its cover from the flesh of a human face and the bones of a demon.
• The symbols on the cover are understandable only by those who have read the book in its entirety.
• Cultists of Erythnul kept the book in a vault for many years, using it as part of an initiation ritual.
• A few flawed copies were made. Errors in the copies caused the reader to be drawn into one of the Lower Planes.
• Thieves stole the original during a great war.
• Baalzebul kept the book in his personal library for a time.
• 6 complete copies exist, including Baalzebul's altered version.
  

The book contains information on:

• Evil deities
• Black magic
• Sacrifices
• Forbidden secrets
  

"Once a mind has absorbed the knowledge in this book, the attached soul is so polluted that there is no recourse other than to turn evil."

"Powerful fiends watch over the book, because where it goes, evil power grows."

Dark Chant: "The dark chant is not a spell, but a number of particularly foul necromantic words and phrases strung together into a litany of evil power." If at least 2 undead speak the chant together, undead within 100 feet are empowered and protected against turning by clerics.

Dark Speech: This is the secret language of the evil gods.. "...so foul and so potent that even demons and devils refrain from its use, lest it consume them."

The safest way to use Dark Speech is through spells found later in this supplement.

"To actually communicate by means of the Dark Speech - that is, for a knowledgeable speaker to convey some information to a knowledgeable listener - the speaker must take great care, or both listener and speaker will be harmed. There are no words in the Dark Speech for good concepts such as kindness, mercy, and purity. However, evil characters can speak of misery, anguish, hate, and betrayal with an accuracy impossible in any other tongue."

It has no written form.

There are four ways that a speaker can use the Dark Speech:

1. Dread: Cause non-evil listeners to flee, evil listeners cower.
2. Power: Energizes magic items and spells (casts spells at a higher level?)
3. Corruption: Weakens physical objects - doors, walls, etc.
4. Dark Unity: Up to 100 vermin/animals form a united hivemind and follow a single command of the speaker.

Ur-Priest: The supplement details a pile of "prestige classes" that higher level characters can become. The Ur-Priest sticks out to me, because it details something I'd imagine would be in the actual Book of Vile Darkness.

The Ur-Priests despise gods. Some of them have learned to tap into divine power and use it for their own needs without praying to or worshiping a god. They never steal too much, and they steal from many different gods.

Evil Spells: There are a TON of these. They've been converted in a 5e DMs Guild product.

Dungeon Magazine 128 - The Champion's Belt

This adventure is part of the acclaimed Age of Worms adventure path. This specific adventure is set in the "Free City" (of Greyhawk) and involves the heroes fighting in an arena. It comes with a super-useful arena poster map.

During an information dump with an NPC, the group learns about the Age of Worms itself. The Age of Worms is an ancient set of prophecies that speak of a transformation of the world, of a time when life gives way to something else. "These prophecies are recorded in certain texts like the Book of Vile Darkness, Libris Mortis, the Necronomicon, and the Apostolic scrolls...."

Elder Evils

Aspect of Atropus

The Book is linked to an entity known as Atropus.

Atropus: Atropus is a "stillborn god" - drifting through the multiverse, searching for worlds to consume and erasing all life. "As the afterbirth of creation, it is committed to unmaking all things."

• Was the force behind the creation of the gods.
• In the process of creating life, Atropus died - it became the wasted materials left over from the formation of the gods.
• Since the gods are living beings, they rely on energy gained from the Positive Energy Plane.
• Atropus must be their inversion - death incarnate, drawing power from the Negative Energy Plane.
• It is a decaying, disembodied head, leaving necromantic detritus in its wake.
• Atropus wishes to unmake living things, to absorb their souls.
  

When Atropus enters a world's orbit, the dead rise from their graves.

• It regrets creating the first gods.
• It drains positive energy from worlds.
• Goal: Destroy all gods.
  

Using the Book: We are given a campaign outline. A villain hopes to use an old tome to summon Atropus. The villain obtains the Book of Vile Darkness, and learns from it that Atropus will visit the world if "...a tragedy of widespread death were to occur."

Apocalypse From the Sky: We are told that there is a corrupt spell in the Book of Vile Darkness called Apocalypse from the Sky. It takes 1 day to cast. Upon completion of the casting, all creatures (including the caster) and objects within a 10-mile radius take 10d6 points of damage.

Atropals: In Elder Evils, it says that Atropus is nothing more than a decaying, disembodied head,
leaving in its wake cast-off necromantic detritus that floats through the void. "Perhaps atropals—the stillborn gods take their shape from these cast-off bits."

This book includes an adventure where the heroes actually get onto Atropus (which is a 700-mile-diameter moonlet) to try to figure out how to get it away from their world. On the Atropus are various undead creaatures, angels of Atropus  ("angels of decay"), an atropal, and an aspect of Atropus itself.

If the group defeats the aspect, the Atropus rockets away from the world, moving at a speed of 40,000 feet. Characters still on the surface are carried with the moonlet.

5e Atropal: I just want to jump over to the 5e Tomb of Annihilation real quick. An atropal is actually one of the big villains of this adventure.

In 5e, an atropal is "...a ghastly, unfinished creation of an evil god, cast adrift and abandoned long ago. Since an atropal was never truly alive, it can’t be raised from the dead or resurrected by any means."

Connected to Negative Plane: It has an umbilical cord that actually attaches to the Negative Plane. "This connection gives the atropal power over death and undeath." The cord can be severed by a vorpal sword.

Summoning Wraiths: An atropal can summon vestiges of creatures that died in the Negative Plane, which manifest as wraiths. 

Powers: It has a few powers that I think help us understand what Atropus might be like:

• Negative Energy Aura: Creatures within 30 feet of the atropal can’t regain hit points, and any creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of the atropal takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.
• Life Drain: The atropal targets one creature it can see within 120 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The atropal regains a number of hit points equal to half the amount of damage dealt.
• Disrupt Life: The atropal lets out a withering wail. Any creature within 120 feet of the atropal that can hear the wail must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or gain 1 level of exhaustion.
• Vulnerable to radiant energy. Makes sense, right?
  

D&D 4th Edition The Book of Vile Darkness

This product is actually two books - one for DMs, and one for Players. The player book actually looks like the book itself.

Shemeshka: We start off with a quote from Shemeshka the Marauder. Shemeshka read the book and doesn't think it is evil.

Vecna's Writing: There is a long passage written by Vecna

“There is not a moment in the long years of my life when darkness did not shroud my thoughts. Looking back through the veil of time, I recall well those early lessons, living a life apart from others due to the stain my family bore upon their souls. We were untouchable, outsiders, cursed, a people known for consorting with the forbidden. Such a life brought great suffering and want, yet I believe the hunger I felt and the resentment brimming in my soul laid the foundation for the greatness I have since achieved.

 “My mother’s identity shaped my earliest life. I recall well her sacrifices, the mewling cries of small animals dying beneath her sacrificial knife. I remember her horrid coupling with things that bore no resemblance to natural creatures. She was stern and cruel, yet she was the greatest teacher I have ever known. Though I have no love for her and was gladdened when the people burned her alive for consorting with fiends, I owe her a great debt. Without her, I would not be who I am today.

 “I mention these memories not out of some maudlin need to explore my origins or as some justification for the actions I have taken in my mortal life. Rather, I bring them up here, in this work, to explain this manuscript’s purpose and to reveal to you the power and wonder residing within darkness.

 “Before any legitimate discussion on the nature of evil can begin, it is first necessary to dispense with the misapprehensions about evil commonly held by those moralizing proselytizers who seek to redeem the corrupted, to save those who have fallen into shadow, and to foster virtue in all they meet. Evil is not an absence of good. It is not a choice. It is not some crime, such as murder, theft, or deviance. It is not service to a reprehensible master; nor is it devotion to some dark power. Evil is one of two forces in the cosmos, an agency locked in eternal struggle against its antithesis. This war has only two sides, the light and the dark. And the whole of creation is both their battleground and the prize for which they vie. Do not be deceived into thinking a middle path will present a way to rise above the struggle. Only good and only evil exist. And not even a hair’s width of space separates them.

 “My mother understood this. She embraced her nature. She welcomed the darkness into her soul and profited from it. And though she found agony and death for her allegiance, her legacy lives on in me and my works.

 “This, then, is why I wrote this book, why I labored to complete my studies on evil and preserve its legacy for all time. This book I leave as a testament to my service to evil and also as a guide to others who would follow my steps into the vile darkness. These contents exist to understand evil’s myriad expressions, to learn from them, and to use them. And though I have embraced the darkness, I know my understanding of it is not yet complete. Therefore, I leave this book open to others to add to its lore with a goal of creating a more perfect understanding of what it means to serve evil and to wield its power.

 “I have but one warning before I leave you to your awakening. Resist not the truths I and perhaps others record here. Open your mind and heart to the knowledge contained on these pages. Only then will you understand and receive the wisdom darkness can provide. Should you falter, should you feel the treacherous pangs of guilt and shame, understand that this book will know. And when this book is roused, it will destroy you. Embrace the lore and spurn the light, and you too shall ever after walk in darkness.”

The 4th Edition Book of Vile Darkness: Artifacts were different in 4e. This is a "paragon tier" item, meaning it is meant for characters level 11-20 (character levels go up to 30 in 4th edition).

• "A blasphemous tome whose pages are stained with unspeakable knowledge, this vile work reveals evil's darkest secrets."
• Grants bonuses to Arcana, History, and Religion.
• Gives enemies penalties to saving throws.
• Allows an attack that missed to hit.
• Bolsters summoned creatures.
• Allows spellcasters to do 2d10 extra damage against good targets.
• It grants a ranged attack once per short rest that does a lot of damage - 4d10! It ignores any resistances.

Corruption Points: Using the book gives you (and an ally within 25 feet of you) a corruption point.
When a character's corruption point total equals their highest ability modifier, the character's alignment shifts one step closer to chaotic evil.

Effects:

• Food tends to spoil around the owner
• The owner hears faint, evil whispers.
• The owner experiences vivid nightmares. 

If the book becomes displeased with the owner, it devours the owner's soul, "...leaving behind a living and unresponsive husk. Black flames burn away the artifact until nothing but greasy ash remains." The place where the artifact disappeared becomes cursed.

Lore: "Perusing the book's odd pages, which consist of a mix of parchment, hammered metal, cloth, and other materials, conveys a sense of dread and seductive wonder."

Divining the book's original author is a fruitless enterprise.

Many believe Vecna was the first author, and that he wrote the book in the months before the Great Betrayal (when Kas the vampire turned against him) cost him his eye and hand.

Many copies of the book may exist, but all are crude reproductions of the true work. Efforts have been made to destroy the book, but each time the book reconstitutes itself.

Some believe that the artifact is but a projection of the true Book of Vile Darkness. It could be that each world/"each reality" has its own Book  of Vile Darkness, recording the insights and discoveries inhabiting that time in place.

Sentience: The book is aware, and possesses a dim cunning. It cannot communicate, but it can move words around on the page so the reader can divine it intentions and objectives.

We learn some more things about the book:

• Each copy of the book is flawed - imperfect facsimiles lacking in the true power contained by the original work.
• The book is always changing. Each time the book falls into wicked hands, the contents evolve.
• Those who master the book can replace, revise, and add to its contents.
• The book's secrets contributed to Vecna's apotheosis.
• Some say the actual original writer was Nhagruul, who fashioned the tome from his own flesh. The ink was its blood and its soul was bound into the manuscript.
• Some think seers of Tharizdun created the book to annihilate the works of law and chaos.
  

What the actual book looks like:

• Black patchwork cover held in place by heavy metal plates and adamantine wire.
• Claws and teeth sprout from its spine.
• A heavy iron claps and padlock hold the book closed.
• Pages are parchment made from humanoid skin
• Writings range from lucid to incoherent.
• Diagrams, illustrations, and commentary from past owners break up the text.
  

The book may have originally served as a profane liturgy for priests of Vecna.

Topics:

• Ritual Sacrifice
• Demon Husbandry
• Methods of Extracting pain from the innocent
  

There is no order to the book - no table of contents.

Reading the book:

• Causes flesh to blister.
• Death - brain liquefies.
• Some are driven mad.
• Some readers become monstrous wretches.
  

Some authors claim that good and evil were never part of Creation's underpinnings. In the beginning, it was about order vs. chaos.

Evil wasn't born until Tharizdun plucked a shard of darkness from the furthest reaches of the cosmos.

Nhagruul, Dragonspawn: These dragons were created by a wizard who eventually merged with or became the book.

Nhagruul was a deformed wizard who sought to use the Book of Vile Darkness to conquer and enslave the world.

He grew dragonspawn in his laboratory from stolen dragon eggs. He used his own demonic essence to corrupt the embryos.

The Book of Vile Darkness eventually consumed Nhagruul.

The Knights of the New Sun: A band of Pelor-worshipping paladins devoted to destroying the Book of Vile Darkness.

Disciples of Nhagruul: The Book has been separated into three pieces. The disciples scour the world, looking to reassemble the book. They are led by a mind flayer named Shathrax. Shathrax has a flying fortress where magic items and spells are created.

The Vile Tome: This sourcebook includes an adventure that details how to destroy the Book of Vile Darkness.

We learn that a paladin named Grayson defeated Shathrax. The flying fortress fell to the ground and the Book of Vile Darkness is buried in the rubble.

To destroy the book, they must perform a ritual at the Well of Many Worlds to draw forth good from all the worlds to completely destroy the book.

Obtaining the Book: In the adventure, the group must fend off some demons at the ruins of the fallen fortress. Once that is dealt with, the heroes can retrieve the book:

"You have found a massive book: a dark thing, crudely made and adorned with sinister decorations. The spine is a shrieking face held in place with nails and barbed wire. A toothy metal hasp keeps the black covers shut. Metal wing shapes reinforce the edges, resembling those of a bat or demon. Strange runes and diagrams have been painted on the black leather covers, the skins stretched taut over concealed boards. There is a strangeness about this tome, a sort of wrongness that speeds the heart and raises hairs."

The Well of Many Worlds: The group takes it to the "Well of Many Worlds." It is the most powerful portal in the planes - it connects to all planes at once.It can be used to draw objects and creatures forth. The adventures can perform the Ritual of Beginnings to destroy the tome.

As the group starts the ritual, an angel of Vecna and two "Spell Howlers of Vecna" arrive to stop them. Vecna wants the Book of Vile Darkness.

The Ritual: The ritual takes an hour. If it fails, the book breaks apart and spreads into a multitude of different worlds. Success means it is destroyed.

D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide

We finally get to the current version of the book. It is no longer just a stat-booster! It is a full-blown artifact detailed in the DMG.

"Most believe the lich-god Vecna authored the Book of Vile Darkness."

Attunement: A creature attuned to the book must spend 80 hours reading and studying it. When a non-evil creature attunes to the book, they must make a CHA save or become neutral evil.

Displeasing the Book: The book leaves you if you willingly perform a good act, or fail to perform one evil act within 10 days.

Dying: "If you die while attuned to the book, an entity of great evil claims your soul. You can't be restored to life by any mean while your soul remains imprisoned."

Powers: The book has a pile of random properties, which I went ahead and rolled for:

3 Minor Beneficial Properties

• (75) While attuned to the Book, you can use an action to cast one 2nd lvl spell of the DM's choice from it (I choose Invisibility). After you cast it, roll a d6. On a roll of 1-5, you can't cast it again until the next dawn.
• (62) While attuned to the Book, you can use an action to cast one 2nd lvl spell of the DM's choice from it I choose Darkness). After you cast it, roll a d6. On a roll of 1-5, you can't cast it again until the next dawn.
• (42) While attuned to the Book, you have resistance to one damage type of the DM's choice (necrotic makes sense, right?)

1 Major Beneficial Property

• (77) While attuned to the Book, you can use an action to cast one 6th lvl spell of the DM's choice from it (I choose Circle of Death). After you cast it, roll a d6. On a roll of 1-5, you can't cast it again until the next dawn.
  

3 Minor Detrimental Properties

• (67) While attuned to this artifact, non-magical flames are extinguished within 30 feet of you.
• (89) While you are attuned to the artifact, animals within 30 feet are hostile toward you.
• (39) While attuned to the artifact, you are physically ill and have disadvantage on any ability check or saving throw that uses Strength or Constitution.
  

2 Major Detrimental Properties

• (80) When you become attuned to the artifact, one of your ability scores is reduced by 2 at random. A greater restoration spell restores the ability to normal.
• (55) When you become attuned to the artifact, you gain a form of long-term madness (DMG pg 260). These only last 1d10x10 hours. I'm a bit torn between having the character roll and just picking the madness. If I were to pick, I'd take: The character experiences uncontrollable tremors or tics, which impose disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws that involve Strength or Dexterity.
  

Stat Boost: You gain +2 to an ability score of your choice, and -2 to another ability score.

Mark of Darkness: You acquire a physical disfigurement.
you can cast dominate monster once per day.

Dark Speech: You gain Dark Speech! In 5e, Dark Speech does 3d6 psychic damage to non-evil creatures within 15 feet (you also take 1d12 psychic damage).

Destroying the Book: If a solar tears the book in two, the book is destroyed for 1d100 years. Also, you can unearth a word or phrase in the book that destroys you an the book (the book reforms in 1d10x1000 years).

5e Book of Vile Darkness DMs Guild

This product converts a lot of the content that appeared in the 3e book. It contains 5 chapters of conversions: Subclasses, Spells, Feats, Equipment, and Rules.

Apocalypse From the Sky: The Apocalypse from the Sky spell is in there! It's a 9th level spell, goes like this:

"You call upon the darkest forces in all existence to rain destruction down upon the land in a 200 mile radius originating from you. All creatures and objects in the spell’s area take 10d6+30 fire and acid damage. This damage usually levels forests, crumbles mountains and causes genocides. You take this damage as well."

"Upon casting, you take 8d6 necrotic damage and your hit point maximum is reduced by that amount until you complete a long rest."

Spells: I think that I will try to give my villains who have read this book some of these spells. It make sense, right? When my group faces Im-Ravin at the end of the Labyrinth of Madness, he should be dropping some of these spells on the group.

Dark Speech: Dark Speech is in here, too. You need to have the "Dark Speaker" feat in order to use Dark Speech. You could also drink the elixir of dark speech, which apparently permanently lets you use Dark Speech.

For whatever reason, I really love the idea that Dark Speech can destroy walls and objects. The conversion goes like this:

"As an action, you can speak the Dark Speech to undermine the very earth beneath you. You take 1d12 psychic damage. Non-magical objects within 60 feet of the speaker take 5d8 thunder damage."

Should damage thresholds be involved somehow? Should it ignore damage thresholds?

This supplement is $4 and 100% worth buying.

Thanks for Reading!