Book of Exalted Deeds
Encyclopedia
The Book of Exalted Deeds (ISBN 0786931361) is an optional sourcebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
, providing supplementary game material for campaigns
involving characters of good alignment
. Within the game, it is also the name of a powerful magical artifact.
It is one of two manuals for the game to carry a "For Mature Audiences Only" warning label on the cover (the other is Book of Vile Darkness
, devoted to evil).
. She is one of the Celestial Hebdomad, a body of seven mighty archons that administer the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia for an unknown and unknowable entity that (maybe) resides in the Seventh Heaven. Her followers are commonly ascetics and focused on self-improvement, through physical perfection and harmony, not gnosis. Mortal souls which go to Celestia also attain purity and grace in a physical journey that resembles gnosis, learning about the nature of Law and Good experientially as they ascend the mountain towards the "illuminated" (another descriptor of any possessor of secret knowledge) heaven of Chronias, at the top of the mountain.
, version 3.5, listed as a magic item. The magic item is described as a book only useful to good
characters.
It is also listed in the original Dungeon Master's Guide
as a miscellaneous magic item. Reading it increases the experience point total and wisdom score for cleric player characters of good alignment, but will harm or kill a neutral or evil character.
The book also appears in the computer game Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance
as an artifact granting a bonus to character level and wisdom to good-aligned priest characters for as long as they possess it.
, Darrin Drader and Christopher Perkins, and published by Wizards of the Coast
in October 2003.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, providing supplementary game material for campaigns
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
involving characters of good alignment
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
. Within the game, it is also the name of a powerful magical artifact.
Contents
The Book of Exalted Deeds contains rules for good occurrences, acts, and characters in the game, and thus is only useful for campaigns including good forces.It is one of two manuals for the game to carry a "For Mature Audiences Only" warning label on the cover (the other is Book of Vile Darkness
Book of Vile Darkness
Book of Vile Darkness is an optional supplemental sourcebook for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The book was written by Monte Cook and published by Wizards of the Coast in October 2002. Described as a "detailed look at the nature of evil," it was the first Dungeons &...
, devoted to evil).
Chapter Summary
- The Nature of Good: This defines how good is seen in the Dungeons and Dragons setting, as well as how good-aligned characters of different alignments act in relation to the world around them.
- Variant Rules: This simply adds additional rules for a campaign featuring good-aligned characters that allows such characters to become exalted characters.
- Exalted Equipment: This talks about the weapons (sometimes special) used by exalted characters.
- Feats: This chapter includes several new feats, the vast majority of which are exalted feats, meant specifically for good-aligned characters and usable only by such.
- Prestige Classes: This chapter introduces prestige classes appropriate for an exalted campaign.
- Magic: This chapter provides spells almost exclusively for good characters, as well as magical items, weapon and armor enhancements, and artifacts appropriate to such a campaign.
- Celestial Paragons: This chapter discusses (and provides NPC stat blocks for) celestial paragonCelestial paragonIn the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, celestial paragons are powerful unique outsiders of the Upper Planes. They are to the celestials as the archdevils are to the devils and the demon lords are to demons....
s, rulers of the Upper planes so overwhelmingly powerful that they are revered as a god would be, even on the Material Plane. It also discusses the Upper Planes to an extent. - Monsters: This chapter contains good-aligned monsters, featuring the Deathless type, as well as templates to create customized monsters.
Gnostic references
The Book of Exalted Deeds appears to make reference to gnostic myth in the figure of Pistis SophiaPistis Sophia
Pistis Sophia is an important Gnostic text, possibly written as early as the 2nd century. The five remaining copies, which scholars place in the 5th or 6th centuries, relate the Gnostic teachings of the transfigured Jesus to the assembled disciples , when the risen Christ had accomplished eleven...
. She is one of the Celestial Hebdomad, a body of seven mighty archons that administer the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia for an unknown and unknowable entity that (maybe) resides in the Seventh Heaven. Her followers are commonly ascetics and focused on self-improvement, through physical perfection and harmony, not gnosis. Mortal souls which go to Celestia also attain purity and grace in a physical journey that resembles gnosis, learning about the nature of Law and Good experientially as they ascend the mountain towards the "illuminated" (another descriptor of any possessor of secret knowledge) heaven of Chronias, at the top of the mountain.
The Book of Exalted Deeds artifact
The artifact is mentioned in the Dungeon Master's GuideDungeon Master's Guide
The Dungeon Master's Guide is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
, version 3.5, listed as a magic item. The magic item is described as a book only useful to good
Alignment (role-playing games)
In some role-playing games, alignment is a categorisation of the moral and ethical perspective of the player characters, non-player characters, monsters, and societies in the game....
characters.
It is also listed in the original Dungeon Master's Guide
Dungeon Master's Guide
The Dungeon Master's Guide is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
as a miscellaneous magic item. Reading it increases the experience point total and wisdom score for cleric player characters of good alignment, but will harm or kill a neutral or evil character.
The book also appears in the computer game Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance
Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance
Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance is a 1997 strategy computer game developed by Synergistic Software and distributed by Sierra On-Line. The game is based on the Birthright campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons and is available for DOS and Windows....
as an artifact granting a bonus to character level and wisdom to good-aligned priest characters for as long as they possess it.
Publication history
It was authored by James WyattJames Wyatt (game designer)
James Wyatt is a game designer and a former United Methodist minister. He works for Wizards of the Coast, where he has designed several award-winning supplements and adventures for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game...
, Darrin Drader and Christopher Perkins, and published by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
in October 2003.