Necromancy of Thay

Necromancy of Thay is a Story-related Book related to the quests ⁠Search the Cellar, ⁠Unlock the Ancient Tome, and ⁠Destroy the Ancient Tome.

It. Is. Not. Too. Late.

Properties

•  Books
•  Rarity: Story Item
•  Weight: 0.5 kg / 1 lb
•  Price: 14 gp

Where to find

• In the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village behind a locked gate, on an altar

Obtaining the book

To access the hidden portion of the cellar containing the book, the party must reveal a secret area by pulling a lever hidden behind a box, then speak to the magic mirror and either pass an  Intimidation check or correctly answer its questions:

• Question: What think you of the Zulkir known as Szass Tam? Right answer: Szass Tam is a foul, wretched creature.
• Question: Why might one use balsam ointment? Right answer: To clean a wound.
  • Rangers have a special response that is also regarded as correct.
• Question: If you could see anything in me, what would it be? Right answer: I'd look for whatever spell will rid me of this worm in my head.
  • Warlocks, Bards, and Sorcerers have a special response to the third question that is also be regarded as correct.
• Barbarians have a unique dialogue option, smashing the mirror with a rock to gain entry.

The locked gate in front of the book can be  lockpicked. The  Rusted Key found on a shelf in the next room, near the lever that opens a shortcut back to the cellar entrance, can also be used to open the door. Alternatively, spells like  Misty Step or  Mage Hand can be used to bypass the gate.

Taking the book triggers a trap. To avoid this an item of similar weight (like another book) can be placed on the pedestal, or the trap can be disarmed after passing a  Perception check to reveal it, or by disarming the two nearby statues.

To read the book, the  Dark Amethyst must be obtained from the Whispering Depths at X: -550 Y: -350, which can be accessed from the well or the blacksmith's basement in the Blighted Village. The Amethyst is guarded by a  Phase Spider Matriarch.

Using the book

Act One

There are several ways to deal with the Necromancy of Thay. Each of them has a different outcome:

• Giving the book to  Astarion. Giving it to him grants approval from him. Once he has obtained the book, it cannot be transferred to another Companion or the player character.
• Destroying the book. The book can be destroyed only by ⁠Radiant damage. Destroying it grants disapproval from Astarion, but approval from  Karlach,  Lae'zel, and  Wyll. Destroying the book spawns three hostile  Shadows.
• Using Knock. Using the  Knock spell on the book summons one  Shadow.
• Reading the book for its dark secrets. The book must be unlocked by attaching the  Dark Amethyst on it. After placing the  Dark Amethyst in the book's cover, the item quote changes from It. Is. Not. Too. Late. to Look. Away. If unlocked, in total, three pages of the book can be turned. Each page which is turned prompts a progressively harder  Wisdom  Saving throw (DC 10, 15, and 20). The following possible events can occur:
  • Failing one  Saving throw curses the reader with  Whispers of Madness ( Disadvantage on  Wisdom checks until cleansed by  Remove Curse).
  • Failing two or more  Saving throws curses the reader with  Baleful Knowledge ( Disadvantage on  Wisdom checks until cleansed by  Remove Curse).
    • Some classes and some party members have special options to modify or lower these DCs; all these special options result in the same outcome.
      • Bards may make  DC 5,10,15 Performance checks.
      • Sorcerers may make  DC 5,10,15 Charisma checks.
      • Warlocks may make the first save using  DC 5 Charisma check. The other pages use the default  Wisdom saves.
      • Wizards may make the first save using  DC 5 Intelligence check. The other pages use the default  Wisdom saves.
      • Clerics of dark / evil aligned gods like ⁠Talos, ⁠Gruumsh, or ⁠Lolth get a  DC 10 Wisdom check for the third page, instead of a DC 20  Wisdom saving throw. This includes  Shadowheart, as a Cleric of ⁠Shar.
      • Astarion has a special option: Drink in the darkness, embracing it, and turn the page for turning the third page, offering a  DC 15 Wisdom check in contrast to the DC 20  Wisdom saving throw.
  • Turning at least one page permanently grants the reader  Speak with Dead. This can be cast as a  Ritual and does not consume a Spell slot.
  • Turning three pages, regardless of success, grants the Forbidden Knowledge tag and the  Forbidden Knowledge passive feature.
  • Closing the book before turning three pages leaves the ⁠Search the Cellar quest incomplete and allows the character to reopen the book again later.

Once opened by any one party member, it cannot be opened by any other. Once all three pages are turned, the book refuses to open again for anyone until more knowledge is gained later in Act Three. It is then impossible to remove the book from the inventory of the reader.

Act Three

With the help of  Gale and  Tolna Tome-Monger at Sorcerous Sundries in the Lower City, it can be revealed that in order to unlock the full potential of the book, the  The Tharchiate Codex somewhere in the vault of Sorcerous Sundries needs to be obtained. The help of  Mystic Carrion in Philgrave's Mansion - for a 1500 gp fee - reveals the same.

The Tharchiate Codex is stored in the basement vault of Sorcerous Sundries. The vault can be reached in different ways:

• Interacting with the Clasped Book in the bookshelf of  Tolna Tome-Monger's office upstairs and going through the portal.
• Using the Weave Button labelled 'Vault' on the middle level of Ramazith's Tower.

Within the vault, the Codex is located in the Elminster section. To unlock the Elminster door, the party must first find the lever at the end of the Silverhand section by opening doors in this order: Silverhand, Evocation, Wish.

After reading the Tharchiate Codex, the Necromancy of Thay can be re-read. After passing a DC 20  Wisdom saving throw the reader gains the permanent ability to summon four ghouls via the  Danse Macabre spell once per Long Rest. Failing this saving throw has the same effect as before: the reader is cursed with  Baleful Knowledge, but still gains the spell.

Notes

• Reading the Codex also grants the reader  The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing passive feature, which lets the reader gain 20 temporary Hit Points after each Long Rest.
• Reading the Necromancy of Thay fully does not break Oath of the Ancients, nor does using  Danse Macabre.
• Having the  Forbidden Knowledge feature allows the reader to safely obtain another permanent bonus from the Mirror of Loss in the House of Grief; see Permanent Bonuses for more details.
• If  Yurgir has not been killed for  Raphael, but  Astarion has successfully read the Necromancy of Thay as well as the  Tharchiate Codex, then he can find out the meaning of his scars without the help of Raphael.

External links

• ⁠The Necromancy of Thay on the Forgotten Realms Wiki