Strange Aeons rule question - - Re-Usability of scrolls and tomes ?

[chicklewis]

Hi, Uncle Mike, I really like the Strange Aeons rules, and after one thorough read-through, I'm confused about how scrolls and tomes actually work after their first use.

Let's say your team wins a game and your main character, in the treasure phase, is lucky enough to find an ancient tome.  Your 'bookish' team member is also still on the board, has both of the skills (read languages, scholar) necessary to translate it, and has not yet searched.  He instead decides to translate the ancient tome, rolls a D3 and gets a "2", for two random spells available.  He rolls twice on the basic spell table to translate 'Bind Undead' and 'Bless Characteristic'.  Both of these spells are then assigned to your Main Character, who has the 'speak languages' skill, so they are recorded in the LIBRARY section of his Threshold Log Sheet, available for use once each in the next game.  After the spells are used they are erased from the log sheet. 

The above is my understanding, please correct me for the things I have misunderstood.

BUT I don't understand what happens after the original translation of the Ancient Tome.   I imagine that it is listed as "AT1" ancient tome in the library section of the log sheet?  True?  Or are the only Tomes listed there ones which have never been translated?

Let's assume all tomes, translated or untranslated, are listed in the Library.

Now let's jump to after the next game won by the same team.   If the Scholarly Team Member (STM) is still on the board, can he, instead of searching, again translate 'AT1', the same 'used once' tome? 

For the purposes of my question, let's assume the answer is yes.

If so, does he translate the same two spells ('Bind Undead' and 'Bless Characteristic') from AT1, or must he roll a D3 again and roll randomly that many times on the Basic Spells table? 

Now lets say there is a new, never translated tome 'AT2' in the Library.  If the STM survives on the board for another win, can he decide instead of searching to translate AT2 ?  If so, does he need to announce in advance that he is carrying AT2, risking its loss if he leaves the table before the end of the game, or may he return to the safety of the Library to translate it? 

Please advise.

Thanks in advance, Chick

[Uncle Mike]

Hey Chick,

Once an ancient/evil tome is translated into (D3) Spells it is 'used up' and does not need to be recorded on the log sheet...only the Spells you translate from the tome need be recorded.

It dosen't really say how to manage who has what spell but what my gaming group and I do is write the initials of your model who has the spells equipped to him next to the spell in the Library. It is easier to concider the 'Library' part of the log sheet to be at another location so anything stored there is not used in game terms unless previously equipped to a model. Also, if a model who is equiped with spells is killed  (Major Injury result of 'Dead') the spells as well as anything else they are carring is lost. Also, if you fail the Resolve Test to cast the spell it is lost...and if you use the spell sucessfully it is lost. The dark arts can be frusterating...save those spells up 'till you really need 'em.

Try not to get killed.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you require more intel.

Best of luck Agent Lewis.

[chicklewis]

Great, thanks, Uncle Mike.

So, say I have an untranslated ancient tome in the library.  If I understood you correctly, I can never translate it there, but must write it on some team member's logsheet to have it available for translation at the battle site after a win. 

Correct? 

Chick

[Uncle Mike]

Yeah...to the letter of the law. i don't play that way thou. I figure it's safe in the Library until I send ______ there after the game to translate it. But, as you like. 

[chicklewis]

Your way makes more sense than the letter of the law, and out of your keyboard, it BECOMES the law.  Might consider modifying the 'letter' for any following versions. 

Thanks UncleMike.

Chick