Encyclopaedia Arcane: Tomes and Libraries (d20)
Although wizards and libraries are so often connected¸ very little time has been spent on exploring the function and powers of the library. Libraries usually turn up as scenic backdrops or repositories for purely magical resources¸ whereas there are more potentially useful books in a library than there are supplies in an adventuring gear shop. We will therefore be taking a long overdue stroll down the library aisles and finding out how to use its stored wisdom to our best advantage. Magic-using characters¸ who have more of a natural inclination towards reading than characters of other classes¸ will find an abundance of new ways to apply the knowledge set down in their books - and a whole lot of new books to go searching for!
When the people of the ancient world first discovered writing¸ they intuitively connected it with magic. The making of a sign that both was and was not the thing it represented; that was a new thing¸ a thing of power¸ a thing for rulers and the counsellors of rulers. The earliest magic wand may have been a stylus¸ a simple tool for engraving words on a wax tablet.