Ok, I'm not necessarily here for help, more curiosity. I've looked all over the internet and haven't found any references to this.

I just finished the P. Schuyler & Sons quest and I decided to grab magnus' book and read it. He argued with me, but eventually lets me borrow it. a few seconds after he agrees to let me read it, my entire party (virgil, sogg, magnus) and myself are instantly killed-the effect is the same as the one that kills the lady who wants you to steal the crystal ball. In fact, I still have the crystal ball and thought that was what was killing me, but it's the book.

I've read the book in previous play-throughs. Not sure why it's killing me, but, like I said, I haven't found any other references to this and was curious other people's experiences. Some things to consider:

Maybe its an interaction between the book and the crystal ball? i doubt it.
My character is an elf, perhaps the book doesn't like elves?
Could it be magical aptitude?
My character is a female, though that seems unlikely as the reason...

Does anyone else know anything about it?

I assume you killed the Schuylers? What version of the game are you running too?

_________________

Yeah, we killed them. It's the latest version--1074. UAP version 091225.

Did you strike a deal with them then turned around and killed them?

_________________

Yeah, I told them we'd make a deal, then magnus got all huffy about it and we killed them.

Can you upload your savegame?

Sure, where do I upload it to? What directory should it be in--it's a .gsi file, right?

Arcanum\modules\Arcanum\Save

all slot001 files for example, should be 4 files including a bmp

Upload with google drive, mediafire or one of the 1000 other filehoster out there

Wasn't this bug sorted in the UAP? I could be talking out of my arse, but I believe that some errant code linked Magnus to the quench life effect at Falcon's Ache and Drog fixed it. My advice would be possibly try re-installing the patch - also are you using any other mods that might interfere with the UAP?

Other than that, the book's pointless anyway; all it does is demonstrate where Magnus gets some of his deluded opinions from. If all else fails don't read the book.

_________________
The chemistry must be respected.

There's a bug (or a possible feature) that fires after you deal with the Schuylers and go back one level, Magnus initiates a dialog with, asking if you want him to continue traveling in your group, searching for his lost clan. If you refuse - your life gets quenched.

This was brought up during the development of the UAP. When I looked at the coding, it didn't seem to be an error to me. I mean, how could somebody accidentally put something like this in?

Maybe this was supposed to make Magnus and his lost clan more mysterious. Like there's a curse associated with him or something.

So I left it in.

Looks like there's also another trigger on the book then. So it is really a "curse" then.

_________________
生者人之始也，死者人之终也，生死人之大道也。

Also thinking back, I just returned his book to him the first time he moans like a bitch. Then I took it back off him and the dialogue doesn't start again and you're free to read it - same deal with his gauntlets which are pretty sexy for dwarves (also the effects of the gauntlets don't apply to him till you at least make him re-equip them). Try that and see if you fare any better.

_________________
The chemistry must be respected.

Ok. I just thought it was cool. I wound up taking the book from him without getting killed (on accident) and saved later on anyway, so i don't think my save game would make much difference.. It seems that it only kills you when you argue with him for a few minutes about throwing it away, rather than just telling him you'll give it back to him.