The heavy binding of this book provides it with extreme weight for a book. The cover of thick black leather is shod with brass fittings that have been set into place with nails. Inside is described the behavior of witches, along with proper rituals to purify and destroy them.
    The Malleus Maleficarum or Witch-Hammer is the defacto guide for witch hunters throughout Europe, and this is the original copy.
    Nonlegacy Game Statistics: The book acts as a +1 warhammer; Cost 2,312 gp.
    Omen: The book tingles slightly in your hands when in the presence of arcane magic.

History
Originally written by Pope Paul II from 1466 through 1470, the Malleus Maleficarum was kept a strict secret within the Vatican. Paul II's extreme withdrawal from society during the writing of the folio, along with his amassing of a large fortune provided from the warring with the Turks caused his work to be largely ignored after his death. (DC 15)
   In 1485 a pair of German inquisitors; Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger met with Pope Innocent VIII to discuss with him several techniques for combating witchcraft in Catholic lands. Innocent provided the inquisitors with a loose-paged folio of the Malleus Maleficarum that they used partially as source material in constructing their own guide, which received the same title. While in the care of Kramer and Sprenger, the folio went missing. (DC 18; The Pretenders of Righteousness)
    The folio soon turned up in the possession of Peter Shöffer, the son of a printer who had apprenticed with Johannes Gutenberg. The pages had been placed in the empty binding of one of Gutenberg's bibles, which was then bequeathed to Shöffer upon his father's death. Peter began the laborious work of finely shaping the pages of the folio into uniform size and then inserting them into a calf-binding. He favored the book as an oddity until it was stolen from him. (DC 25; The Love of the Devoted)
    The book quickly left the possession of the thief and changed hands until it came to be owned by a Spaniard by the name of Miguel de Molinos. Molinos was a Christian mystic used his powers to place strong protections against arcanists and blessings upon the book, which were anchored by brass fittings he had made for the cover. His capture by the Spanish Inquisition forced the book from his possession, where it was discovered and used briefly as a weapon by an Inquisitor before it was once again lost. (DC 31; The Nature of Alacrity)

Legacy Rituals
Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of the Malleus Maleficarum.
    The Pretenders of Rigtheousness: You must slay an arcane spellcaster with a caster level of at least 3rd. The spellcaster you kill is up to you, but their death must be fair combat and cannot be a simple assassination. Torturing or otherwise debasing the spellcaster offends the book's spirit and ruins the ritual. Cost: 1,500 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Malleus Maleficarum).
    The Love of the Devoted: You must spend a week tending to and repairing the minor imperfections in the Malleus Maleficarum's pages. You must spend at least 8 hours a day pouring through the text. You may eat, drink and sleep as normal, but you cannot adventure or work on magical items during this time. Cost: 13,000 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Malleus Maleficarum).
    The Nature of Alacrity: To unlock the greatest powers of the Malleus Maleficarum you must put one suspected witch on trial for their crimes. No spells may be used to ascertain the truth. At the end of the trial, and if applicable, punishment, you must spend a full 24 hours in meditation with the Malleus Maleficarum. Cost: 40,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Malleus Maleficarum).

Wielder Requirements
Most wielders of the Malleus Maleficarum are clerics, fighters or paladins. Occasionally others, such as rogues, rangers, archivists and monks are drawn to the book's abilities to punish arcane spellcasters.

Malleus Maleficarum Wielder Requirements
    Base attack bonus +3
    Sense Motive: 2 ranks
    Inability to cast arcane spells or use invocations
    Any non-evil alignment

Legacy Item Abilities
All the following are legacy item abilities of the Malleus Maleficarum.
    Witchfinder (Sp): You can concentrate on the Malleus Maleficarum to find the arcane hidden within the mundane. Beginning at 5th level, you can use detect magic at will as a spell-like ability.
    Cast Out (Sp): By using the books inherent powers against magic, you can break the effects of spells on others. Once per day you can touch the book against a target to cast dispel magic as a spell-like ability upon it as if it were cast by a 10th level caster.
    Armor of God (Sp): The book provides protection against different forms of offensive magic. Beginning at 10th level, you can use resist energy as the spell once per day. Starting at 16th level, you can use this ability twice per day.
    Magebane: Once you attain 13th level the book becomes more vicious against those who cast arcane magic. It is treated as a bane weapon against any creature with levels in an arcane spellcasting class, or with the ability to use invocations.
    Clarity of Divinity (Sp): At 15th level and higher, you can touch the Malleus Maleficarum to a target to cast break enchantment as a spell-like ability once per day. Caster level is 11th.
    Excommunicate (Sp): At 19th level, the book provides the ability to cast out more powerful spells. Once per day, you may touch the book to a target to cast greater dispel magic as the spell. Caster level is 15th.
    Wind of Heaven (Sp): The Malleus Maleficarum's final ability is that to bend the ways of magic to send offensive spells back upon their casters. Once per day you may cast spell turning as spell-like ability. Caster level is 15th.

Notes:
The Malleus Maleficarum is a legacy item for the 1600s Campaign and follows all the rules for legacy items written in the Weapons of Legacy suppliment book. First found by the party in the caves of a tribe of spriggans somewhere outside of Naples, the book's power has been recognized and will be put to use against evil foes.

• Zeus's Mark (Legacy Item)
• Class Struggles
• More 1600s Campaign Supplementary Material