'Choice' Pieces of Treasure

[Cassandra]

Greetings! Here we present a selection of pieces from The Mother of all Treasure Tables™. Rather than merely random pieces, the Editor has allowed herself the privilege of presenting some of her favorite treasures. (They may be abbreviated due to length.) We hope you enjoy these excellent descriptions.

[Cassandra]

The first selection is from Table IV: 500 Gold Pieces, subtitled, "What are these nifty things?" This treasure is #18.

Within the interior of a battered leather satchel [4 cp] you find a slightly chipped flat box. The surface of the box is inlaid with ivory and seems to be somewhat serpentine in design. A small silver catch forms the head of a snake, the upper and lower jaws locking together to hold the whole thing in place. Fitted into the box are three daggers with curious X-shaped blades. Each one is made from silver and has an ivory hilt carved in the shape of a serpent set with a green-colored gemstone [jade] between its fangs [set including box 315 gp; individually these items will sell for 5 to 10% less to a discerning collector]. Also in the satchel is a green velvet bag [5 sp] holding a cut-glass phial with a silver stopper [1 gp] containing a dubious-looking brown liquid [poison – bloodroot; 100 gp]. A leather pouch [1 gp] contains some small cut gems of various shapes and sizes [carnelian, 12 gp; chalcedony, 14 gp; citrine, 21 gp; jasper, 18 gp; moonstone, 15 gp]. Rolling around the satchel you also find some loose coins, each one is minted from a different kingdom [3 gp, 15 sp, 35 cp]. [Total 501.94 gp]

Editor's Note:
I enjoyed the 'theme' in this piece, and the fact that the coins are all from different countries. Sounds to me like the goods of a very suspicious character indeed.

[Cassandra]

This select treasure is from Table VIII: 30,000 Gold Pieces, which is subtitled "How are we going to carry all this stuff?" This piece is #02 of 20. Keep in mind that each treasure in a table has a total value within 2% of the named value of that table.

Carefully placed on a large piece of heavy black wool cloth [3 yards by 4 yards, 48 gp], you find an enormous solid silver mirror [18,000 gp], a water clock [1,500 gp], a silver spyglass mounted on a tall stand [5,000 gp] and a square chest [500 gp] overflowing with silver pieces [44,520 sp].

The mirror is oval-shaped and stands as high as a horse’s shoulder; at its widest point, the mirror is as wide as a man’s arm is long. It is mounted on a four-legged stand allowing it to pivot in the center. The ends of each leg are carved to look like dragon’s claws, ending in wicked points dimpling the cloth on which the mirror is sitting. The frame of the mirror is as wide as a halfling’s palm, and every inch of it is covered in silver leaf. The lower half of the frame is carved to look like a windswept sea, while the upper half is covered in storm-tossed clouds. Raindrops, each made of a teardrop-shaped piece of aquamarine, dot the upper portion of the border.

The mirror’s glass is flawless, backed with a thin sheet of silver, reflecting your faces perfectly. Examining the back, you see it is covered with a painting of a large black dragon. The dragon’s tail coils around itself as it winds around the frame, and its eyes (as well as many of its scales) are set with tiny bloodstones. The dragon is beautifully painted and exceptionally lifelike; it clutches a human skull in each of its fore claws.

The water clock sits on a marble pedestal, and a piece of chrysoberyl is set into the center of its face. It is currently empty [the clock requires water to tell time], but appears to be in perfect working order [which it is]. Each number on its face is made of a tiny mosaic of multicolored chips of marble, and all of its tiny gears are of brightly polished brass.

Next to the clock sits the spyglass on its tripod. The legs of the tripod are made of polished cherry wood and capped with brass, and each is covered in stylized carvings of stars. The body of the spyglass is made of solid silver, and its surface is delicately etched with different constellations. The stars which comprise each constellation are picked out with inlaid gold, and three of the brightest stars are marked by pieces of golden topaz.

Surrounded by small heaps of silver coins, the chest stands off to one side from the other objects. It is made of oak, with inlays of ivory and white pine. Its curved lid bears a carving of a manor house, the windows of which are made of mother-of-pearl. There is a tower at one end of the manor house, and it looks as though it once had a figure standing atop it. That portion of the tower has been chipped away, though, leaving gouges in the wood; only the figure’s feet remain. [Total 29,500 gp]

Editor's Note:
I like each of the detailed pieces in this treasure, but especially the jeweled raindrops on the mirror frame, and the gouged out figure on the chest. These pieces offer lots of questions: Why are they all placed here so carefully? What figure was on that chest, and who gouged it out? How does a water clock work, anyway? Aside from the water clock, the DM's likely answer would be, "You may never know," which will probably frustrate the players immensely!

[Cassandra]

This elegant little treasure is from Table I: 10 Gold Pieces or Less, which is subtitled "What has it got in its pockets?" This piece is #23. Every treasure in this table was specifically written to fit in a pocket or pouch.

The pocket contains two copper pieces and a small round yellow stone [heliodor, the yellow variety of beryl]. The gem is a rather dull yellow but shines in the sunlight [or torchlight]. It has several scratches on it, as if it may have once been affixed to a ring or some other form of jewelry [10 gp]. [Total 10.02 gp]

Editor's Note:
I liked this piece because I learned something new - I had never heard of a heliodor. The original author had not put in the explanation, so I had to look it up.

[Cassandra]

This exotic treasure is from Table V: 1,000 Gold Pieces, subtitled "Good haul. We need a few more like this!" This piece is #93.

A latched oak and iron chest [50 gp] is carved with dancing monkeys and chaotically flying parrots, whose feathers and fur are highlighted with inlaid soapstone and rock flecks. After opening the chest, you discover a trio of colorful wool scarves decorated with embroidered forest scenes [5 gp each]. Wrapped in the red and white scarf, you find a cylindrical magnifying glass just big enough to fit a man’s palm with its handle decorated with painted peacock feathers [230 gp]. A coin-sized wooden box [3 sp] nearby contains a set of replacement lenses for the glass [50 gp]. Under the scarves, you find a heavy floorlength winter cloak with a deep hood sewn from soft white pelts and decorated with bone fetishes, which has a pale blue, floor length inner cloak sewn to the underside [110 gp]. A smoked glass jug with a fish-shaped handle holds potent vodka [20 gp]. A net bag [1 sp] is filled with white-gold coins, imprinted with leaping stags [172 gp]. A small linen tube tied to the coin purse holds six fine round pieces of malachite [30 gp each]. Beneath the heavy cloak, you find an old and tattered red cape [3 sp] wrapped around a scimitar with a carved ivory hilt [55 gp]. The hilt is longer than those of most swords, the ivory yellow-white inscribed with strange hooked designs. A piece of leather [caribou hide] is wrapped around the lower part of the hilt to give a good grip. A pair of snowshoes [45 gp], their ribs carved [walrus] ivory lashed together with [caribou ] leather strips, rests beside the fur cloak, along with two pairs of warm foot coverings [stockings or boots] sewn together from rabbit pelts [4 gp]. A polished ivory ring [82 gp] is stuffed into one of the foot covers. [Total 1,013.7 gp]

Editor's Note:
I like this treasure because of its exotic feel. It’s also so eclectic – it starts with items with tropical decorations, and then suddenly moves to arctic equipment. It makes me wonder how the northmen got that chest with the parrot on it, and what they thought of the monkeys. This is also a treasure I would never, ever, have thought of on my own, which was the beauty in having so many people work on this book.

[Cassandra]

This select treasure is from Table VII: 10,000 Gold Pieces, which is subtitled "Weapons and jewels and thrones; oh, my!" Yes, that’s right, the table has more than one throne. As the values of the treasures go up, the values of individual items tend to increase also. That doesn’t mean that there are no small, common items in the larger treasures, but items do tend to be higher in average value. Table VII has 50 pieces, numbered to be rolled with percentile dice, so this is piece #27-28.

Here is gleaming breastplate armor bearing a stylized oak tree in a raised design with its branches reaching out toward the shoulders and the trunk extending down to the navel [mithral armor; 4,200 gp]. Near the armor is a matching shield [mithral; 1,009 gp] and a black leather scabbard holding an elegant longsword with beautiful and lethal lines. The sword has a black hilt, an acorn-shaped pommel set with a glowing green emerald and a leaf-patterned cross guard [masterwork longsword, 1,915 gp]. A red linen cloth [2 gp] lies between the front and rear pieces of the armor, wrapped around a small leather pouch and a golden scepter. The scepter’s design forms into an orb at the top which looks like the crown of an oak tree. The handle of the scepter is the trunk, and its branches are set with a subtle sprinkling of tiny glistening emerald chips [scepter, 1,200 gp]. In the pouch [2 gp] you find platinum pieces and a few gold pieces [27 pp, 6 gp], and a gold signet ring bearing the same tree design as the armor with a dozen tiny emeralds set around the outside of the seal [1,400 gp]. [Total 10,004 gp]

Editor's Note:
It seems like a lot of thought went into this treasure. It’s apparently meant to be a matched set, not just a bunch of things thrown together, and so I find myself speculating – who wore this armor? Is it elven? What noble might have borne an oak tree symbol, and where is the person (or family) now? It seems to me that this might make characters wonder, too, and set them off on a long chase to find information. Or the design could just crop up now and then in unexpected places, until it drives players crazy with curiosity.

[Cassandra]

Here is a little item, treasure #04 from Table II: 50 Gold Pieces. Subtitled “Hmmm, now what could be done with this?” the table contains treasures valued from 49 to 51 gp.

You find sitting in full view a leather-bound book with a cover that suggests that it is devotional in nature [15 gp]. However, opening the cover reveals that all the pages are quite blank and the inside has been hollowed out. The hollowed-out area contains a silver hip flask [31 gp] which, if sampled, will be found to contain a very serviceable apple brandy [4 gp]. [Total 50 gp]

Editor's Note:
The deviousness of this piece appeals to me. A devotional book? What kind of treasure is that? Why even bother to pick it up? One or two items like this should increase the mental flexibility of the players when the time comes to have the characters searching for treasure.

[Cassandra]

This fabulous treasure is from Table X: Epic Treasures, which is subtitled "More treasure than human beings should be allowed to have!" (Some wag in our office suggested the treasures must be meant only for elves and dwarves, but this is Not True.) All the pieces in this table have values higher than 100,000 gp, six of the ten treasures total over 1,000,000 gp, and there is no upper limit to the values. Please note: some exact values have been removed, in an attempt to protect the usability of this piece from sneaky players who may be reading this thread.

While it might be hard to imagine how it arrived here, there before you stands the largest sleigh you have ever seen [mithral sleigh, XX,XXX gp]. It is easily the length of ten horses, its runners wrought of steel and coated with mithral. Upon closer inspection you discover most of the sled itself is fashioned of steel, with decorative elements and panels of brilliant, gleaming mithral. It is hard to imagine what beasts could pull such a large, heavily weighted object. The runners curl upward and back into huge, ornate patterns of filigree behind the sled. Large brass bells, the size of a man’s hands cupped together, hang along the bottom of the sled and from the lantern poles in the front.

There are eight rows of seats within the sled and each seat is lined with white fur. In a pile at the front of the sleigh is an enormous length of heavy chain. [If stretched out the chain is twice as long as the sled; it attaches to a ring at the front and is included in the value of the sleigh. ] Sitting on one of the fur-covered seats inside the sled is what appears to be a priest’s headdress [1,130 gp]. Embroidered onto the fabric covering the back of the head and the shoulders are winged horses, eagles, and human-headed winged beings. Many hollow, silver pendants adorn the crown of the headdress, in the form of feathers set close together to create a musical jingling sound appealing to the ear. A framework of willow twigs supports the tall cylindrical cap of the headdress. The shoulder cloth is made of pale gray velvet.

You also discover a hempen bag [2 sp] on the floor of the sled’s interior, within which are more incredible objects. The largest of these is a shallow, wide copper bowl [70 gp], grown slightly green with verdigris but expertly fashioned. Next you find a large diamond [3 inch diamond; X,XXX,XXX gp] of gray-brown hue. The diamond is the size of a small plum and is perfectly cut. Within its smoky depths you can see your surroundings refracted to infinite proportions. Along with the diamond is the largest pearl [4 inch pearl; XXX,XXX gp] you have ever seen, and you could only imagine from what sort of oceanic terror such a treasure was plucked. The pearl is a deep, brash silver in color, and is the size of an apple. It is so precisely formed that when rolled across a smooth surface it moves in a perfectly straight line, never wobbling. Last you discover a long, highly polished ebony box [64 gp] holding what can only be a gilded peacock feather [1,000 gp], light and delicate, as if every filament and strand had been coated in a gentle aureate mist. [Total X,XXX,XXX.2 gp]

Editor's Note:
This treasure just screams, “Make an adventure out of me!” Where in the world is this sleigh and what is it doing there? Who it made in the first place, who owned it, and what did they use to pull it? It was one of those pieces that when we read it, we all said, “Oh, cool!”

[Cassandra]

This treasure, in its unusual chest, is from Table VI: 5,000 Gold Pieces, which is subtitled "Most of this stuff I can use, but some of it is just strange!" This is piece #97.

A gigantic skull rests in the middle of the room. It appears too large to be real. As you near it, you catch a glint from one of the huge front teeth. Upon closer examination, you find, it is a real skull [skull of a fire or stone giant, 50 gp] and the glint from the tooth is actually a diamond set there [1,000 gp]. A little examining shows the skull has been turned into a treasure chest. The top of the skull is hinged in back, and secured in the front with a small brass clasp. The skull brainpan houses a mass of gold and silver coins in roughly equal amounts [672 gp, 504 sp]. Through the nose, you see another glint of more silver. Opening the jaw reveals a deep silver chalice lying on its side [250 gp], filled with a wadded woolen cloth [1 gp]. When the cloth is unfolded, you discover several items of jewelry. A very nice platinum comb set with coral is present [300 gp[/i]], as is a gold bracelet with three green stones [spinels; bracelet, 500 gp]. You also find a wide gold ring set with a gleaming red and white gem [fire opal ring, 1,250 gp] and another ring bearing four small blue-green stones [aquamarine ring, 700 gp]. Finally, sitting in the bottom of the cup is a twined gold bracelet made of dozens of strands of golden wire woven together [300 gp]. [Total 5,073.4 gp]

Editor's Note:
This container was one of the most unusual in the book. Not only is something tucked inside a skull to hold it, the entire skull has actually been made into a chest of sorts, with a hinge and latch. Again, it was a case of something that would never occur to me. I hope the readers of this book appreciate the variety our numerous highly-imaginative authors brought to this project.

[Cassandra]

This useful treasure is from Table III: 100 Gold Pieces, which is subtitled "Do I really want to cart this with me?" This is piece #54.

In the sack, under linen shirts [8 shirts; 2 sp each] and heavy wool pants [6 pairs; 3 sp each] lies a dagger [17 gp] in a sheath [70 gp]. The sheath is fine deep brown leather, sewn with invisible stitches. All over its surface a master has tooled leaves and flowers. Peering out from the shrubbery on the sheath are small comic figures, capering [leaping] and making faces. Along the sheath carefully inset so they do not catch on things, are several [4] green, lentil-sized stones [malachite]. In the tooled design, the stones appear as fruit on the plants. The well-balanced dagger has a hilt wrapped in silver-colored wire, with a large bluish gem [blue quartz] on the pommel. A long black velvet ribbon [2 sp] and several worn coins [9 gp, 5 sp, 6 cp] are loose on the sack’s bottom. [Total 100.16 gp]

Editor's Note:
This is a totally mundane treasure – a sack of clothing, with a dagger and a ribbon in the bottom, and yet it still has a creative twist. The sheath isn’t just tooled – it has little figures peeking out, and gems used in the design. That’s what this book is about – treasures that could be boring instead become memorable without having to be fabulously expensive or highly magical.

[Cassandra]

The Demon Lord Tsathogga (Bill Webb of Necromancer Games) selected this piece as his Choice. It is #34 from Table IV.

The three-legged bronze cooking pot [31 gp] is decorated with images of geometric dancing beasts which might be horses, or could be something much more fanciful. Time has turned the pot the soft, mossy green of aged metal, and years of use and wear have obscured the once-impressive carvings. Lifting the pot’s lid, you are assailed by the scent of old rot and ancient spices. Inside, treasure is piled haphazardly. A blunt-tipped ceremonial short sword [192 gp] cast from solid silver and inscribed by entwined serpents rests atop a pile of musty and moth eaten green cloth. Beside the sword is a small leather bag [1 sp], tied with purple thread; opening the bag, you discover [and possibly prick your finger on] a set of a dozen golden fishhooks [4 gp each]. Beneath the leather bag, you find a trio of bronze brooches [30 gp each], each studded with a ring of tiny cowrie shell studs nestled together. A ceremonial ivory mask [136 gp] depicting a laughing young woman with diamonds painted on her cheeks in green lies at the bottom of the pot, wrapped in yellowed linen [1 gp]. Though cracked, the mask is still clearly valuable, and would be worth something to a collector. [Total 498.1 gp]

Editor's Note:
I understand one reason Bill picked this treasure is because it manages to have a lot of things of value, without needing to use any coins.

[Cassandra]

The Demon Lord Orcus (Clark Peterson of Necromancer Games) selected this piece as one of his favorites. It is #31 from Table VI.

You find a locked trunk bound in brass [Average lock; 46 gp], and a sturdy chest, also locked [Average lock; 42 gp]. The trunk is lined with cedar and in the top is a length of pale wool [3 gp]. Unfolding the fabric reveals a dress of black silk, trimmed with black lace and tiny beads of jet [royal outfit; 200 gp]. The dress would fit an athletic woman of average height. It is tight fitting past the hips, and then slit in front from above the knee to allow the wearer to walk, with a slight train in back. Lying below the dress is a full-length fur cloak with a deep hood, of darkest sable with a lining of black silk [760 gp]. A flat box in the bottom of the trunk is made of polished black wood [6 gp]. Inside, on silk padding, lies a piece of onyx two inches in diameter which has been carved into an exquisite black flower. It hangs on a slender black leather cord, accented by a few oval beads of jet and two round carnelians [3,468 gp]. Next to this lies a bracelet of carnelian beads, round and smooth, in colors ranging from fiery red to nearly cranberry dark [345 gp].

The chest holds a set of lacquered leather armor, in blood red studded with brass studs [28 gp]. The armor was obviously made for a female of average height, and would not fit a man well. Below the armor lie some weapons: a hand crossbow [100 gp], and a pair of daggers in red leather sheaths on a matching belt. The daggers are wickedly sharp, and each also has its hilt wrapped with red leather [4 gp each]. A red leather belt pouch [2 gp] holds an assortment of coins [32 gp, 87 sp, 92 cp] and an unmarked vial [antitoxin; 50 gp]. [Total 5,099.62 gp]

Editor's Note:
The perfect accent for your evil female antagonist! I’m tempted to write a female villain into an adventure just to be able to have her use some of this stuff.

[Cassandra]

The final 'choice' treasure is #8 from Table IX: 50,000 Gold Pieces, which is subtitled "I had not realized how heavy truly fabulous treasure could be!” This piece is the Editor’s Choice – the editor’s favorite treasure of the hundreds that crossed her desk.

Atop a heap of smashed chests and mixed coins [6,500 gp, 24,540 sp, 180,000 cp] stands a lifesized lion which appears to be made of solid gold [28,000 gp]. Maneuvering the lion down from the top of the pile [no mean feat, as it weighs 500 pounds], you set it down on the floor in front of you. The beast is masterfully carved, every detail breathing life into the figure: its mane is swept back as if the lion were in mid-stride, its eyes glint menacingly, and you can make out the countless individual strands of hair in its coat.

Turning back to the heap, you can see the smashed remnants of at least six large chests, which look as though they were chopped apart with axes. Buried among the thousands of coins you find six steel locks [Amazing locks, still locked and with no keys present; 150 gp each], a bejeweled longsword [masterwork, 2,600 gp], seven gnomish hooked hammers with wire-wrapped handles [20 gp each], a dozen silver candlesticks shaped like slender castle towers [50 gp each], two marble goblets with translucent quartz stems [350 gp each], three silver combs [40 gp each], a wooden statue of a graceful fawn, with one of its legs broken off [70 gp], a large bronze bowl, the rim of which is studded with bits of lapis lazuli [300 gp], a hunting horn carved from a single large piece of bone [200 gp], a matched pair of masterwork morningstars [308 gp each] and a marble sphere the size of a small barrel of ale [5,000 gp].

The longsword is finely made, with a tapered point and a long groove down the center of the blade. Its handle is made of horn covered in tiny brass studs, while its crosspiece is a thick wedge of steel; the pommel stone is an irregular chunk of red-veined marble. Just at the point where the hilt joins the crosspiece, it is set with two blazing fire opals.

Equally interesting is the large marble sphere, which is covered with carvings of demonic heads leering from flaming doorways, devils dragging pegasi from the sky with long, barbed chains and fiends with forked tongues impaling elves on wooden stakes. From its weight [close to 800 pounds], you guess the sphere is solid marble. [Though not magical, the sphere has been used in rituals of demonic summoning; it is up to the GM whether or not it provides any benefit in such rituals. ] [Total 50,000 gp]

Editor's Note:
One day when I was really sick of reading treasures, and ready to chuck the entire project, more new material arrived. I figured I’d rather look at something new than what I was already reading, so I opened the file. This piece has wonderful stuff: piles of money, golden statues, amazing weapons and lots of other things. The most important thing, though, was that it had one effect none of the other treasures had – when I read this, it just made me want to drop what I was doing and go play D&D!