Spicing up an old-school adventure

[Huw]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to run an old-school adventure. Not a retro one, a thirty-year old one from a long-gone magazine.

In common with many adventures of the time, it's quite dangerous (fine by me), and very low on treasure (not so fine). This was from when a 50% death rate to get two permanent magic items was acceptable. So I need to add more treasure to get it to modern expectations .

The adventure is set in a tomb, so apart from a few trinkets the main treasure is right at the end. I need ways of getting some treasure in earlier, to keep the party interested. Ideas I've already come up with:

1) Bodies of ancient tomb robbers trapped in ancient traps.
2) Extra dimensional beings using the tomb as a lair (said beings are already in the adventure, so adding treasure fits the theme).
3) Boosting various undead and construct guards with magic items.

Any other ideas?

Thanks in advance.

 

[howandwhy99]

1) Bodies of ancient tomb robbers trapped in ancient traps.
2) Extra dimensional beings using the tomb as a lair (said beings are already in the adventure, so adding treasure fits the theme).
3) Boosting various undead and construct guards with magic items.

Everything is already treasure. Don't think "I need to include more items that are magical" rather "Everything here is treasure, how can I make this more apparent?"

Your traps? Treasure. But for the sake of the PCs you may wish to think of how to make some detachable and portable or at least more so.
Your monsters? Ditto, but by what means can they loot them for their use? Think trapping them for the PCs own use, even control effects like enchantments.
Your dungeon dressing? All treasure. Sure it has monetary value, but more than that they are useful.

I would flesh out everything that is coherent to each room. Some may be spartan, but interesting rooms by definition have much more to play with, though by extension the module's game play will also increase.

Remember, to a slave lord you are the treasure.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Need more treasure?

That is easy. The remains of previous adventurers who attempted to loot the place and failed.

 

[Gilladian]

You've thought of some easy ones, but how about some things that aren't so "obviously" treasure?

Maybe a "Rosetta Stone" type archaeological find; something that clearly reveals (to a knowledgeable person) some previously lost historical information about the tomb-builders - language, spell-powers, rulership, religious info...

Or maybe there's a false treasure near the beginning of the tomb - it was minor to the original builders, but has increased in value over time.... maybe rare oils or perfumes, or something that was manufactured "back then" which has been lost to modern folks - damascus steel or alchemist fire, for example.

And remember, if this was the tomb of a high ranking person, even the entry passage could be studded with small gems, gilded, or inlaid with rare wood and stone.

 

[aco175]

I still like the old Player's Handbook with the thief prying the gem out of the eye of the statue thats holding the fire bowl. If it is a tomb, you can always have gems and gold dressing up statues and walls. You can have a skeleton of ages past use coins and gems to write out a warning before he died.

 

[Huw]

Or maybe there's a false treasure near the beginning of the tomb - it was minor to the original builders, but has increased in value over time.... maybe rare oils or perfumes, or something that was manufactured "back then" which has been lost to modern folks - damascus steel or alchemist fire, for example.

This has potential, but in a different way from being old. Some more background: the tomb is only a few generations old, and the family of the people buried in the tomb have asked the PCs to rob it to avoid a curse. Now, a false but valuable treasure would be a natural thing to make anyone trying to defile the tomb turn back early.

 

[thejc]

I am always a big fan of non permanent magic items. Wands with just a few charges, broaches that can absorb oh 10 points of damage from a particular element, ect ect.

Once in an 1e we had a thief find a wand of fireball. The DM said he would allow the guy to use it but he had to figure out which end was the "barrel of the gun". After taking the wand he fell through a trap door. That was a super fun session. He spent most of it being pursued by the mummy that dwelt at the bottom, running away trying to find how he could fire that wand at the mummy without possibly roasting himself.

Treasure is easily added you've mentioned a few good ways as have others. Don't be afraid to not give treasure either though. The aforementioned story didn't have anything but some gold, probably some electrum, the wand, some potions and a scroll and maybe a +1 dagger. Yet that adventure stands out because it was fun. An awesome session is worth way more than any +3 long sword that summons a giant beetle made out of lightning.

 

[thejc]

Crap I didn't even mention any devices to help you add treasure.

Perhaps someone has left an "offering" near the tomb of one the buried, to appease their spirit.

A magic item is used as the charge for a mystical barrier that keeps intruders out, and the undead in. A magic sword stuck in the wall for instance.

Monsters themselves when they die perhaps leave behind a unique substance or body part that can be later turned into a magic item or as a one shot item. A ghoul tongue, vampire teeth, displacer beast pelt, shadow essence from a shadow and so forth.

Good luck happy gaming

 

[shadzar]

Everything is already treasure.

Pretty much this. Depending on what is in the tomb, then it is treaure. It is jsut up to the players to decide what they want, if they think no one will come looking for it later.

Monsters are useful for spell components, or depending on the location an exotic meal.

All treasure isn't in the form of magi items, unless that is the "modern expectations" you speak of. If it is, well then maybe those modern expectations should be widened a bit.

If you MUST have magic items as treasure, then litter the place with lower level stuff that might have attracted the extra dimensional beings to begin with. Otherwise the decorations on the walls, ornate and other gems in them, the tiles or other artwork in the tomb and coffers to give offerings and such is pretty much a LOT more treasure than most people think about.

I mean if the things were cleaned out and everything sold it would likely be a lot of wealth, oh and the tomb itself could be a treasure as well being kept for party use, or sold to other people to excavate, use, research, whatever.

Ones man's corpse is another man's treasure....

 

[hopeless]

Treasure?

How about bloodstones ala eberron?

They find what looks like gemstones or the like, its just that they don't know what they're truly worth.

Have them later see engravings where they depict something being attached to say the pommel of a sword or a shield highlighting some resolution of a quest such that when they get further in if they're paying attention if becomes clear these are important.

I guess knowledge is just as much treasure as the real deal.