DM's: Gems, Jewelry, Artwork & Copper pieces..do you actually describe them?

[philreed]

Two of my more popular PDFs have been 101 Mundane Treasures and Another 101 Mundane Treasures -- collections of detailed, non-magical treasures -- so I would have to say that yes, many DMs like to detail jewelry and art objects.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Those 101s are cool.

I describe treasures and art etc., yes.

 

[reanjr]

I roll it up. Where else are gems supposed to come from for spells with material components and foci? I don't think going to the corner market and buying ruby dust should be possible.

And art objects is a necessity. When a character finds a ring bearing the crest of a noble family and returns it to the family it is alot more interesting than telling them "you get 50gp in art objects". Not to mention carrying capacities. How else are these characters supposed to carry around 5,000 gp worth of wealth? They do it by expending coin, and carrying things like gems and jewelry (which they wear for added protection and decoration).

 

[Varianor Abroad]

But my players are roleplayers. If you're running a game for people who see all treasure in terms of its cash value, then why bother with describing the rune covered gold torque with an amber stone that has a dragonfly embedded in it, or the tapestry that depicts St. Gaspar's famous battle with the Swamp Beast, even though it was woven with such consumate skill that you can almost see him move?

Quoted for truth.

The only way I get the average combat wombat to care what a piece of jewelry looks like is to make it a) magical or b) a plot point in an adventure where by doing something to it they can best someone else fast.

I still try though because I think descriptions are important.

 

[philreed]

Those 101s are cool.

Thank you. I have notes for a third volume but I haven't spent any time on it beyond scribbles in a notepad.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It depends if I'm in a rush and if the treasure is simply from a random encounter or from a special battle. Generally, I like creating descriptive treasures b/c I find the creative process ends up triggering other ideas for the campaign. And sometimes otherwise mundane treasures actually have secret importance that a detect magic or analyze dweomer spell will never be able to discern. And how often do PCs cast legend lore on that statuette they found? Not too often.

It helps to have random treasure generators to provide some framework to treasure creation. I like to use the one found in Draconomicon.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Removed

 

[the Jester]

Another thing about describing your art objects- sometimes a pc will say, "Wow, that's cool!! A solid gold belt buckle with the holy symbol of Galador on it?? Hell yeah!! I'll buy it out of the treasure with my own money right now!!"

It's cool when that happens.

 

[Buttercup]

Another thing about describing your art objects- sometimes a pc will say, "Wow, that's cool!! A solid gold belt buckle with the holy symbol of Galador on it?? Hell yeah!! I'll buy it out of the treasure with my own money right now!!"

It's cool when that happens.

And it's also cool when the PC takes the solid gold arm band he has cherished since the party found it, and gives it to a widow whose husband was just killed by a corrupt courtier, with the promise that he will avenge her loss, and a request that she sell it to feed her now fatherless children.

:sighs happily: I love my players!

 

[Treebore]

Phil,

It does look like your 101 and the ""Mother of All Treasure Tables" won't cancel each other out, so I'll be buying your 101 treasure pdf's soon.


Anyone know of a really good caravan goods generator? One that is easy to modify and still use for a variety of terrains, at least? Your not going to be shipping the same stuff to the middle of a desert as you would the middle of the Amazon.

A Tablesmith program would be really nice!