Sejs said:
Along similar lines - magic related blueprint type documentation.
Ah, right. In Eberron, an object like this is called a schema, and they've been the focus of a few adventures. Technically they're magical objects, in that they have an aura under
detect magic, but they have no magical abilities per se. Their only function is to be combined with other schemas to make a complete blueprint.
If the OP is looking for categories of treasure, I'd probably call this category "Information," and also divide it into a few subcategories:
- "Blueprints" would be instructions for making things. Some will be useful to PCs themselves, like plans for a golem or an airship. Others, like a diagram of a new barrel scraper or the recipe for a delicious cream sauce, are less useful but could be sold off.
- "Secrets" would be things like adventure hooks, like the map to a lost treasure, or clues to the identity of a wanted murderer. The PCs can either follow up on the hook themselves, or sell it to another adventuring group for a finder's fee.
- "Knowledge" would be purely academic information, the kind of thing only a sage or university cares about. Maybe it's proof of the birthdate of a classical poet, or a drawing of courtiers' garb from the last century. PCs could sell this too, if they managed to find an interested buyer.