d100 – Treasure Map Minutia & Cartograph Complications

Representing a full fourth of the Random Results when Scrolls are generated as Magical Treasure in most of the earlier presentations, Treasure Maps can sometimes end up making quite frequent appearances. B/X even recommends that the Referee prepare several in advance for this reason. I always endeavored to have a few handy, tucked away in the binder, just in case.

In world artifacts that get used in Play like this are wonderful things, and I know over the decades I’ve made many a Map replete with those slightly scorched edges, strategic tears, and even the requisite tea-staining in order to pass them out to the Players. I try not to get too precious with them these days, mostly because I want to encourage Players to write on them and make them “their own.” But these kinds of “In World” Maps will always serve as a wonderful way to Telegraph Dangers, Disseminate Rumors, and foster interest in other areas in a Setting. I’ve compiled some ideas for dressing them up a bit or making them a bit more memorable below. Hopefully some of these can serve as a springboard when the need arises to try your hand at making a few Pre-Prepared Treasure Maps for your game, even if some prove a bit impractical for “physical props!”

If you tire of typical Parchment, Paper, or Vellum, see the Form column of my Atypical Scrolls of Protection & Assorted Aegides post for some other ideas for surfaces they may be scrawled upon.

d100 - Treasure Transformations or Trusty Trade Goods

While wool-gathering today, I wondered if there could be a quick and convenient way to add a little more variety to Treasure Hoards generated via the typical Hoard Treasure Types we find in these games. While Gems, Jewelry, and Magic Items are definitely exciting to the Players, sometimes the huge heaps of coins are less immediately compelling. So, I began to speculate: What if there were some ways to supplement or substitute some of those for other interesting items of value.

My initial idea was that upon rolling doubles when Generating Treasure Chances with the d100, one could assign a percentage (10%, 20%, etc.) or even a full “pip’s worth” of the value rolled to certain Goods/Commodities that might be present among the gleaming and glittering piles. Or in certain Settings, these types of more mundane items might be even more common or economically important. This could add some variety to those hauls, as well as lead to some potentially interesting choices and decisions in terms of appraising, transporting, and flogging off these wares. Some results could even potentially replenish crucial supplies, augment the creature comforts in a Party’s living conditions, or even potentially make transporting the rest a little less onerous.

As I began populating tables (by Coin type, with more intrinsically precious items corresponding to their respective metals) it hit on me that this might also be pretty useful as a Resource for generating Trade Goods should the Party stumble across a Merchant or Trader in their Travels, so I suppose it can do a bit of double duty, or serve that purpose if tweaking the Treasure in this way is not to your liking.

d100 - Why Is This Treasure So Valuable?

Sometimes, rolls on those Random Treasure Tables can often produce some surprisingly Rich Results. A piece of Jewelry, Gemstone, or even an Object d’art may be so very valuable that one is tempted to ask “Why?” We can usually conveniently couch this in properties such as Size, Materials, or even Crafting Techniques and Artisanal Skills, but sometimes it can be interesting to have that justification be a little less tangible or intrinsic to the physical item itself.

This table explores some additional options and rationale behind how those incredibly prized finds get assigned their values. Sometimes something so dear might be a bit more trouble than it’s worth after all!

d100 - Magic Tools

Here are some ideas for Magical Qualities that can be incorporated into some of the various Tools and Implements that might find their way into a Character’s Equipment. While Wonders are usually confined to Weapons & Armor for dealing with challenges associated with Combat, sometimes having the Right Tool at hand for a specific task is more interesting, especially if the tool in question has these sorts of unconventional features and benefits.

d100 – What’s The Story Behind This Blade?

More Fodder for Fighters, here’s a table I tapped away to provide some Details and Deeds that might speak to the History of any Swords they might come across in their Adventures. Sometimes embellishing a Blade with a few particulars in this way makes it much more Memorable and can even create a bit of intrigue or speak to the larger Setting. A Referee might decide to only add these to Swords of the Enchanted variety, but sometimes a little decoration like this goes a long way to differentiate even more standard treasures and takings.

d100 – Magic Tattoos

Acquiring enchanted Body Art seems like a fantastic opportunity for Foreground Growth or Improvements to a Character obtained in Play. I imagine quite a bit of Adventuring might be required to locate the highly specialized Arcane Artists who can preform this delicate work. Charging steep Prices or only deigning to design one as a reward for Services Rendered. The Process could potentially also involve some sourcing of unusual or difficult or dangerous to acquire Reagents/Ingredients for use in the Pigments or as Needles. The resulting piece is likely brilliant to behold in terms of craftsmanship but these can also impart Magical Gifts to those whose skin they stain. I’ve always been a fan of granting Classes a little bit of limited Spell-Casting or Unconventional Abilities this way, and this kind of non-item-based Magical Augmentation can’t be as easily Removed via Ravenous Rust Monster.

How would these Magic Tattoos work in Play? My current line of thinking is to use them in conjunction with a Usage Die Mechanic (since the energy contained within them is less quantifiable), perhaps set it starting at d8, d6 (or even d4 for some of the more powerful ones, or more generous for the less), on each “Use” or “Activation” there’s a chance (on a roll of 1 or 2) the Incantations embedded alongside the Ink might begin to fade or become lose potency. Once the Magic depletes completely, the Tattoo vanishes! I’d recommend the Restriction that one set of Skin can never receive the same Tattoo Twice, in order to keep these a little more unique and special.

Here are a Hundred Ideas for these, along with some suggestions for “Flash” or descriptive designs.

d100 - Extraordinary Ointments & Unconventional Unguents

Another quick Single-Use Magic Item Table! This time we tackle some Special Substances that aren’t administered by drinking like Potions but applied externally. I would imagine that this process might take some Time, and therefore not necessarily be something one would want to do in the heat of Battle, but perhaps more suited to before or after, or during a Rest. Like my prior table on Incense, having these kinds of highly specific, but limited in use Wonders available to Players can really sometimes result in some pretty creative Problem Solving or Reward prior decisions in fun ways.

d100 – Gullet Gleanings & Crop Contents

When I was much younger, we dissected a smallish Shark as part of a very educational Science Class. Imagine our Surprise when our careful cuttings revealed another, even smaller Shark inside of it! We dutifully dissected that one too, and found a Fish, which was then also carefully quartered, but sadly the marine Matryoshka Marveling ended there.

Although it doesn’t seem as common these days, I do recall a big part of Play in the Past involved finding some of the Treasure inside of certain Monsters after slaying them. This grisly task would be perfunctorily performed, just in case, to make sure absolutely nothing was missed or overlooked. It usually came with a Cost (taking a few extra Turns was a common one, and this Risks Wandering Monsters), but I also recall often calling for various Saving Throws or other Tests since I envisioned the process as quite smelly and stomach churning.

When this would come up more recently, I would sometimes quickly roll on my Random Impedimenta table for a starting point, sprucing the results up a bit as necessary and sprinkling in a smattering of coins or such. I decided a dedicated Table might be a little more useful though.

Many Monsters may not carry Treasure on their Person, or have a Happy Hoard to hole up with, so this table might inspire some ideas for what to reveal in those bulging bellies after diligent dissection. Since there are a few weird and wonderous things in these (especially in the bigger beasts, but those likely would have had a lot more Hit Dice to whittle down!), I’d likely ascribe a small chance, prior to rolling, or potentially tweak any extant Treasure Awards accordingly.

q.v. One Hundred Uses for a (Dead) Dragon

d100 - Magic Arrows & Ammunition

Today we have another Magical Item Table, this time tackling Arrows and Ammunition (and I suppose Sling Bullets with some light re-skinning, though I haven’t given up on a separate table dedicated to those just yet.) Generally, we treat these as Single Use Items that are spent when shot, but in some games a Damage Roll of 1 or 2 means that it can be Recovered after the battle (easier to track, simply don’t mark off the expenditure of Ammunition until after Damage is rolled!) It’s possible there might be a bit of overlap with my prior Table on Magic Bows, which I purposefully neglected to review prior to populating this one.

How many Arrows or Quarrels are discovered in a Treasure Hoard? Well, the B/X Treasure tables provide a range, some sheafs are 2d6, some 3d10, and other stingier ones might only be a single d6. Particularly puissant Projectiles (such as those of Slaying) sometimes show up all by their lonesome, so I suppose this might be a bit dependent on Referee discretion. I’d be inclined to be a little more generous with the ones that are perhaps a little less reliable in terms of this Table.

d100 – Magical Bludgeons

Finally decided to complete another Magical Weapon table, this time focusing on the Blunt ones to compliment the one I did on Swords. I find myself using that one for Daggers and Knives sometimes as well. While those cruder Clubs don’t seem to be too popular and may seldom be brandished in the hands of Characters, maybe some of these options might convince a Player to reconsider. Of course, these could easily work with most other Weapons that fall under those Cleric Restrictions.

d100 - Vernacular Coinage & Specialized Specie

Most of the time, the kinds of coins the Players end up stuffing in their Pouches and Pockets might be a little uninspiring with just their two-letter abbreviation to differentiate them. Sure, we’re always quite careful to enumerate the type/metal composition for value purposes, but what other things can these coins tell us?

Here is a table with some ideas. These could serve as “Common Names” for coinage in a region, decorations for Heads and Tails, or also potentially a window into the culture that minted them in the first place. What people put on their money usually tends to align with other values that they want to extol or claim to possess. Vernacular names could come up during transactions when the Party travels to a new Region with its own types of currency, and sometimes the “motifs” and decorations themselves end up deliciously muddled through trade. Ancient Coins retrieved from forgotten Hoards might provide a window to those who traded with them. I suppose one might find this table useful for embellishing various other things in need of a little more specificity on demand (constellations, heraldry, artwork, etc.)

d100 - Wondrous Wands & Ensorcelled Staffs

When it comes to Wands and Staffs, I have always preferred the ones that are a bit more unique than just the standard “single purpose” Spell-Slot-Saver. Like most Magical Things, I love it when they have a little bit of Lore or Background associated with them and tend to tailor their Powers and Abilities to this when I can. Another feature I enjoy is when they present the occasional tough choice in terms of Charges. As a finite source of Magic, they are a terrific opportunity to introduce Magics that are not found in the typical Tomes and Lists without worrying about these finding their way into a Wizard’s Grimoire for use in perpetuity (unlike Scrolls or enemy Spellbooks, depending on Transcription permissiveness). A considerable number of the Powers below lean into this more than a little.

The Encircled Numbers are included as an optional guideline of sorts. I tend to avoid Wands and Staffs that serve as just a “one-trick-pony” and enjoy when they open up some additional choices to the user. They could represent the Charge Cost for a given Effect (useful for cultivating careful usage or difficult decisions). Charged Items are one of the few places I do not mind Usage Die as much, because of the unpredictability they create with unquantifiable things (and multiple, successive rolls can be nail-biting!). As another option, these could instead represent a minimum Character Level to evoke a particularly powerful ability if you enjoy it when Magical Items “grow” with a particular character over time. The “Zeroes” might even provide for use by other Character Types (it is always fun to give them a spot of Magic now and then), or only be available provided the Wand still contains charges.

The inset Reaction Table is just another little wrinkle that came to mind whilst I was working on this one. Making Magical Items occasionally more volatile in this way memorializes some of the great fun we had with things like Potion Miscibility in the past. It did unfortunately lead to some slightly less interesting entries to accommodate it, but I figure since those are a third of the “Name of the Game,” they are worth sacrificing a few extra rows.

d100 - Tells for the Impavid Potion Taster

Magical Potions and Dweomered Draughts are a time-honored tradition in these games. I like to provide some minor Clues to their Function to occasionally reward the very brave that dare to take a sip to test them (or the Hapless Hireling convinced to Guinea Pig).

Here are a hundred ideas for some hints for some common and not so common Elixirs. These, coupled with consistent Potion Colors, Smells, and even Flavors, can sometimes make this process a bit of a game in itself for when a suitable Specialist or amenable Alchemist is unavailable. I usually make the effects of these tentative tastes very temporary, and relatively benign. I suppose if one squints, this table could also be repurposed for the side-effects of drugs or other intoxicants as well.

d100 - Tells for Magical Treasures

One of the ways some Referees handle Magic Item Identification is by imbuing the Items themselves with tiny Clues or Hints to their function. Whether this by materials, decorations, or other semi-wonderous properties, it can sometimes give the Players a little bit of an idea as to what these enchanted objects might do.

I’m quite fond of this approach, and it ties in with my philosophy of making Magical Treasures more memorable and exciting. In my mind “Generic Magic” is a bit of an oxymoron.

So here is a d100 Table with some Potential Properties as well as at least three “Tells” that can be used to spruce up the occasional Wand, Staff, Sword, or other Mystical Implement. I’ve tried to stick with some of the more common Magical Features here for broader utility and hopefully inspire some ways of making these Treasures a bit more Interesting and even encourage particular approaches as part of Experimentation/Testing or Other Means to figure out how they function.

See also: Jewelry Generator, Flaws & Foibles, Monster Parts for Magical Reagents/Research, and of course other posts with the [magic item] label.

d100 Jewelry Generator

I always tend to try to apply a little additional detail to treasures I place. Nothing pleases me more than seeing a Player wrestle with a difficult decision between pawning or proudly sporting an interesting adornment. I find that adding a smidgen of embellishment to these baubles can not only help make them more memorable, but it can sometimes help encourage these situations.

So I put together a table to help with those hanker-worthy hoards. Here are a hundred ideas for dressing up different types of jewelry and other assorted precious objects to sprinkle within those glittering heaps of treasure:

If you’d like to view some sample output, or prefer digital tools, here is an online generator I whipped up as well:

d100 Table - One Hundred Unconventional Potions

When it comes to Magical Potions (or any magical items really), I’m particularly fond of effects that are less “duplicate an existing spell or class ability” and more “can this lead to potentially interesting or creative use later in play.” It tends to turn the more expendable gimcrack into something just a little more magical, a tad mysterious, and slightly special. It can also lead to some sensational surprises down the road when a player realizes they have “just the right tool for the job”, or better yet: something that should work with a little strategic modification to “the plan”. So, with that said, here’s a new random table of One Hundred Unconventional Potions to sprinkle throughout your heaping hoards, devilishly determine the perils of potion miscibility, salve the sting of adverse alchemical errors, or any other use that might strike your fancy. Some are strange, some are probably too powerful, and as with anything here you may need to season to the tastes of your table or your particular flavor of fantasy.