L is for Loot

Welcome to the Tower of the Archmage’s April A to Z Challenge!

Today’s post is brought to you by the letter “L” the number “12” and the support of readers like you.

Thank you.

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We’ve all heard the saying ““It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end” or one similar to it.

Ask almost any adventurer, and they’ll tell you that saying is complete bunk! At least the honest ones will. Those self-deluded paladins and other altruistic types may claim otherwise, but the truth is if it weren’t for the loot (and the XP that comes with it) no one would bother digging around in dungeons and old ruins.

Sure, the journey, the experience, the adventure... But what it’s really all about is the Loot! The treasure! The swag! The booty! It may be piles of gold and silver, it may be a magical, it may even be a dusty old tome, but whatever it is, the loot is the entire reason for the adventure!

6 Treasure Rumors (with modifiers)

1. A payment caravan for an ancient army was lost somewhere near the old bandit caves. It was never found! (+20% chance of copper and silver coins)
2. The old dwarven mines are all tapped out, but when the orcs came, the dwarves didn’t have the chance to get everything away. (+15% chance of gold coins)
3. A great jewelsmith was captured by a necromancer some years ago. It’s said that she has him create ever more splendid baubles for her to enjoy. (+15% chance of gems and jewelery)
4. One morning last year a pirate ship was found beached near the village. The crew was dead, a great cage on deck was destroyed, and the hold was empty. According to papers on board a great treasure and an unknown beast had been recovered. Since then livestock regularly goes missing. (+25% chance of Special Treasure guarded by something the players have never seen before!)
5. The diabolist used likenesses to summon his infernal allies and slaves. While he was killed, the various artworks were never discovered! (Specific monster summoning spell scrolls are works of art)
6. A cult of Orcus used gold bricks to build their hidden shrine. Guess what? It’s never been found! (+25% chance of gold coins found in 10gp bricks)