Adventurers frequently find themselves in places where finding standard treasure might seem unusual and unlikely. If the local sewers aren’t paved with gold, use the following table to add a little variety to your loot or let it serve as inspiration for a story hook. The value of the items can vary at the DM’s discretion but are suitable replacements for a quest reward or as the centerpiece for a somewhat odd collection, although they could be worth anything to the right person. You can roll randomly for a result below using the handy number provided with each entry to figure out your result on a d20. You can also pick one that works for the area in which your characters currently linger.
1. A damaged ebony case containing a masterful set of pearl and onyx engraving tools in extreme disrepair.
2. A locked wooden box. Affixed to the top are half a dozen small adjustable mirrors and on one corner a black cube emits a single point of ruby light.
3. An intricately articulated wooden figure of a multi-headed dog covered in a moldy gray fur.
4. An extraordinarily fine miniature saddle, as though for a small dog, worked in supple leather and decorated with gold and silver thread.
5. A perfectly smooth clear glass square, roughly arm-length along each side, with beveled edges and rounded corners. It may have once been a table top.
6. A scratched and dented locket which, when opened, appears to contain a much larger space.
7. The severed claw of some monstrous scaled creature, preserved and formed into the base of a chair.
8. A large, transparent red tumbler made of some unidentifiable material, its sides textured delicately and a single seam recognizable down one side. Strange characters decorate the bottom.
9. An ornate, hand-inlaid globe seemingly floating within a large wooden cradle fixed to the ground. The globe moves easily beneath your touch.
10. A series of ancient, hand-drawn maps representing uncountable countries and territories in some unknown part of the world.
11. A beautiful, jewel-handled stiletto. The blade seems to shimmer with an ugly green tint.
12. A tiny, brindled rodent scampers back and forth, trapped within a clear glass sphere.
13. A crystal ball containing a miniature frozen landscape. When shaken, the landscape appears to experience simulated snowfall.
14. A polished metal case containing a set of fine needles, similar to those for sewing, several thin glass cylinders, and a single ampoule of a sluggish red fluid.
15. A filthy, mummified monkey’s paw, curled into a fist and clutching what looks like an egg.
16. A small leather pouch containing a double handful of seemingly fresh tree nuts, still in their shells.
17. An ugly gray wine skin, heavier than it looks, sloshes and gurgles in response to any movement.
18. A smooth, white automaton vaguely resembling the shape of a small dog. Perhaps it wants to play.
19. A tiny, polished wooden coffin. The lid is sealed with wax and the sound of tumbling glass shards can be heard as the box is moved.
20. A once-beautiful golden clasp, as for a ladies’ traveling cloak. The shape has been bent and distorted and now resembles a sneering face.
I love this post. It can be difficult to come up with treasure on the fly sometimes, especially in unlikely places. I want to print this post and put it on the inside of my DM screen.