Sometimes the campaign takes you into areas that are scenic and rather wet. In this case, let’s take a look at some interesting things you might find in a grotto. Again, these items are left in plain sight, and you can use them as starting points to flesh out some other interesting things if the player characters choose to look around a bit more. If you want to roll randomly for one, use the handy number provided with each entry to figure out your result on a d12. You can also pick the one that works for the area in which your characters currently linger.

d12. Item

1. A floating, corked bottle contains a tribe of tiny humans. They are shaking their fists at you.
2. A knotted rope floats in the water. One of the knots has a pewter tankard attached to it. The symbol of an ancient dwarven kingdom is on the tankard.
3. A keg of salty ale floats along.
4. Three garlands crafted from various sea plants hang along the grotto wall and over an opening through which breezes blow. Dangling from the garland are seashells and crystal bells that tinkle in the wind.
5. Someone has inlaid seashells in one area of the grotto’s rock formation. It forms a pattern that is familiar, but you can’t quite place it. One seashell in the middle is loose. If this seashell is pried off, a coin from an ancient civilization is under it.
6. Glowing sea life just under the water provides light to one section of the grotto. A soggy doll with sad eyes is sitting in the middle of the area on a rock that juts just above the water.
7. A trident is sticking out of the stone of one of the walls. Glowing barnacles cover it. Amid the barnacles, purple eyes blink.
8. One half of a very large clamshell is buoyed by air-filled bladders in the water. A scattering of black pearls are in the bottom of the shell.
9. Overhead, dimly lit seashells form a pattern reminiscent of the night sky except for one thing: A constellation appears to be missing.
10. An area of ground on one side of the grotto contains a series of green glass jars filled with bright pink sand. White candles are lit in each jar. The ground leads into some sort of cave system. Upon closer examination, the candles don’t seem to be burning down.
11. One area of the wall contains words written in an ancient tongue. If translated, they say, “None belong. All are alien, thus all must die.” The words are freshly added in luminescent blood, and five pearlescent spines stand in the ground under the message. These spines look like they came from a creature—if they are examined more closely.
12. A platinum scrollcase contains a soggy piece of hardtack.