Ultimate Equipment Preview: Never Laugh at Live Dragons!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The only sound that echoed through the vast cavern was the crunch of their boots on the frost-covered stone. Up ahead, nestled between drifts of snow and covered in a glaze of shimmering ice, was the treasure that the pair had heard so much about. Not two weeks ago, while talking to a drunken sod who had lost four fingers to the cold, Valeros had learned about the treasure of the white wyrm. Now both he and Merisiel were here, ready to plunder the vast fortune.

"I told you the beast was probably dead," Merisiel said, scanning the cavern. "No one has heard from it in years. Even that old fool said as much."

"Maybe it flew south for the winter," Valeros replied with a snort as he retrieved the sacks from his pack. After taking just one step forward, the grin slid from his face as a blast of freezing cold erupted from the shadows at the back of the cavern. The blast brought the warrior to his knees, ice coating his hands, arms, and face.

Merisiel wisely leaped behind a gigantic icy stalagmite to avoid the frosty breath of the ancient white dragon that emerged from the shadows...

We are under 2 weeks away from the release of Ultimate Equipment. This week's preview takes a look at the treasure horde of a CR 15 ancient white dragon—not that poor Valeros and Merisiel are destined to get their hands on it.

Dragons are known for their vast treasure hoards, and thus have access to the mighty treasure types H and I. Since they also have triple the normal amount of treasure, we have a total of 87,000 gp worth of loot to distribute. Let's start with something big and spend 75,000 gp on a big roll on treasure type I and then let's fill it out with some lesser loot from treasure type C.

Treasure Type I: Treasure Hoard
75,000 gp Reward (total value 69,120 gp)
50,000 cp, 6,000 sp, 400 gp, 70 pp, avalanche shield, ring of energy shroud (cold), staff of tricks, wand of sleet storm, flawless star sapphire (worth 7,000 gp), platinum scepter with gold inlay (worth 1,200 gp)

Treasure Type C: Art Objects
10,000 gp Reward plus a 2,000 gp Reward (total value 11,900 gp)
unmelting ice shard (worth 10,000 gp), platinum censer with ornate markings (worth 800 gp), decorated platinum plate (worth 1,100 gp)

I am not even sure they would be able to carry that many coins out of the lair, since they weigh more than 1,100 pounds, but I am sure they would try. The treasure for this hoard could have taken a number of different paths, focusing instead on a mountain of lesser items, such as (undoubtedly frozen) potions, wands, and scrolls, as you might typically find on the table for treasure type I, but since this is a dragon hoard, I thought it would be best to stick with a mountain of coins, with a variety of valuable objects sticking out of the heap.

That brings to a close this week's treasure roll. Next week, in our final preview, it will be time for our heroes to travel to the depths of hell for their most fearsome challenge yet!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer