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A mature dragon. What is in it's hoard?
EDIT:Points for creativity. Side note I am actually going to use what I come up with here, at least to a point. We are rotating GM's and I am setting up something at the end of my session for my following session-probably 7 levels later, that will need a lot of money to even start, so I am thinking a dragon hoard will be a good way to make it.
But let's try not to put anything game breaking in there!
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A huge sheet of adamantine 1 inch thick enchanted with a permanent shrink item spell that renders it suitable for use as a cloak for a medium creature.
A mithral 10 foot septagram summoning circle enchanted to shrink to hand size when not in use that is a perfect focus (instead of material component) for the magic circle, dimensional anchor point of a planar binding.
An Orichalcum sword that cuts through DR/ any alignment regardless of its enhancement bonus (starts as masterwork).
A mechanical wind up creature that acts as an animated object 1/day for 5 rounds -- it breaks if someone attempts to use it twice in a day.
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A mature dragon. What is in it's hoard?does it have a personality?
you can go for huge amounts of silk the dragon uses as bedding, statues it has set up around its layer to freak intruders out or it pretends worship it.
or it could have a stupidly large kitchen-like area with very rare spices and ingredients.
O yes yes yes to the kitchen, and worshiper statues. It will definitely be an ironic, sarcastic beast, though one of the evil types.
see the original edit also
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The long-lost legitimate deed to the castle of a fairly important king.
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A set of adamantine kitchen utensils and silverware that a specific collector would pay good money for so he can cook and eat some very questionable choices of creatures (or that a gifted smith could recast into a light weapon).
An ivory comb that changes the hair color of those that use it for one day (they can specify the color by thinking about it as they brush their hair).
A flawless marble fountain that was built for him on the spot by a long dead humanoid (and is actually connected to a fresh water spring -- moving the fountain *if possible* will cause the cave to start filling with water).
Seven alabaster coins in an ironwood box with mithril inlays.
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A big complex colored glass container that when a dragon breathes through it causes an amazing light and color show on the surrounding walls. Another dragon is specifically looking for this item valued at a high amount -- wizard's have found they can use specific evocation spells to achieve the same effects.
A collection of expensive dresses fitted for a petite woman each of which have a small label inside that says, "Amy Gildheim" -- the name of a rather fortunate and well known oracle of life (specifically a sapphire conservative long sleeve dress, a white ermine fur dress, a velvet red dress with gold trim and a two piece earth tone silk dress that leaves the arms and midriff exposed).
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Taxidermic specimens of trespassers staged at intervals (marked accordingly for easy visual from dragon POV). Easier to gauge distances with and intimidation factor. An epitaph marker for each one as examples of the budding poet and snarky commentary.
Just cause the dragon is "mature" doesn't mean it lacks a sense of humor or witty observation.
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Pet baby dragons. Because every adventurer wants a pet dragon.
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A sleeping dragon statue, life sizes and coverd in scales made of semi-precious stones appropriate to the dragon's color. He puts it on top of his hoard to fool adventurers. He sleeps in a loft up above but the acoustics make it sound like his breathing sound comes from the statue.
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FILL MY DRAGON'S HOARD!
No thank you.
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A voluminous and extremely durable and self-repairing greatcloak and mantle made from the white feathers of a celestial, spattered with a pattern of blood droplets and a few trails of blood from the former 'owner,' that refuse to clean off, although any other sort of stain or dampness simply fails to adhere, keeping the feather cloak clean of any stain other than the blood of the celestial killed to make it. It detects as magical, but other than keeping itself clean and repaired, and being almost weightless, has no special properties.
A collection of fulgurites, of differing sizes, ranging from suitable to use as wands or daggers, to one that once served as a masterwork longspear for a Storm Giant, all magically enhanced to be as strong as steel.
The tabards or standards of dozens of knights, cavaliers, paladins and holy champions, as well as royal standards, national flags or temple banners, taken from keeps, churches and dozens of individual people of note. The dragon didn't secure all of these items personally (or even most of them), and didn't kill all of the knights, noblemen, etc. represented. He actually trades for them, or receives them from gifts from those who know that he is a collector, although he is a stickler for 'provenance' and collects information on these dozens of standards and flags and banners (and, for those who have done business with him, another way of earning his favor, other than bringing him a new and interesting banner, is to bring him information on one of the few banners in his collection that he hasn't already 'sourced').
A collection of six stained glass windows, approximately nine feet wide and eighteen feet high, crafted in an abstract manner, taken from ancient churches to long-forgotten (and somewhat inhuman-looking...) gods on a sunken island unknown to the modern world. How they were moved to this location is a mystery. (Shrink Item, it was easy, but he won't tell anyone that.)
A clattering 'mobile' composed of hundreds of fey skeletons, painstakingly assembled by silver thread, and dangling from incredibly fine chains, so that any movement causes them to 'dance,' their arms and legs moving in macabre synchronicity, casting elongated and distorted shadows in all directions, as a glowing hazy orb rests in their midst (the taxidermically preserved remains of a will o' the wisp, under a continual flame spell).
A 'totem pole' made from the heads of huge monsters of distinctive mein, stacked atop one another, shellaced and preserved for all time. The heads include a behir, a bulette, a glabrezu demon, a storm giant, a rival dragon (whatever color / metal seems appropriate) and, at the top, the head of a gargantuan half-fiendish tyrannosaurus of particularly savage aspect.
In his lair, is a chamber sealed with a stone slab that is cold to the touch. If opened, a thin rime of ice covers the walls and floor, and racks on the walls contain a vast array of thickly-cut steaks. Hanging on hooks are countless joints of meat, many from oversized insects and crustaceans. The majority of these steaks are from various monsters, including, on a shelf of their own, cuts of meat from another dragon (the same one that donated the head on the 'totem pole'). A series of chests include cuts of humanoid meat, neatly stacked, labeled, organized and wrapped in waxed paper, for special occasions. Every day, the dragon opens the vault, and uses ray of frost as many times as necessary to keep the ice on the floor and walls frozen, before taking out some meat for the day's 'special treat.' Yet another way he can be appeased is to bring him large, fresh and unsullied cuts of meat, particularly of a type he has yet to sample. (If he doesn't have ray of frost on his list of cantrips known, he has a magic ring that adds it to his list of cantrips known while worn, which might resize itself for a humanoid wearer (or not, and have to be worn as a bracelet or torc or crown!))
A length of chain, on which are displayed a collection of nine dwarven hands, each bearing a similar signet ring, some more decayed and grisly than others, as they represent champions sent to avenge the deaths of previous dwarves of that line who fell before him over the course of two and a half centuries. He finds the whole thing terribly tragic and amusing, and is disappointed that the family line has ended, and will send no more champions his way...
A small 'throw-rug' at the entrance to his lair, barely big enough to wipe a single claw upon. It has a patchwork quilt look to it, and is composed of the scalps of every humanoid who has had the audacity to wear dragonhide in his presence.
Naughty
both of them transformed into stone by the outraged wizard
Just a thought. How did she turn them into stone? She just happens to have a flesh to stone spell prepared?
I just think its more interesting that she happened to be prepared enough to catch them in the act.
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both of them transformed into stone by the outraged wizardJust a thought. How did she turn them into stone? She just happens to have a flesh to stone spell prepared?
I just think its more interesting that she happened to be prepared enough to catch them in the act.
She was probably fairly smart, and might have figured it out before walking in on them (or even scryed them, to confirm her suspicions).
Prep some flesh to stone spells and wait until the next time she scryed them sneaking off together and zapped one in the surprise round and then rolled high enough initiative to get the other before they got an action to, um, disengage.
Baleful polymorph would have been another option, but not as explicitly instructive to one's next boyfriend/apprentice...
The real question is why the bed didn't break. People weigh about 40 lbs. per cubic foot. Granite weighs about 168 lbs. per cubic foot. That's a good strong bed they had! :)
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A display of three faberge-like eggs (one platinum, one gold, one silver). If you open them, they present you with the animated skeleton of a pseudodragon, which obeys your commands.
A military history collection. Suits of standard full-plate with different crests on them, torn and repaired military banners. The famous Lance of Viranka the Great, an Amazon-like figure from Brevoy (it's a +1 shock lance that can be pointed at the heavens once per day to cast call lightning). A display of masterwork daggers, arranged in chronological order, with a chart explaining how the design of the dagger has evolved throughout human history.
A rack containing three dragonbane crossbow bolts, a dragonbane short sword, and a dragonslaying arrow (the dragon displaying the folly of anyone who tries to kill him).
Two chests full of "ugly" but valuable items: metals the dragon dislikes, expensive cloth that has gone out of style (at least in the dragon's opinion). And another (poison-trapped) chest that contains a rare numerological text.
A key marked "Illyria." Potential quest hook.
And most important, a simulacrum of the dragon itself, which proceeds to attack the PCs.
The real question is why the bed didn't break. People weigh about 40 lbs. per cubic foot. Granite weighs about 168 lbs. per cubic foot. That's a good strong bed they had! :)
It's a different bed.
The elaborate four post bed could be an elaborately designed display case.
With golden Cherubs with holding actual +2 tiny composite longbows (+5) with Tiny love bane arrows.
This is awesome! How do you recommend going through a hoard to discover all of this stuff? What's more how do you deal with getting stuff out of there and selling it?
ideas?
keep the treasure stuff coming though!
Ivory, in the form of mammoth tusks left over from some of its meals.
A chest that contains only a mirror of life trapping.
Large hunks of uncut semiprecious minerals.
A +3 greatsword. The pommel is embedded with an onyx. The onyx contains the spirits of several young metallic dragons, who were slain by the former owner of this hoard.
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This is awesome! How do you recommend going through a hoard to discover all of this stuff? What's more how do you deal with getting stuff out of there and selling it?
ideas?
keep the treasure stuff coming though!
You mean, how should you present it to the PCs? You could roughly describe some things that catch their eyes, small boxes, large chests, piles of shinies, closets, weapon racks, bags, tomes stacked high, and characters will likely be attracted to different things in different priority. You could pass out treasure cards to detail what they find when they examine that treasure more closely, with another card for when they identify it (if it's magic).
If instead they chose to filter through the loot together as a group, you'll have their full attention (whereas in the other scenario most of the characters would be waiting for their turn for you to describe what they find, so the cards could allow you to do it in a simultaneous fashion). With their full attention, you could do it in typical storyteller fashion.
If the question was instead about PC thoroughness, well, never doubt the capacity of PC greed. My group did skip out on looting some goblins (and thus the townsfolk looted the Cloak of Resist and sold it back to us for half price), but I doubt there's an adventurer alive that would pass on ransacking a dragon's hoard to his best ability. He's likely to be wary of traps as well, if he knows anything about dragons.
Fencing the goods should be some RP and maybe skill checks, but hopefully the PCs have contacts now that buy their stuff, or might be able to point them towards collectors for some of the weirder stuff. Maybe people they've met would care about it, or people from their backgrounds. A good, eccentric NPC can be memorable even if he plays only a small role in the campaign.
In one of my games (4e, but obviously the system doesn't matter), our group met a traveling gnome (Good old Honest Tam, I remember him well) who would trade us information in exchange for exotic pets (like an undead marmoset we managed to capture).
Speaking of, maybe the dragon kept exotic pets. A miniature gelatinous cube (it can flavor any soup or drink you slip it in). A flying octopus. An undead marmoset. Put a spin on something that's already weird.
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Enough coins (even if you have to make them Copper) for the Dragon to sleep on (So we're talking at least maybe 2 feet deep, more if possible)
The dragon is extremely conscious about appearances and 'keeping up with the Smaugses.' He sleeps on a massive pile of copper coins, but the copper coins have been gilded with a thin layer of gold (melted down from golden coins), so the copper coins end up being worth twice as much (due to the gold coating), but the hoard is suspiciously light on actual gold or silver (he trades the silver off for more gold and copper, and melts down a percentage of the gold to 'electroplate' the copper). A layer of real gold coins rest atop the mostly gold-plated copper, but the hoard's value isn't what it at first appears to be.
He also hates the nation of X or coins stamped with the face of a particular ruler that he has some irrational dislike of (even though the man has been dead for almost a century), and those coins are his first choice to trade away or smelt down.
As a result of this practice, he only has a relatively small amount of silver or (visible) copper coins, as everything either is gold, or has been gilded to appear as gold.
Numerous useful magic items, rings, bracers, amulets, etc... All sized and shaped to be used by dragons.
An entire library of books, containing both lost historical works and rare spells. But instead of scrolls or paper volumes, the entire library has been etched into the stone walls of the lair.
this hoard is starting to fill up decently!!
A clear chamber that is used for exercise and combat training. Contains a mirror of oppositon as a sparring partner.
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A collection of six stained glass windows, approximately nine feet wide and eighteen feet high, crafted in an abstract manner, taken from ancient churches to long-forgotten (and somewhat inhuman-looking...) gods on a sunken island unknown to the modern world. How they were moved to this location is a mystery. (Shrink Item, it was easy, but he won't tell anyone that.)A clattering 'mobile' composed...
In response to the spoiler, and not actually an idea for a hoard, but could baleful polymorph be used to transform the adulterous couple so that each became an exact duplicate of the other? In other words, they'd seemingly "switch bodies"? That could be the start of an interesting story. Maybe they have to find some way to atone to have things set right again, I don't know. I know such stories have been done by Hollywood, but they've all been poorly done, IMO.
For the hoard, sometimes low magic and seemingly pointless items can be the most memorable. How about a Mug that chills any beverage placed in it? How about a Bottomless Cup of Coffee? How about a delicate ice sculpture of a pixie and a frog precariously perched on bending lily pads, but it never melts...
(Not my idea, but a good one): A razor that is wicked sharp, but incapable of cutting flesh? If you shave with it, you get a crazy close shave and you get a +1 Circumstance bonus to Charisma for 8 hours?
(Not my idea): A belt pouch that--if ever stolen, Yells loudly, "Help! Help! I'm being STOLEN! Guards! Help!" continously until returned to its rightful owner.
A pan flute that allows the user, with a DC 15 Perform check to cast Sleep, Charm Person and Summon Nature's Ally I, each once per day, as a third level caster.
(Not my idea): A bejeweled, golden Dagger +3 that sounds a chime whenever struck against a magic item.
(Not my idea--old school D&D): A "Staff of Healing" that can cast Cure Light Wounds an infinite number of times per day, but *cannot* heal the same person more than once per day.
A Sword (of a type that would be really useful to one of the PCs,) with a matching scabbard--*but* it cannot be drawn in anger and it cannot be sheathed until it is cleaned of any blood.
A +3 Adamantine Earthbreaker, Construct Bane.
(Not my idea): A +2 Alchemical Silver Flanged Mace, where the flanges look like crescent moons, Lycanthrope Bane. Upon command it casts a bright, silvery light in a 30' radius, and any lycanthropes so illuminated are affected as if by a bane spell.
Of course, all of this would be easier if we knew:
1) the level of the party;
2)The type of dragon--size, age, color, etc.
3) the PC's races, classes and genders...
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A pile of 5'x5' thin lead sheets.
Collector cards of various adventurers including Aroden's rookie card. Condition: VG
Collection of polyhederal dice carved out of solid stone. (weighing upwards of 100 lbs each)
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A smokey gray Glass Shield +3, enchanted to be as strong as steel and light as mithral. When looking through the shield, the wielder is immune to gaze attacks and gains a +2 bonus versus illusions or any spell effect that depends on vision. Possibly, it may also grant a bonus to Perception checks to detect traps and/or secret doors.
I often find that dragon hordes are lacking in flavor more than they are in treasure. I usually try to take an item out of the book and simply flesh it out, and make sure its tailored to the dragon.
He's witty and sarcastic? Maybe he likes books - those stat-boosters could be a perfect addition. Maybe the original copy of a brilliant treatise on strategy (akin to the Art of War) grants a boost to int, or a series of scrolls about political theory and tactics of debate grants a cha bonus. I'll think of a few more later.
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This is a golden chalice. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. On the cup is a masterfully engraved image of a dragon and some dwarves in ivory. The dragon is striking a menacing pose. The dwarves are burning. On the cup is a masterfully engraved image of a dwarf and some dwarves in ivory. The dwarf is in the fetal position. The dwarves are burning.
This should work.
This is a golden chalice. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. On the cup is a masterfully engraved image of a dragon and some dwarves in ivory. The dragon is striking a menacing pose. The dwarves are burning. On the cup is a masterfully engraved image of a dwarf and some dwarves in ivory. The dwarf is in the fetal position. The dwarves are burning.
This should work.
I admire cows for their haunting moos.
I also agree that you can't go wrong with using Dwarf Fortress to generate anything. Once time it generated a legendary lioness called Motherspear for me. What a badass name.
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From it's generations of trading, sometimes with interdimensional beings it has come across what it would call "bad deals". It it's youth it aspired to conquer the land and twice it thought it had aquired the means to do so. It purchased from an enterprising young efreet what it was led to be a large force of fiendish, soul sucking monster capable destroying peoples lives as well as local kingdom economies. What he got was a 47 year old cat lady's 10 year collection of beanie babes. The horde was so vast and pointless that he still hasn't resolved how to recoup his losses and is currently developing a mass animate tiny object swarm so as to get some use out of the evil objects. He's tried to hide the fact he still has them, and he swares that they must be breeding as he's constatly find them in other areas of his hoard.
The 2nd attempt at an interdimensional transaction came from a mishevious Bralani who disguise himself as a Djinn. He is still convinced that the 2 million red and white spherical plastic orbs holds the power of advance monster summoning magic, but that he has not learn the appropriate activation of the items. However he is convinced that he will find the creators of Pokemon and force them to divulge the secrets of their power or make them pay.
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Perhaps a collection of leg warmers and unitards...he doesn't like to talk about it.
not sure about what kind of Dragon yet, but it will def be an evil one, prob NE
i also do not know what level the party will be by then, I am wrapping up my first stint as DM shortly, and they should be level 8 and am planting a seed that they will not be able to capitalize on until it comes back around to me again. So the party will probably be about level 14 or 15.
Assuming no one bites the big one the party is a Bard (Magician), Barbarian (Invulnerable), Cleric/Druid, Sorcerer, Monk. I also know there will be a fighter NPC along for the assault on the dragon.
dot
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A rope I that untied itself the moment you let go of it. It's pointless, but enough of a novelty to hang onto it.
A chalice that would purify any water you put into it. It was sort of a magical water filter which could turn a glass of swamp sludge into mineral water in about five minutes.
A magic staff with only one property: It could be placed tip-down on the floor and it would keep itself balanced. Maybe give it an insanely enormous str check to knock it over!?
A horn of plenty that only produces normal looking fruits that are actually animal feed/rotten/solid stone/wood/flavorless/only able to be eaten if the hat is worn on the head (maybe a samba fruit hat-horn of plenty!).
A teacup that always tips over when set down, but will always remain full.
A pair of goggles that simulates being drunk.
A palate of nolzer's marvelous nail polish.
An ever smoking stink bomb.
A rod of 'True Wonder' - (10,000 magical effects http://www.traykon.com/pdf/The_Net_Libram_of_Random_Magical_Effects.pdf)
A collection of paintings that depicts real world places that can be stepped into for a one way teleportation effect!
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A golem collection. Let them loose as the party is looting.
A golem collection. Let them loose as the party is looting.
muahahahahaha. That is evil
A spice grinder that will grind any spice you have ever tasted before
A collection of dishes made from the armor of slain adventurers.
This is shaping up to be easily the most entertaining dragon hoard ever! I think I will have to make a bunch of cards with these on them and they will have to draw to see what they get.
A quill that turns whatever you say into legalize
Love this thread.
This one comes from a 3rd party 3.0 equipment guide: ever-burning darkfire torch. Emanates a substance that doubles the darkvision range of any creature. Give him a large cave and a few of those torches so he can see right to the entrance.
A singing sword like the one in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Completely ineffective for combat but it has a great voice.
A large quantity of beautiful masterpiece paintings painted by long dead humanoid artists, along with correspondence between the dragon and the artists. Knowledge history and appraise skill checks for an Antiques Roadshow style moment.
A few significantly less impressive paintings that are somewhat similar in style to the masterpieces. They were painted by the dragon (maybe reveal his desire to be a painter in one of the letters and his later despairing over his lack of skill).
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The PCs assault the lair of what they believe is an insane gold dragon. In the lair they are confronted by a vast pool of lava that the dragon rises out of to attack them.
Their opponent is actually an ancient red dragon and the lava is it's golden hoard. the dragon has melted the precious metal down and sleeps bathing in the pool of molten gold.
Having done this for centuries the dragon's scales have become laminated with gold, which adds to it's AC. In addition, his breath weapon has become a stream of molten gold that not only does fire damage, but has a chance of immobilizing anyone struck by it as the gold hardens.