While we talk about our overall philosophy on treasure in [link to Treasure post], we have a few things to say specifically about magic items and quest items here.
We have aimed to develop items that don’t function solely for their utility, but serve as a unique memento of an adventure that we call Keepsakes. These items don’t fit into the normal tables of treasure found in the rulebooks of their systems, but instead serve as an intrinsic link to the history or ecology of the settings. This could be something that functions similarly to another item, but with a completely different aesthetic–like a mask that can be donned over the lower half of the face to function like a wand of comprehend languages, or a bundle of leaves wrapped in beaded cord that casts mage armor when lit on fire, or a 10 foot long piece of scrimshawed whalebone that functions like a scroll containing three pirate-themed spells.
We also know that players love to keep trophies, so we’ll mention any likely picks (like the canine teeth or pelt of the notorious saber-toothed cat, Bloodcatch). We’ll present optional sources of loot that players may want to haul away and sell to a collector.
On the note of “things players love to keep,” we want to directly address quest items. These are items that are needed for some of the given stories. These items are extremely powerful or extremely suited to the module. They will be noted as such within their respective stat blocks. These are things like “the gems of Akhatai that control minds absolutely,” or “Juendar, the only sword that can kill the demon lord Balistrae because it was quenched in his infernal heart’s blood.”
At the end of their module, quest items either become completely inert or cease to exist. It is often important to have villains possess vulnerabilities, powers, or mechanics that would unbalance or feel useless in a larger campaign, but serve an important trope in the adventure. This is okay! We would rather play with amazing items in controlled environments and have fun with the tropes of great fantasy writing, than to never approach these cool items at all. However, once the party possesses the mind-control powers of the gems of Akhatai, the campaign loses all challenge. These Quest items are too hot to hold on to, but we really think they spice things up. These items are ephemeral. Enjoy them in the context that makes sense… let them anger you in the hands of the villain, or let them give you the final edge you need against unbeatable odds, but when the module is over, they need to lose their power or be lost entirely.
Do not let the players keep these items with their gimmicks after the module you find them in, or things will get hard to balance fast, and your game will break down. Generally, Quest Items will be indicated as such within the Keepsakes & Trophies section, and if the nature of the module dictates it, we welcome GMs to allow the players to keep an inert version of this item as a Trophy.
We distribute treasure in our adventures using the expected treasure tables for each system, based on the intended level of the adventure. A comprehensive breakdown of XP and Treasure rewards for each system will be provided at the end of the adventure in “The Math.”
- Sword of Dogs
- Ferrophobic Shield
- Panacea Poultice
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