Treasure Maps

Nothing excites the imagination like a map and the promise of treasure at the end!

Maps are the perfect adventure hook - either belonging to one PC that is smart enough to realize they need companions to help recover it, or each PC holding a part of the map and grudgingly cooperating.  Treasure maps provide a focused reason to go explore a specific area - especially if there is a decent idea of what is 'buried' at the end of the map.   

I grew up encountering treasure maps again and again in various media, from following maps in Sid Meier's Pirates, to watching Harrison Ford evade Nazis while seeking the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark, to watching kids my age chasing One-Eyed Willie's treasure (while evading traps and finding a corpse) in the Goonies, to watching Elrond reading the Moon-Letters in the Hobbit on Thror's map.

Elrond and that map, from the Rankin-Bass cartoon, 1977.  Cool discussion on moon-letters.

As I got older, Treasure Island, Treasure Planet, the Pirates of Darkwater, and the various Pirates of the Caribbean films as inspiration joined my list of map-influenced adventure.  And honestly, can one run a pirate or oceancrawl campaign and not have at least one treasure map?

Even the popular video game Skyrim contains multiple treasure maps, although in my case, I stumbled upon some of the hidden treasures before I found the map leading to them.  THAT is the joy of an open world. 

DnD has a history of maps, as well.  The module X1: Isle of Dread kicks off with the PCs discovering a map of the edges of the fabled Isle of Dread.  The module B10: Night's Dark Terror (review) contains a map hidden in plain sight as an elaborate tapestry. Even the boxed set Dragon Mountain starts with a piecemealed map; chasing a few bits and putting them together leads to the titular Mountain.

All of these sources prove again and again that a treasure map provides a vehicle for all sorts of adventures, and with DnD being an adventure game, they are a perfect match.

With all this precedent, why not include a map of your own?

Thror's Map, to include the Moon-Letters under the hand

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You've decided to include a treasure map in your next adventure, which is awesome.

The best part is that said map provides something tangible for the players at the table - even if it is a digital table.  Giving the players a game artifact to fuss with and manipulate brings excitement to all.

A traditional map is an image and makes a great prop for the table.  That said, you can also use a verbal map, which is just a set of instructions, either written or spoken or sung, perhaps.  Both types lean heavily into the exploration pillar that some DnD games shun and others thrive on, but all need more of.

Verbal maps can take the form of diary or captain's log entries, letters, and tavern tales or bard songs - though I recommend the latter only if the players are tolerant of long read alouds.  Perhaps have a one-sheet ready for the players to re-read the tale or song for clues.

Actual drawn maps don't actually require great artistic skills.  Don't misunderstand - a pretty map is something beautiful to behold, but all you need is something that is clear enough to understand. 

At this point, the crafty DM can create a unique-to-table item, making use of a variety of invisible inks, aging paper, and (less than) remarkable art skills to bring it all together.  Fold it and/or roll it a few times to complete the appearance.  

Then present it to your players and let the session(s) roll, because one map can provide all sorts of player-driven stories, all in pursuit of that X at the end of the map.

Note that on occasion, you can turn a player-created map into a treasure map for later adventurers.  This happens when the PC mapmaker dies, and the rest of the party fail to grab their map before beating a hasty retreat.  That map gets added to the key as a well-deserved prize for the next PCs to head that direction.

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Below is Redbeard demonstrating how to age paper - essential for a solid prop.

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For those preferring videos to words, here is a video about Treasure Maps from D&D Homebrew.

I would love to hear about any great treasure maps you've used in your games.  Ideally, I'd love to see them!

Basket of Infinite Snakes

Even though the Magic card isn't so great, the art makes it playable.

Snake Basket, by Roger Raupp, 1996

When found, the Basket of Infinite Snakes is typically closed, and likely covered by a thin coating of dust.

At about 3 feet tall and 2 feet in diameter, the basket appears to be tightly woven, sturdy, and with a removable lid and a pair of handles near the top, just below the lid.  It weighs about 10 pounds.

Removing the lid brings the snakes.  The lid will not fit back on unless the command word is spoken - fortunately, the command word is on the bottom of the basket, viewable by either upending the basket (and dumping its contents) or by lifting it above one's head - awkward, but easily doable by folks with two arms.

Opening the basket and peering in reveals darkness and the smell of a snake house.  Leaving the basket upright and open allows 1d4+1 venomous snakes to crawl out each round until closed.  

Turning the basket on its side releases snakes - 3d4 come slithering out each round until sealed.  These snakes are venomous and attack anything not snaky.  When slain, the snakes disappear.  Survivors disappear after 8 hours - just long enough to cause a bit more trouble.

Upending the basket dumps 12 venomous snakes out, as well as the contents of the basket.  

Reaching into the basket allows a full dozen venomous snakes to get free attacks on the arm(s).  Armor may deflect some, but the fangs punch right through cloth, skin, and the lighter leathers.  

A curious byproduct of the magic that created the Basket of Infinite Snakes is that it can hold several hundred pounds without rupturing, similar to a bag of holding.  Unlike a bag, though, the basket's volume doesn't become deeper, so the only things that fit are what would fit in a normal basket of this size.

Rupturing or piercing the Basket of Infinite Snakes takes some doing, but a persistent (and/or unlucky) soul can do so.  Unfortunately, doing so opens a rift that sucks ALL things not nailed to the floor into the demiplane of snakes.  The terrain runs from jungle to desert to ocean - all overrun with snakes.  The smell of snake hangs heavy in the air.

Ophidians (snake people) rule this large demiplane, treating mammals as food and slaves.  

This rift stays open until sealed, allowing all sorts of snakes to drift through.  Ophidians and Yuan-Ti will no doubt thrive, but all other sorts of sentients will likely find their lives brutally cut short.

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Let me know if this makes it into one of your games, either as-is or in some related form. For the record, the Basket of Infinite Snakes rests in my megadungeon, containing some valuable loot and providing a valuable lesson to incautious adventurers.

Missed Opportunities from Commander Starter Decks 2022

WotC has announced another batch of Commander Decks, due in December 2022.  Billed as starter decks and with a $20 price point (based on Amazon), these decks have potential to make everyone happy, which means they'll make few people happy.  

Now that decklists are available, we can see several expected cards, as well as all the missed opportunities to make these decks actually useful how they'll be played.  After all, it's not going to be these decks playing against one another, but a player bringing one of these unaltered to a seasoned table at a game store and being blown out of the water.  

Then if those players are nice to the starter player, they'll point out cards that may help with the strategy, then the starter player will see the price tag of many of those cards and say 'screw it.'

The good news with these starters is that if a person buys all 5, they'll end up with a solid start on staple ramp and point removal, as well as a few other useful cards - all of which can be purchased for less than $100 individually.  Such is life.

But I want to talk about missed opportunities.  These decks provided a chance to get more copies of desirable cards into circulation, as well as a chance to show new players what decks should strive to be.  WotC opted to not do this, so under each deck, I comment on cards that could have been, but obviously weren't - and not all of my suggestions are bank-breakers (although many are).

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With the themes of mill, zombies, and reanimation, this deck kind of does all these, but badly.

The good news is that the Wilhelt BU Zombie Commander deck (a video breakdown) is still readily available, so between that one and this new starter, you have a solid Zombie deck. 

Missed Opportunities: Rot Hulk, Conjurer's Closet, Cloudstone Curio, Court of Cunning, Apprentice Necromancer, Rise of the Dark Realms, Reanimate, Cackling Fiend, Exhume, Living Death, Patriarch's Bidding, Coffin Queen (with the sweet Kaja Foglio art), The Scarab God, Gravecrawler, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, Relentless Dead, Grimgrin, Corpse-born, Noxious Ghoul, Kindred Dominance, Grave Pact, Finale of Eternity, and Necroduality.

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Draconic Destruction is the name, and Dragon Tribal is the game.  Between this deck and the Forgotten Realms Draconic Rage deck, you can get something solid.

Missed opportunities are Terror of the Peaks; Hellkite Charger and Bear Umbra; Court of Bounty; Stormbreath Dragon; Herald's Horn; Balefire Dragon; Dragonborn Champion; Goldspan Dragon; Green Dragon; Mana-Charged Dragon; Moonveil Dragon; Old Gnawbone; Red Dragon; Scourge of the Throne; Utvara Hellkite; Wrathful Red Dragon; Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind; Jade Orb of Dragonkind; Draconic Intervention; Orb of Dragonkind; Rhythm of the Wild; Urza's Incubator, Aggravated Assault, Savage Beating, Seize the Day, and Nature's Will.

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This deck's theme is flying creatures, as well as proof that WotC is willing to reprint the Game Night exclusive cards, as both Inspired Sphinx and Sphinx of Enlightenment are within.  There is also quite a bit of card draw based on creatures swinging.

Missed opportunities: Court of Grace, Brainstorm, Ponder, Consecrated Sphinx, Luminarch Ascension, Serra the Benevolent, Valkyrie Harbinger, Sunscorch Regent, Reliquary Tower, Supreme Verdict, Cyclonic Rift, Fractured Identity, Azorius Charm, Thoughtweft Gambit, Drogskol Reaver, Elite Guardmage, and Swans of Bryn Argyl.

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Random damage? Chaos? Destruction? A collection of neat, but unrelated Black and Red cards? At least there are a few solid cards in the mix.  Still, leaning into the 'random neat cards' strategy could have been done so much better.

This deck's greatest Missed Opportunity is a focused strategy; as for cards... Teferi's Puzzle Box, Winds of Change, Exquisite Blood, Repercussion, Last Laugh, Archfiend of Despair, Calculating Lich, Fiendish Duo, Wound Reflection, Shadowgrange Archfiend, Silverclad Ferocidons, Court of Ire, Court of Ambition, Exsanguinate, Torment of Hailfire, Revel in Riches, Massacre Wurm, Polluted Bonds, Insurrection, Fiery Emancipation, Imp's Mischief, and Mogis, God of Slaughter.

Given that WotC took the 'no cohesive strategy' route, they could have jammed in lots of solid cards and kept to 'no cohesive strategy.'  To be honest, I am most disappointed with this deck - I love BR decks and know how much fun they can be, yet we get this pile.

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Spamming the field with token creatures is a time-honored strategy in GW decks and is one I enjoy, so I know that many of this deck's inclusions are poor choices.

Missed opportunities: Anointed Procession, Parallel Lives, Aura Shards, Hero of Bladehold, Triumph of the Hordes (I knew this wouldn't be included, but it should be!), Earthshaker Giant, Devout Invocation, Divine Visitation, Finale of Glory, Court of Grace, Burgeoning, Cryptolith Rite, Arachnogenesis, Midnight Guard (to go with the already included Presence of Gond), Drumbellower, Join Shields, Mobilize, Vitalize, To Arms!, Soul Warden, Essence Warden, Soul's Attendant, and Daxos, Blessed by the Sun.

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Granted, jamming all those cards into the decks wasn't expected, but a few per deck would have been nice.  The right mix (something currently pricey) in each deck would assure that all the decks would be sold at a higher volume, if only to break into pieces.  What's more is that new players would stumble across the bombs and huge powerplays that make Commander so much fun.

But no.  Players get to bounce creatures off one another until they win except for that BR deck - I am still not sure what it is going to do to secure a victory.

In short, WotC blew it with these starter decks.  If nothing else, readers can use my bitching about missed opportunities as a wishlist for improving these decks.

Thanks for reading.

Language and Literacy in Skara Brae

Despite Skara Brae being a proper city, and a port city at that, it lacks several things that are regularly seen in today's cities.  Not fast food (Pompeii had it) or public transportation (taxi equivalents exist), but education.  Specifically public education.  

This means that while most folks in Skara Brae (and its environs) might speak several languages fluently, they cannot read or write them.  

The same goes for PCs.  

Most PCs start off unable to read, with exceptions being Wizards, Clerics, Paladins, characters with Noble backgrounds, Elves, and Dwarves.  Note that this doesn't mean such characters are literate in all languages they speak, just at least one.

from the Voynich Manuscript 

PCs can learn how to read various languages, with an investment of time and money - presuming a willing instructor can be found.  This can be an excellent downtime activity for the brutal winter months.

In addition, people can be hired to read and write for PCs - sages, scribes, some bards - but then you have the issue best illustrated in Romeo and Juliet, where the wrong people learn things by the reading of an item.

Books themselves are handwritten, laboriously copied, and beautifully illuminated, including spellbooks.  Especially spellbooks. 

After all, knowledge is power.

from the Codex Seraphinianus

This design choice means that having someone in the party that can read a specific language (or cop out with the spell Comprehend Languages) is going to either be utterly ignorable in an adventure or of the utmost importance.  It's my job as DM to make literacy a worthwhile choice for players to make.

For the greater population, pictures and spoken words are just fine.  Signs throughout Skara Brae might have the name of a place printed on it, but will assuredly have a picture indicating what they do or the name of the location.  

If nothing else, this will give me a chance to flex my ability to draw.

Books, Libraries, and Magical Schools

A regular request on Facebook is book titles to populate the shelves of bookstores, libraries, and wizard towers. So this post is for everyone wanting such a list; it is incomplete, but still wildly useful.

Enjoy or ignore, as you see fit.

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Libraries are built of books, and with a bit of diligence, a searcher can find several lists of book titles online.   Or you can jump to these links:

Call of Cthulhu is perhaps the game for arcane books; here are the 'official' ones from various fiction.  Then there are the homemade collections.

Ars Magica and DnD are wildly different rulesets, but both involve wizards with libraries.  Here is a discussion and listing for an Ars Magica library, and here is another - I like how both Ars Magica and CoC make knowing specific languages important. EDIT: get a copy of Covenants, if only for the 20ish pages on books and libraries.  

Continuing the Ars Magica love is this list of 'official' books found in the various books.

Coins and Scrolls wrote about Wizard Libraries, which ends with a listing of additional book title sources - almost a dozen of them; most not listed here.

d4 Caltrops has One Hundred Grimoires and One Hundred Alternate Spellbooks; this latter is good for societies that don't use traditional books as we know them.  The blog also has What Works Are On That Bookshelf.

Wizard Thief Fighter has Demiwarlocks d100 Magical Tomes 

The DnD Wiki has this nifty table for generating Arcane Book Titles

Adventure-A-Week has d100 Book Titles

Dungeoneering: RPG Tools has its own d100 Book Titles

DnDSpeak has 100 Library Books - each with a brief synopsis.

Wampus Country has a downloadable table for generating d100 Arcane Books.

DM Dev has a collection of tables for when I Search the Bookcase!

Elfmaids & Octopi has several posts about books, my favorite being: d100 Worst Books in the World.

While not exactly books, Necropraxis has this to say about Sigils, Sages, and Libraries.

The Book of Six Circles can be found at Mazirian's Garden.

MORE books at Throne of Salt.  

SCP-1230 exists.

EDIT: the GM Binder has the Lich's Library - many of these books have mechanical effects beyond the clever titles. - 7/16/24

EDIT: Coins and Scrolls has a list of books from the film Prospero's Library. - 7/30/24

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My favorite game-based library is the Stygian Library.  That said, WotC has its own in Candlekeep Mysteries.  There are others, as this search on Adventure Lookup shows. 

A procedural dungeon, so no two visits are ever the same.  Go buy it.

Dyson has made a few library maps available on his site for private use: Athenaeum of the Lost upper level, Athenaeum of the Lost lower level, The Grand Library of Coruvan, The Great Library, and Beneath the Great Library.  It's still on you to fill the rooms and shelves, but these maps are a great start.

In the middle of this free 'zine by YumDM is a quick way to generate libraries.  The undead stuff in the issue is a bonus.

Over at the Things We Do for XP, this post on Labs, Libraries, and Shrines includes several book title listings, as well.  

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Books and Libraries are commonly found at Wizard Schools, so here are some for you.  My home campaign of Ironguard has one such University, found in the Italy analogue.  It happens to be run by vampire mages, but the lesser mages don't know this and are still mostly human.

Mostly.

Anyhow, some links for those wanting them:

Strixhaven is a WotC setting set at a wizard's school

Brewkessel is a better variant on the magical school, slowly growing with each Kickstarter.

Against the Wicked City features this lovely post regarding magical grad students; prowling through the backlog of posts may find more. 

The Loxdon University stuff from Coins and Scrolls is just awesome (particularly this post - honestly, just pick up a copy of Magical Industrial Revolution and be done with it).

Just buy it.  You won't be sorry.

Goodberry Monthly has Wizard City, which is more than just a school, but overlaps in so many places, I am mentioning it here, particularly the University Cults.

The 2e Wizard's Handbook features a variety of things necessary for a Wizard School, but it simpler to afford as a PDF.  2e also brought us the College of Wizardry, and the awesome Necromancer School in the box set Return to the Tomb of Horrors.

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Something of my own, mentioned in one of the Ironguard Keep Session Logs - the session 4 and 5 post.

The Black Library is a dark chamber with cryptically labeled niches in the walls, with a humanoid skull in each niche. 

In the center of the chamber is a stone table, upon which lies a headless skeleton made of some dark metal - inspection reveals a variety of arcane runes inscribed on every inch of this skeleton.  Placing a skull on the skeleton calls up the spirit of whomever the skull belonged too, who is compelled to answer three questions truthfully (though some may demand a service or provide incomplete truths; what happens if someone agrees to a service and doesn't follow through is as yet unknown).

Some spirits within the skulls are still capable of magic and may use their arcane knowledge to do far more than just ask questions.  Are those ancient bloodstains on the fingers of the metal skeleton?

So beware what you call up.  Perhaps making use of the Library's Index - a tome listing each skull, what it (may) know about, and in which niche it lies - is the safest plan.

A jerk might mix up skulls or replace them utterly.

The inspiration for the Black Library comes from this post at Goblin Punch, so thank you, Arnold K.

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EDIT: 3/12/23

EDIT: 8/20/23

EDIT: 8/26/23

EDIT: 9/4/23

Rings of Power

Magic Rings - always fun, always claimed, always tested by PCs donning them.  

Here are three for your games.

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From some online shop.  If you want a prop, buy it!

Ring of the Necromancer

This ring is made of bone and is carved into a skull shape.  It is cold to the touch. 

Attunement - 1 permanent Constitution loss; removing the ring results in immediate unattunement.

The wearer of the ring can control twice the number of undead that their level allows, and wearer-created undead are at maximum hit points when created.

In addition, the wearer's necromancy spells are always at maximum dice rolls.

This ring also has several quirks. The first being that the wearer is vulnerable to cold-based damage, suffering one additional damage die from such attacks, AND cold-based damage always does at least 2 points of damage per die rolled. The second is that all Death Saves are rolled at Disadvantage.  The third is that the wearer cannot be restored to life, regardless of magic, instead rising as a spell-casting wraith, it's spells being whatever was still memorized when the Necromancer wearing it died, the spells replenishing themselves every 24 hours.   Lesser quirks include that normal animals fear the wearer, trying to bolt and pissing everywhere in the wearer's presence, and that the wearer leaves footprints of dead grass and plantlife behind them as they walk - they literally stain the world as they move. 

DM Note: in my world, creating undead rips the spirit or soul from its afterlife, forcing it back into its physical body to animate it.  This is why Necromancy is considered evil, and also why undead hate the living.

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A real ring costing more than I can afford.

Ring of the Lich-King

A platinum band with diamond studs.  

Decades back, heroes (of a sort) battled the Lich-King and removed his hand.  The Wizard among the group placed the hand - with its ring still on a finger - within a protective glass display case.  This case prevents scrying and detection, which means that in the ensuing decades, the Lich-King has yet to find his missing ring.  It goes without saying that some enterprising fool adventurer will discover and remove it from the glass and don it.

Attunement - 1 permanent Constitution loss; the ring won't come off unless the finger is removed.  Doing so leaves a stump that will not grow back, even with a Wish.

The Ring of the Lich-King functions as a ring of spell turning, a (limited) ring of mind shielding, and a ring of wizardry that doubles both first and second level spell capacity for its wearer.  So a third-level wizard (foolishly) donning this ring would be able to memorize 8 first and 4 second level spells, rather than the RAW 4 first and 2 second (damn, 5e hands out spells like candy).

Living wearers are at Disadvantage for all saves.  In addition, nightmares come and go; with each attempt at a long rest, the PC must make a Wisdom save DC 15 or suffer a restless sleep, so gaining none of the benefits of a long rest.  If asked, these nightmares feature a crowned skeletal being actively pursuing the PC in question.

Once donned by a living being, the Lich-King knows and sends undead minions of increasing power to take it back.  This is the limitation of the ring of mind shielding - the Lich-King can (and will) get around it.  Undead target the Ring-wearer above all others, trying to reclaim the Ring for their master.

Should a living being be slain while wearing the Ring of the Lich-King, the being rises as a Wight the next round, completely under the thrall of the Lich-King, making haste to return the ring to its rightful owner.

The world will suffer if this happens.

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A ring from Amazon, so you know its quality!

Viper's Kiss

A silver ring featuring twin viper heads with carnelians in their mouths.  It feels incredibly dry to the touch.

When donned, the ring constricts around the finger and the fangs extend, piercing the skin.  This begins the attuning.  The ring injects a poison into the wearer, and if they make the DC14 Constitution save, the ring-wearer's eyes turn into snake-eyes, their tongue begins forking, and over time, their entire body begins to grow scales, starting at the finger.  This scaling is complete after a year.

Failing the save results in a particularly virulent poison coursing through the wearer's system, and the ring dropping off the finger.  This poison causes the wearer's skin to turn scaly and start dropping off, reducing Charisma (its gross watching someone's skin fall off in bits) and Dexterity (its painful to have skin chafing off) by 2d4 each.

Viper's Kiss provides its wearer with several benefits: immunity to reptile-based poisons; Advantage on saves versus other poisons; can speak with reptiles; reptiles are not immediately hostile to the wearer; the wearer can spit poison as a Guardian Naga.

Along with its benefits, Viper's Kiss also has drawbacks.  Chief among them is that cold and cold weather drop the wearer into a torpor, leaving the wearer effectively stunned in colder temperatures and paralyzed in temperatures below 0.  In addition, every time the PC wearing the ring levels up, they MUST molt, shedding their skin and becoming extremely vulnerable (also cannot wear anything but loose robes due to massive skin irritation).  What becomes of the PC-shaped skins is anyone's guess! 

I am confident a good DM will make sure the PC in question thinks about it....

D&D Starter Set

Proximity, whim, and the frozen margarita I had with brunch led me to Target, where I purchased the latest - and currently exclusive to Target until October - Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set.  It was concealed behind a wall of Essential Kits, making it a bit like buried treasure, so my apologies to whomever had hidden it away - I scored your Starter Set!

As the cover hints, the starter adventure is on an island and features DRAGONS, so is automatically a win for me.  And for $20 USD, it isn't a bad deal: 6 dice, 5 pregen PCs on sturdy PC sheets, a rulebook, and the titular adventure, all in a nifty box that could easily hold more, yet doesn't.

The cover, as well as the interior art throughout, also hints at the inclusion of the kids from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon of yesteryear.  But hints are all we get - not even the 5 pregens represent the kids.

Instead we get a High Elf Wizard, a Dwarf Cleric, a Human Paladin, a Wood Elf Fighter, and a Halfling Thief.  Check them out here.

If I want more on the cartoon kids, I need to buy the Icons of the Realms: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle.

From Wizkids, and admittedly cool.

Except that Sheila and Bobby (and Uni) are missing, and a Cleric (Aleena?) has been added.  All of which now exist in the Forgotten Realms.  

Imagine that.

The adventure itself is usable, with sidebar notes for upgrading the main encounter areas if the PCs are higher than recommended levels.  I'm incapable of running something as is, but the maps and encounter areas are certainly a solid start point for the adventure-strip-miners out there.  Even the main adventure arc of preventing the Blue on the cover art from ascending is a usable idea, to include the background on WHY this island is where it needs to take place (spoiler: because 5 other dragons' remains are scattered around the island - ripe for enterprising PCs to harvest the bones from for profit).

It's a Starter Set in a box, so it sits well on my bookshelf next to the initial Starter Set and Essentials Kit boxes.  It could use a seventh die, notably a 10-sided with 10s on it, as well as better production values for the rules - they are useable, but feel like comic books.  Give me the three-hole punched booklets of the Moldvay box!

If you've $20 and a nearby Target, there are worse things you could buy.