This is a new series (possibly?) that I am giving a go. We'll see if we get all the way through the list!
In a game like BX, treasure is a key component. Not only as a means for player characters to gain levels (XP for gold), but as a major factor in power scaling. A fighter getting a +1 sword is almost like gaining multiple levels in combat efficacy. A scroll could double a magic user’s spell capacity in a pinch, and so forth. Therefore, balancing the reward vs the risk is an important consideration.
D&D’s designers used the interesting approach of Treasure Types, listed by letter. Chances are if you read this infrequent blog, you already know what these are, but just in case: Each letter type has different odds that different categories of treasure (gold, silver, gems, magic, etc.) are present, and in varying quantities.
What’s fascinating is to look at the logic behind which monsters get which treasure (if any!). I’m sure most of these observations have been made before, but this is just a little walk-through of my own journey down this rabbit hole. So we’ll start at the beginning: Treasure Type A.
Type A loot is listed with an average value of 18K gp. That’s a pretty massive haul. Mind you, these treasure types are listed for lairs, meaning you’ll likely need to deal with larger numbers of the monster to get to it, but if you can pull it off, there’s a tidy profit!
So who gets this kind of treasure? Mostly humans, actually. Some examples are Brigands, Nomads, Dervishes, and Pirates. There are a few non human monsters with this treasure type. Namely, Centaurs, Merman, and Troglodytes. These are also intelligent races that live in groups, so the logic there seems pretty straightforward.
Each of these monsters may have a dozen or more of them in their lair, making a straight up fight likely to be challenging. It’s also worth noting that TT:A gives a decent chance for multiple magic items, as well as a large cache of gems & jewelry. This makes sense, as most of these groups are wandering/transient types that would value portable wealth over piles of heavy coins. These could theoretically be worth over 100K on their own! Though I personally question the die rolls that resulted in a number like that!
Other than the fact that pirates can have a lot of treasure (I already knew that!), what does all this tell me? Well, for one thing, it’s a “civilized” treasure. The “monsters” that have this type would likely value it as money, not just shinies.
Despite that, it’s a treasure type for people that are not entirely civilized. These are travelers, criminals, nomads, or inhumans that still have a culture where things like money could matter. A great deal of the value is highly portable as well. The magic items are likely used by the leader(s), not sitting in a vault or piled somewhere.
Why does this matter? Well, it doesn’t really. Not mechanically. But what it does do for me is help inform the setting. If I know these things about why this particular monster possesses this kind of treasure, it can springboard into ideas that could make the loot more interesting. I could seed plot hooks into what they find. Maybe some of those jewels were taken by the bandits from a powerful noble? Or maybe after defeating the pirates, the only thing the PCs find is one item: a scroll. It is, of course, a Treasure Map to where the rest of the loot is hidden. Where would troglodytes even find 8000 gold coins? Perhaps they slaughtered some dwarves and their clan might pay handsomely to recover the loot and have their kin avenged.
Treasure is such a big part of gameplay in BX-style rulesets that it seems worth taking a moment to think a bit about exactly why that monster has this particular set of potential loot. This can make finding treasure mean so much more to the players than just numbers on their character sheets.
