Undead themed treasure ideas

[Invader]

My PC's will be facing a fairly hard crypt underneath a temple devoted to Vol and and due to most of the monsters being undead they won't find much in the way of treasure on the way to the end so I'm looking for ideas loot which will be guarded at the end. I'm looking for ideas that will be suitable for the players but also for items that make sense being kept in this location.

The party consists of:
Melee focused Cleric
Bard
Barbarian
Rogue
Druid
Artificer

They'll be 4th when they get to the end.

Any suggestions?

[Strormer]

Outside of the basic treasures of cash, precious stones, items which were buried with the honored dead, and the odd jeweled decoration, I have always found that giving unique magical items, such as rune-carved bones that were found in a grave and act as one off spells like potions when you break them (or burn them or what have you), were cool. Players like having something they feel is unique and special, but you can't load them down with power at this level. I also usually ask my PCs to give me an index card with a five item wish list of the kinds of things they want. Some give me specifics like a suit of elven chain for a character who wants better light armor, others more generic like I want some more scrolls for the wizard or I want something to make me more maneuverable for the fighter.

If nothing else, always throw in at least one quality weapon that is nice enough to sell for decent money if that's what they want, but not so nice that they would never give it up.

[Story]

Well you could pick a bunch of undead boosting items. Bagpipes of the Damned, Wand of Inflict Light Wounds, Cloak of Turn Resistance, etc. Of course you'll need twice as much as normal since they'll just be selling this stuff.


Of course that assumes there's an intelligent undead or necromancer running the place. If it's a random infestation of undead, they won't bother crafting or buying anything, so it will probably just be whatever happened to be already there, plus possibly the loot of dead adventurers.

[Invader]

Basically its a bunch of undead purposely put in place to protect the magic macguffin plot device so along with that they'll find suitable treasure that the cult wanted protected as well.

[Strormer]

Oh, and slaves. Those are always fun because they create party dynamic. Find some slaves.

Either way, if all else fails you for explainable loots, then empty the coffers. Remember, if this is where they store the fabled mary mcguffin doll, they'll be confident they can store other valuable things here as well, but not things they'll want to access all the time. You're making this sound like a vault, so think of it like a necromantic safety deposit box.

[Slipperychicken]

The lost bones of a nobleman/noblewoman. A knowledge: Nobility and Royalty check identifies them as such, and that they fetch a decent reward. Returning the bones may also score the PCs a connection ("That's the guy who saved Grandma's bones! Of course he's innocent, you fool").

The cult has fancy engraved holy symbols made of precious metals, which can be sold for a large amount. Twist: the Cleric may use one in place of his own holy symbol, and gains a +1 Profane bonus to caster level (and feels a little more Evil) if he does so.


I remember someone once posted this idea for silly/harmless trinkets:

A pile of tiny bones which, when music plays, forms into a little 2 inch tall skeleton who dances to the music. When the music stops, the skeleton collapses back into a tiny pile of bones. Could be fun with the Bard.

[Vaz]

An intelligent book which can be used to allow someone to become a Necropolitan, with the book as a Ritual Master. Without the whole "staking in mid air thing"

[danzibr]

rune-carved bones that were found in a grave and act as one off spells like potions when you break them (or burn them or what have you), were cool.

Oh, and slaves. Those are always fun because they create party dynamic. Find some slaves.

The lost bones of a nobleman/noblewoman. A knowledge: Nobility and Royalty check identifies them as such, and that they fetch a decent reward. Returning the bones may also score the PCs a connection ("That's the guy who saved Grandma's bones! Of course he's innocent, you fool").
These three comments gave me an idea for an entire campaign.

Undead have infested a keep, party goes and wipes 'em out, gets some underlings and the previous owner is dead, party ends up getting the keep (like D'Arnise Keep in BGII I guess, but undead instead of trolls). If they wish they can build it up and stuff, then at some point the necro who created the undead in the first place comes back.

Oh, and as for the actual question, it's already been mentioned but I'm a big fan of tailoring magic items to the individuals' wants and needs. Like, straight up ask them what they want (like the 5 items on a note card) and give 'em 1. Or something like it.

[Ashtagon]

The lost bones of a nobleman/noblewoman. A knowledge: Nobility and Royalty check identifies them as such, and that they fetch a decent reward. Returning the bones may also score the PCs a connection ("That's the guy who saved Grandma's bones! Of course he's innocent, you fool").

Aren't these more usually found under car parks?

[White_Drake]

Ye olde 25 gp onyx stockpile.

[Slipperychicken]

Aren't these more usually found under car parks?

Good luck finding a car park in a D&D game :smallbiggrin:

[BeachWorg]

Aren't these more usually found under car parks?


Only if they belong to American mobsters?

[nedz]

Only if they belong to American mobsters?

Or English Kings (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270411)

[Feralventas]

A skill with gems in its eye-sockets and replacing its teeth. The gems cannot be pried out and the skull seems to be under hundreds of protective wards, rendering it effectively invulnerable so that the bits cannot be pried out alone.

If they keep it and reach level 20, have the demi-lich wake up.

[DeadlyLuvdisc]

Undead Controlling Armor. I know you said they will be 4th level, but it could be fun to wrap a campaign around a powerful item like this as a McGuffin. If they get captured, they could lose the armor again. It is so expensive it could be hard to sell it, and trying to may attract unsavory attention. You could even send 50+HD of undead at the party and still have interesting encounters with undead. If so, use DM fiat to give less experience and treasure than normal because the armor gives the party an unfair advantage.

[Slipperychicken]

Crystal Skull.

Adamantium Femur. May be used as a +1 Adamantium Club.

Richly-decorated sarcophagi.

Busts of dead folk. They can make Knowledge: (Nobility and Royalty) checks to identify them and fetch a decent price.

[TuggyNE]

A skill with gems in its eye-sockets and replacing its teeth. The gems cannot be pried out and the skull seems to be under hundreds of protective wards, rendering it effectively invulnerable so that the bits cannot be pried out alone.

If they keep it and reach level 20, have the demi-lich wake up.

For what it's worth, the initial description (before I scrolled down to the last line) made me think "osnap, demilich!".

Only pull this if you want your players to metagame more for their own protection.

[Slipperychicken]

For what it's worth, the initial description (before I scrolled down to the last line) made me think "osnap, demilich!".

Only pull this if you want your players to metagame more for their own protection.

What sort of PC would keep that thing around? Even if he failed to identify it as a Lich, he'd sell it at the nearest possible opportunity and use the money for his +Con amulet or whatever.

[Inferno]

Normal items flavored to be Blood of Vol-ier could be fun. Blood red Robes, Shield with Vols Crest on it, a Rapier sheathed in someones old spine. Magical or not, it flavors up the loot pile.