Fun loot ideas

[RogueWizard]

One of the best things about D&D is the creativity you can have with the loot. However, I find it gets really dull when my loot is all about numbers. Sure my +5 greatsword hits easier, but it's not flashy, exciting, or badass, just powerful. I prefer loot that allows you to be creative and makes you look badass. The difference between a fireball and just 10d6 points of damage is the explosion after all.

My favorite personal creation thus far is a Pyromancer Staff. It does not store charges and only operates by absorbing the surrounding fire. It casts fire spells that you already know for you without expending the spell slot. The bigger the flames the better spell it can cast. In front of a large campfire maybe you could cast burning hands. Inside a burning building maybe a fireball. In the middle of an erupting volcano maybe a meteor swarm.

This staff forces the wielder to mind their surroundings as it becomes useless without appropriately flammable environments, makes encounters more interesting (a brawl in a tavern becomes a brawl in a burning building), creates consequences for use (someone will be upset about the burning tavern), and makes them feel like a badass because of the changed environment and it's new use.

I would love to hear ideas of other DMs, but be warned, I may swipe any very clever/badass idea.

[Jeff the Green]

A chest full of copper coins.
A chest full of gold coins glamered to look like copper coins.
A chest full of nothing, but made from exotic hardwoods and tastefully accented with silver filigree.
A chest full of baby mimics.
A chest full of teeth, most of which are nonmagical, but a few of which are Teeth of Dahlver-Nar.
A chest full of spare ribs. (It's a gentle repose chest.)

[Necroticplague]

In place of loot they would sell anyway, I like to put magic items that are useless to an adventurer, but make sense that they would exist as technology. Like a heavily enchanted book that ate nonmagical books, and added their contents to itself, turning to whatever page you were thinking of (and being apparently infinitely long, despite only having 66 pages in it). Another was a tinderbox where any material put inside would transmute into its most flammable state if you put it in their and closed it (ex: a wet stick is dried out so it burns better).

[Phaederkiel]

I had once a very tricksterish good guy duel my party and give them differnet things when they won. Most of these things were somewhat weird, or double edged swords.

A horned helmet which fused with the users head, giving him one more natural attack.

Bracers which extended the users reach, so he could attack 10ft away (which is not in any case bad for the user, but makes for a disturbing mental image)

[erok0809]

Not exactly what you're looking for, but the Deck of Many Things is always a fun piece of loot to hand out.

[mr_odd]

I gave my players a bracelet that polymorphed the wearer into a specific creature based on the character's race. Humans turned into horses, half-elves turned into foxes, gnomes turned into black bears, etc.

[Rethmar]

A big chunk of (insert special ore here). And just see what they want to do with it.

[weckar]

A chest full of copper coins.
A chest full of gold coins glamered to look like copper coins.
A chest full of nothing, but made from exotic hardwoods and tastefully accented with silver filigree.
A chest full of baby mimics.
A chest full of teeth, most of which are nonmagical, but a few of which are Teeth of Dahlver-Nar.
A chest full of spare ribs. (It's a gentle repose chest.)
Any of the above, sans chest.

[Jeff the Green]

Any of the above, sans chest.

...how does one have a nothing made of exotic hardwoods and silver filigree?

[vhfforever]

...how does one have a nothing made of exotic hardwoods and silver filigree?

Indeed, how does one have a nothing made of such things?

...sounds like it's time to go on a quest, and find out!

[Doorhandle]

A chest full of copper coins.
A chest full of gold coins glamered to look like copper coins.
A chest full of nothing, but made from exotic hardwoods and tastefully accented with silver filigree.
A chest full of baby mimics.
A chest full of teeth, most of which are nonmagical, but a few of which are Teeth of Dahlver-Nar.
A chest full of spare ribs. (It's a gentle repose chest.)

Chests filled with smaller chests, each ornate and worth a fortune to the right buyer.

[Nibbens]

A magic sentient shortsword who's alignment is neutral, has no goals of its own (other than wanting company) and has no abilities. This sword begs and pleads (verbally) with the owner to keep him around and keep him unsheathed - it hates dark places.
It also gets dizzily very easily and complains about being used in combat.

[Talar]

A magic sentient shortsword who's alignment is neutral, has no goals of its own (other than wanting company) and has no abilities. This sword begs and pleads (verbally) with the owner to keep him around and keep him unsheathed - it hates dark places.
It also gets dizzily very easily and complains about being used in combat.

That is pretty funny, got a chuckle out of me. Also I am fond of useless magic items. Things that were like the annoying assignment given to wizards still at school to teach them basics of crafting. Like a deck of cards with animated pictures, or a coin that only ever lands on its edge (a good bluffer might be able to fleece people with that actually.)