The goal of this generator is to give you a rough sense of a treasure map that you can use on the fly. The term treasure map is something of a misnomer, not all of the results here take the form of physical objects, nor do all of them lead to riches in any traditional sense. They are merely things (or occasionally creatures) which have been forgotten by the world at large. To use these tables, roll 4d8 and consult the sub tables.
d8
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Who hid it? Why?
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1
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It was an accident, a shipment lost to random
chance or calamity. For some reason it was never reclaimed.
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2
|
A noble family, displaced by a revolt or disaster,
hid their secret somewhere only they could find it.
|
3
|
A group of raiders or pirates, storing a score
until it was safe to retrieve it.
|
4
|
Members of a religious minority, fleeing
persecution.
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5
|
An extremely powerful figure, such as a culture
hero or particularly skilled spellcaster.
|
6
|
The treasure was part of a tontine or related to
the retirement of the members. Everyone died before anyone could
retrieve it.
|
7
|
The society surrounding the hidden treasure
collapsed, and its location was forgotten.
|
8
|
The treasure was important in some way -- perhaps
it was the site of votive offerings, or the location of a guild's
vault -- and it was guarded. While most of it's sentinels have
died or vanished, some may still be guarding it.
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d8
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Where does it lead to?
|
1
|
An isolated and deserted island.
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2
|
Deep inside a cave or another subterranean region.
|
3
|
A religious site, such as a temple or a shrine.
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4
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The middle of nowhere, a barren place, far from
any civilization.
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5
|
Inside an urban area, currently inhabited or
reduced to deserted ruins.
|
6
|
The bottom of the ocean or a lake.
|
7
|
A castle in the sky.
|
8
|
A celestial body, such as a planet or other plane
of existence.
|
d8
|
And what's hidden there?
|
1-3
|
Riches! Glittering gold and prizes. The intrepid
explorers receive (3d100 x 5) GP.
|
4
|
Pandora's Lament. An extremely powerful monster
has been bound to this site. Opening where it is held releases it.
|
5-6
|
Cache of weapons - 50% chance to be magical, 50%
chance to be make of an exotic material such as silver, obsidian
or ivory.
|
7
|
Cultural artifacts and personal effects. Worthless
to most, priceless to the right buyers.
|
8
|
Magical paraphernalia such as scrolls and potions,
maybe even a spellbook.
|
d8
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What form does the map take?
|
1
|
The classic treasure map. Made of vellum, inked,
and showing off a simple guide to the terrain leading to and
around the score. 50% chance that the map is in multiple parts
|
2
|
The map is relatively well-known regionally and it
takes the form of a local legend such as a story, poem or song.
|
3
|
A strange and bizarre device, such as a potion
which makes one recall the memories of one of the people who hid
it.
|
4
|
A cipher, puzzle or some other form of riddle.
|
5
|
The map is hidden within the patterns of a natural
feature, such as a set of holes within a hillside, or the shadows
of a grove of trees.
|
6
|
One of the people (or a descendant of one)
responsible for hiding the treasure is spilling the location to
people. The party are certainly not the only ones who have caught
wind of it.
|
7
|
The map is split between a number of people, no
more than a half-dozen, all of whom have a piece of it.
|
8
|
There is no map - there are only the remaining
notes (and possibly spirits) of those who hid it. They must be
searched or interrogated for the location.
|
As always your multi-list approach captures the topic well.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I think the 4 x 8s have enough details in them without becoming overwhelming.
DeleteThis is really cool.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate it! I'm always open to suggestions if there's a table set you think would be neat.
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