D100 items Found in a Noble's Chambers

 Back once again with another tremendous table of tantalizing trinkets! I know it's been a while since I graced you with a new article, an error I intend to rectify. From out of the wastes I come, and I bring with me more fun random tables to help populate your campaign. Today's article is a D100 table filled with all kinds of interesting items or trinkets that could be found in a Noble's chambers, whether that's their bedchambers, sitting room, offices, or throne rooms. If you like this article, then check out the other tables and generators I have already out out. 

D100 Things you find in a Noble's Chambers

1. A large painting of a high lord and his lady in front of a banner of green and blue cheques. 4'X6', with carved ebony wood frame. This painting is a forgery. Looks 450 gp, but actually worthless.

2. A discarded goblet of rose glass, a geometric pattern cut into it. Pungent vinegar smell from the residue dried to the interior. Worth 10 gp.

3. Set of four drawing charcoals with finely made oakwood holders in a palm-sized tin. 

4. A child's wooden stiletto toy with manticore-skin scabbard. Scabbard fits a dagger. Worth 50 gp. 

5. A stuffed and mounted Leucrotta head. Worth 30 gp.

6. A small pouch of marbles carved from agate. Worth 45 gp.

7. A silver piccolo, with an engraving of twisting vines. Worth 40 gp.

8. A small book of pressed garden flowers with inscription in dwarven: "to my beloved. Think of me when the flowers bloom."

9. Palm-sized ivory playing card, with a leering skull on one side and smiling human face on the other. 

10. A small bottle with a stopper and large conical mouth. When opened, you can put your ear to the bottle and faintly hear whatever is going on in the reception room of the King's castle. 

11. A pair of men's felt high heeled pantofles in yellow with rosettes embroidered in green. 

12. An elbow's length pair of Thunder Lizard skin gloves with chevrons stitched on the back of the hands. 

13. A bronze trowel with silver grip. The trowel is engraved with the crest of a long dead noble house. Worth 15 gp.

14. A painting without a frame, 2'X3'. Painting depicts a goddess descending to earth, blessing Noble's house, their crest prominently placed. Worth 250 gp.

15. An ivory and gold fountain pen and a small bottle of red ink. Worth 100 gp.

16. A large, wide brimmed hat of royal green felt with a studded leather hat band. Axebeak feather secured in hat band. Worth 25gp.

17. A largely finished map of the local region with a note written next to an X stating "Nana's lost fortune is here ".

18. An arm's length brass tube fitted with a rotating cap at one end made of colored glass and mirrors. When the interior is viewed from the open side and faces light, the viewer will see a rotating pattern of whirling colors and shapes within the tube. 

19. An assorted collection of women's gloves, most only right handed. Made of silk and decorated with embroidery themes of courtly love. They are in an ornate mahogany box with a hidden compartment (1-in-6 chance of finding it). Inside can be found a number of love letters written in code (intelligence check to decipher) and a signet ring with this noble's house mark on it.

20. Three small vials of perfume, they smell like sweet honeysuckle, burnt orange, and lavender respectively. Worth 100 gp each.

21. A hand drum roughly the size of a mixing bowl. The instrument depicts a gorgon on the drum head. A long burgundy scarf has been tied to the cross-brace under the drumhead.

22. A set of false teeth made mostly out of wood and ivory. They are a rather nice set with small, brass hinge springs (halfling or gnome sized). 

23. A red dyed leather bound book titled "Tales of the Aedilon Wars". 1/3rd of the novel is faded and unreadable. 

24. A deep blue silk handkerchief stitched with a monogram ANL in blood red thread. 

25. A pair of brown calf-skin gloves that stop just before the elbow. (These gloves are secretly enchanted against mundane fire and heat, allowing the wearer to hold embers, molten metal, or pass their hand through fire without harm.)

26. An acorn-sized stone sphere made of dark red and green marble. It has been wrapped in a silk handkerchief with the embroidered monogram "RHJ".

27. A polished silver hand mirror, the handle and back of the mirror are carved with crocus flowers. Worth 20 gp.

27. A small gold hinged box 2" by 1" by 1/8th of an inch. There are ten small paper cards within, all say "Lord Arnulus Nelvexor Laudridich, Castellan of Krogmore Keep, Defender of the Realm, Bishop of Raelgrim Cathedral. (Case worth 30 gp)

28. An ornate, dinner-plate-sized sextant made of brass, copper, and gold. Worth 155 gp.

29. A small red lacquered music box made of sandalwood, plays "The Stars of Winter's Eve" when opened. Worth 170 gp.

30. A round copper seal with a wooden handle. When pressed in wax it depicts the crest of the lord's of this house. Worth up to 200gp to the right person.

31. A small dusty stuffed cockatrice, its eyes replaced with red carnelians. Worth 65gp.

32. A wyvern leather-clad tome, titled "Recollections of the Second Autumn War and the Breaking of the Elves" by Wagyr Farscatter.

33. A small calfskin folio with 20 letters detailed plans to bankrupt the kingdom. They are addressed to the Lord of this house by one "Ringauld Jarmongunt. "

34. A set of five Dwarf knuckle bone dice, they are each eight-sided. 

35. A tin whistle shaped like a screaming gnome. When played it sounds like a trumpet blast.

36. A circular area rug, 10' in diameter. The rug depicts giants atop wyverns, being defeated by an army of angels. Worth 75 gp.

37. 2d4 cones of incense in a small red leather pouch. The incense smells of cedarwood and citrus when burned. Worth 45 gp.

38. A pair of new calfskin boots with ebony wood heels, dyed dark blue with dark red laces. Sized for a dwarf. Worth 35 gp.

39. A leather bound violin case bearing the crest of another house. Empty, but for a piece of rosin and a few sheets of chamber music.

40. A circular wooden base with a tall, rounded cylinder of glass atop it. A fist-sized seed rests within, on the base is carved "Dryad Seed". Worth 1,200 gp.

50. Two carved game pieces, one depicts a manticore on the prowl. The other piece is carved to look like a king of legend. The manticore is made of oak and dyed black. The king is carved in ivory which is starting to yellow. Worth 10 gp for manticore, 35 gp for the king.

51. A mastercraft lyre made of maple and oak, painted a greenish blue, the arms and crossbar of the lyre are covered in gold leaf. (Scraping it takes one turn, and yields 32 gp). As an instrument it's worth 140 gp.

52. A porcelain tea cup and saucer showing delicately painted scenes of merriment and celebration all over it. Worth 25gp.

53. An ornate hand fan made of mastodon ivory and green silk. When opened a nature scene of white tigers hunting a mastodon can be seen embroidered into the fabric. Worth 35 gp.

54. A pair of high-end knee length mermaid skin boots naturally green-blue, with gold hardware. Worth 50 gp.

55. A collection of three nesting soapstone boxes, the first being the size of a human palm. These boxes are nestled one after the other inside the previous box. Each has a slightly different plant themed top lid decoration.

56. A translucent amber colored marble statue the size of a helmet. The statue depicts the god of abundance and joy smiling and laughing in a reclined position. When its belly is rubbed it glows like a candelabra for three turns. Worth 45 gp.

57. A collection of old and obscure loan agreements folded into a portfolio of burgundy leather. 

58. A thumb-sized boar ivory figure carved in the likeness of a pudgy sparrow. Worth 15 gp. 

59. A bark-bound album of pressed flowers from some distant land. Worth 100gp to the right person. 

60. A dagger with leather wrapped handle and a thumb-sized garnet embedded in the pommel. This dagger has a +2 bonus against plants. 

61. A copper signet ring, usually worn by a member of the king's elite guard. 

62. Sheet music arrangement of popular adagios from the eminent court composer Samnatus Warksye, written for oboe, violin, cello, and double flute. 

63. A set of reading glasses held within two wooden loops joined together with a hinge. Worth 85 gp to the right person.

64. A shiny glazed carafe painted with scenes of elves frolicking in nature, painted in green. Worth 100gp.

65. A polished flask-sized black and white speckled stone, heavier than it looks. When used as a paperweight the stone magically transforms the text of the page it's resting on from its original language into Goblin.

66. A collapsible parasol in green, with blue and red flowers all across it. 

67. A walking stick carved from sweet chestnut, with an antelope horn attached to the top of it for decoration. (There is a secret compartment underneath where the horn is attached to the stick big enough to hold a small bottle or a written message. 1-in-6 chance to discover the compartment.)

68. A pair of dyed dark green basilisk leather gauntlets tooled to look like reptile scales.

69. A brass table scale and 10 balancing weights. 

70. A black leather tome with a small brass lock. Inside the tome are account registers for a country estate somewhere. This book contains the last four years of production volume and costs for the estates, farms, and pastures. 

71. A small leather pouch that contains 27 tin soldiers, all about one inch tall. 17 of them have shields and pikes, the other ten are mounted knights with a variety of weapons.

72. A gnomish mechanical contraption, roughly 1' by 1', 10" tall. This device is made of a multitude of levers and keys marked with each letter of the gnomish alphabet. When the keys are pressed, the device will stamp the letters onto a sheet of paper that's been affixed to it. This way one person can print whatever they want with minimum effort and equipment. Worth 250 gp, ink ribbon has roughly 4d8 X 10 sheets of ink left on it. 

73. A ring of intertwining silver and gold bands set with a large pearl. Whoever wears the ring will gain an immunity to common dirt and grime. The wearer remains dirt and grime free no matter what sort of gross dungeon muck they are traipsing through. 

74. A set of thin ivory playing cards painted in the style of the ancient high elves. Contains all four suites- hearts, wands, coins, and flowers. All 56 cards seem to be accounted for. Worth 75gp.

75. A hollow pewter dodecahedron with small nodules sticking out slightly where multiple corners meet. Worth, who knows?

76. A set of six carved figurines, made of painted wood. Each figurine is carved into the likeness of a different wild monster. There is a manticore, a wyvern, a centaur, an owlbear, a harpy, and a flail snail. Worth 25 gp as a set.

78. A set of croquet mallets, reed wickets, and painted wooden croquet balls. Worth 11 gp.

79. A large tome, bound in the skin of a hydra. The book is titled “Vexillology and Symbols of the Great Houses of the Serene Duchy.” Written in an archaic form of the common language. (PCs can make an Intelligence check to translate on the fly. Contains knowledge of the history of many noble houses). Worth 305 gp.

80. A beautiful ceramic mug, painted with glazes of bright green, blood red, burnt umber, and a deep purple. Anyone who examines the cup in detail will notice a small hole built into the underside of the handle. (This is a two chambered poisoner's cup. Drinking from the cup without blocking the concealed hole means liquid comes out of the chamber of the mug with poison in it. Blocking the hole lets a drinker drink from the non-poisoned chamber concealed within the body of the mug.) Worth 80 gp.

81. A small end table, expertly carved from mahogany wood. It stands 2.5' and the table top is 1.5' in diameter. (Contains a secret drawer, 1-in-6 chance of discovering it). Worth 150 gp.

82. A silk tapestry woven in the style of the gnomish weavers of old. This bright tapestry depicts a fiery battle between gnomes and trolls set amongst the ruins of a castle. The tapestry's dimensions are 8' long by 5.5' tall. Worth 1,000gp.

83. A silver incense burner with a lid. This palm-sized burner has been inscribed with elven prayers to the wind and sky. Worth 30 gp.

84. A four post bed carved out of oak, maple, and mahogany woods. The posts and head board are carved to look like grape arbors with "bunches" hanging from the bed posts. Worth 2,500gp.

85. A cut crystal decanter with a stopper. Expertly cut and carved by fine gnomish craftsmen. Any beverage poured into this vessel will be rendered non-poisonious if it had any poisons mixed in. Worth 1,000 gp.

86. A full game set of ancient game Snakes and Foxes, including pieces for both players, dice, and a large cloth game board that game pieces and dice are wrapped in for transport. Worth 10 gp.

87. A squat rectangular brown glass bottle of Dwarven brandy, a 67 year vintage. Very sought after and very delicious! The bottle contains upwards of 25 oz of brandy. Worth 120 gp.

88. A set of six gold candlesticks decorated to look like lilies blooming. Candles burned in these holders burn twice as brightly. Worth 85 gp.

89. A set of small glass bottles contained within a black leather carrying pouch that attaches to a belt. Each bottle has been labeled with its contents. The bottles are labeled "eye of newt", "wing of bat", "tongue of frog", "fur of wolf", and a bottle simply labeled "teeth". 

90. A peaked, wide brimmed wizard's hat made of midnight blue felt and decorated with cloth stars. Stuffed inside the hat can be found a note to a "Laughlynn" imploring some one named "Jigarti" to "not seek the dragon and its treasure. Too little is known of her lair and its dangers."

91. A capelet made of red deer skin that hangs roughly to one's hips. This capelet has been dyed a deep aqua color. Worth 55 gp.

92. A large ceramic water clock. (You fill the reservoir of the clock and it will count down for four hours). Worth 200 gp to the right person.

93. A small green-blue parrot in a brass cage. The bird speaks a little, but in a language no one can decipher, and it sings beautifully when happy.

94. A long red, yellow, and blue Axebeak feather with an intricate silver nib. This is a magical Pen of Dictation. When the command word is spoken it will stand upright on a piece of paper. All a person has to do is speak their message out loud and the pen will write it down on its own. The pen can only write in Common, Elvish, and the tongue of demons. 

95. A beautiful brass inkwell that's shaped like an apple. Worth 35 gp.

96. A decorated scroll case made of leather, manticore hide, and cheetah hide. The case is large enough to put up to 10 scrolls rolled up inside. Found within the case are a scroll of Read Languages, a page detailing the history of the sewers under the Capitol, and a map of the surrounding wilderness with an unknown town marked on it. The case is worth 40 gp.

97. A small desktop sculpture consisting of a metal crossbar with five iron balls suspended on it at equal distance to each other. The balls swing and can be quite entertaining to watch careen into each other. 

98. A set of master crafted draftsman tools. These implements are made of bronze, iron, and hawthorn wood. Worth 25 gp.

99. A brass skeleton key that can unlock any door in this location. 

100. A glass bottle with a metallic, effervescent greenish hued liquid inside. The liquid smells like extremely strong pine sap and tastes like day-old oysters. If drunk it will turn the drinker's hair bright blue. This effect lasts for 10+2d10 hours. 

 

Bone Fire

 Welcome once more weary travelers! This week I'm bring you a new article for the RPG Blog Carnival and this month's theme of parties and festivals. A new holiday you can adapt to your own setting filled with a vivid snapshot of what the day is for and how it is celebrated. Along the way you will also find some delicious treats to ply your PCs with in there next town encounter. After you've read this month's Blog Carnival article check out last months, about spooky scary skeletons! If you are looking for something different then check out my sargasso sea encounter generator for your next nautical campaign! 

Holidays and Festivals: Bone Fire

*St. Hansbål, by Nikolai Astrup

It is spoken about in myth that many centuries before the coming of the Nesimite people to the Valley of Many Waters, a prosperous but oppressive kingdom of elves occupied the valley. The myth speaks of the great evils they partook of and about their rivals, a kingdom of iron-mongering dwarves who waged war upon them. The war ended in one decisive moment when a circle of desperate elven mages attempted to channel a terrible and powerful spell but were disrupted at the worst possible moment. In an instant, a flood of necromantic energies was unleashed upon the valley, slaying the all of the valley's inhabitants in one terrible display of magical corruption.

For many long centuries the valley was uninhabited. Undead were a common sight to those that did brave the wilds of the Valley of Many Waters, though none dared tarry there after dark. After centuries had passed and the threat had receded from the minds of mortals, the Nesimites came from out of the strife of the southlands. By then the skeletal lurkers that plagued the valley were relatively dormant. A settlement was founded in the springtime and a community began to flourish.

Little did the Nesimites know, however, that the skeletal threat still lingered. On Lanternswatch, the longest night of the year, the skeletons of the Valley of Many Waters arose from their slumber and attacked the living. Out of a community of almost 2,000 people, only 197 survived. They vowed to never let a tragedy such as this happen again, for every year since on Lanternswatch, the skeletons of those who died in the valley still rise and seek out the living.

It was upon that night that the first Bone Fire was celebrated. Now each year at dusk on the longest night of the year, a massive bonfire, or "bone fire" in the old tongue, is kindled, and all the bodies of the dead that have died since the last Bone Fire are heaped onto the pyre and burned to ash.

Though the holiday began as a morose dedication to never let the undead trouble their lives again, it has become a celebration of life and life's ability to overcome undeath. All gather for two days of celebration and protection. Skeleton-shaped sweet breads are baked, merchants arrive with luxuries to trade, and a grand party is kindled in the villages of the Valley. The skeletons of the past have long since been burnt to inert dust, and humanity continues to endure in the harsh landscapes where they find themselves. Without celebrations like Bone Fire, humanity would not have endured all these many years. May the fire warm you and keep you safe!

*Village Feast, 1609

Preparations:

Though it started under grim circumstances, Bone Fire has become a celebration of life and death and people's power to overcome undeath. By kindling the sacred bonfires and joining together in the sacred dances, the people of the Valley of Many Waters reaffirm their humanity and help cleanse the land again in preparation for the coming year.

Bone Fire is one of the biggest festival days of the year in the Valley. Bones are exhumed and collected, wagons loaded, and families from all across the Valley make their way to their closest village or town. Along with their families they bring hand crafts, hides, folk art, pies, and tarts to trade and sell.

Bone Fire officially starts at sundown on the longest night of the year. Even so, up to three days before the beginning of the festival, farmers and other country folk start trickling into the villages of Cleafort, Hembdon, Ffasfurd, and Singlay and the towns of Vhaemrick and Naulcastle. The festival attracts more than just Valley folk. Merchants from over the mountains come to do their best business. Fine horses can be found at this time in Vhaemrick and Naulcastle hosts a wine tournament for the local vintners.
On the day of the holiday local musicians gather and begin to play as the fire tenders (usually clergy from the local temples) start to stack the large logs that will be used in the bonfires later that evening. Merchants gather and the Valley folk mingle, shop, dance, and await the coming ceremonies.

*Dutch Festival by Jan Thomas van Kessel

The Ceremony:

The origins of the holiday's rituals have long since faded from memory. But while their precise origins are unknown, all agree on how the ritual practices must be enacted. First the bones of the food animals are brought forth and deposited onto the bonfire, then more wood is laid atop them. Next, the bones of humans and other humanoid citizens are placed onto the unlit bonfire. The gathered masses then join hands in a series of concentric rings and the fire is lit by the tenders. The gathered host begins to dance around the bonfire and sing a round, a repeating verse about the destruction of evil and the triumphs of light over darkness and of the gods of the Valley over the gods of evil and undeath.

This goes on for a while until the entire crowd is running in circles around the bonfire, hands clasped together, singing now at the top of their lungs, all locked in an ever-building religious ecstasy until the first logs collapse. When this happens, the assembled crowds all cry out as one "Begone evil! Begone Darkness! Become sweet death! Become sweet life again!" Everyone then collapses in a huffing, puffing mass as the tenders continue to keep the flames lit. With the ceremony now complete, the crowds linger in convivial camaraderie as the event slowly winds down. After a few hours or so all that will be left will be the fire tenders, who will stay the night tending and stoking the bonfires until all traces of bone have been turned to ash.

Bone Fire is considered an auspicious day for oaths, and many are sworn in front of the fires after the dancing has ended. The tradition is to swear an oath upon a branch that has been carved from a willow tree inscribed with the oath-bearers' names and then cast it into the fire together.

*Festival Scene of Human Characteristics Vector Clipart(584/1995)

Food:

Because of the anxiety behind preparing meat-based dishes and the threat of the reanimated bones of livestock coming back to life to attack the living, a number of vegetarian dishes have become staples of the holiday. The most popular among them include:

Skeleton Bread:
The traditional treat made especially for the Bone Fire holiday consists of a sweet, yeasted dough fortified with eggs and milk that has been shaped to resemble a skeleton and then glazed with a sweet honey frosting that is whisked until it turns white. These are sold by the cartload in every celebrating village or town for between 2 and 5 CP a piece.

Parsnip, Carrot, and Leek Pie: Sold as hand pies for around 1 SP a piece, these hardy root vegetable pies are seasoned with rosemary and imported chili flakes from the south. The village of Ffasfurd is renowned for their pies, and the village bakers and goodwives often debate about who has baked the better pie that year.

Cheese and Onion Soup: This hardy soup is thickened with old, dried bread, milk, and cheese and can be purchased for around 7 CP a bowl at the local stalls. This delicious soup is said to have originated in Singlay, and the town has a well-known inn there that serves the soup year round. Caramelized onions and roasted cheese are often served atop the soup to add to its richness and appeal.

Honey Fritters: Beside the ubiquitous Skeleton Bread, the next most sought after treat on Bone Fire is usually the sticky fried balls of dough known around these parts as honey fritters. The dough balls are found in every village and town up and down the Valley at this time of year and are a favorite treat of children. The entire valley gets its honey for these sweet delights from the apiaries of Cleafort and their fields of wildflowers. Most stalls will sell a rolled-up paper cone of them for 2 CP.

Spooky Scary Skeletons!

 Happy Halloween my ghoulish guests! Welcome to a late October blog post care of the spookiest holiday around! This week I'll be tackling October's RPG Blog Carnival theme, Horrors, Monsters, and Gods with a horrifying selection of tables to spice up your skeleton encounters! Read on for useful tables to differentiate one skeleton fight from another with unique descriptions, armaments, and personalities you can use on your next skeleton encounter! If you like this month's Blog Carnival article, take a look at last month's. If that's not to your liking then check out my last post, a big D66 table of chaotic landscapes to inflict on your traveling adventure parties. 

Spooky Scary Skeletons!

As October draws to a close the veil between worlds parts for a brief moment and allows us congress with the lingering souls of the long departed. With the most spooky of holidays upon us, it is time to talk about the horrors of the adventuring world, the undead menace all adventurers must eventually face, skeletons. The host of tables below can be utilized by canny referees everywhere to add variety and verisimilitude to their skeletal encounters. With a few quick rolls you can populate your next encounter with a variety of unique skeletal warriors that will be sure to stick in the minds of your players.

*Burnside, R. H. (Robert Hubberthorne), 1873-1952

Appearance:

Adventurers come across many animated skeletons in their careers plundering tombs and raiding sorcerers’ laboratories. The tables below can be used to generate different descriptions of the various animated skeletons a party of doughty treasure hunters are sure to run into sooner or later.

D4	What is different about this skeleton's...
1	Head
2	Arms
3	Legs
4	Torso

 

D12	Head
1	The skeleton has a thick notch cut out of its right brow. Glowing green moss is starting to grow from the crack.
2	This skeleton is missing its lower jaw. Of the skeleton's remaining teeth, two are made of gold. (250 gp each)
3	The skull cap of this skeleton has been cut clean off and reattached with a curved strip of verdigris-encrusted copper and small rivets.
4	The left eye of this skeleton has become home to a friendly vinegarroon the size of a large platinum piece.
5	This skeleton's eyes glow with a ghostly blue light projecting weak beams of light wherever it stares.
6	This skeleton’s teeth have been filed down to sharp points. (Extra bite attack, d4 damage)
7	This skeleton's skull has been mineralized into a jagged quartz-crusted mess.
8	This skeleton’s rotting eyes are still rolling around in its skull.
9	Someone has painted the skull of this skeleton in overlapping geometric patterns of black and red pigment.
10	Instead of a regular humanoid skull, this skeleton bears a ram's skull for a head.
11	This skeleton's skull has a large ruby faceted into each eye socket. (300 gp each)
12	This skull bears a terrifying death mask made of jade, obsidian, and red carnelian. (800 gp)

 

*Hans Holbein the Younger

D12	Arms
1	This skeleton has had its arm bones reinforced with riveted bands of iron.
2	This skeleton has had its arms replaced with the elongated arm bones of an ape.
3	This skeleton is still wearing rusted pauldrons and vambraces on its arms.
4	This skeleton has ghastly large hands with long claw-like finger bones.
5	This skeleton's arm bones are crusted with purple blotches of mold.
6	This skeleton bears two zombified human arms instead of the usual bone arms.
7	This skeleton has an extra set of arms underneath their original set. No doubt the work of some enterprising necromancer.
8	This skeleton has animated sculpted marble arms instead of their usual arm bones.
9	This skeleton's arm bones have been discolored by some unknown process and are now a sickly green color.
10	This skeleton is wearing ornamental golden vambraces etched with images of ritual feasting. (200 gp each)
11	Instead of a right arm, this skeleton has a gigantic dead crab claw. (claw attack, d6 damage)
12	This skeleton's arm bones are etched with vile magical runes.

 

D12	Legs
1	This skeleton's legs have been painted with gold leaf and small flower motifs of crushed sapphire.
2	This skeleton still wears ancient bronze greaves on its shins that are adorned with Medusa head motifs. (100 gp for the set)
3	This skeleton’s lower half is that of a giant snake's skeleton and slithers around like one.
4	This skeleton's leg bones have been bound together with copper wire and silver nails. (150 sp in total)
5	Long strips of paper inscribed with magical runes of necromantic power have been plastered to this skeleton's leg bones.
6	This skeleton is still wearing its now half-rotten boots.
7	This skeleton is wearing the desiccated remains of the leather britches it was  buried in.
8	This skeleton ambles around on a wooden peg leg.
9	This skeleton's legs are not actually bone but hollow pewter replacements.
10	This skeleton's leg bones are encrusted with small growths of glowing neon orange slime mold.
11	This skeleton's lower half is studded with the remains of sharp dead barnacles.
12	This skeleton's shin bones have been studded with six-inch iron spikes. (Bearer adds 2 additional points of damage to melee attacks.)

 

D12	Torso
1	An inch long hairy spider has spun a thick web inside this skeleton's ribcage.
2	Thumb-sized crystals of some kind of translucent green mineral is growing all over this skeleton's ribcage and spine.
3	This skeleton is still wearing the remnants of its desiccated old crocodile-leather pauldrons.
4	This skeleton has an eerie green glowing heart still beating in its chest.
5	This skeleton has had its ribcage reinforced with bands of cold-iron, and inside its cage-chest a small angry sprite is jostled about with the movements of the skeleton and rants in Silvan!
6	This skeleton has shiny blue toadstools sprouting inside its large ribcage. (If eaten, the mushrooms grant +2 to STR and -2 to INT and WIS for the next 20 minutes.)
7	This skeleton's ribcage, spine, and pelvis are all made of iron! (+1 to the skeleton's AC)
8	This skeleton's pelvis and ribcage have been inscribed with glowing red runes of magical power.
9	This skeleton is wearing a long, tattered leather coat that hangs in shreds.
10	This skeleton has had its torso wrapped over and over again with gold wire. (150 gp total)
11	Twisted green and red vines wind their way through and around this skeleton's pelvis and ribcage. Large, ghostly white flowers bloom from the vines.
12	This skeleton's ribcage is composed of clear crystal bones.

 

Skeletal Personalities

Not all skeletons can talk, but when you need one to, you may use the table below to quickly generate a sketch of the skeleton's personality, goals, etc.

*Hans Holbein the Younger

D12	Personality
1	This skeleton is very polite since they don't often meet many people to have conversations with within a dungeon. Their favorite topics are ancient history and poetry.
2	This skeleton cannot talk for some reason but does excellent pantomime. They are always playing around and making little jokes.
3	This skeleton is vicious and will taunt adventurers whom it can get the upper hand on. This skeleton wants to feel like it is more powerful than its opponents.
4	This skeleton talks in a high-pitched voice. They are fans of a good song though and will favor adventurers who sing to them.
5	This skeleton has lost one of the bones in its toes and is frantically looking for it. They will be happy to help anyone who can find it for them.
6	This skeleton talks like a gameshow host for some reason and keeps asking characters to pick their next door.
7	This skeleton is a being of honor. They will not fight unless their goals can be met no other way. They respect Clerics, Paladins, and Knights as people of authority.
8	This skeleton has a cackling laugh and a deranged personality to go along with it. They delight in the pain of living creatures.
9	This skeleton was a zealot in life who offered themselves willingly in death as an eternal servant. They only communicate in small snippets of their apocryphal scriptures.
10	This skeleton is convinced that they still have a body, and an attractive one at that.
11	This skeleton is ancient beyond measure, yet somehow, they have managed to survive all these years. If their ancient language could be identified, they would be a fantastic repository of lost lore.
12	This skeleton is confused and will ask friendly adventurers for help finding its master.

Unique Armaments

One of the best ways to make your skeletons different from the last group your players encountered is to give them unique armaments to wield. The table below can help give you ideas in a pinch.

*Hans Holbein the Younger

D12	Armaments
1	A verdigris-encrusted brass trident and a faded wooden shield.
2	A two-handed bronze khopesh. (+2 to saving throws against heat, or sand effects.)
3	Two rusted black-iron short swords.
4	A dusty wooden shaft with a jagged-edged steel spearhead affixed to it. (+1 to damage)
5	A heavy two-handed stone mace whose reliefs glow with a dull blue light. (+2 damage to spellcasters)
6	A silvered longsword.
7	Two beautifully engraved katars, caked with long dried blood.
8	A large, fluted ball of iron fixed to a length of chain. (As a flail)
9	A long, curved falchion with polished pearls inlayed in the hilt. (As a two-handed sword, 150 gp intact, or 50 gp of just pearls)
10	A long bronze sickle and a bronze shield with a Medusa head painted on it.
11	Either a simple iron-headed spear or a simple short bow and stone-headed arrows.
12	Either two rust-flaked iron swords or three bronze hand axes.