Virtually anything can be considered treasure. The type(s) of treasure dealt with in this chapter are those substances whose physical nature are the prime properties in determining their worth. An obvious example is gold—although it has many valuable chemical properties, it has has been highly prized for centuries for its rarity.
To use an example more gaming related, a fusion pistol has a value of 200 000 because it is a deadly, violent, and efficient weapon; but a sliver of orgone crystal may be worth 500 000 for no readily apparent reason. Therefore the nature of treasure is heavily dependant on the scenario. Something may be common and worthless in your particular scenario, yet be awarded great value in the treasure system (or vice versa). When this occurs it is up to the ref to use her imagination to accommodate the circumstances.
Treasure with very high value can also drastically affect the outcome of a campaign, and the ref is expected to use creative means to alleviate the problems that arise from this.
One problem which may arise when using the treasure system is the possible bizarre results of the random rolls. For example, a treasure could be a groin ornament made of water and quartz which is sewn on. Such is the roll of the dice, and the ref must use her ingenuity, and possibly a little humor to deal with such a weird occurrence.
The format of the treasure may also cause problems. Treasure is not only gold or jewels, but includes antiques, information, and bizarre jewelry (as above). In many cases, the treasure must be cashed in before its value can be divided amongst the personas in the expedition.
Personas that insist on discarding valuable antique chairs, expensive lamp shades, and other such seemingly trivial items are only making themselves poorer at the refs amusement.
The referee should have fun with this chapter. The items that the personas can acquire are down right silly and that should be the tone of treasure, and the whole game for that matter. Serious referees will have trouble with this chapter, and like anything else if it it causing you trouble throw it out. Treasure is notorious, especially ornaments, for having many rolls leading to very little in the way of toys. Remember that everyone needs practise rolling dice, and the more you roll the luckier you are.
Value
The treasure value consists of two parts: the Base Value, and the Base Value Multiplier. The Base Value is determined by a deci dice roll (see Base Value Table), and can vary from 1 to 1 000 000 (yes one million).
The Base Value Multiplier is also rolled on deci dice, and the number generated (between 1 and 100) is multiplied by the Base Value to determine the actual value of the treasure. For example, a deci dice roll of 38 indicates, via the table, a Base Value of 10. A second deci dice roll of 21 yields a Base Value Multiplier of 21. Thus the value of the treasure is 210. During times of economic recession, the treasure Base Value Multiplier could be reduced to a 1d10, and during times of economic boon, perhaps a kilo-die.
Table 53.1 Treasure Value
Treasure that is either a starting artifact or a found cache of moola. If this is being rolled as a TOY, anything less that <4242 in value should not count as a TOY roll.| Die Roll (1d100) | Base Value | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 01-10 | Random Junque | Does not count as a TOY roll. |
| 11-20 | 1 | Times 1d100 |
| 21-40 | 10 | Times 1d100 |
| 41-60 | 100 | Times 1d100 |
| 61-80 | 1000 | Times 1d100 |
| 81-90 | 10 000 | Times 1d100 |
| 91-95 | 100 000 | Times 1d100 |
| 96-98 | Random Toy | Does not count as a TOY or last roll. |
| 99 | 1 000 000 | Times 1d100 |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table | |
| Die Roll | Base | Comment |
Format
Presently, treasure is nothing more than a value awaiting some form. The treasure formats give the treasure some tangible, identifiable character. Format is rolled on Table 53.2: Treasure Format.
Table 53.2 Treasure Format
One persona's treasure is another persona's junk.| Die Roll | Format | |
|---|---|---|
| 01-10 | 1) | Substance |
| 11-20 | 2) | Stone |
| 21-30 | 3) | Ornament |
| 31-40 | 4) | Information |
| 41-50 | 5) | Relic |
| 51-85 | 6) | Cash |
| 86-99 | 7) | Mixed |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table | |
1) Substance
Table 53.3: Treasure Substance Type is surprisingly short. It is composed of those elements and minerals most commonly considered valuable. Whether the materials are valuable due to scarcity or other factors depends on the ref. The list of substances can and should be added to by the ref. The treasure’s wate is also up to the ref, of the five formats listed the substance format should be the heaviest. When the value of the substance is truly exorbitant (hence large wates), the ref may wish to present the substance in the form of a mine, a factory, or some other such source of massive wealth.
Table 53.3 Substance Type
For some inexplicable (that means the ref has to explain it) this stuff has the assigned value.| Die Roll (1d100) | Substance |
|---|---|
| 01-02 | Bone |
| 03-04 | Clay |
| 05-06 | Copper |
| 07-08 | Congealed Sputum |
| 09-10 | Cotton |
| 11-12 | Dirt |
| 13-14 | Electrum |
| 15-16 | Enermium |
| 17-18 | Foam Rubber |
| 19-20 | Foam Froth |
| 21-22 | FoodStuff |
| 23-24 | Glass, Transparent |
| 25-26 | Glass, Coloured |
| 27-28 | Gold |
| 29-30 | Gold, White |
| 31-32 | Granite |
| 33-34 | Helium |
| 35-36 | Herbs |
| 37-38 | Lead |
| 39-40 | Graphite |
| 41-42 | Linen |
| 43-44 | Paint |
| 45-46 | Paper, Blank |
| 47-48 | Paper, Bales |
| 49-50 | Plants |
| 51-52 | Plastic |
| 53-54 | Patinum |
| 55-56 | Plutonium |
| 57-58 | Polyester |
| 59-60 | Rock |
| 61-62 | Rubber |
| 63-64 | Silver |
| 65-66 | Spices |
| 67-68 | Slag |
| 69-70 | Water |
| 71-72 | Wax |
| 72-74 | Wire |
| 75-76 | Wood |
| 77-78 | Lint, Dryer |
| 79-80 | Lint, Belly Button |
| 81-82 | Hides |
| 83-84 | Oil |
| 85-86 | Marmalade |
| 87-88 | Hair |
| 89-90 | Fur |
| 91-92 | Teeth |
| 93-94 | Metal Shavings |
| 95-96 | Cream, Congealed |
| 97-98 | Manure |
| 99-00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Substance |
3) Stone
Crystal is a generic term imprecisely used to include gems, crystals and other shiny baubles. Crystals are less descriptive than other formats because they are objects commonly associated with treasure and fortune.
How the crystals are presented is the responsibility of the referee. Whether it is one valuable gem, or a collection of many less valuable ones depends on the scenario that has been created. The ref should remember that wate is not the only value determinant of a crystal, and that it may possess other valuable properties. Very valuable crystals should have some history attached to them. If the valuable gem stone does not have a back story then one should quickly develop. To determine the crystal type roll on Table 53.4: Stone Type.
Table 53.4 Stone Type
What kind of stupid culture would assign an artificial value to a rock? Diamonds...| Die Roll (1d100) | Stone Type |
|---|---|
| 01-05 | Agate |
| 06-10 | Amethyst |
| 11-15 | Azurite |
| 16-20 | Coral |
| 21-25 | Diamond |
| 26-30 | Emerald |
| 31-35 | Garnet |
| 36-40 | Jade |
| 41-45 | Jasper |
| 46-50 | Obsidian |
| 51-55 | Onyx |
| 56-60 | Opal |
| 61-65 | Pearl |
| 66-70 | Quartz |
| 71-75 | Ruby |
| 76-80 | Sapphire |
| 81-85 | Topaz |
| 86-90 | Turquoise |
| 91-95 | Mixed Two from above |
| 96-00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Stone Type |
3) Ornament
Ornaments are trinkets designed to adorn the body of the wearer. Regardless of the value of the ornament, it will always consist of a single object. E.g., one ring worth 1000, not ten rings worth 100 each. Valuable ornaments will almost certainly have a history, and perhaps even a name. This system can only provide a general idea of the nature of the ornament. Final details are left to the artistic imagery of the referee. An ornament is valuable because of the way that it has been assembled, and ransacking it for its primary elements may render it worthless—tearing the diamond from a diamond ring, for instance.
The ornaments are created in three steps: 1) Composition on Table 53.5: Ornament Composition. This determines what the ornament is made out of. 2) By what body part ornament adorns (refer to Table 53.6: Ornament Location). 3) how they are attached (refer to Table 53.7: Ornament Application).
Table 53.5 Ornament Composition
Determine the basic structure of this valuable adornment.| Die Roll (1d100) | Composition | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 01-20 | One Stone | Roll on Table 53.4 |
| 21-40 | Multiple Stones | Two rolls on 53.4 |
| 41-60 | One Substance | A wearable amount from Table 53.3 |
| 61-80 | Substance plus Stone | Stone is set in the substance. |
| 81-95 | Mixed Substance | Mixed wearable amounts. |
| 96-99 | Miniature Relic | Wearable sized relic. |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table | |
| Die Roll | Composition | Comment |
Table 53.6 Ornament Location
Determine the location where the ornament is attached to the vain persona. Not just anthropomorphs but aliens as well.| Die Roll (1d100) | Location of Adornment |
|---|---|
| 01-04 | Abdomen |
| 05-08 | Ankle |
| 09-12 | Biceps |
| 13-16 | Calf |
| 17-20 | Ear |
| 21-24 | Eyelid |
| 25-28 | Foot |
| 29-32 | Fore head |
| 33-36 | Fur |
| 37-40 | Groin |
| 41-44 | Hair |
| 45-48 | Hand |
| 49-52 | Hip |
| 53-56 | Knee |
| 57-60 | Lips |
| 61-64 | Mouth |
| 65-72 | Teeth |
| 73-76 | Neck |
| 77-80 | Nose |
| 81-84 | Pectoral |
| 85-88 | Thigh |
| 89-92 | Wrist |
| 93-96 | Internally |
| 97-99 | Mixed Two of above. |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Location |
Table 53.7 Application Method
Determine how the treasured ornament is attached to the vain persona.| Die Roll (1d100) | Application Type |
|---|---|
| 01-13 | Applied (glued on) |
| 14-26 | Fitted (ring, bracelet, crown) |
| 27-39 | Pinned (to clothes or flesh) |
| 40-53 | Sewn On |
| 54-66 | Strapped (chains, ropes) |
| 67-79 | Suction Cups |
| 80-92 | Carried |
| 93-99 | Balanced |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Application Type |
4) Information
Valuable information should consist of pointless facts which in no way affect the campaign or scenario at hand, but which are potentially saleable to some referee persona, data bank, or newspaper. Information could be personal messages, corporate plans, or top secret intelligence. The wate (kg) of the information is decided by the referee—info worth millions scrawled on the back of a napkin is convenient for the personas, but is susceptible to various tragedies. How the information is stored is determined by a roll on Table 53.8: Information Storage. Nine times out of ten the information will be in an encrypted format.
Table 53.8 Information Type
Information is power. Determine what medium the information is stored on.| Die Roll (1d100) | Format |
|---|---|
| 01-10 | Aural (spoken) |
| 11-20 | Cassette |
| 21-30 | Chips, hardwired |
| 31-40 | Computer cards |
| 41-50 | Crystalline |
| 51-60 | Floppy discs |
| 61-70 | Little Golden Book |
| 71-80 | Paper tape |
| 81-90 | Plastic discs |
| 91-99 | Written on Parchment |
| 00 | Other |
| Die Roll | Format |
5) Relic
A relic is a piece of random junque applied arbitrary value for obtuse cultural reasons. The object can be a luxury piece of random junk: an antique; a souvenir (owned by some important someone); or commodity shipment consisting of many units of random junk. Specialized random junk is rolled on the Random Junque Tables, and accorded whatever value was determined by the treasure system. Go to the random junk tables, and determine what the persona is getting. If the treasure is worth less than 50 eps then roll another treasure, but do not discard the first one.
6) Cash
What a dull way to find a pile of treasure. The cash may be simply a pile of cash, or credit chit, or some other format of storing cash. Use Table 53.8: Information Storage if you do not want to bother with standard value currency. Other tricks are to have the money in one currency and requiring transfer to another. Smaller amounts of cash money should just be given to the personas. That is called being nice.
Table 53.9 Cash Presentation
Nothing like cash.| Die Roll (1d100) | Cash Presentation |
|---|---|
| 01-10 | Bag, Paper |
| 11-20 | Bag, Plastic |
| 21-30 | Cheque, Paper |
| 31-40 | Credit Card |
| 41-50 | Coins |
| 51-60 | Mattress, Inside |
| 61-70 | Other Currency |
| 71-80 | Promissary Note |
| 81-90 | Mortgage Paper |
| 91-99 | Line of Credit |
| 00 | Other |
| Die Roll | Cash Presentation |
7) Mixed
As if things are not mixed up enough it EXP. Mixed treasures will have their values mixed amongst the basic treasure types found here. For example a relic or an ornament could be a form of cash. Cash or stone could be information. Just shakes things up a bit.
Table 53.10 Mixed Treasure
As if it wasn't confusing enough already.| Die Roll (1d100) | Combination |
|---|---|
| 01-10 | Info Substance |
| 11-20 | Info Ornament |
| 21-30 | Info Relic |
| 31-40 | Info Stone |
| 41-50 | Cash Substance |
| 51-60 | Cash Stone |
| 61-70 | Cash Relic |
| 71-80 | Cash Ornament |
| 81-90 | Artifact TOY Cash |
| 91-99 | Artifact TOY Info |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table |
| Die Roll | Combination |