1. A Fort Frog. The small, mud-dwelling spike-frog is a great and prolific architect, able to build massive mud dens, quite similar in structure to ruins, in which it lives and cares for its multitude of spawn. With careful use of magic and training, this spike-frog was taught to eschew its natural programming and create small fortresses out of mud if left in a warm pool in an appropriately swampy area.
The process takes 1 day and results in 2d6+4 rooms, square or circular, about 20' by 20' (or 30' diameter), 10' high, spread across two floors. The structure lasts 1d6+2 days before crumbling underneath its own weight and shoddy construction (unless reinforced appropriately). The Fort Frog must then rest for a day.
Spike-frog: as per giant frog, burrow speed, deals 1d4 damage if an attacker hits it with bare hands or a short melee weapon, shoot spike (30', 1d4 damage).
(This one's from a dream I had. I'm pretty fond of it.)
2. A human skeleton. Its bones have been pierced by dagger-size golden nails.
3. Giant's dried heart. Worn as an amulet. Boosts CON by 5 and can be squeezed to gain a giant's strength for 1 minute. Doing so, however, visibly discolors the heart, lowering the amulet's bonus by 1 permanently. At 0, the heart turns sickly pale and loses its power.
4. Karmic powder. Contained in vial or pouch, it can be scattered across a large room (30' radius). All which have died in the room will be lucid in the afterlife and their fate there will be more likely to be altered. (Instead of tossing your players into the Isles of the Dead out of DM-fiat generosity after a TPK, give them a ticket they must actively use to redeem their second chance!)
5. An elven horse. White as sea foam, as smart as a child and as wise as an old man.
6. Ten little mechanical birds. Wind them up and they will flock wherever you point, harassing the target. They don't do much more than peck at skin, but will certainly tear clothing apart and generally be a nuisance.
Little mechanical bird: 1 hp, AC as plate, flight as a bird, intelligence as a bird.
7. Beehive staff. A beehive has developed at the top end of this staff; its denizens don't seem particularly bothered by the wielder's presence. If the bottom end of the staff strikes a critical hit, bees will swarm out to sting the target (save vs. poison or take 1d6 non-lethal damage).
The beehive can be broken on purpose, releasing the swarm's mad, blind wrath. The staff's wielder won't be safe, however.
The colony, like an ordinary beehive, also produces five pounds of delicious honey every month (counts as 1 ration).
8. Moon chain fragment. Once, the moon was chained to the world. Or perhaps ancient gods attempted such a thing. Either way, someone kept a small fragment as a souvenir. This enormous chain link chunk, made of softly glowing, enchanted silver, could be sold, used as a magical crafting material, or used as part of a magical imprisonment ritual.
9. A wooden box with four hand-sized hourglasses inlaid inside. Each holds pearly white sand, and is decorated with the gold-leaf likeness of pensive, round-faced cherubim holding human skulls. Shining letters underneath each hourglass record the name of a different ancient priest. These relics can be used as holy symbols, and turn undead as one level higher than usual.
10. Thousand gem marbles collection
Like ball bearings, but infinitely more bling. The costliest but perhaps most efficient distraction imaginable.
Not quite usable at the table, but in the spirit of this post, what if a piece of treasure was food? Adventuring equipment or mounts? An animal?
1. Pick some adventuring equipment, like a crowbar, a war hound or a wagon. It's either a) a fancy, blinged out or otherwise visually impressive version, b) a "+1", superior version. Possibly both.
2. Pick a critter, like a frog or a large snake. It's a gorgeous variety or possessing a rare mutation like albinism, and would be prized by collectors or mages.
3. Pick a random magical monster. Its meat has been preserved and possibly prepared for consumption. Would your PCs eat dried dragon meat? Damn right they would.
And some more stuff. These don't go into much detail. Well, not yet, at least. Might come back and give them some color later.
1. Alchemical eyewear, protects against some alchemy accidents and octarine light
2. Valuable alchemical goo
3. The spores of a rare or useful mushroom
4. A fan (the kind you keep yourself cool with)
5. A fan (the kind who thinks you're cool)
6. Mastercrafted herbal pouch
7. A rare and tasty confection from a far-off land
8. More generally, treasure from a faraway part of the world (how'd that get here!)
9. Huge copper measuring scales, with set of weights
11. Whatever construct you last used (golem, etc), except now it's treasure, ripe for being activated and given orders. (Or maybe it's part of one such construct, something they can use to build the real thing.)
12. A cool weird spell from some blog you like that you haven't really added to your game's spell list officially but like, as a one-use scroll or one-off treasure for a single PC to learn, that's okay right?
13. Potion that lets you talk to birds (permanent) (I think I've seen this one somewhere before though, can't take any credit)
14. Magic wooden club. (As above)
15. Your setting's Bible equivalent, or the closest thing that passes for an encyclopedia in it (bonus point for multiple volumes), but crazy decorated and illuminated.
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