Monsters With Treasure
Monsters With Treasure is a D&D 3.5 rule entry from DMG. Category: Base; Subcategory: Treasure.
- Category
- Base
- Subcategory
- Treasure
Every monster has a treasure rating (indicating how much treasure it has, although for some creatures the rating is “None”). The tables found below are used to determine the specifics. After referencing the level and kind of treasure (coins, goods, items) found in the creature’s description, roll on the appropriate row and columns of the proper table.
When generating an encounter dealing with monsters away from their lair, remember that a creature only takes what it can easily carry with it. In the case of a creature that cannot use treasure, that generally means nothing. The monster safeguards or hides its treasure as well as it can, but it leaves it behind when outside the lair. Intelligent creatures that own useful, portable treasure (such as magic items) tend to carry and use these, leaving bulky items at home. Treasure can include coins, goods, and items. Creatures can have varying amounts of each, as follows.
Standard
Refer to the treasure tables and roll d% once for each type of treasure (Coins, Goods, Items) on the Level section of the table that corresponds to the creature’s Challenge Rating (for groups of creatures, use the Encounter Level for the encounter instead). Some creatures have double, triple, or even quadruple standard treasure; in these cases, roll for each type of treasure two, three, or four times.
None
The creature collects no treasure of its own.
Nonstandard
Some creatures have quirks or habits that affect the types of treasure they collect. These creatures use the same treasure tables, but with special adjustments.
Fractional Coins
Roll on the Coins column in the section corresponding to the creature’s Challenge Rating, but divide the result as indicated.
% Goods or Items
The creature has goods or items only some of the time. Before checking for goods or items, roll d% against the given percentage. On a success, make a normal roll on the appropriate Goods or Items column (which may still result in no goods or items).
Double Goods or Items
Roll twice on the appropriate Goods or Items column.
Parenthetical Notes
Some entries for goods or items include notes that limit the types of treasure a creature collects.
When a note includes the word “no,” it means the creature does not collect or cannot keep that thing. If a random roll generates such a result, treat the result as “none” instead.
When a note includes the word “only,” the creature goes out of its way to collect treasure of the indicated type. Treat all results from that column as the indicated type of treasure.
It’s sometimes necessary to reroll until the right sort of item appears.