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See Part 1 to determine if a room has treasure and what type of treasure it contains, then roll on these tables.

GOLD

POTIONS & AMULETS

(1d6: Potion 1-5, Amulet 6)

Potions: Alchemical, liquid transmuted by technomantic process, or nano-particles in a liquid suspension.

Amulets: Amulets either harness and imprison minor demons, feyish spirits, or some other powerful entity. Or they are ancient technomantic artifacts; the enduring technology which serves as a template for the cheap, modern “spell eggs” (see below). 1d50 charges. The former either expend or release their trapped spirit; the latter can be recharged with battery power.

SPECIFIC ENTRIES

Heroism: 10% chance the effect of the potion is permanent, but works by replacing the current version of the character with one from an alternate future/dimension. Amulet’s effect lasts for as long as it is worn, expending 1 charge per day.

Sustenance: Drinking the potion renders it unnecessary for the drinker to imbibe food or water for a month and a day. The amulet works like a create food spell.

ARMS & ARMOR

Blue Armor: This armor is formed from an extraordinarily light blue metal. The greaves each have a panel of multi-colored buttons, but these only work when the armor is fully assembled (as per a lightning bolt thrower, a fireball thrower, and 1d3 random pieces of Equipment.) When generated, determine which piece is present randomly:

Each additional piece of armor adds a +1 bonus to AC. (Thus a complete suit is +5 armor.) However, when a complete suit is worn the onboard AI activates and takes control of the suit. (Those wearing the suit can sometimes be heard screaming, “Let me out! No! Stop!”)

Fireball Thrower: 1d100 charges. 6^th level fireball.

Lightning Bolt Thrower (Laser): 1d100 charges. 6^th level lightning bolt.

EQUIPMENT

Battery Power: A battery of the ancients. They can be used to recharge technological items of the ancients.

• Generator: Generators are large, generally immovable facilities that create energy. This energy may be harvested from the environment by comprehensible means (geothermic, solar, etc.); or it may be based on incomprehensible technology (space-time crystals, etheric harvesting, etc.). Generators can be used to recharge batteries. 10% of generators can also create one dose of mercurial water per week.

Borer: 1d100 charges, 1 charge per hour of use. Can dig through ten yards of any material every hour. Makes a hole 10’ x 10’ as it goes. It has no weight but can only move about 1 mph.

Communicator: 10% chance it is found with a paired device.

Crystal Ball: Per OD&D. Images displayed looking like they’re composed from “ragged lines” (like a holographic CRT display).

Flyer: A lightweight vehicle of the ancients that can be folded up to relatively compact dimensions. As per broom of flying (50%), flying carpet (40%), or a flying carpet that can carry up to 12 people (10%).

Illusion Projector: 1d100 charges. Can create the 3D image of anything and animate that image. Range is line of sight, no limit, and image must be less than 100 yards on a side.

Medical Unit: Coffin-sized unit. Will heal all wounds in 24 hours, but there’s no way to get out early. 1% chance per person healed that the unit loses power.

Mercurial Water: Silvery liquid. Can be used to refuel robots, skimmers, time machines, and other vehicles of the ancients.

Screener: 1d100 charges. Creates spherical sphere of energy. Cuts out all outside light, magic, etc. Those within the barrier are behind the equivalent of +5 Armor. Magic cannot pass the barrier. Lasts 10 minutes per charge. 5% chance it malfunctions and cannot be lowered manually (staying up until the current charge runs out).

Skimmer: A lightweight vehicle of the ancients that can be folded up to relatively compact dimensions. Can cross stretches of water at great speed, 50 mph and greater, as well as marsh and short (10 yards) stretches of low unobstructed land. Hitting a snag will wreck the Skimmer and cause the occupant one Hit Die in damage per 5 mph of speed. Chance of hitting a snag is about 1% per 100 miles of water, 5% in marsh, and 5% everytime any land is crossed. All encounter chances can be ignored due to its speed.

Spell Egg: Technomantic, clockwork devices. Modern spell-eggs are inferior to those of the ancients (which are classified as amulets), and are one-use only items.

Note: Ancient manufacturing facilities known as Laboratories crank out spell eggs (the Egg of Coot controls one). Newer facilities, seeking to reverse engineer the Laboratories, are known as Workshops (the Ran of Ah Fooh has created one).

Spell Formula: These are plans which allow one to make spell eggs. The arcane arts are based on figuring out how to adapt the details of these plans (most of which are reverse-engineered from amulets) so that they can be performed as magic rites (i.e., spells). So one trained in the arcane arts can also use these formula to either make spell eggs (the equivalent of scrolls) or learn the spells (customizing rites into their spellbooks).

Time Machine: See Robots.

Transporter: These are large, generally immovable facilities, similar to a Star Trek transporter pad. One can use the equipment to transport somewhere else. If one has access to a crystal ball or similar distance viewer, they might also be able to transport people to the pad. 1% chance per person transported that the facility loses power.

• Dimensional Transporter: Dimensional transporters work the same, but can also access locations in other dimensions. Each dimensional transporter generally only has 1d6 such dimensions currently accessible, although it may be possible to load additional dimensional tables into them.

Tricorder: 1d100 charges. Will give the operator complete physical information about any item it is pointed at. Has a range of 100 yards, only metal will block its effect. Will only give out information that it is specifically asked for. When asked general questions, there is a 25% chance it can be found in its limited databanks.

ANCIENT BOOKS, MANUSCRIPTS,  AND MAPS

Educator: Teaches you how to use the mechanical marvels of the ancients. One tape in the machine, other tapes can be used as treasure finds, etc.

Entertainer: Any jolly you ever wanted, and some that might kill you. User loses track of time and is open to attack. Roll 1d10 for hours of use. Cures all fatigue and raises fighting level by one for the rest of the day.

Technical Manual: Describes the function and use of Ancient technology.

ROBOTS

• Base Stats: 1d6 AC, 1d6 HD; there is a 10% chance that any robot is a lightning thrower (20 bolts, 6d6 damage).
• Controllers: Allows players to get Robots to do what the player wants. Otherwise, there is only a 20% chance you can use the Robot, 20% chance it is defective, 60% that it is hostile.
• Size (1d6): Small 1-3, Medium 4-5, Large 6
  • Small: Autonomous unit. Roughly human in size.
  • Medium: Capable of being piloted (requires training/educator) by a single passenger.
  • Large: Capable of carrying 3-18 passengers.
  • The fact the larger sizes can operate as vehicles is not immediately apparent.

Fighting Machine: A tripod combat platform. +2 HD.

Flying Machine: A hovering droplet of liquid silver metal with a rippling, ridged, perfectly reflective surface.

Humaniform: A humanoid robot or android. Some are quite lifelike in their simulation of humanity (or other species).

Teleportation Machine: Generally tripod robots, although humaniform variants have been reported. These entities can, upon request, teleport you and/or themselves to a location of your desire. (Or use the same function as a devastating offensive capability and/or means of flight.)

Time Machine: Roll a d6 to determine the type of temporal manipulation the machine is capable of. The machine’s power requirements are quite severe, however, requiring mercurial fluid for each temporal manipulation.

• 1, 2, 3: Stopping time for 1d6 rounds, during which time it can take actions.
• 4, 5: Travel forward through time, reappearing in the same spot at a later time of their choosing.
• 6: A true time machine, a la H.G. Wells. Its incredibly convoluted control schema, however, requires a save vs. spells. On a failure, the character has inadvertently (and irrevocably) shunted themselves into an alternate timeline.

Water Machine: Amphibious robots that operate freely in water. Some take the form of articulated, modular robotic sea serpents.

DESIGN NOTES

As far as treasure generation is concerned, there is some evidence that Arneson originally used a point budget to stock treasure, too. Or, at least, magical treasure. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, no details of this system are available. The method developed here is based on the basic methodology found in Volume 3 of OD&D, using additional methodology inspired from the incomplete Loch Gloomen and Bleakwood stocking tables, and original magic tables stocked with Arneson’s science fantasy items and his magic swords.

Most of the items found here originate specifically from Arneson (with a few exceptions, such as mercurial water). I have made a number of entries much more specific in their description, however, reflecting my personal creative impulse. (For one example of this in practice, see Arneson’s Machines.) I have also added a number of specific mechanics for items, perhaps the trickiest of which was the Time Machine (which I thought about eliminating entirely due to the self-evident difficulties such a device would create in actual play… before deciding, “Fuck it, let’s go for it and see what might happen.”)

What I consider the most important thing to grok about the Blackmoor setting is that it is post-apocalyptic and much of its “magic” is actually super-science technology. You can see that reflected in the treasure tables here and, if anything, I’ve leaned even more heavily into this concept. I find it interesting, but also perhaps unfortunate, that every iteration of Blackmoor seems to have stripped away more and more of this unique character, leaving behind an increasingly generic D&D milieu.

My personal vision is that there is a source or cache of ancient technology deep beneath Castle Blackmoor. There is also, as established by Arneson, a “gate to Hades”. (These may be one and the same thing, but, at least for myself, I think not.) As the forces of Evil migrate up through the dungeon, they bring the Ancient technology with them, making its secrets available to the world above. It also means the further down you go into the dungeons, the more they become a technomantic, super-science complex.

The other thing I love about Arneson’s items list is how many of them unlock new game play (rather than just enhancing the existing cycle of play). When you get a dimensional transporter, the game is going some place it hasn’t before. If you get your hands on a borer, your whole relationship to the campaign changes. (I’m assuming that’s how the original Blackmoor players ended up constructing the Orcian Way, a tunnel straight from the first level of the dungeon the tenth.)

Other notes…

What about silver pieces and copper pieces? I found no evidence in the First Fantasy Campaign that Arneson was using either prior to D&D.

My vision of amulets and spell eggs is an example of leaning into Arneson’s science fantasy. When Arneson spoke of “manufacturing spells”, he was almost certainly just talking about “formula scrolls”, but I follow my inspiration here. Same thing with the nano-particle potions.

Next: Magic Swords

Go to Part 1

Basilisk: Has 4-24,000 GP in its lair.

Giant Animal: Each of these giant animals claim a demesne within the dungeon. And are named. (See Supplement II: Blackmoor for additional Giant Animal stats, but increase their HD.)

• Giant Worm: Sinak
• Giant Insect: Siliar

Robot: Roll on the Robots treasure table. If generated here, they are not quiescent.

Man-Eating Seaweed: Infests an entire section of the dungeon. It fights like a multitude of entities (purchase with its point total), but can only be permanently destroyed by finding and burning out its roots.

Living Statue: Each has the likeness of a Greek God. Only Poseidon does not appear; he was defeated and left broken somewhere in the dungeon.

Ghost: Roll on sub-table.

Normal Monster With a Special Power: Roll on appropriate Group table, then roll on the Potion/Amulet treasure table to determine the creature’s innate power.

GHOSTS

Ghosts of the Black Hall: 40 years ago Ben-Hassock barbarians invaded. A diplomatic delegation was conducted to the Reception Hall. The barbarians had a wizard disguised in their ranks, who released a spell through the ten enemy representatives, transforming them into abominations. 10% chance this encounter is actually with the 10^th enemy abomination (who was never found; use stats of Type II demon from Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry). Otherwise it’s with a ghost from those slain in the Black Hall.

Ghosts of the Library: These are the spirits of the noblemen who were slain by the Weasel when he sought to betray Blackmoor to the Egg of Coot. Only glimpses are seen, for it is said they are still bound to the Library in some strange way. They cry out for release.

The Dog Duke: Seeks to augment his horror with blood-letting and death. (His body is interred in the Tombs.)

Marcellius: A hero buried in the Tombs. This ghost will come to the aid of those in the dungeon, quenching its thirst for blood on evil heads.

The Wizard’s Howl: A Wizard who, due to his black arts, was walled up within his laboratory beneath the Castle and left to die. His ghost is, at any time, obsessed upon the casting of a single spell.

The Forgotten Maiden: A Duke who feared the Castle would fall during a siege walled up his wife within the dungeon along with a plethora of his other treasures. He died in the siege and no one knew where he had hidden her. Her screams echoed up into the Castle for weeks before she died (and still do upon occasion). If someone reminds her of her husband (90% if male, 25% if female), she will lead them into deadly danger. Otherwise, she will seek to lead them to her body (and the treasure she lies upon).

Headless Baron: The headless ghost of Baron Alveraz, who was killed in a surprise barbarian attack some years ago and whose supposed appearance foretells doom.

Lady of Lust: Her fate for being an uncooperative wife is to take any man into her grasp, leaving their face horribly transformed into a gray rictus.

Lord Calvin: Fell victim to the Lady of Lust and killed himself in despair at the fate that had befallen him. Since that time, he rather graphically takes out his anguish on whomever is in the room when he appears.

The Jungle Beast: A Baron kept this beast as a pet. The Beast eventually had enough of him and put an end to the Baron. It vanished with the Baron’s remains.

The Child’s Room*: A somewhat dirty child’s room. It will appear randomly in various rooms of the dungeon; if you leave and return, it will be gone. Sometimes it becomes seemingly attracted to particular people, seeming to “follow” them around. Sometimes you leave the room and you’re in a completely different section of the dungeon. The child itself is never seen, but the rocking horse in the corner will gentle creak back and forth.

The Ghost Rats*: A carpet of surging, ectoplasmic rats. They don’t attack, but their passage can drain the life from those who can’t get up off the floor.

Tortured Soul: One of many slain in the Torture Chamber beneath the Castle. Their spiritual forms show the wrack wrought upon their bodies in their death.

Soul from the Black Pit: This scorched and blackened spirit escaped (or was released) from Hades through the portal somewhere deep within the depths of the dungeon.

Dead Delver: So many have died exploring the dungeons beneath the Castle. Here’s another one.

The Lords’ Council: The other apparitions of past rulers are, for the most part, scary but harmless apparitions who do quite a bit of horsing-around (and sometimes wander down into the dungeons). It seems as if any who rule from Blackmoor’s throne and is buried within or beneath its walls is cursed (or blessed?) to wander its halls and catacombs as a restless spirit.

OTHER GHOSTS OF BLACKMOOR

Lord Alfred and His Wife: Lord Alfred was caught by his wife with one of the serving wenches. The resulting foray by his wife and her battle axe made a permanent impression upon her husband and the servant. The gory act is recreated upon occasion within the room where it happened. The room has been sealed up in response. Years later a lord locked his wife and wealth and children in the room during a siege (not realizing what room it was), and they were killed by Lord Alfred’s wife, too. The room was sealed again; the cursed treasure not removed.

DESIGN NOTES

The special monsters listed here are all inspired by the original Blackmoor keys or other accounts of play with Arneson. A few are a bit more of a stretch than others, however: Robots appear only in the treasure tables, not any of Arneson’s keys (but having autonomous robots running around down here feels right). The “Man-Eating Seaweed” appears only as that name and I’ve creatively expanded upon it. Normal Monster With A Special Power is based on “Air Elemental W.A.S.P.” from the original key (for which testimony exists that W.A.S.P. stands for With A Special Power); it follows logically that other special monsters might receive special powers. Living Statues are perhaps the largest reach, being based entirely upon the description of a broken statue of Poseidon found within the original dungeon.

Among the Ghosts, most are drawn directly from Arneson’s notes on the haunted halls of the Castle. (It might be interesting to run a session set within the Haunted Castle during an epoch when it’s been sacked or otherwise abandoned.) The exceptions are the Child’s Room and the Ghost Rats, both of which I created from wholecloth. A few other details have also been added as they struck my fancy (such as the idea of the heroic Marcellius being a helpful ghost to be feared by the Bad Guys.)

The original Vampire — literally the first vampire in all of D&D! — was the player character Sir Fang. (Who, in turn, prompted the creation of the Cleric class to oppose him.) In the epoch at which I’ve chosen to diverge from established, the Baron Fant is not yet wandering these halls as Sir Fang. But vampires are cool.

Next: Treasure Stocking