Should I Expand My Monster Hoard Supplement Series?

I tend to be a bit all over the place when it comes to TTRPG supplements because, well, I like variety. That, and because even if I find something that seems to resonate with the audience, I don't want to go back to the same well so much that the novelty and fun wears off. It's why my World's Oldest Profession series only has 3 supplements so far, with a 4th on the way.

And for those who are curious, the three that have been released are A Baker's Dozen of Brothels, 100 Concubines and Courtesans, and finally 100 Rumors to Hear in a Brothel.

However, I recently dropped a supplement that was sort of a soft test for a potential series, depending on how people reacted to it. And while the numbers were all right, it wasn't exactly a ringing cheer from the crowd. So I wanted to ask this Monday... do you think I should follow up 100 Items To Find in a Chromatic Dragon's Hoard?

And, really, if you haven't grabbed a copy, you should consider it!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Do We Need More Monster Hoards?

Generally speaking, we know what the purpose of a monster hoard is in a mechanical sense; it's to give your players loot and magic items that they can then use to buy upgrades to take on the next monsters they face. However, if it just turns into writing down numbers and doing calculations, then players can quickly lose the impact of what it means to be in a monster's den, and to really get a grasp of who the creature is... or was.

And that is where this supplement, and others like it, would come in.

Because it's not just about that glitter.

The items in this supplement aren't statted-out weapons, armor, and so on. They are the sorts of things you would find in a place where a monster lives (or lived), and which are indicative of its history, its personality, and which add flavor to the area. Like a sword that's been bent and charred because a red dragon used it as a toothpick, or a red-stained bathtub that's been pressed into service as a wine goblet. And whether these items are used as set dressing after the fight is said and done in an attempt to ground the scene and remind players of what they just accomplished, or they're used before a fight during an exploration of a lair, it comes in handy both ways.

And that is the purpose of these supplements. As long as the monsters in-question exist in your world and setting, you can use these to add atmosphere and gravitas to these scenes.

Which gets to what I'd like to do going forward. Because the obvious sequel would be 100 Items To Find in a Metallic Dragon's Hoard, so that folks have a nice yin and yang of the two major dragon types. But I could expand the series to other iconic monsters like liches, hags, bugbears, goblins, and more! Whichever monsters get added to the list, the idea is to do more than just provide a list of gold values and magic items, and to help players stay in the scene, and in the story, with a couple of curve balls.

So, if that's something you want to see going forward, here's what I need you to do:

- Get a copy of 100 Items To Find in a Chromatic Dragon's Hoard. If you already have a copy, leave a rating and review on DTRPG so more folks can find it!

- Leave a comment here, or on my social media pages, about which monsters you'd like to see get a list like this going forward.

The more attention a given supplement receives in terms of sales, reviews, reposts, comments, etc., the more likely it is that a creator or publisher will dedicate more time and energy to that project. If we see there's an audience, we're going to do our best to give them what they want... so if this is something you want to see, take a moment and make your voice heard on the subject!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Dungeon Design Tips: Build Challenges Around Your Table's Abilities

It's the first session after your last level up, and you as the Game Master know your evoker just picked up fireball. They're excited as hell to use it... so at some point in the next combat, there's a moment where enemies are clustered together in perfect formation for an explosion to wreck havoc. Or maybe the barbarian just got this really handy ability that lets them get extra damage on enemies bigger than they are... and wouldn't you know it, the enemies drag out an ogre because they think it will help win the day!

Some people might call this patronizing your players. However, it's a good idea to throw them bones every now and again, and to actually understand what this represents for your game, and the give-and-take between you and your players.

So you took the fighting style for dragons? Well, how convenient...

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Make Sure They Can Actually Accomplish The Goals

A criticism I once heard for the video game System Shock 2 was that it presented itself as a full freedom RPG where you could build whatever character you wanted, but when you got to the latter parts of the game you had to be able to overcome very particular challenges. And if you didn't build a character with the requisite skills to do those very specific things, well, sucks to suck, guess you have to go back to the beginning and try again!

And while I'd argue that's bad design, I see how it happens with a video game, or even a premade campaign. Designers need to provide challenge, but they also have to take a stab in the dark, guessing what players are most likely to do, and to bring to the table. However, with a pen-and-paper RPG, the GM has all the power in the world to alter challenges to actually fit the characters who are across the table from them. And that's exactly what they should do.

Note that I said "fit" the characters. Not change the game to make it easy for them, or to change it to make it harder for them, but to specifically do something to fit the game, its themes, and the challenges, to the party that's actually in front of you.

Could I, perhaps, make a Diplomacy check or two?

Consider for a moment a dungeon that has a number of traps in it, but the party does not have anyone with the ability to actually disarm traps. Well, one solution to this is to change the nature of the traps so that it better suits the story you're actually telling. For instance, instead of a rending scythe, are there traps that try to lower a portcullis, turning them into a test of strength for the barbarian to hoist, holding the path open until the others can get through? Does a room slowly fill with water, allowing the amphibious character to hunt for the off-switch with relative ease? Or do you remove traps as a meaningful obstacle, and replace them with something your players do have the capacity to deal with?

For instance, are there doors blocking the path that require the knowledge of a certain song? Is there a maze that could be solved by someone with a ranger's unique tracking and survival skills? Or are there inhabitants of this dungeon who could be persuaded to help players walk past particular traps with the right social skill checks (and perhaps a bribe or two)?

In the original setup, the party did not bring a rogue (or just a character capable of dealing with traps). As such, the traps become significantly bigger obstacles, usually just resulting in them being a random hazard that's going to suck out resources, and feel like a punishment. "Because you came here without a trap finder, now you're just going to get hit over the head with traps." And while that might be fair according to the rules, it quickly gets boring for players, who just feel like they're being punished because they built a different character than this game was designed for.

Provide Them Opportunity, Not Success

To reiterate what I said above, you want to provide your players the opportunity to actually use their characters' skills and abilities, instead of giving them deliberately mismatched challenges they don't have the ability to deal with. Much like how if you know you have a sorcerer who specializes in fire spells, it's kind of a dick move to make all the monsters they have to fight immune to fire (or so resistant to it that they might as well be).

And you don't have to change every, single challenge in your game to suit the talents of the characters present. However, it is helpful to make sure there are multiple ways to progress forward so that you don't get to a certain point and realize you have built a challenge that your party cannot hope to actually overcome. I actually talked about this a while back on Discussions of Darkness, and GMs who don't watch that show should head over the the Azukail Games YouTube channel and at least check out Episode 6, The 3 Solutions Strategy For Storytellers.

In short, ask if there are multiple paths to success, and if the characters at your table are capable of participating. You don't want to just hand your players success; you want to hand them the ability for their character to participate in a meaningful way.

Maybe that means you allow a trial-by-combat to impress the duke the party is supposed to get close to when no one has a really high Charisma, but there are some serious bruisers in the party. Maybe that means you have the big bag's encampment guarded by deadly wargs so the druid can get some use out of their animal empathy. Perhaps there's a black market way to get spell components in prison so the wizard has the ability to participate in the upcoming jail break. Or maybe it means that you line up a bunch of enemies in a single fight so that you can give one of your players the chance to let loose with lightning bolt so they feel like they made a good decision on their spell choice.

Your players should still have to make smart, strategic decisions. They should have to expend resources. There should still be a chance that they fail. But they shouldn't be making their checks with one hand tied behind their backs because they didn't guess what skills and abilities would be most necessary for overcoming the challenges you were planning on using!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Hoardreach is The Place For All Those "Too Weird" Characters To Come From

There are, generally speaking, two kinds of GMs when it comes to fantasy RPGs. There's GMs who want to embrace the full scale and spectrum of possibility within the setting as it exists, and there's GMs who want to limit as many player options as possible when it comes to how weird, wild, or strange they get.

You can usually identify the latter because they'll tell players to stop trying to make "special snowflake" characters.

Now, I talked about all the issues I have with this line of thinking back in It Only Has To Happen Once (Weird PCs and The "Special Snowflake" Argument). In brief, though, if something is allowed by the rules of the game, and is possible within the setting, then players should be allowed to choose those options. Whether it's an orc paladin, a goblin wizard, a dwarven sorcerer, or any other basic combination of species and class that isn't expressly banned by the rules.

Because sure, it might be weird. It might be unconventional. But it's fantasy... stretch your imagination, because that's the name of the game!

Frost Fang approves of snowflakes of all kinds!

It is for this purpose that I created Hoardreach for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting. So if you want the freedom to get weird, wild, and bizarre with your characters, this is going to be right up your alley!

For folks who want to stay on top of all my latest releases, sign up for my weekly newsletter! Also, if you enjoy my work, my latest novel Painted Cats just dropped this month. So if you want to check out a noir mystery with a Maine coon cat as the protagonist, this one is a wild ride!

Hoardreach is Where The Weirdness Lives

For folks who haven't been tuning in, one thing that I threw out the window with Sundara as a setting was the alignment system. While that means you no longer have alignment requirements for classes in Pathfinder, it also means there's no such thing as species-based alignments, or culture-based ones. Everything has to be evaluated on its own, rather than always having that Good, Neutral, or Evil label hanging over it to color your perspective of what you're looking at.

Oh don't you worry... there's still plenty of initiative that needs rolling.

However, while Sundara as a setting is about progress, discovery, and finding creative solutions to existing problems, several readers have mistakenly thought that makes it a world without conflict. There are plenty of conflicts for adventurers to get involved in, from protecting trade secrets, to dealing with outbreaks of undead, to trying to soothe tensions between two powers that might go to war... but what Sundara lacks is the idea that you can just kill certain creatures because they're evil without thinking twice about doing so.

And that, my friends, is where Hoardreach comes in.

Hoardreach is a sky island (a unique mountain location with drastically different conditions due to its height, as opposed to an island that floats in the sky... don't worry, we'll get to that later), and it was the strangeness of this location that drew the Founders. 5 dragons, rather than battling over the territory, agreed to each allow the others the part of the mountain they wanted for their lairs, and to act in the defense of all. While fairly young dragons individually, all 5 working in concert wielded far more power than anything short of a great wyrm could have managed.

After negotiations with one another, and meeting with a representative of the Adeptus Draconis (an order of knights tasked with keeping peace between dragons and non-dragons that was first mentioned back in 100 Knightly Orders), the Cooperation reached out to their neighbors. In exchange for tribute, they would extend their protection to surrounding areas, and assist with dangers they faced. While many were reluctant at first, the benefits of the dragons' aid far outweighed the cost asked.

As word of Hoardreach spread, people started coming to see it for themselves. While there were explorers and merchants, along with scholars, the city also drew outcasts who'd been forced away from their own homes. Goblin tribes that had been hunted, harpies who were unwanted, the remnants of orc mercenary bands who found no welcome, and dozens of others all sought places within Hoardreach. As the city grew it drew still more (and stranger) inhabitants who were able to lend their unique skills and abilities to make the city run smoothly. Soon the Founders were able to conserve their energies only for dire emergencies, while the various corps throughout the city took over the day-to-day labors.

Now Hoardreach is known far and wide. For in addition to being the City of Wyrms, it is also the place where the fledgling industry of air travel has been born. Ships shingled in the cast-off scales of the founders, and carefully constructed for form and function, have opened the possibilities of new types of trade and travel... as well as warfare, for those who would consider making the dragons of Hoardreach their enemies.

When Weird Becomes Normal

Everything in Hoardreach is utterly bonkers and bizarre... which means that to those who live there, this is completely normal.

It's not unusual to have different seasons going on in different districts, the very elements influenced by the presence of one of the Founder's Wyrm Marks. Flying ships are an everyday occurrence, as are pseudodragons, fey dragons, kobolds, and others. Sorcerers with draconic heritage are fairly common, many coming to the city hoping to learn at the feet of powerful dragons who might (albeit distantly) share their bloodlines. Ogres catch lines to help anchor ships, goblins and orcs sell soup in bowls around one of the main squares, and a frost giant is one of the head shipwrights who designs the unique sky ships of Hoardreach.

This is the Fantastical Mundane in action. If there's a monstrous species players have access to in the setting, chances are there's at least a handful of them in Hoardreach. If there's an unusual magical specialty, a strange family history, or just an odd magic item, it's a safe bet you could find it there. If you wanted to play a goblin who grew up in a major city surrounded by their family instead of being hunted like vermin, or a gnoll who was raised by an adopted halfling family, or a sorcerer who learned magic in the lair of a dragon, or an ogrekin looking to make their own way in the world... that's just Tuesday in Hoardreach.

So if any of that sounds like something you want to add to your game (as each of the Cities of Sundara can be enfolded into a different setting, or played as part of Sundara), get your copy of either the Pathfinder Edition of Hoardreach, or the DND 5th Edition of Hoardreach today!

Don't Forget The Rest of Sundara as Well!

If Hoardreach sounds like your cup of tea, remember that it's the 4th installment in the Sundara setting thus far! Not only that, but the others all have their own weird, wild, and unusual goodies to offer as well. So take a moment to check out:

- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!

- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.

- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Dweren Dragonsblood, The Goldsniffing Dwarf

So, last Fall I decided to try something a little different in my Unusual Character Concepts posts. Rather than writing up a general idea that players could put their own spin on, I decided to put together a post all about a specific character. Gaspar Dell'Amore, the Black Rose of Edme, was a two-fisted enforcer with the divine on his side. Folks seemed to like him, so I figured I'd give the format another try.

Allow me to present Dweren Dragonsblood, the Goldsniffing Dwarf.

Mmm... smells like a Chellish cache. They cut their coins with lead to maintain weight.

A Nose For Treasure

Some dwarves are known for smithing steel and iron, but the Dragsonsblood clan are renowned for their skill with gold, silver, and other precious metals. Their mines yield only the purest of noble metals, and their artisans possess a near supernatural skill. Even the members of the clan who aren't smiths, though, tend to work in the precious trade. Security experts, forgery detectors, gem cutters, merchants, and miners give the Dragonsblood clan a firm hold from the time the ore is found, until it is put up at auction.

The legend goes that the clan draws its name, and its prowess, from a smattering of draconic heritage. Though where that heritage comes from depends on whom you ask. Rivals to the clan claim their need for dominance, their arrogance, and their greed tie them directly to the worst examples of dragonkind, whom they have made ancient pacts with. The clan itself tells several different tales. Some may tell you they were blessed by a good dragon they once aided, others that they uncovered an ancient artifact that is used to bless the clan's children, and still others will say they are, in fact, descendants of a forge-keeper dragon.

So, when Dweren was born, he was expected to follow in the family's trades. Broad-shouldered and strong, his hands were too blunt for the fine work of gem cutting, and he wasn't suited to gold or silver smithing. Ever since he was young, though. Dweren had a nose for treasure. The fine scent of gold was like spun sugar in his nose, and chaste silver was the candy smell of honey cakes. All he had to do was hold an ingot to his nostrils to tell whether it was cut with lead, or if there was an impurity. And if he was walking down a tunnel? He could smell the veins of metal, and find them with uncanny accuracy.

Check the bodies, they've got gold on them. No I don't know where!

Chasing The Dragon

The easiest place to start off with Dweren is with the alternative dwarf trait Treasure Sense. It gives you scent regarding precious metals, and replaces stonecutting and stability. Then you give him a few levels of fighter to represent the rigorous training dwarves go through to determine which ones will make good soldiers, and which ones should pursue other trades. Familiarity with the military pick gives him a weapon of choice that always feels comfortable in his hands. And if that weapon happens to be made of adamantine, well, then there is no stone it won't breach.

Of course, he may have more dragon's blood than he knows in him. While sorcerer is not an ideal class for a dwarf, given their racial negative to Charisma, it is a good place to begin manifesting his heritage. Especially if the goal is to eventually enter the Dragon Disciple prestige class, which allows you to mix martial might with magical muscle. But which of the myths are true? Are they the noble descendants of gold dragons? The domineering children of reds? Or something else entirely? Only the scales on his arms, and the weapon in his breath, will say for certain.

And then the dragonslayers come.

 

So what is Dweren's job? Well, when his family needs his nose, he seeks out new lines of ore, and he helps them detect forgeries. With his magic, his inherent toughness, and the gifts of his draconic forebears, though, he is an ideal enforcer on treasure hunting missions. Even better, though, there is no mimic that can fool his schnoz unless it chooses to fill itself with treasure.

Fortunately for him, most shape-shifting chests really aren't that smart.

 

And before you go, if you haven't taken a look at it yet, don't forget to check out my 5 Tips For Playing Better Dwarves!

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Just How Old Is Your Loot? Tips For DMs Trying To Spice Up Treasure Hoards

Your heroes have traversed the burning desert, evaded the traps in the bloody labyrinth, and fought their way to the throne room of the Ralthus, the vampire warlord. The undead warrior has been reduced to little more than dust and sand, and the party turns to his collections of treasures... which is around the time you start rolling on the charts, and tossing out whatever loot they find.

And you find *dice rattle* a +2 dagger, and 25 gold pieces.

If this part of the game always feels like a kink in your story's flow, you might want to take a moment to try and make your treasure feel authentic to where your party found it, and how long it's been there, instead of just rattling off a spreadsheet of valuables.

How Treasure Hoards Are Formed

Lots of creatures in fantasy RPGs have treasure hoards. Dragons are perhaps the most infamous for the practice, but trolls, ogres, goblins, kobolds, and even undead lords all have treasures in their lairs. The reasons why should be obvious, but we rarely think about it. You see, treasure accumulates either because the creatures seek out (or occasionally create) powerful items, or because adventurers have been killed by the creatures, and their enchanted items stayed where they fell.

This is the reason you find an ancient sword in a troll's lair, just laying on the floor. It's also why you find talismans of great power in the strongholds of necromancers. These items don't just magically appear when you win a fight; they represent the wealth (either purposeful or accidental) of the creatures you've defeated.

Which, as a DM, is a great storytelling hook that often gets overlooked.

Just How Long Has This Stuff Been Here?

I'm not suggesting that you lay out a hoard with the meticulous care that you do the dungeon the party has to go through to reach it. Down that road lies madness, However, by scattering a few details here and there when it comes time to reward your party, you can turn something that often devolves into a bunch of bookkeeping into a great roleplaying experience.

 

I found a WHAT now?

What sort of details could you throw around though? After all, treasure is treasure... right?

Well, if that treasure is only a few years old, then sure, it's going to be recognizable. But what about treasure that's been sitting in a hoard for decades? Or centuries? What about treasure that made its way to this hoard from a far away land, or which is from empires that don't exist anymore?

For example, let's say your mid-level party has descended into the corrupt necropolis, and smashed skulls until the dead went back to sleep, and the malevolent influence hanging over the tombs departed. What was left behind? Sure, there's probably gold and silver, but who minted those coins? The metal they're made of is good, but a coin with a face you don't recognize is an intriguing detail that will catch some players' imaginations. Especially if you can link those coins back to your world's history, or to your future plot, in some way. Perhaps there are weapons, but if those weapons were buried with the dead in ages past, what do they look like now? Are they pristine, their magic pushing back the forces of decay, or are they waiting beneath the ashes and dust to be discovered? And do these weapons look or feel different from the enchantments of today? For particularly potent weapons, especially named weapons, is the magic laced within them beyond what even the most powerful wizards could create in this day and age?

There are dozens of minor details you can add to your party's loot to make it unique, and to really bring across that the threat they defeated has not been challenged in many years. A shield whose crest belongs to a nation a thousand years in the dust, or armor whose protective enchantments are written in a dead language known only to a few scholars. A breastplate distinctive of a knightly order who is only known today in children's stories of long ago valor. Distinctive patterns of forging or creation thought lost to time (similar to the patterns of Toledo or Damascus steel) would make weapons even more unique, and give players a sense that they aren't just holding a pile of interchangeable numbers. They're holding a piece of the game world's history in their hands.

Don't Roll For The Important Stuff

Every DM has his or her own style, and not everyone is good at off-the-cuff description. Some DMs need to think things through, and write it down long before the party ever gets there. Which is fine. However, take my advice on this one; if you want to create unique descriptions for the treasure your party finds, come up with it in advance. That way you know what's in the room, and you have your descriptions primed and ready for when someone asks what they find.

Do you draw the serpent blade when you find it?

Also, if you're looking for more advice on this particular subject, check out my previous posts Alternatives to Traditional Magic Weapons and Armor, as well as How To Keep Your Magic Items From Getting Mundane.

As always, thanks for stopping in to hear what I have to say. If you'd like to help keep the content flowing, you can support Improved Initiative by visiting The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and becoming a patron today! Also, if you haven't done so yet, you can keep up on all my latest posts by following me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Vietnamese Barber Uses Japanese Swords to Deliver Razor-Sharp Hairstyles

Have you ever wondered what happens to adventurers when they decide to stop raiding temples and locating lost gold? After spending years honing their instincts and learning to wield deadly weapons what do they do when there are no more creatures left to slay or monsters left to hunt?

They probably do something goddamn fabulous. Something like this!

Pictured: Two Weapon Rend in action.

That picture is not a joke; it's a shot of stylist Nguyen Hoang Hung doing what he does best. This hairdresser, who works in the Thanh Ke district in Da Nang according to this source, has tossed aside shears and scissors in favor of sculpting his client's manes with more epic tools. What he did before becoming a samurai stylist is not certain, but there has been a noted dearth of dragons in Vietnam for many years. Just saying.

If you want to see this man in action check out the video below. Would you be brave enough to let him sharpen up your look?

As always thanks for stopping by Improved Initiative, and if you'd like to help support the blog stop by my Patreon account and become a patron today! If you want to make sure you don't miss any of my updates then submit your email to the box on the right, or follow me on Facebook and Tumblr!