Much like Zenopus Archives, I enjoy analyzing the rules from the Holmes basic D&D set. Since when I got that boxed set for my 13th birthday, it was my only roleplaying resource for several months, I like to create monsters or rules based only on what came in my blue box. In that regard, I paged through the copy of the rulebook's sample dungeon as well as the full-blown adventure that was included in my Holmes set, Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, to see what additional treasure items one could harvest for a game using only the Holmes rules.
I compiled this list, separated by loose category, of all items for which the authors gave a monetary value other than generic gems and jewelry. I also didn't include weapons, armor, or anything else that was already on the standard equipment list, just items that would give my teenage self some more descriptive examples of treasures for the dungeons I was obsessively creating back then. All values are in gold pieces:
Clothing
belt, jeweled w/rubies 1000Consumables
belt, gold & silver 90
belt, silver w/gold buckle 160
cape, fur-trimmed 75
cloak, sable 450
robe, fox 1200
brandy, keg 80Decorative Items
wine, good quality, small barrel 55
altar service set, gold 6000Functional Items
bowl, ancient bronze 2000
bowl, copper chased w/silver 50
bowl, malachite 750
cup, gold 100
cup, silver 20
cup, silver 90
decanter, crystal 10
dish set, copper 175
dish set, pewter 25
ewer, ancient bronze 2000
flagon, gold 500
goblet, ancient bronze 1000
goblet, jewel-encrusted 1300
ivory tusk, carved 50
mirror, silver 300
statue, alabaster & gold 3000
tapestry w/silver & gold threads 900
book, vellum (blank) 20Jewelry
box, iron (w/secret lock) 50
case, rare wood & silk 600
case, silver, small 1200
dagger, silver 50
dagger, w/jeweled scabbard 600
holy symbol, gold 150
ingot, gold 90
inkpot, jeweled 100
silk, piece 15
thief's tools 35
armband, silver 50Unfortunately, I couldn't locate my copy of In Search of the Unknown, so collating nonstandard treasure items from that module is left as an exercise for the reader :)
bracelet, ivory 100
chain of office, silver w/gems 1800
chain, copper waist 40
chain, great golden w/gem 1200
chain, silver neck 30
chain, silver w/5 small gems 400
clasp, jeweled 300
coronet and rings 300
pendant, jeweled 1000
ring, gold w/black gem 1400
ring, jade 400
ring, set w/gem 1200
5 comments:
Awesome! I'd thought of doing this at some point, thanks for the work.
I think B2 is the only place we find the only reference to thieves' tools (and their cost) in Holmes.
Glad I could be of assistance, ZA! Let me say again how much I enjoy your exploration of the Holmes rules.
And I appreciate the posts that both of you make about Holmes Basic. Like many of us this was the game that started me down the path, and I really enjoy the modest revival given it by its devotees.
My start with D&D was back at age 17 with the original 1st edition of rules by Gygax and Arneson, which I still have in the basement somewhere. Contrary to the site's statement that these rules were not released until 1974, I guarantee that this is incorrect, as I had started college by the fall of 1973, and we had already been playing for some time at that point. The original rules were really unusable without a copy of Gygax's Chainmail rules for medieval warfare,and a lot of interpretation; we wound up writing our own combat system to address these deficiencies!
Consider this adopted for the Hill Cantons, very cool. I can lend you my monochrome B1 if you want.
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