Monster Parts as Treasure

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Go0gleplex
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Monster Parts as Treasure

Post by Go0gleplex »

Been reading a lot of Isekai genre Light Novels and manga the last few months. One common theme is that monster parts are collected and sold by adventurers for use in the creation of weapons and armor as well as potions, spell components, and items used in everyday living. Or in some cases, even food.

This is really visual in the light novel/manga that the pic below is from. Good scene of a newbie adventurer (1st level) vs a Giant Centipede. :) The shell plates on the thing are bought for 10 silvers a pop and used in creation of light armor.
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mmbutter
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Re: Monster Parts as Treasure

Post by mmbutter »

That's a lot bigger than the giant centipede in Classic Monsters. Like a Giant Giant Centipede. :-)

serleran
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Re: Monster Parts as Treasure

Post by serleran »

I have very slowly been working on this idea but haven't really put words to page in a while.

Here is a sample using what's in M&T and my own stupid mind:

Aboleth
The brain is generally used one of two ways: 1) ground into a powder or semi liquid and mixed with other ingredients in the making of various mind-affecting and illusion-based potions; 2) eaten as a delicacy, generally served on ice

Eyes are rather simple to remove and are usually eaten raw or crushed and added to a mixture of inks for the writing of scrolls, primarily those with vision-related effects such as clairvoyance.

An aboleth liver has many properties – 1) it can be eaten, usually grilled, smoked (roasted), or steamed; 2) the bile can be used as a replacement for standard lamp oil, burning for three to five times as long; 3) if blessed by a cleric, the bile can produce a remove curse effect when rubbed over the exposed skin of a recipient; 4) emptied, it can serve as a waterproof and airtight container or decanter; 5) used as a component, when liquefied, in the making of water-breathing or air-breathing (depending on the needs) potion effects

Aboleth meat or body flesh is simply consumed, cooked or served raw, usually left without spices so the natural astringency comes through; a single (adult) aboleth provides enough meat, when extracted properly, to provide for 3-6 individuals

Mucus organs of an aboleth are generally used as follows – 1) as a vacuum or airbag for stoking or controlling a fire, especially by a blacksmith; 2) alchemical reactor for removing, distilling, or purifying air from an object; 3) container for fermenting strong alcoholic beverages; 4) reagent in the casting or making of scrolls and potions that utilize cloud, mist, or wind effects, especially those of poisonous nature such as cloudkill; 5) ground with certain herbal components for the distillation of lethal poison
The skin of an aboleth is often used as a replacement for leather, especially in the cobbling trade, but can also act as such for paper, and if enchanted, holds water-related spells nicely. It can be used to form armor, but is twice as difficult to become an expert at the craft. It is naturally waterproof so many maritime spellcasters seek it as replacement for vellum or paper.

Aboleth slime is primarily used for its absorbency, but careful handling is requisite to avoid possible injury, responding much like dry ice. It requires tremendous volumes to cause discernible damage to creatures native to the elemental plane of water, but druids and sages still hold interest in the substance as do alchemists. If mixed with oil and ink, aboleth slime can form a water-soluble invisibility, revealed only when exposed to moisture for transmission of written clandestine messages. It can also be used as a bonding agent acting similarly to wood glue though it lacks any resistance to water so intelligent uses are in places where moisture is not a concern.

Tentacles are used for makeshift rope, as a whip, or frayed and used for decorative purposes on clothing, weaponry, and jewelry such as crowns; in these cases, if imbued with magic, such items are typically those of a domination or crowd control effect.

Achaierai
The beak of an achaierai is generally easy to remove, once the beast is laid low and its height is no longer an advantage, and is often used to make drinking vessels or powdered to aid the formation of magical size alteration effects. Unlike the rest of the otherworldly bird, the beak is not semi-metallic, but can substitute for ivory and similar materials, especially for the making of dice and gambling gear.

Body meat, considered a rare specialty, is usually cooked in oil, grilled, or boiled in exotic compounds to soak in the flavors and properties of its surroundings, the achaierai providing enough to sustain up to 10 individuals. The meat itself, if tasted, is dry and gamey, prone to spoilage resulting in rapid onset sickness. As achaierai are extraplanar, summoning or conjuring one simply to kill it for food (or any other item on this list) is a decidedly evil action and one that is subject to retaliation by those things which keep the bird as pets or war mounts.

A crest is generally used in the making of pillows or as a substitute for feathers, such as in the making of certain types of headdresses or decorative pieces, but can also be used to make a quill; they are especially desired for this as the sharp, hollow point, makes for an excellent long term item. The high price is attributed to its latent magical effect which lingers after the death of the achaierai, a prized attribute of those seeking to make or enhance a magically resistant item for it bestows a small fragment of the creature’s spell resistance; however, this requires the entire crest as opposed to a single or group. It should be noted that not every feather of the bird can be used, as many are simply too small or weak, but on average, an achaierai can be harvested for 50 – 200 usable feather (each has only one crest, however.) A single feather is typically used as a quill, especially for the transcription of spells and magic that involve the conjuration or summoning of creatures but also for the writing of contracts, legal decrees, and by overworked scribes (the feather is soft and light, perfect for holding over long periods); due to inability of the achaierai to fly, the feathers of the bird are not suited for fletching.

Eyes are often cooked into stews or mashed and mixed with fruits to make a spread, these thought as wonderful appetizers in gourmet circles. Alchemists, however, prize the eyes as they are thought to be able to dowse for areas of pure air or the entrances to alternate planes, primarily that of air or wind; enchanters use the eyes for a variety of effects, the most common being that of divinatory arts which cross planar boundaries, such as commune.

Due to the peculiar nature of the achaierai, gaining possession of the legs is not an easy task, but for those making the effort, a great reward is in store as each has a multitude of abilities – 1) used in the making of furniture such as chairs, couches, or beds; 2) crafted for vehicular motion (the strong, nearly metal legs make excellent axles); 3) used in conduction experiments, whether of heat, cold, or electricity; 4) pulverized and treated for the inclusion into healing, restorative, or regenerative magic effects, scrolls, and potions; 5) reduced to powder and admixed with other ingredients as a barrier against rust and oxidation; 6) cut and shaped into various weapons, most easily that of swords and daggers. Any object fashioned thusly retains its form readily and resists wear with amazing rigidity, nearly as durable as adamantine but with a lot less weight for the legs are practically hollow.

Achaierai rib bones are smoked, steamed, grilled, or sometimes broiled and served in a variety of ways as a tender morsel, usually with thick sweetened mead; some find the inner marrow delightfully juicy and prefer the taste of it raw. When not used as a meal, the bones are hollowed and used where bone might, from artwork to weaponry, though, coming from a bird, they are more suited to archery applications. In the magical treatments, achaierai rib bone is often applied to the making of scrolls or treatises regarding extraplanar travel or the calling of beings native to those regions.

Talons are extremely difficult to procure because the achaierai can grow them anew, this during the actual removal process. However, one who does succeed finds many purposes: 1) if the talon is extracted from a still-living achaierai, it can be used as a sort of divining rod to locate others of its ilk when placed onto the ground and allowed to freely roam; 2) crushed and mixed with reagents, an effect not unlike the haste spell can be generated; 3) it can be crafted into an especially sharp weapon, this trade a secret of elven lore, who use them to create feather-edged daggers; 4) all the same basic applications as that of the larger leg, save options 1 and 2.

The wishbone of the bird, when very carefully removed and cleaned, a task that requires patience and a steady hand, can be imbued with certain charms and magical effects that, when broken allows one of two effects – 1) if broken alone, the individual considered owner or groom of the achaierai is summoned without assurance of attitude toward the summoner; 2) broken in conjunction with the casting of a conjuration effect, the best possible results are resolved. A free-roaming achaierai who dies and then has its wishbone used for purpose 1 results in random calling of an extraplanar being, often with unexpected consequences.

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Tadhg
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Re: Monster Parts as Treasure

Post by Tadhg »

Interesting . . good subject/thread.

I believe there are mentions in the M&T about using monster parts inside the monster description paragraphs ~ thanks, I'll have to review the entries!

8-)
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rkhigdon
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Re: Monster Parts as Treasure

Post by rkhigdon »

If you don't mind looking at sources from other games, the Lairs & Encounters book for Adventurer, Conqueror, King by Autarch has some rules for this sort of thing.

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