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DRAGON HOARDSWARREN MAHYThe first character to start his or her turn in asquare adjacent to a distracting prisoner takes a –1penalty to speed. Wherever the character goes, thedeluded prisoner attempts to cling to the characterand follow him. An affected character can escape theprisoner, leaving the prisoner standing where it is andremoving the speed penalty, by succeeding on a DC10 Strength check as a standard action. Otherwise,the speed penalty lasts until the end of the encounteror until the prisoner is slain.Dragon-Cursed: Dragon-cursed treasure carriesthe maliciousness of its owner to such an extentthat anyone that handles as much as a gold piecefalls under a mild curse. A character in possession ofdragon-cursed treasure while the dragon still livestakes a –2 penalty to all defenses until he or she discardsthe tainted item (throws it away to no benefit)or has a Remove Affliction ritual performed on himor her.Shifting Piles and Slippery Coins: Loose coinscan be treacherous to move through, since they createunstable footing. Each square containing treasurecounts as difficult terrain. In addition, the dragongains a +5 bonus to Perception checks made to hearintruders when they enter a square containing thetreasure.Vicious Treasure: As wondrous as a hoard canbe, it can also be dangerous. Caches contain weapons,armor, and other sharp objects that can snagand cut the unwary. Any character who enters asquare containing vicious treasure takes 5 damage atthe heroic tier, 10 damage at the paragon tier, or 20damage at the epic tier.Principles ofHoard DesignGenerating a dragon’s hoard can be as simple as writingdown the number of gold pieces and picking afew items, but such a strategy is rarely rewarding forplayers who have risked their characters’ lives andlimbs to defeat the dragon. Indeed, PCs deserve a bitmore than a humdrum pile of gold (or platinum orastral diamonds). Given how important dragons areto D&D, their treasures ought to have as much characteras the dragons have themselves.A dragon’s hoard is an impressive thing, not onlyfor the accumulated wealth, but also as a window intothe psychology of the dragon that claims it. A hoardincludes those things the dragon has found, had beenoffered as tribute by terrified mortals, or has takenby force. In all, the dragon’s hoard is representative ofwhat the dragon likes, what it values, and fundamentally,what interests it. Dragons are bound to pick up afew random oddities along the way, but to keep suchitems in its hoard, the dragon has to live with the item,has to look upon it, cherish it, brag about it, and, ofcourse, jealously guard it every day of its extended life.To build an interesting dragon hoard, considereach of the aspects discussed below.HistoryFrom the moment a dragon strikes out on its own,it begins hoarding treasure. The dragon has in itshoard treasures acquired throughout decades if notcenturies, including items from a variety of culturesand civilizations that might no longer exist. As well,CHAPTER 2 | DM’s Guide to Dragons61