How I do Treasure Types

 

This is the B/X table for generating monster treasure. I assume that Gygax intended to use it when you are generating dungeons, at home, chilling alone with a cup of tea: It has a ton of rolls to do. Some of them are even PERCENTILE. 

I found myself having to generate treasure a lot of times during the game. Also I strongly dislike having so many types of coin: I only use silver (the standard) and gold coins (armor and other specific things are still keeping their gold prices). Copper is a nuisance and electrum can go fuck itself. I don't even want to know what the fuck it is, but it is surely something I don't want everywhere around on my fantasy world. 

I spent a lot of time calculating the averages of each treasure type. Someday I found out casually that they were already calculated for me, right at the preceding page:

To give it a little randomization, multiply the result according to this table. Note that I use silver standard, so that is the value in silver for me.

1 - 25% treasure
2 - 50% treasure
3 - 75 % treasure
4 - 100 % treasure
5 - 150% treasure
6 - 200% treasure

The numbers add to 600%, divided by six results so its 100%. This means that stastically the treasure amount doesn't change.

Then I roll 1d6 in this other table: The treasure is composed mostly of..:

1 - Gold coins (value as 10 silver coin each)
2 - Gems and jewelry. Depending on my mood this can be a single jewel or a myriad of small gems
3 - Valuable but small items (books, weapons)
4 - Valuable but bulky items (armor, statues, art)
5 - Silver coins
6 - Silver coins

For bigger treasures I divide the treasure into 2, 3 or 4 roughly equal parts and roll separately for each part.

Magical items are rolled normally but I approximate the results with d6. Not because I cannot roll percentile, but is a question of principles (for example, a Type A treasure with a 30% chance of magic treasure becomes 33% chance: 2 in 6). Percentile rolls feel ugly in D&D and the exact numbers are arbitrary after all.

EDIT: for convenience, I also calculated the averages of unguarded treasure rooms per dungeon level:

level 1: 158 gp

level 2 or 3: 483 gp

level 4 or 5: 1553 gp

level 6 or 7: 3205 gp

level 8+: 6256 gp

Average value of 1 gem: 194 gp 

Average value of 1 jewel: 1050gp