I came across the article below and it was so evocative for me that it got me thinking about the low likelihood of me populating a Haunted House or similar with any of the items listed without some sort of inspiration.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/pictures/110209-maison-mantin-french-time-capsule-mansion/#/french-time-capsule-mansion-maison-mantin-frogs-diorama_32088_600x450.jpg

That got me thinking about the lists of d100 things/ locales/ etc that Dungeon Magazine used to include on the final page of their magazine occasionally. I loved reading them at the time and some stuck in my head long enough that I could use them as details in games I ran. What I liked about the tables from Dungeon Magazine, was how they got my brain going. They might become the seeds of a scenario, or the frosting on the cake of one I had already written, little details to up the weirdness and keep the players on their toes.

A favorite in our gaming group was one of the entries listed as Teleport Mishap Locations. It read something like 'Inside the belly of an infernal purple wurm in the 'x'th level of Hell." Although none of us as GMs had the nerve to ever do it to players, that quote became, for us, sort of synonymous with the GM screwing you over.

So, I decided to assemble a d20 table of Oddities that you might find in a creep old house. It is printed below. Several are inspired by the article in the link above. I would love to have things to add to the list. So if you have something that you think would fit into the theme and on the list, fire them my way. It would be great to get to d100.

Here is the d20 List:

Oddities that you might find in a creepy old house [roll a d20]:

1. A taxidermist’s diorama, under glass, of two frogs dueling with swords.
2. An ornate carpet, obviously expensive, with an oddly shaped lump in the middle. The lump resists smoothing, reappearing after a few seconds, and has no apparent cause. When shifted or raised to inspect the underside, the lump appears not to exist.
3. An ornate but asymmetric fireplace that has several small faces embossed or painted upon it of smiling cherubic children, screeching harridans, and lovely maidens.
4. A pair of elaborate candlesticks [the holders for the candles, not candles themselves], into elongated, fantastical beasts, made of black wax. The mouths of the beasts are open so as to accept candles.
5. A small, framed mirror, placed in such a way on a wall that no one of any ordinary height would be able to see their reflection in it.
6. A fossilized biscuit on a small dish. Within the biscuit are several equally fossilized weevils.
7. A hallway that ends in a right ninety-degree turn to another length of hallway. If the turn is taken, the traveller is deposited at the start of the original hallway again. Only by turning to the left by ninety degrees and walking into the ‘wall’ may a traveler proceed.
8. A huge, many-branched chandelier of silver, alabaster and ebony, lying in a shambles on the floor of an atrium. Looking upward, no way of suspending the chandelier can be seen.
9.  In a dusty room, on an equally dusty, marble-topped table with ornate gilded legs, is a small vase of flowers. The vase is free of dust, and the flowers are as fresh as if they had been picked only minutes ago.
10. A lamp lights a room ONLY when no one is within. As soon as someone enters, the lamp goes dark and cannot be relit. If checked it is dry of fuel. If fuel is added, as soon as the lamp is again positioned to be lit, the fuel vanishes.
11. A small taxidermist’s display of familiar creatures, altered to appear to be something else - A blowfish and several eels, connected, painted and displayed to suggest a squid attacking eel-tentacles splayed in threat, a beaklike mouth on the blowfish opened wide.
12. White wax candles [which will fit the candlesticks of #4] in the form of suffering people stretching upward in supplication.
13. A chess set of alabaster and obsidian pieces on a rich walnut and mahogany board. All of the pieces are headless.
14. The articulated bones of the finger of a large humanoid, held together by brass rivets and wires.. An artificial talon has been crafted of magically hardened silver. Several brass and copper wires trail from the other end, suggesting that the finger might once have been part of a greater whole.
15. An eyeless full-face mask of clear obsidian, carved to fit a human face on the inside, but an utterly featureless curving surface on the outside.
16. A thumb-sized piece of amber with some creature trapped within [GM’s discretion – could be a mosquito, could be a tiny perfectly preserved griffon].
17. A large heavy book on a lectern. The pages are high quality vellum, the covers thin sheets of embossed marble, the script and illuminations finely gilded and ornate. It cannot be touched, carried, or interacted with physically in any way. Only some form of magic [a minor telekinesis spell, etc.] can turn the pages. Short of divine interaction, the book cannot be removed from its place. The language and content is up to the GM to determine, but might require magic to read.
18. A puddle of water is seeping up between the tiles in the center of this room. It expands to cover approximately ¾ of the room, then resets in a juddering, flicker of light.
19. A small silver mirror of the sort you might find on a young woman’s dressing table. It reflects the holder’s face normally, but anyone else framed by the mirror will not be shown. However, if the person holding the mirror holds it so as to show the area directly behind his or her head, they will be treated to their own face, either freshly killed, or very long dead.
20. A wisp of smoke swirls lazily in space. It slowly drifts to a nearby wall and passes through it, leaving a distinct odor of brimstone.