D&D 5E Item review

[derickmoore25]

While Attuned
+2 AC
+2 Dex
Disadvantage on all spell saving throws

Cursed
if you go a week without killing a creature with a soul while attuned the effects change to:
-2 AC
-2 Dex
Disadvantage on all spell saving throws

What does everyone think?

 

[jodyjohnson]

Time to cast Remove Curse once a week and then Re-attune.

Provided one isn't constantly making Spell saving throws.

 

[was]

...It's hard to comment without knowing what the item is, it's purpose or it's power level.

...IMO, if you're designing a Dex.-based item, having both an AC and Dex. bonus/drawback seems a little redundant. Maybe just have the Dex. bonus? You could increase it to +4 for a higher power item or keep it at +2 for a lower-powered one. Also, a bonus/hit to all saves seems a bit powerful. If you're designing a lower level item, I'd think about choosing just one.

 

[BoldItalic]

While Attuned
+2 AC
+2 Dex
Disadvantage on all spell saving throws

Cursed
if you go a week without killing a creature with a soul while attuned the effects change to:
-2 AC
-2 Dex
Disadvantage on all spell saving throws

What does everyone think?

Is it an item that requires to be worn or wielded to be effective? Like a Ring or an Amulet for example? If so, the disadvantage on saves is trivially avoided by unequipping the item.

The curse is easily avoided by attuning to three other items (if you haven't got three, you can borrow some from your friends temporarily).

 

[derickmoore25]

It's a cursed ring sorry that part didn't copy. Its rarity is very rare and My understanding was a cursed item can't be unequipped without casting remove curse..

 

[BoldItalic]

It's a cursed ring sorry that part didn't copy. Its rarity is very rare and My understanding was a cursed item can't be unequipped without casting remove curse.

I may be wrong but I don't think it actually says that in the DMG. Of course, you can make it a special property of the cursed ring, that you can't remove it once it has been equipped but presumably you want to sucker the PC into putting it on and attuning it before he realizes that it is cursed. If you make it non-removable immediately he's going to know it's cursed and may choose not to attune it.

Is the disadvantage on saves part of the curse, or does the player know straight away that it's a trade-off for the +2 benefits?

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

So the ring is cursed to fuse with the character's finger. No un-equipping there.

A +2 to AC and Dex? That's a +4 to AC in total. Seems way too much to me. Unless the AC boost is a function of the increased Dex and not on top of it.

Standard PC should have no issue with killing a creature that regularly, even a single kobold. But it smacks of "evil campaign" so it wouldn't fit for me, not that that is important.

I'd make it more campaigny. In other words the ring demands the death of 50 souls in a year. But souls are specific to a certain set of creatures - eg elven or fae. That should require some RP impetus to ensure the PC doesn't just accept the curse and carry on murderhoboing.

There are evil fae but the once/week is a reflection of the 50/year. So a slaughter of 10 Drow should keep it relatively happy for a while. It should physically make the PCs fists itch when in contact with elves/half-elves, esp if there are these races in the party...a roll of 1 to hit is a hit on the ally...

If you want to be really mean, it confers a Bonus Action of Help to any elven or half elven ally within 5'. Thus the PC thinks it's a nice pro-elf item. However, on a roll of 1 to hit, it automatically hits any such ally...this the dark side might not come out for a couple of weeks but then...hang on, this is a bit weird.

And then the pain as the ring begins to fuse and the penalties bite before the urge to kill elven folk becomes fully clear...

 

[Mephista]

Another part of this equation is this - "whom is it for?" Because if its going to someone who's constantly under Bless, a paladin aura, and gets advatnage, ala gnomes, then you're not really having a drawback for a very big benefit.

 

[derickmoore25]

I may be wrong but I don't think it actually says that in the DMG. Of course, you can make it a special property of the cursed ring, that you can't remove it once it has been equipped but presumably you want to sucker the PC into putting it on and attuning it before he realizes that it is cursed. If you make it non-removable immediately he's going to know it's cursed and may choose not to attune it.

Is the disadvantage on saves part of the curse, or does the player know straight away that it's a trade-off for the +2 benefits?

They know the disadvantage on save's and i balance magic enemies with non-magical. When they saw disadvantage on it the only one to even consider it was a LG monk.

 

[derickmoore25]

Another part of this equation is this - "whom is it for?" Because if its going to someone who's constantly under Bless, a paladin aura, and gets advatnage, ala gnomes, then you're not really having a drawback for a very big benefit.

No gnomes or clerics in the party and only one Oath of the Ancients paly