How do you handle loot from enemies with mighty or evil weapons?

[Matthew P.]

How do you handle loot from enemies with mighty or evil weapons?

For example a Flind (a Gnoll from Volo's) wields a mighty evil flail imbued with magic from Yeenoghu. Do you let the players have the flail and use it? Or do you prevent them from having it some way? In that case how?

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

1: Very carefully. Tongs are appropriate.

2: As material components for forging items that are similar in character and theme, while not direct copies. Gives room for DM to adjust according to table's style/campaign's power level.

 

[Coroc]

Well your yennoghu flail: If i want the players to have it it depends on the Quality:

1. Is it a +1 or so Magic weapon? The gnolls might want it back
2. Is it +3 artefact (extra d8 necrotic damage e.g.) It might :
a) zap the Player
b) have sentience (evil aligned of course) and works to ist own (Yennogu's)Targets.

If i do not want the Players t own it:

It zaps them

It zaps the m some more

It strikes the wielder in combat

The wielder becomes chaotic evil over the time (Cha vs wis checks or so might apply since i am a fair GM)

While in vincinity of Gnolls they get a telepathic alarm from the weapon which makes them go berserk and take every risk to get the weapon back.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In this particular case, the magic of the flail comes directly from Yeenogho, and I would rule that on the death of the Flind, the magic returns to Yeenogho, becoming non-magical. Alternatively (and in addition) it could only be wielded by a chosen follower of Yeenogho, if anyone else tries to use it the flail attacks the wielder.

This item is not intended for use by player characters, it is, effectively, part of the monster.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

It really depends how you want to handle it as a DM. I've had games where certain powerful magic items required 'binding rituals' that would not be available to, or really not wanted by, the players. This let BBGs have cool items that wouldn't result in mega power boosts for the players when taken.

 

[AmerginLiath]

Another option is not to figure out how to let them wield it, but rather offer a system in-game for them to destroy the evil objects and get a reward (either payment from a good church or XP as a sort of divine remuneration) for exorcising demon influences on the plane. They still end up getting something out of the loot and there's a side quest to boot!

 

[AtomicPope]

Typically, I treat magic weapons, such as the Flind's flail, like a Warlock's Pact weapon. When the monster is dead the weapon doesn't function. Other times I make the magic item appropriate to the wielder. In my current campaign there are lots of demons and devils. A warlord (classes from Volo's Guide) had +2 Demonic Plate. That's very powerful magic except when you're fighting against infernal creatures then it's a liability.

Sometimes you just give them the magic item.

 

[Eltab]

I would describe the weapon giving them the willies when they first try to pick it up with intent to possess it.
Let them figure out it is a Cursed Tool of Great Evil-Doing, which will suck their character into the flood and sweep them irresistably downstream to where-ever IT wants to go / do.

During the out-of-character discussion, drop in the fact "your characters know of places that might be able to neutralize or destroy this ... thing."

 

[Oofta]

If a PC tries to wield it they get a sense of overwhelming evil and hear a yipping laugh in their heads. Give me a wisdom save or be stunned by visions of chaos and blood for 1d4 minutes. After that, if they insist on wielding it, they start to have more and more gruesome dreams of murder, slaughter and chaos. They are unable to willingly give up the weapon. If the weapon is taken from them by force or subterfuge, they will know where it is and attempt to retrieve it.

Over the course of days and weeks, they gain more and more gnoll-like features as they slowly morph into a gnoll servant of Yenoghu. If a remove curse is not cast on the PC before the transformation they become a gnoll warlord, ready to take up the mantle of slaughter of the previous owner and become an NPC monster.

That lets me set up a fun story of how other previous wielders of the weapon were once heroic warriors, corrupted by the lord of savagery.

In other cases, the weapons have been powered by the souls of the cursed dead that whispered dark schemes to their owners or simply zapped the person that tried to pick it up because they were not worthy (not evil enough).

If you want to give the weapon to the PC you can always have a way to be cleansed or purified which can be a fun little side quest. It makes for a more memorable story for highly powerful weapon than "we bought it at the local magic shop".

 

[Sunseeker]

Bad guys with cool gear have a chance for it to be damaged and rendered useless through combat. I just roll when they die and go from there. I do the same things with players to prevent "loot the body" on party members.

Evil items have negative effects on good PCs, just like good items will have negative effects on evil PCs. (though I don't usually allow evil PCs).

In your example OP the PC may slowly take on more Gnoll-ish physical traits, or gain a blood-frenzy like ability where they need to make a save (which gets worse over time) to avoid attacking random targets and allies. Negative levels are a possibility. Sometimes the weapon will just refuse to work, always missing or hitting nearby allies instead.