D&D 5E 15 terrible cursed items for DMs to use to make their PCs scared of treasure!

[Machiknight]

http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/BkRmfz9ob

Horrible Cursed Items

Have you been looking for some new toys to screw with the minds of your poor players? Look no further! From horrible to just plain annoying these cursed items will give your party a new reason to be cautious about what treasure they take!

Mask of Indeterminate faces
Wondrous item, uncommon, cursed
When the user puts this mask on they gain the ability to cast the spell Disguise Self one time. Once the item has been used, it adheres to the users face like a second skin and becomes unable to be removed except by a Remove Curse spell. After the wearer completes a long rest, the mask activates and casts Disguise Self by itself, with the features of the spell being determined by the DM.

Shrinking Ring
Wondrous item, rare, cursed This magical ring allows it's user to cast the Enlarge/Reduce spell once per long rest. Once the ring has been used to Reduce however, when the user reverts back to normal size, the ring does not. The wearer must succeed on a DC 15 constitution save or suffer 1d10 damage. The user’s had becomes nearly unusable causing them to make an additional save every time they try to use it or suffer the damage again. If the ring is not removed within a day, the wearer's finger dies and becomes useless giving a permanent -1 to Dexterity. If the wearer uses the ring the to cast Enlarge, when the effects wear off the ring stays larger, and falls off. If the ring is ever not worn it reverts back to it’s normal size.

Wand of Self-Immolation
Wand, uncommon, cursed
This appears to be a wand of Fireball with a single charge, that will not recover charges. If the wand is used it casts the spell Fireball as if cast by a 5th level caster, centered directly upon the user of the wand.

Blade of Deception
Weapon (Longsword), uncommon, cursed, requires attunement
This appears to be and acts like a Sword of Wounding, however after each round of combat the sword changes shape to another bladed weapon of a size category larger. Once the weapon has gone through the largest size category it changes shape to a weapon of the smallest size category, and continues the cycle.

Cup of Glorious poison
Wondrous item, uncommon, cursed
This magical cup is a gold and gem-laden masterpiece of craftsmanship. It has the ability to create fill itself with any mundane drink. Upon activation anyone within a 30ft radius must make a DC 14 Charisma save or have an overwhelming desire to drink from it, and the bearer has a strong desire to share the cup around. Drinking from the cup immediately confers the Poisoned status effect. The effect may be removed in the normal ways.

Boots of Mysterious Stepping
Wondrous item, uncommon, cursed, requires attunement
These magical boots allow you to cast Misty Step once per short rest. Once cast the wearer must succeed on a DC14 Intelligence check or they end up in a location of the DM’s choosing.

Antipode Cloak
Wondrous item, uncommon, cursed, requires attunement
This cloak appears to be black and white checkerboard. Donning the cloak grants the wearer Resistance to a certain element, but also Vulnerability to the opposite element. DM’s discretion which element. The cloakcan not be removed or un-attuned except by remove curse.

Coin of consumption
Wondrous item, uncommon, cursed
If this coin is ever in the dark and next to other coins, it consumes them at a rate of 1 coin per minute. The coin excretes beautiful but worthless glitter.

Headband of Broken concentration
Wondrous item, uncommon, cursed, requires attunement
This looks and operates like a normal Headband of Intellect, however once the wearer casts a spell that requires concentration they must immediately make a DC14 Intelligence save, or have their spell fail. Each round of concentration the wearer must repeat the save. The headband can not be removed or un-attuned except by remove curse.

Axe of Vicious Returning
Weapon (hand axe), rare, cursed, requires attunement
This hand axe looks almost identical to a Dwarven Thrower. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. It has the thrown property with a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet. When you hit with a ranged attack using this weapon, it deals an extra 1d6 damage. When the weapon returns to you it, it returns blade first, attacking you with half of the attack bonus used of its last attack. The Axe can not be un-attuned except by remove curse.

Plate Armor of Emperors Etherealness
Armor (plate), very rare, cursed, requires attunement
This armor seems to be a standard plate armor of Etherealness when discerning it's capabilities. While you’re wearing this armor, you can speak its command word as an action, however instead of conferring the effects of the Etherealness spell to it’s wear, it applies only to the armor itself, causing it to become ethereal. The armor is still considered "worn" by you, and all the negatives of plate still apply. This effect lasts until the next dawn. The armor can not be removed or un-attuned except by remove curse.

Vial of Lovers Poison
Wonderous item, uncommon, cursed
This bottle of poison can be applied to any bladed weapon. Upon doing so the target must make a DC 14 Con save or the weapon inflicts the Poisoned status on a successful hit. However, if the weapon is used to strike any target that has the Poisoned status effect, the target is healed for the amount of damage that would be rolled.

Quiver of Infinite annoyance
Wonderous item, uncommon, cursed, requires attunement
This Quiver creates magical +1 arrows as they are pulled out to be fired. When one of these arrows is fired, a beam of red light the width of the arrow follows in it's path, connecting the target and the shooter. This beam stays on the shooter until another arrow is fired at another target, causing a new beam of light to appear. The light disappears when an object comes between the two points, or 1 minute whichever happens first.

Magical Map of ineptitude
Wonderous item, uncommon, cursed
This rolled up map looks extremely well drawn, and redraws for everything within 1 square mile upon whispering the activation phrase. When someone uses the map, they must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or believe with absolute certainty that everything on the map is correct, and defend the legitimacy with uncharacteristic behavior. The map is always wrong, and leads anybody using it off course, usually towards the most dangerous thing nearby.

Demonskin Leather
Armor (leather), rare, cursed, requires attunement
This Red leather armor grants resistance to fire damage to it’s wearer, but also vulnerability to slashing and piercing damage. If the wearer is ever bleeding, the blood is absorbed by the armor and a sense of delight is detected by its wearer. The armor can not be removed or un-attuned except by remove curse.

 

[Yama Dai O]

Though the layout looks very neat, you may get more feedback if you add the text to your post.

Going through the items... I like the mask and see no issue with it.

The Shrinking Ring does a lot of damage for something that affects a single finger (crushes it, I'd say, in a way that is very hard to avoid if you are just meat and bone). I'd just have it deal 1 hp damage and cripple the finger.

The Wand of Self-immolation and Blade of Deception got mixed up. The wand doesn't seem to be cursed, perhaps a bit of text got snipped.

I like the Coin of Consumption. I may tweak this so it swallows coins (of its type) and gates them to some unknown location. The players will come across such coins now and then, and may eventually want to track down the coin's creator.

The Axe is a good balance between dangerous and still useful. I suggest changing 'half the attack bonus' to 'half the attack roll total'.

The Lovers Poison seems mildly abusable, but then again it's just one dose.

Demonskin Leather is a cool concept. Should it curse the wearer to prevent removal?

 

[jaelis]

I also particularly like the mask, coin, headband, axe and map, kudos!

And I agree the ring is a bit too complicated. How about: it does damage equal to your level, and reduces your max hp by the same amount until it is removed. If it is removed by severing your finger, then you lose one point of Dex. You can recover the Dex by regenerating your finger.

Don't quite understand the blade of deception. What do you mean by a size category? And does the cycling ever stop?

The poison cup, I like the concept but not so much the saves to avoid drinking. What if instead, anyone who drank from it believed that they gained 1d10 temp hp, but in fact were poisoned? To keep things simple, say the delusion only lasts for 1 minute after drinking. Also, what are the "usual ways" to remove the poisoned condition? Typically I'd have said it was poison dependent.

The boots are maybe too DM dependent for my taste, how about the destination is a random location within 500 ft?

The cloak seems fine, not terribly exciting.

For the plate armor, I'd spell out that the wearer loses his armor bonus. But I wouldn't keep the penalties from wearing armor, it doesn't really make sense and isn't necessary. It's fair though to say you can't put on other armor until the effect ends.

The lover's poison I think is too beneficial, basically unlimited healing? Or does it only last for one hit, maybe that should be clarified.

The quiver is maybe a bit too meta for me, but I like the idea of arrows that give away your location.

The demonskin armor is neat, but it should indeed prevent removal.

 

[Machiknight]

Thanks for the info guys, I went ahead and just added the text here.

 

[Machiknight]

Though the layout looks very neat, you may get more feedback if you add the text to your post.

Going through the items... I like the mask and see no issue with it.

The Shrinking Ring does a lot of damage for something that affects a single finger (crushes it, I'd say, in a way that is very hard to avoid if you are just meat and bone). I'd just have it deal 1 hp damage and cripple the finger.

The Wand of Self-immolation and Blade of Deception got mixed up. The wand doesn't seem to be cursed, perhaps a bit of text got snipped.

I like the Coin of Consumption. I may tweak this so it swallows coins (of its type) and gates them to some unknown location. The players will come across such coins now and then, and may eventually want to track down the coin's creator.

The Axe is a good balance between dangerous and still useful. I suggest changing 'half the attack bonus' to 'half the attack roll total'.

The Lovers Poison seems mildly abusable, but then again it's just one dose.

Demonskin Leather is a cool concept. Should it curse the wearer to prevent removal?

Thanks for the tips! I fixed the blade and the wand. The wand is supposed to read:

Wand of Self-Immolation
Wand, uncommon, cursed
This appears to be a wand of Fireball with a single charge, that will not recover charges. If the wand is used it casts the spell Fireball as if cast by a 5th level caster, centered directly upon the user of the wand.

I like your coin idea, could be a side quest. Fun Fun!

I changed up shrinking ring based on the next guys comments.

Yea the poison MAY be somewhat abuse-able, to heal your team but dont forget, it also gives the poisoned status effect, which kinda sucks.

Demonskin leather has been made un-removable.

 

[Machiknight]

I also particularly like the mask, coin, headband, axe and map, kudos!

And I agree the ring is a bit too complicated. How about: it does damage equal to your level, and reduces your max hp by the same amount until it is removed. If it is removed by severing your finger, then you lose one point of Dex. You can recover the Dex by regenerating your finger.

Don't quite understand the blade of deception. What do you mean by a size category? And does the cycling ever stop?

The poison cup, I like the concept but not so much the saves to avoid drinking. What if instead, anyone who drank from it believed that they gained 1d10 temp hp, but in fact were poisoned? To keep things simple, say the delusion only lasts for 1 minute after drinking. Also, what are the "usual ways" to remove the poisoned condition? Typically I'd have said it was poison dependent.

The boots are maybe too DM dependent for my taste, how about the destination is a random location within 500 ft?

The cloak seems fine, not terribly exciting.

For the plate armor, I'd spell out that the wearer loses his armor bonus. But I wouldn't keep the penalties from wearing armor, it doesn't really make sense and isn't necessary. It's fair though to say you can't put on other armor until the effect ends.

The lover's poison I think is too beneficial, basically unlimited healing? Or does it only last for one hit, maybe that should be clarified.

The quiver is maybe a bit too meta for me, but I like the idea of arrows that give away your location.

The demonskin armor is neat, but it should indeed prevent removal.

Great idea on the ring! I added that.

The blade example: morphs from longsword to greatsword to polearm to dagger to longsword. It never stop changing.

The boots, how do you pick a random location?

I changed the plate armor it now reads:
Plate Armor of Emperors Etherealness
Armor (plate), very rare, cursed, requires attunement
This armor seems to be a standard plate armor of Etherealness when discerning it's capabilities. While you’re wearing this armor, you can speak its command word as an action, however instead of conferring the effects of the Etherealness spell to it’s wear, it applies only to the armor itself, causing it to become ethereal. The armor is still considered "worn" by you, and all the negatives of plate still apply. This effect lasts until the next dawn. The armor can not be removed or un-attuned except by remove curse.

The poison is only supposed to last on your blade for a few rounds, need to fix that. Yea you COULD use it to heal, but it would still poison it's target.

Demonskin armor has been made to need remove curse to wear.

Also wand text was fixed to:
Wand of Self-Immolation
Wand, uncommon, cursed
This appears to be a wand of Fireball with a single charge, that will not recover charges. If the wand is used it casts the spell Fireball as if cast by a 5th level caster, centered directly upon the user of the wand.