D&D 5E Cursed items and Identify in 5e

[Ichneumon]

I think in my games, all magic items will be cursed in this way.

Yeah, the Flaws in the playtest magic item supplement worked as very minor curses. I'd be interested in putting one of those, at least, into every magic item I gave out.

 

[Lanefan]

I think Identify is actually useful for cursed items. Normally you just need a few minutes to study an item during a rest to figure it out. Identify might make for a good warning beacon if you used it instead. Otherwise, the only thing Identify is useful for is using an item without resting first.

Quite right, which is why if I ever run or adopt 5e I'll quickly do away with the idea of learning what an item does without actually field-testing it (and triggering curses) or casting Identify or Item Knowledge at it (and triggering curses).

I was a bit surprised not to see some mention of how Identify interacted with curses in the spell's write-up.

Lanefan

 

[Psikerlord#]

Now THIS is a cursed Item. What would be even better is if it removed something else you were attuned to as well in the case that you have your max allowance already. Bye bye Holy Avenger attunement, make room for Sword of Darkness attunement that you didnt want lol.

I would allow a Magical Knowledge check with every attempt to Identify, DC dependent on the power of the curse. Made in private though so the players dont catch on.

yes devs if you're reading this, please put it in dmg!

 

[steeldragons]

Yeah. I think [MENTION=6777265]Xodis[/MENTION] has the right of it. Great idea!

As for the "official 5e ruling" on the matter, I haven't seen or heard of one. The % to notice a curse on an item seems as good a way to go as any.

Personally, I might not have a chance to know if the item was cursed, at all, until after a second identify is used. The first one gives false information except for one of the most benign/common traits, of course. When they go back to the given diviner/mage/PC to say, "Hey buddy! This isn't doing any of the things you said it would." A second identify/inspection/maybe even just a Dt. Magic will turn up, "BOOYAH! I'M CURSED SUCKUHS! N' I'M GONNA BE STUCK ONNNNN...<select PC> YOU! LET THE SOUL SUCKIN' BEGIN!"

[I've often thought there ought to be some kind of "soul sucking/life ruining" involved in cursed items...other than just the DM needs to figure out how to mess with the PC's world/life "story-wise"...a slow Con. drain or something...random ability drain? Gradual Energy Drain/Level loss (for powerful items/artifacts)?! Hellish transformation resulting in loss of Str. or Dex.? Something besides just "you can't get rid of it and it gives you a minus on this or that roll." Most stories of cursed items result in at least one of the item's owner's -usually inexplicable/mysterious- deaths or near-death, destroying their lives bit by bit until there's nothing left for them...often leaving them living with nothing as a worse fate than leading them to/resulting in their doom.]

 

[Tormyr]

I think Identify is actually useful for cursed items. Normally you just need a few minutes to study an item during a rest to figure it out. Identify might make for a good warning beacon if you used it instead. Otherwise, the only thing Identify is useful for is using an item without resting first.

My understanding is that focusing on an item during a short rest only gives you the surface properties of the item. It does not reveal the attuned properties or any secrets. Curses would normally fall under attuned properties. So you can attune before you know what the properties are or use identify to warn of the curses. Check the "identify" section of the following L&L.

http://www.wizards.com/Dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20140512

 

[Agamon]

My understanding is that focusing on an item during a short rest only gives you the surface properties of the item. It does not reveal the attuned properties or any secrets. Curses would normally fall under attuned properties. So you can attune before you know what the properties are or use identify to warn of the curses. Check the "identify" section of the following L&L.

http://www.wizards.com/Dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ll/20140512

I thought I'd read that somewhere, as that's how I was going to play it anyway.