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Cursed Items Thread

I'm putting together an adventure right now where I intend to give out a whole snot-load of cursed magic items, but I don't want them too overused or unbalancing, so I'm toying with the idea of giving out cursed items.

Instead of giving out disastrous curses though, like mage-armor-1/day,-but-item-sucks-out-the-soul-of-anyone-failing-a-DC-57-Will-save- and-destroys-the-world-after-consuming-three-souls, I want to give out items which provide real utility at a price or with an inconvienience.

The following are what I've come up with so far:

Please add whatever suggestions you have.
 

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Cursed Items:

The Apprentice’s Destiny

This cursed (dependant) +3 giantbane greatsword only functions in the hands of an arcane spellcaster. For wielders without access to arcane spells, it is simply a masterwork greatsword.
Faint conjuration; CL 9th; Craft magic arms and armor, summon monster, Price 28,800gp

Sandman’s Dust-Bag
This non-descript black velvet bag holds only sand. Five times per day, the bearer of this bag may pull out a handful of sand and cast it at her foes. This acts as sleep spell cast by a 1st level sorcerer. The bearer of this bag must sleep 16 hours per day. Attuning the bag to a new owner requires that the new owner carry the bag (and suffer the drawback) for three days before the sand is usable. The bag must be periodically refilled with non-magical sand to continue functioning.
Faint enchantment; CL 1st; Craft wondrous item, sleep, Price 360gp; Weight 1 lb.

Windrobes
These elaborate samite robes in blue and white are resize for each wearer, but the sleeves and the skirt of these robes are always far too long, generally three times the wearer’s total height. The robes cease to function if the wearer bunches up the sleeves or gathers the skirt so much that either hands or feet are exposed. All armed melee attacks made by a wearer whose melee weapon is outside the robe with the wearer’s hands are inside the robes suffer a -4 penalty, and any attempt made by the wearer to resist being disarmed suffers an additional -4 penalty. Running, or even walking, while these robes are worn is impossible. Laying these robes out to don requires a full-round action, or, as a standard action, requires a Dex check, Use Rope check, or Profession (Taylor or Seamstress) check, DC 15. Donning the robes requires another full-round action. Donning the robes without laying them out requires three full rounds. Removing the robes requires a standard action.
Wearing these robes properly, and with the collar and belt fastened grants the wearer the ability to fly at will, speed 120’, maneuverability perfect. The wearer also hears constant birdsong, which is mood-lightening, but also quite distracting, causing him to suffer a -2 to all Concentration checks and granting immunity to all morale penalties while the robe is worn.
Faint transmutation; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, overland flight, permanency, heighten spell, Price 15,000gp; weight 10 lbs.

Matriol, The Razor of Faith, Protector against the Stone Usurpers, Whelmer of the Watery Wave-riders, Flamefoe, and Ardent Auror of the Air.
This intelligent, Keen, +3 Outsider/Elemental Bane rapier is dedicated to defending the prime material plane against extraplanar creatures. On the prime material plane, the sword’s intelligence is suspended, rendering it a potent magical sword, but incapable of thought, action, or awareness. On any plane other than the prime, the sword’s intelligence awakens, but all other magical properties are suspended, leaving the weapon a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and somewhat effete advisor, but unsuitable for combat.
Matriol has Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 19, ego 20, Spot 20, Listen 14, Knowledge (The Planes) 29.
Overwhelming conjuration; CL 20; Artifact.

Marekyurie’s Boots of Magical Flight
The cursed winged boots function only once per wearing
Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, fly, Price 14,400gp; Weight 1 lb.


Insensate Regalia
Apparently inspired by the old saying “See no evil, hear no evil: speak no evil,” this peculiar trio of magical items may offer more drawback than benefit, but resourceful adventurers could find them useful in rarefied circumstances.
See No Evil
This simple, heavy, quilted, silk sash serves as an effective blindfold. While worn, it’s wearer is totally incapable of sight, as though under the effects of a blindness spell.
Hear No Evil
These earplugs simulate the effect of a deafness spell, rendering the wearer insensate to sound, but not vibrations, so long as they are worn. They also grant total immunity to sonic damage.
Speak No Evil
This item, perhaps the most peculiar and the most useful of the trio, is a gag. It does not interfere with the wearer’s breathing, and, in fact, offers a +2 bonus vs. inhaled poisons, but does render the subject totally incapable of speech, ruining all attempts to cast spells with verbal components. The gag also creates a continuous zone of truth, centered on the wearer.
Synergistic Effects:
Wearing both the blindfold and gag together grants the wearer the effects of both improved invisibility and silence in addition to the effects the two items grant individually.
Wearing the blindfold and gag together grants the wearer the ability to cast clairaudience/clairvoyance and the benefits of the improved blindfight feat in addition to the effects the two items grant individually.
Wearing the earplugs and the gag together grant the wearer free use of see invisibility, but only so long as the blindfold is not worn, and also prevents the wearer from being flanked.
If all three are worn together, the wearer is not granted use of the see invisibility spell, but does gain the effects of all of the other effects the items grant, both individually, and in synergy. Additionally, the wearer gains the benefits of a magic circle against evil, minor globe of invulnerability, & stoneskin and once per day the wearer of all three items may cast forbiddance and guards and wards.

Darts of Homing
These darts come in pairs. When one is thrown and sticks in an object, the character throwing it cannot relinquish custody of the other until he again has both in his possession. The bearer of one dart always knows the direction toward the other dart, and hears a constant keening until the two are within five feet of each other.

Axe of High Standards
Every attack made with this +3 Shocking and Thundering Burst Dwarven Waraxe of Throwing and Returning deals damage. If the axe fails to hit the creature or object targeted, the damage rolled is applied to the wielder instead.
 
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Here's one powerful weapon that the players should be terrified of using, although it's tempting enough that they might bring it out in desperate situations. It isn't cursed in the sense that you can't drop it or get rid of it, but it's quite likely to behead the wielder as well as the foe. If you feel it's too powerful as is, you can decrease the enhancement bonus to something lower, or decrease the threat range, but remember that this really is a two edged sword, and the more powerful it is, the more dangerous it is to use.

The sword named "Devourer"
This devestating weapon acts as a +5 Vorpal Longsword with a threat range of 15-20, except that it decapitates on every confirmed critical hit, not just on a natural 20. Furthermore, on command it can transform itself into a Greatsword, or either a Longsword or Greatsword of any size the wielder is capable of using. After dropping any opponent with The Bloodstained Blade, the wielder MUST attack any other target within reach, as if possessing the Great Cleave feat, except that this attack is compulsary. Allies are included as valid targets. If there are no other available targets, the weilder must attack himself.
No magical aura; CL25; Artifact
 

Some interesting ideas so far. I like the idea of minor magic items that have both beneficial and harmful effects. A couple:

Gauntlets of Flying These finely tooled supple leather gauntlets are decorated with a feather motif on all surfaces. When worn and the command word is spoken, feathers appear to sprout from the gauntlets and continue growing over the course of a round until the wearer's arms appear to be wings*. So long as the 'wings' are flapped in a fashion similar to how an actual bird would flap them, the user is granted a flying speed and manueverability rating proportional to their Strength and Dexterity. After flying for an extended period of time, the user may become fatigued or even exhausted and require rest. Note that the hands must be empty at the time the command word is spoken, and during flight the arms actually function as though they were wings, i.e. nothing can be grasped in the hands.
(*for additional flavor they could be bat/dragon wings, or insect wings, etc with appropriate patterns tooled into the leather)

I read the next one somewhere (WoTC's site?) a long time ago, but the basic idea kinda stuck with me. Maybe someone will have better memory and can supply the link.

The King's Cloak of Invisibility This is a very finely crafted cloak, suitable for a king. In fact, it was created by a royal wizard for a king who wearied of the daily grind that is Regency, and wanted an easy way to escape for a while. Unfortunately, the mage who was working on the cloak was either a charlatan or not quite the archmage he pretended to be. For, when donned, the cloak turns the wearer and all they wear and are holding completely invisible. The cloak itself, however, remains fully visible.
The king was initally outraged, but then realized the utility of the cloak. He often went to state functions wearing the cloak, or at least someone did... A great device for allowing a stand-in to take the place of real king.

I often have minor side effects to potions like ringing in the ears (penalties to anything hearing related), bad breath (CHA penalty) etc. that last for the duration of the primary effect of the potion.
 

Neat stuff. Keep 'em coming. I expect the PCs primary foes to be Jann, for those who care.

The wizard whose fortess/lab is on the cliff overlooking the sea has been kidnapped by some genie kind, and now some of them hve returned in a flying ship to plunder his home. If they manage to extract information or cooperation from him, his kinappers will have access to some powerful spell/magic item that he helped create. Imagine if the Nazis had kidnapped a scientist closely involved in the development of the atom bomb.

I'm trying for a pulp-adventure feel. I expect the (9th level) PCs to stow away on the jann ship.
 

The Ennui Blade.

When drawn, this +2 Keen Frost Burst Cold Iron longsword forces everyone around it to make a DC 25 (or 30) Will save to take any actions. Should they make their save, all attack rolls, saves, and skill checks take a -5 penalty, as they must fight against the lack of motivation to do anything. This effect radiates in a 50 foot radius circle, and affects everyone who is subject to mind affecting effects. It lasts for as long as the blade is drawn, forcing a will save each round a character wishes to act. INCLUDING free actions.

The wielder of the blade is not immune to the effects of the blade. Sheathing the blade also requires a will save.
 

Gambler's Elemental Ring.

The ring provides immunity to any one form of energy, randomly chosen each round (or more simply, each round that the wearer is subject to an energy attack).

HOWEVER

The ring also provides a vulnerability to any one form of energy, also randomly chosen. Should the same energy be rolled for vulnerability as immunity, reroll the vulnerability.


For instance. A character is hit with a fire ball. The DM rolls 1d6, rolls a 5, and the energy type the character is immune to is acid. The DM rolls 1d6 again, and a 3 comes up. Electricity. No change, the character takes damage as normal.

If however, the DM rolled a 1 on the first roll, then no damage would have been taking. Should the DM have rolled a 1 on the second roll, the character would have taken 1.5 times the normal damage.

Next round, should another fireball be thrown, all effects are rerolled. Just because the character got a benefit against a spell one round, does not mean that he would get the same benefit the next.
 

Stone of Flying
This stone is a one shot item, when activated (command word) the stone will begin to levitate upward - at 40' per round. The stone will not stop and will eventually burn up exiting the atmosphere. Weight limit 300 lbs. If the limited is exceeded the stone will not rise. If the stone is prevented from going upward for more than 3 minutes it will burnout and become non-magical.
 


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