palleomortis
First Post
NICE!! I gotta get me some of that! As in the chalk on the other page. Good stuff.
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Cursed items
- Thread starter Crothian
- Start date
Dark Psion
First Post
I love to use Cursed Items, I put them to two basic catagories, Flawed and True Cursed.
Flawed items are simply items that had something go wrong during their construction. A remove Curse doesn't usually work with these items since they techincally are not cursed. It might be possible for a high level Artificer to "fix" them thought. They can fall into several catgories.
Charged: This is an item that is normally not charged, like a Flaming Sword. It is a great way to give a more powerful item to a lower level PC.
Fatal Flaw: The item is extremely vulnerable to a specific material, energy or creature. When it contacts it, bu-bye.
Transformational: This item grants is abilities by transforming the user into a form with that power. A Displacemnt Cloak that turns you into a Displacer Beast.
Quriky: These item just have one or more little quirks about them. A potion that tastes terrible, a ring that falls off a midnight or a sword that always glows.
Costly: This items requires a sacrifice to use or recharge it. You might have to burn a spell slot or sharpen the axe every night.
Focused: This item is not actually cursed, but it was created for such a specific purpose that used any other way it appears to be cursed. A Druid's pouch that turn gold into mistletoe, or a Ring of Infernos that allows you to survive on the Plane of Fire, but traps you in a block of Ice anywhere else.
Firewall: For these items the curse is just a way to keep others from using it. When used by anyone not of the chosen Race, Class or Alignment, the curse becomes active. An Elven Spear could be a Backbiter when weilded by any non-elf.
True Cursed Items were made to be cursed. Sometimes the curse can be removed or mastered, but if these items are used by an Artificer to Retain Essece, the curse may be transfered as well. They fall into these catagories;
Post Cursed: This is a normal magic item with a curse placed on it. They can have their curse removed.
Chaos Item: These were crafted to manifest Chaos in the world. They have a tendancy to be lost after they function, only to be found again by someone else. The Rings of Eris are a good example, Djinni Rings that grant three wishes, the three wishes of the last person to use the ring, the next person get's your wishes.
Counter Item: These items were created to be used as weapons. Leave them in an enemy land, give them to an enemy family or disrupt a rival church or wizard's school.
Corruption: These items were made to corrupt mere mortals to evil. The Coins of Sin, Seven coins that can grant a wish each, if that wish is based off a particual one of the Seven deadly sins.
Contagious Curse: These items not only retain their curse, but spread it like a plague. Another tactical weapon or divine focus item.
Damned: If you ever watched the Friday the 13th TV series you know what these are. These Items are cursed with a Divine curse and are very powerful and dangerous.
Flawed items are simply items that had something go wrong during their construction. A remove Curse doesn't usually work with these items since they techincally are not cursed. It might be possible for a high level Artificer to "fix" them thought. They can fall into several catgories.
Charged: This is an item that is normally not charged, like a Flaming Sword. It is a great way to give a more powerful item to a lower level PC.
Fatal Flaw: The item is extremely vulnerable to a specific material, energy or creature. When it contacts it, bu-bye.
Transformational: This item grants is abilities by transforming the user into a form with that power. A Displacemnt Cloak that turns you into a Displacer Beast.
Quriky: These item just have one or more little quirks about them. A potion that tastes terrible, a ring that falls off a midnight or a sword that always glows.
Costly: This items requires a sacrifice to use or recharge it. You might have to burn a spell slot or sharpen the axe every night.
Focused: This item is not actually cursed, but it was created for such a specific purpose that used any other way it appears to be cursed. A Druid's pouch that turn gold into mistletoe, or a Ring of Infernos that allows you to survive on the Plane of Fire, but traps you in a block of Ice anywhere else.
Firewall: For these items the curse is just a way to keep others from using it. When used by anyone not of the chosen Race, Class or Alignment, the curse becomes active. An Elven Spear could be a Backbiter when weilded by any non-elf.
True Cursed Items were made to be cursed. Sometimes the curse can be removed or mastered, but if these items are used by an Artificer to Retain Essece, the curse may be transfered as well. They fall into these catagories;
Post Cursed: This is a normal magic item with a curse placed on it. They can have their curse removed.
Chaos Item: These were crafted to manifest Chaos in the world. They have a tendancy to be lost after they function, only to be found again by someone else. The Rings of Eris are a good example, Djinni Rings that grant three wishes, the three wishes of the last person to use the ring, the next person get's your wishes.
Counter Item: These items were created to be used as weapons. Leave them in an enemy land, give them to an enemy family or disrupt a rival church or wizard's school.
Corruption: These items were made to corrupt mere mortals to evil. The Coins of Sin, Seven coins that can grant a wish each, if that wish is based off a particual one of the Seven deadly sins.
Contagious Curse: These items not only retain their curse, but spread it like a plague. Another tactical weapon or divine focus item.
Damned: If you ever watched the Friday the 13th TV series you know what these are. These Items are cursed with a Divine curse and are very powerful and dangerous.
Any magical item of some power IMC has a "curse" of some kind attached; magic isnt free afterall.
a sword that can never harm a living being, but can heal the sick and even bring back the dead
a spear that weeps holy water, crafted to penetrate the a suite of evil armor that would melt any weapon that touched it. the spear can pass through, but whoever used it would die in the flames.
A holy great axe crafted to protect the dwarven nation, whoever uses it will never die in bed
a set of 13 powerful swords, as long as it is used the others who carry the sword will always know where you are.
a bloodthirsty blade that only has its powers once someone has been killed. it grows stronger and stronger the more death it causes, and its wielder becomes weaker without it.
a lense that allows one to see the invisable world, but allows... things... to see you as well
The way i see it the more powerful the magic item the greater its drawback
a sword that can never harm a living being, but can heal the sick and even bring back the dead
a spear that weeps holy water, crafted to penetrate the a suite of evil armor that would melt any weapon that touched it. the spear can pass through, but whoever used it would die in the flames.
A holy great axe crafted to protect the dwarven nation, whoever uses it will never die in bed
a set of 13 powerful swords, as long as it is used the others who carry the sword will always know where you are.
a bloodthirsty blade that only has its powers once someone has been killed. it grows stronger and stronger the more death it causes, and its wielder becomes weaker without it.
a lense that allows one to see the invisable world, but allows... things... to see you as well
The way i see it the more powerful the magic item the greater its drawback
I used a few cursed items in the last campaign (levels 1 to 6) I ran...
Loadstone - found on a corpse in a dungeon hallway. This one is really irritating - I believe it was a death sentence for the mage.
3 Helmets (torture devices) - on pedestals in a dungeon room. When put on they do 1d4 negative energy damage and age the creature 2d6 years per round. If the creature dies from the negative energy damage they rise as a random incorporeal undead in 1 round, if the creature dies from aging they immediately animate as a random corporeal undead.
Belt of Genderswap - found on a dwarven hero in an ancient lost tomb. This hero was instrumental in a war vs. the Giants a long time ago. Little did anyone know that the hero was actually a female dwarf. She had commissioned the belt from a human wizard to hide her sex and attain a higher position amongst the dwarven clans - which she deserved from her awesome martial prowess, but that the male dwarves did not acknowledge.
"He" came out of nowhere to unite the clans and lead the dwarves to victory. No one had record of this might hero and many thought he was sent by the gods themselves.
Loadstone - found on a corpse in a dungeon hallway. This one is really irritating - I believe it was a death sentence for the mage.
3 Helmets (torture devices) - on pedestals in a dungeon room. When put on they do 1d4 negative energy damage and age the creature 2d6 years per round. If the creature dies from the negative energy damage they rise as a random incorporeal undead in 1 round, if the creature dies from aging they immediately animate as a random corporeal undead.
Belt of Genderswap - found on a dwarven hero in an ancient lost tomb. This hero was instrumental in a war vs. the Giants a long time ago. Little did anyone know that the hero was actually a female dwarf. She had commissioned the belt from a human wizard to hide her sex and attain a higher position amongst the dwarven clans - which she deserved from her awesome martial prowess, but that the male dwarves did not acknowledge.
"He" came out of nowhere to unite the clans and lead the dwarves to victory. No one had record of this might hero and many thought he was sent by the gods themselves.
Dark Psion
First Post
One of my all time favorite Cursed Items is the Canibal Blade.
They were created by a great adventuring Wizard who had one Pet Peeve when it came to traveling, the Food. He detested Iron Rations. He was a master chef and could create magnificent meals even in the wilderness, but there are times when you cannot take the time to cook or it might be too dangerous to build a fire.
One evening as he was watching the party's ranger field dress a deer, he had an idea. Several month's later he had created his first Hunter's Blade. It is a Hunting knife, but considered a Dagger +3 for combat purposses. It has the special ability that as you field dress and butcher any meat or chop any vegetables, it will season and cook it to perfection, thus doing away with the need for actuall cooking.
Unfortunaltly, a curse had crept in during the creation of this and it's 12 brothers. The curse is similar to the one triggered by a Chime of Hunger, A Will Save, DC 20 ( modified +1 for every Hour since your last meal) or you will be forced to consume the meat you just butchered. Since that was the idea, no one ever noticed the curse for two years.
One night as the Wizard was staying at a rather disreputable inn, he was attacked in the night by a thief. During the struggle, he grabbed the first blade he saw, his Hunter's Blade. In killing the thief, the blade also cooked him and due to the struggle, being awakened in the middle of the night, the Wizard failed his Will save.
The next morining, he awoke to the smell of a great meal, but encountered tha partially consumed body of a Halfling, perfectly prepared though.
His scream was heard across three planes.
They were created by a great adventuring Wizard who had one Pet Peeve when it came to traveling, the Food. He detested Iron Rations. He was a master chef and could create magnificent meals even in the wilderness, but there are times when you cannot take the time to cook or it might be too dangerous to build a fire.
One evening as he was watching the party's ranger field dress a deer, he had an idea. Several month's later he had created his first Hunter's Blade. It is a Hunting knife, but considered a Dagger +3 for combat purposses. It has the special ability that as you field dress and butcher any meat or chop any vegetables, it will season and cook it to perfection, thus doing away with the need for actuall cooking.
Unfortunaltly, a curse had crept in during the creation of this and it's 12 brothers. The curse is similar to the one triggered by a Chime of Hunger, A Will Save, DC 20 ( modified +1 for every Hour since your last meal) or you will be forced to consume the meat you just butchered. Since that was the idea, no one ever noticed the curse for two years.
One night as the Wizard was staying at a rather disreputable inn, he was attacked in the night by a thief. During the struggle, he grabbed the first blade he saw, his Hunter's Blade. In killing the thief, the blade also cooked him and due to the struggle, being awakened in the middle of the night, the Wizard failed his Will save.
The next morining, he awoke to the smell of a great meal, but encountered tha partially consumed body of a Halfling, perfectly prepared though.
His scream was heard across three planes.
frankthedm
First Post
Yoink!!!!
Charberus
First Post
Cursed Items are fun if they are DMed right. I had a kobald rogue/invisible blade. he was abit too grabby for his own good. Always wanted to try things out. He put on a tiara that made him more charismic and gave him extra natural armor. Unfortunatly he started turning into a medusa *including turning into a female*
Although he liked the power of the item, he didnt like turning evil and a female. After doing a few quest (and accidently turning a few npc/players into stone)...he found a way to control abit of the power. The power of the cursed item still proved alot of hinderances then just turning people to stone. Since i couldnt take the Tiara off, and had snake hair always hissing. I had to come up with different ways to do things.
I feel that some of the cursed items in the DMG arent worth giving to a player. I agree that alot of cursed items shouldnt always be cursed. But, be a useful item that 'happens' to have a negative effect. Sometimes the players will want to get rid of the negative effects, or sometimes they will just get rid of it. Whatever they chose, its another way to get an 'adventure' hook
Although he liked the power of the item, he didnt like turning evil and a female. After doing a few quest (and accidently turning a few npc/players into stone)...he found a way to control abit of the power. The power of the cursed item still proved alot of hinderances then just turning people to stone. Since i couldnt take the Tiara off, and had snake hair always hissing. I had to come up with different ways to do things.
I feel that some of the cursed items in the DMG arent worth giving to a player. I agree that alot of cursed items shouldnt always be cursed. But, be a useful item that 'happens' to have a negative effect. Sometimes the players will want to get rid of the negative effects, or sometimes they will just get rid of it. Whatever they chose, its another way to get an 'adventure' hook
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Henry said:
Vile damage
-Hyp.
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