Forked Thread: Skill Challenge - I made a *cursed* magic item?

[Nebulous]

Forked from: Skill Challenge - I made a *cursed* magic item?

Now that i'm thinking about it, i might start a separate thread of cursed 4e magic items. You should plunk your "bloodrope" there, Lostsoul.

Lostsoul made a cool cursed rope of climibing through a warped in-game skill challenge. It gave me the idea that 4e could really benefit from a good list of cursed magic items for the DM to introduce. Some can still be beneficial, some can be flatout worthless (and dangerous!). Since some of 4e is a throwback to 1e, it seems appropriate to me that cursed items can worm their way back in for DMs that want them.

I think a good template that might could be used is one similar for Artifacts; cursed items are nearly unique, they have personalities, and they have a list of drawbacks and/or advantages. I'll start with a few, but these are completely off the cuff and not thoroughly thought out, it's just brainstorming.

Feel free to add you own.

+2 Chainmail Armor of the Fishfriend

This chainmail armor has a faint blue-green sheen. It radiates magic as normal, but detecting the presence of the curse raises the DC by 10 (or at the DMs discretion, the curse cannot be found until activated).

The first time the wearer of the armor is submerged in water over her head, the curse manifests. The character is dragged down by sudden weight, Slowed, and suffers a -10 penalty to all swim/athletics checks as the chainmail attempts to swim among the fishes. If removed from the water, the armor returns to normal after a short rest.


+1 Backbiter Spear

This hefty spear is ancient in design, with rune-etched wood and a notched blade. It appears primitive in design, but holds a powerful enchantment. It functions normally as a +1 spear, but on a natural roll of 1 it vanishes and instantly rolls a secondary attack against its owner. On a hit, it has struck the PC in the back for the damage it would have inflicted. On a miss, it falls to a random adjacent square.

Note: Melting down cursed items for residuum might need its own rule, as players are likely to drop them as soon as possible.

 

[Nebulous]

Gauntlets of Ogre Girth

{this might seem mean and broken, but it's cursed!}

These hefty steel gloves appear as normal accrouements to armor. If magically inspected, they radiate as Gauntlets of Ogre Power, but function somewhat differently. They always offer a +1 bonus to Athletics checks and Strength based skill checks.

(Daily Power When activated, the user instantly transforms to Size Large, splitting through any armor or clothing worn and destroying it. Magical armor gets a saving throw to resist utter destruction with a +1 bonus per plus. The character also suffers a greatly reduced INT (4) and WIS (6) of an Ogre Savage. The character greatly resembles his original self, only more bestial. The character gains a +5 Strength bonus to attacks until the end of the encounter when the magic dissipates and the character returns to normal size. Note that many powers and feats will be negated by the suddenly reduced ability scores, although the character becomes a much more brutal melee fighter.

(History): Vaprak, Demon Lord of Ogres and Trolls, devised these gauntlets long ago to slowly vanquish smaller humanoid races. It is said that consistent use of them will eventually leave the user in a permanent state of ogre-dom.

 

[LostSoul]

I decided to write up that rope as an artifact. I don't know if I'll use it or not.

Bloodrope Heroic Level
A simple rope, twisted and warped through animal sacrifice and hellish command into something... more.
The Bloodrope is a Rope of Climbing.

Goals:

• Choke the life out of sentient creatures - the sweeter the agony of their gasps, the better
• Be bathed in hot blood
• Consume souls through ritual sacrifice

Roleplaying:
The Bloodrope is a malicious, corrupt spirit brought to life through failed ritual and infused with the infernal lust for mortal souls. It has a cunning, animal-level intelligence and will serve its master well if treated right... but it is always craving blood, souls, and death, and will conspire against its master to get what it wants. It communicates via empathic pangs of desire and through its snaking movements.

CONCORDANCE

Starting Score.....................................5
Owner is an Infernal-Pact Warlock..................+1
Owner worships Asmodeous...........................+1
Owner chokes a non-hostile creature with the rope..+1
...if it kills the creature........................+1
Owner bathes the rope in hot blood.................+1
...if it is the blood of a non-hostile.............+1
Owner sacrifices sentient creatures to the rope....+2
The rope goes a day without choking a non-hostile..-1
The rope goes a day without killing someone........-1

All the above stack.

Pleased (16-20)
"Bow to my will or have your life's breath choked out of you."
The Bloodrope is pleased with its owner - for now. Its infernal thirst cannot be slaked, but it is happy to be with one who feeds it so well and will not cross its master.
The rope's enhancement bonus increases to +2.
Critical: +2d6 damage, or +3d6 damage to creatures with necks who need to breathe.
Power (Daily): Standard Action. Make an attack: Ranged 10; Intelligence +2 vs. Fortitude; on a hit, the target takes 2d8 + Intelligence modifier damage and is Restrained (save ends). Sustain Minor: A creature Restrained by the rope takes 1d8 + Intelligence modifier damage when you sustain this power. As a standard action, you can attack another target with the rope, but it must release a target it has Restrained.

Satisfied (12-15)
"The rope feeds well, but it yet craves..."
The Bloodrope is content, but it is always looking for opportunities to get more of what it desires. It will not cross its master unless an opportunity too good to pass up comes knocking.
The rope gains a +1 enhancement bonus.
Enhancement: +1 to attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage, or +2d6 damage to creatures with necks who need to breathe.
Power (At-Will): Standard Action. Make an attack: Ranged 10; Intelligence +2 vs. Fortitude; on a hit, the target takes 2d6 + Intelligence modifier damage and is Restrained (save ends). edit: As a standard action, you can attack another target with the rope, but it must release a target it has Restrained.

Normal (5-11)
"This rope... I almost feel like it's alive. Like it wants to choke the life out of my enemies."
When first picked up, the Bloodrope plays dead, acting as though it were a normal Rope of Climbing. At the first opportunity, when no one is watching, it will attempt to choke any weak or frail creature it can, save its master. It will untie itself when its owner uses it every now and then.
The Bloodrope functions as a normal Rope of Climbing.

Unsatisfied (1-4)
"The rope seems to move when I'm not looking... and I don't think I like what it does."
The Bloodrope, pained by hunger, will attack anyone - including its master - the first chance it gets. This normally means when no one's watching and everyone's asleep. It will confound the user's attempt to use it as a rope of climbing, untying itself at the worst time possible.
Property: You take a -2 penalty to Athletics and Acrobatics checks.
Special: Once per day, when no one is watching, the rope will attack the weakest nearby creature. Make a Stealth check at +15. If the rope does not think it has been seen, it will move at a speed of 2 and make an attack: Melee; +13 vs. Fortitude; 3d6+5 damage and the target is Restrained (save ends). Special: The target is choked and cannot speak unless it makes an Athletics or Acrobatics check vs. DC 22.

Angered (0 or lower)
"Someone cut that thing up before it strangles us all!"
The Bloodrope has been driven mad and will lash out continually at the closest target. It will not allow itself to be tied to anything.
Property: You take a -5 penalty to Athletics and Acrobatics checks.
Special: Once per encounter at any time, the rope will try to break free and attack its master. Make an attack: Melee; +13 vs. Fortitude; 3d6+5 damage and the target is Restrained (save ends). Special: The target is choked and cannot speak unless it makes an Athletics or Acrobatics check vs. DC 22.

 

[Nebulous]

Good job, Lost Soul. With that template in front of me i can maybe go back and adjust the brief synopsis of the ones above. Although not all are suitable to an in-depth artifact.

 

[FireLance]

Nice LostSoul, but for the Satisfied At-Will power, you might want to add that attacking a second target while the rope is already restraining a target causes it to release the first target (as the Pleased Daily power).

 

[LostSoul]

Nice LostSoul, but for the Satisfied At-Will power, you might want to add that attacking a second target while the rope is already restraining a target causes it to release the first target (as the Pleased Daily power).

Good catch!