D&D 5E The identify spell and cursed items
Plaguescarred
D&D Playtester for WoTC since 2012
Identify doesn't necessarily identify a cursed item, in fact most will fail to.
DMG139: Most methods of identifying items, including the identify spell, fail to reveal such a curse, although lore might hint at it. A curse should be a surprise to the item's user when the curse's effects are revealed.
I have a cursed item in my GREYHAWK campaign that was even not detectable with detect magic such as this one converted from AD&D 2nd edition;
Loadstone
Wondrous item, very rare
This stone appears to be a large semiprecious stone of some sort. Its magical nature is hidden, so that detect magic does not detect the stone.
Curse. As soon as the stone’s carrier needs to move quickly, such as in combat, the loadstone’s curse activates, rendering the carrier encumbered. While the curse functions, the carrier’s maximum load and maximum lift capacities are halved. Whatever the carrier does to the stone, unless the curse is first undone, the stone reappears on his or her person soon after, taking up a hand if the carrier has no other receptacle that can hold the stone.
Yan
D&D Playtester
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AaronOfBarbaria
Adventurer
I'm not particularly happy with the standard rules for cursed items in 5th edition (or most others).
What I have done about this is just a few steps:
1) All cursed items identify as if they had the properties of a specific non-cursed magical item (i.e. a cursed sword could appear to be a dragon slayer)
2) Identifying an item without use of the identify spell doesn't result in realizing that a cursed item is cursed - so that there is a distinct reason to use identify other than to save time.
3) Removing the curse from a cursed item transforms it into being the magical item it appeared to be - so that the end state of having encountered a cursed item is to have gained something beneficial, rather than to have lost a hindrance (which I find is an important factor in getting players to think "Cursed items are fun," instead of "I wish my DM would stop using cursed items.")
For my next campaign, I'm planning on making a few changes due to cursed items.
1) Cursed items are created as a result of a mishap during creation, so there is a non-cursed version of every cursed item (for example, Plaguescarred's Loadstone would be a cursed Luckstone). Identification of a cursed item, regardless of method, gives the information of the non-cursed version. The impact of a curse won't become apparent until the first time its effect triggers (preventing an early Remove Curse).
2) If you identify an item during a Short Rest (rather than using the spell), you have to attune the item to be successful (assuming it requires attunement). This makes this method more hazardous, but it also makes more sense to me.
3) Identify will have a casting time of 8 hours. This makes the purpose of the spell to safely identify items, rather than as a time saver.
1) Cursed items are created as a result of a mishap during creation, so there is a non-cursed version of every cursed item (for example, Plaguescarred's Loadstone would be a cursed Luckstone). Identification of a cursed item, regardless of method, gives the information of the non-cursed version. The impact of a curse won't become apparent until the first time its effect triggers (preventing an early Remove Curse).
2) If you identify an item during a Short Rest (rather than using the spell), you have to attune the item to be successful (assuming it requires attunement). This makes this method more hazardous, but it also makes more sense to me.
3) Identify will have a casting time of 8 hours. This makes the purpose of the spell to safely identify items, rather than as a time saver.
WarpedAcorn
First Post
I plan on adding in a few Cursed Items to spice up the game. For the current campaign, I intend for the curse to be more about making things fun or interesting as opposed to actively hurting the player. Specifically, the first item up is the classic Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity, but it also doubles as a Girdle of Giant Strength.
However, not only am I still debating on how to handle detecting the Curse, I am also debating on how to remove it.
I am leaning towards Identify straight up telling that the item is Cursed...it rewards the players for being careful and keeps the item out of their grubby paws immediately without consequences.
However, not only am I still debating on how to handle detecting the Curse, I am also debating on how to remove it.
I am leaning towards Identify straight up telling that the item is Cursed...it rewards the players for being careful and keeps the item out of their grubby paws immediately without consequences.
Saeviomagy
Adventurer
Personally I think cursed items fall into 3 categories:
1. Magical mishaps. In these instances, the item was intended to be a specific magic item, but the creator failed in some way. The resulting item has some beneficial properties (maybe less than the real item, maybe even more), but a drawback. Ideally the drawback and the benefits are balanced such that the players will consider keeping and using the item regardless, and simply mitigating the problems. Demon armor and the axe of the berserker fit this mould, however typically I would not add the "no, you can't drop it" clause to either item. Items in this category reveal all of their properties with no mishap when identified, but experimentation will sometimes only reveal the positive benefits (in general I don't allow "short rests fully identify items" because it's more fun to do otherwise).
2. Items designed for a specific but unusual purpose. The girdle of masculinity/femininity falls in this category. This covers items that were designed for a specific purpose and a specific owner that have unusual effects that may or may not be desirable. In the case of the girdle, it's obvious what the owner wanted. I would reflavor it such that instead of simply being non-removable, it melds into you and disappears. You can't remove it because it is no longer physically there. That's an item that I could imagine some specific individual might pay good money for: it's 'curse' is a desired feature. bags of devouring or dust of choking and sneezing (depending on who made it - anything that doesn't breathe loves this) might fit this category. Identify will reveal these for what they are, but not their intended use.
3. Items designed to be traps. These are kind of a sub-category of 2. The girdle might have been deliberately given to someone important in order to disrupt a succession or similar. A bag of devouring might actually be a physical manifestation of an interdimensional creature designed to eat items. A scarab of death is handed over in an assassination attempt. The aim is hostile. Such items are deliberately warded so as not to be detectable with magic, or to be detected as some other innocuous item. As such, identify gives false information or triggers the item.
1. Magical mishaps. In these instances, the item was intended to be a specific magic item, but the creator failed in some way. The resulting item has some beneficial properties (maybe less than the real item, maybe even more), but a drawback. Ideally the drawback and the benefits are balanced such that the players will consider keeping and using the item regardless, and simply mitigating the problems. Demon armor and the axe of the berserker fit this mould, however typically I would not add the "no, you can't drop it" clause to either item. Items in this category reveal all of their properties with no mishap when identified, but experimentation will sometimes only reveal the positive benefits (in general I don't allow "short rests fully identify items" because it's more fun to do otherwise).
2. Items designed for a specific but unusual purpose. The girdle of masculinity/femininity falls in this category. This covers items that were designed for a specific purpose and a specific owner that have unusual effects that may or may not be desirable. In the case of the girdle, it's obvious what the owner wanted. I would reflavor it such that instead of simply being non-removable, it melds into you and disappears. You can't remove it because it is no longer physically there. That's an item that I could imagine some specific individual might pay good money for: it's 'curse' is a desired feature. bags of devouring or dust of choking and sneezing (depending on who made it - anything that doesn't breathe loves this) might fit this category. Identify will reveal these for what they are, but not their intended use.
3. Items designed to be traps. These are kind of a sub-category of 2. The girdle might have been deliberately given to someone important in order to disrupt a succession or similar. A bag of devouring might actually be a physical manifestation of an interdimensional creature designed to eat items. A scarab of death is handed over in an assassination attempt. The aim is hostile. Such items are deliberately warded so as not to be detectable with magic, or to be detected as some other innocuous item. As such, identify gives false information or triggers the item.
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