These items are cursed, but with what?

[AntiTrust]

So I'm running a module that lists out several objects and the text makes me think they are cursed, but I think the writers thought it would be better if the DM comes up with the curses so they're blank. It would be great if people could give me their input on the following items.

Preserved Juvenile Black Dragon head whose eyes glow a faint green (I was thinking maybe try a head of vecna trick)

An "odd" black metal cage, covered in thorns with nothing inside (the object's size isn't mentioned, but the object is sitting on a shelf so it can't be too big I'd imagine)

A stuffed doll that bears an uncanny similarity to one of the party members. The doll is pierced with 20 spikes from a spiked devil. (it says the doll radiates strong necromancy)

[AuraTwilight]

That doll is obviously a voodoo doll...

Meaning subvert that expectation and make it do something as different as possible.

[Amnestic]

An "odd" black metal cage, covered in thorns with nothing inside (the object's size isn't mentioned, but the object is sitting on a shelf so it can't be too big I'd imagine)

Tossing it at an enemy causes it to expand and traps said enemy inside. It also traps the character who threw it. Both are trapped in a pocket dimension with no way to contact/reach the outside world until one of the two dies. In addition, the cage contracts every round until it squishes to its original size. Additional damage taken for touching the walls since they're all thorny.

When one of the occupants is killed, they are immediately spit out of the pocket dimension where the cage originally landed, the cage bouncing by their feet along with the corpse of the dead. Characters are compelled to pick it up and use it whenever they are in combat.

[Oddfellow]

Tossing it at an enemy causes it to expand and traps said enemy inside. It also traps the character who threw it. Both are trapped in a pocket dimension with no way to contact/reach the outside world until one of the two dies.

That... is awesome. I love it. Sounds like a cool trap you'd find in the Tomb of Horrors.

A thought for the preserved dragon head could be that the inside of its mouth works as a Portable Hole (p. 264 DMG). When you place an item inside it though, there is a chance that (of course) the dragon animates and tries to chew your hand off (possibly using it's inherent acid abilities to melt through your wrist?)

A nice touch might be to add that, when reaching into the 'portable hole,' the PCs find, oddly enough, several decaying hands. :smallwink:

[DarkestKnight]

my first thought seeing the doll was that it was a Stuffy Doll from Magic: The Gathering (an amped up animated voodoo doll), and would make an interesting item. Whoever touches it first is imprinted on it, and the doll becomes animated. If the doll would take some sort of abuse the character does as well. If the character dies, the doll reverts to its inanimate and blank version. To boot, the Doll is indestructible while animated. When animated, the doll tries to throw itself into danger at all times.

[Gavinfoxx]

my first thought seeing the doll was that it was a Stuffy Doll from Magic: The Gathering (an amped up animated voodoo doll), and would make an interesting item. Whoever touches it first is imprinted on it, and the doll becomes animated. If the doll would take some sort of abuse the character does as well. If the character dies, the doll reverts to its inanimate and blank version. To boot, the Doll is indestructible while animated. When animated, the doll tries to throw itself into danger at all times.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256950

Ahhh, the Stuffy Doll.

Someone was trying to create a version that was very, very, very difficult to negate. It went through a LOT of iterations...

[Oddfellow]

Tossing it at an enemy causes it to expand and traps said enemy inside. It also traps the character who threw it. Both are trapped in a pocket dimension with no way to contact/reach the outside world until one of the two dies.

If the doll would take some sort of abuse the character does as well. If the character dies, the doll reverts to its inanimate and blank version. To boot, the Doll is indestructible while animated.

So hold on a second here... What if the person who touched the doll also threw the cursed cage at it...? :smalleek:

Well, guess you better get printing a new character sheet...

[Vaern]

Anyone who touches the cage is immediately shrunken to tiny size and pulled inside, where he is imprisoned. A DC 24 escape artist check allows the victim to escape, returning him to his normal size, but doing so deals 2d4 points of piercing damage as he squeezes through the thorned bars.
The cage binds itself to its victim, like many other cursed items. Within 1d8 rounds of escaping the cage, victim is shrunken again and pulled back into the cage.
No matter how much he tries ridding himself of the cage, it is always with him. It may randomly appear in his backpack, or he may find himself holding it even when he does not remember picking it up. Perhaps it merely appears at his feet whenever he looks down. Regardless, it is always in his space, no matter how far he manages to move.
A remove curse spell releases the victim safely from the cage. A second remove curse spell is necessary to break the cage's cursed bond to its victim and prevent it from pulling him back in.
The cage can only curse one creature at a time.