One time use Items

[tricktroller]

Ok folks,
So I am running expedition to Castle Ravenloft right now for a group of 5 people.
I am wanting to know if I can make items that function once and then cease to work. I want to make some Torc's of Heroic Sacrifice, but I don't want to give the party a bunch of them. The biggest issue I have is that 3 of the members of the party hit like trucks, so any encounter with Strahd where he isn't flying about the whole time will end with him getting splattered in one turn. This will allow the players to find Strahd even more evil, and allow him to keep going during fights even if he gets hit really hard.

[Segev]

One-shot items which are use-activated are (caster level)*(spell level)*(50) gp.

[tricktroller]

How would that work for items that don't work exactly as their spell?

[heavyfuel]

How would that work for items that don't work exactly as their spell?

Then it's up to DM approval. The DMG only gives you a guideline on how much the item should cost.

Since you're the DM, it's all up to you, though I gotta say that what you want to do is kinda of a cheap tactic. If the BBEG has an item that makes him stronger, I'd be pissed if the item had suddenly disappeared after I busted my ass to kill him.

A better approach would be to give him more actions per round in the form of a cohort and a pair of platinum rings for the Shield Other spell.

[fishyfishyfishy]

I don't think giving Strahd a special one use item is the answer here. Your players one hit killing him isn't going to matter at all. 1) He's a vampire and has those annoying specific methods for death and 2) Even if he is destroyed by a group of adventurers the Dark Powers will just bring him back to continue his eternal torture/sorrow later on. He just can't die.

Eventually any party is going to get to the level where they can just cut down everything in their path and keep on going. They're just capable of this much sooner than you expected. That doesn't mean they will walk all over him. In a straight up fight, I doubt Strahd would employ many defensive measures and would instead focus on offense. He would seek to overwhelm and kill the PCs, one by one, as he continues to come back over and over again and never give up the constant assault until he utterly destroys them.

[tricktroller]

Well part of the reason I want the one use item is I plan to have him confront them in the audience hall. I want to have hundreds of mooks in there jeering and cursing at the players as they fight Strahd, kind of like an arena. Strahd vows to use no outside support but then cheats by having some of his mooks in the crowd with these items. They don't notice as some of the mooks fall down dead from swings that should have ripped him in half.

I think this is something that would both terrify the actual players and allow Strahd to do some nasty stuff. Then again I guess I could just use like 3 of the actual items and have the three guys wearing them be vampire minions of badassery. like 6th level fighter or barbarian vampires.

Once Strahd is dead the other vampires will be free of his control, and then it is up to the PC's to either kill them or to let them flee.

[SinsI]

How about giving him items that use his abilities to channel their power? Something similar to Runestaves - if your players don't have the appropriate spell slot level, that item is useless to them. And for mooks potions are a perfect solution.