Magical Sentient Black Gloves - What to do

[SmartAlec13]

So I am DMing a non-serious campaign with a bunch of middle schoolers (3 groups, each has 3-5 students). To make things more fun and exciting, they have joined a mercenary guild that they can get missions from. When they complete missions, they get gold and a coin for a machine that is essentially a magical gachapon (idea from the podcast The Adventure Zone).

They put the coin in and roll a d20, and based on what they get, I give them certain kinds of magical items, from weapons to armor to trinkets to accessories. While this may be a bit "overpowering" depending on what they roll, this is a relax, less rules heavy game where I want them to just enjoy playing and killing stuff (they enjoy that the most).

So to my issue. Yesterday one of them rolled a 20 on the machine. This is reserved for the extremely powerful magical items. I then had him roll more times to determine what the item was (not telling him what the rolling was for); if it was a trinket, weapon, armor, etc, if it was elemental or not, if it was sentient or not, and if it was good or evil.

He ended up with a pair of magical, sentient, evil black gloves. For powers (and again, it may sound overpowered, but trust me, with this group I doubt they will even remember they can use it), it can essentially control shadows. It can put out lights and fires, it can cast darkness, darkvision, and it can cast hold person (Shikamaru style) with shadows. Later on, I might let him use shadows to attack people, but we will see.

Now that the background is over, I can get to my true question.

What should the character of these gloves be? I have determined that they are evil, and I was thinking that perhaps they were a failed attempt by a Drow Wizard/Warlock/Diety/Whatever to block out the Sun, and his soul got stuck onto the gloves. Or maybe its more of a demon/devil/fiend that is working through the gloves. Help me develop this "character" a bit more.

TL;DR My player got magical sentient evil black gloves, help me develop the character of the gloves.

[tieren]

Gloves of the assassin - after killing a target, if the wearer is caught by the authorities the gloves fall off and shrink in size as if subject to the effects of a reduce spell. At the PC's trial, if the gloves do not fit, they must acquit.

edit: Sorry this doesn't directly address your question, I just couldn't resist.

[Ninja_Prawn]

they were a failed attempt by a Drow Wizard/Warlock/Diety/Whatever to block out the Sun, and his soul got stuck onto the gloves.

Well for starters, whenever the character puts on the gloves, you have to play this song (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/riseagainst/torches.html) on repeat.

[Slipperychicken]

When worn, it cries out into the wearer's mind to strangle people to death, or at least kill while wearing the gloves. It particularly wants the player to cast hold person on people from stealth, then walk up and snap the target's neck like a twig.

It hates sunlight, and will not stop complaining until it's out of the light. Keeping it out for too long makes it uncooperative until it's spent a long rest in darkness.

As a drow, it's absolutely disgusted by elves, and will openly challenge the wearer to strangle elves and 'extinguish them in the darkness!'. It is indifferent to the death of drow, and will remark that the creature 'wasn't useful to you anyway'. At opportune times, it may try to make obscene gestures with the wearer's hands to insult surface elves.

The gloves will complain when in contact with anything unsavory, though they delight in being bathed in the blood of surface elves. They will occasionally demand to be washed, and take an odd pleasure in that process. They take a similar pleasure in being used to cast the wearer's own darkness spells.

When they feel like they've been mistreated for a long period of time, the gloves may begin scheming against the party member, waiting for the perfect moment to make his hands do things like steal from town guards, flip off powerful NPCs, or even weaken the PC's hold on a ledge in an attempt to get the PC killed.

[SmartAlec13]

When worn, it cries out into the wearer's mind to strangle people to death, or at least kill while wearing the gloves. It particularly wants the player to cast hold person on people from stealth, then walk up and snap the target's neck like a twig.

It hates sunlight, and will not stop complaining until it's out of the light. Keeping it out for too long makes it uncooperative until it's spent a long rest in darkness.

As a drow, it's absolutely disgusted by elves, and will openly challenge the wearer to strangle elves and 'extinguish them in the darkness!'. It is indifferent to the death of drow, and will remark that the creature 'wasn't useful to you anyway'. At opportune times, it may try to make obscene gestures with the wearer's hands to insult surface elves.

The gloves will complain when in contact with anything unsavory, though they delight in being bathed in the blood of surface elves. They will occasionally demand to be washed, and take an odd pleasure in that process. They take a similar pleasure in being used to cast the wearer's own darkness spells.

Now this is the kind of thing I was looking for, especially the stuff about hating surface elves, and hating being in sunlight, and wanting to kill people or flip them off.

[Ninja_Prawn]

They will occasionally demand to be washed, and take an odd pleasure in that process.

Shades of...

http://38.media.tumblr.com/6654276d496a5aca2ae3006e63408ef5/tumblr_inline_o1xtegU3p61rfat6z_500.gif?

[RumoCrytuf]

So I am DMing a non-serious campaign with a bunch of middle schoolers (3 groups, each has 3-5 students). To make things more fun and exciting, they have joined a mercenary guild that they can get missions from. When they complete missions, they get gold and a coin for a machine that is essentially a magical gachapon (idea from the podcast The Adventure Zone).

They put the coin in and roll a d20, and based on what they get, I give them certain kinds of magical items, from weapons to armor to trinkets to accessories. While this may be a bit "overpowering" depending on what they roll, this is a relax, less rules heavy game where I want them to just enjoy playing and killing stuff (they enjoy that the most).

So to my issue. Yesterday one of them rolled a 20 on the machine. This is reserved for the extremely powerful magical items. I then had him roll more times to determine what the item was (not telling him what the rolling was for); if it was a trinket, weapon, armor, etc, if it was elemental or not, if it was sentient or not, and if it was good or evil.

He ended up with a pair of magical, sentient, evil black gloves. For powers (and again, it may sound overpowered, but trust me, with this group I doubt they will even remember they can use it), it can essentially control shadows. It can put out lights and fires, it can cast darkness, darkvision, and it can cast hold person (Shikamaru style) with shadows. Later on, I might let him use shadows to attack people, but we will see.

Now that the background is over, I can get to my true question.

What should the character of these gloves be? I have determined that they are evil, and I was thinking that perhaps they were a failed attempt by a Drow Wizard/Warlock/Diety/Whatever to block out the Sun, and his soul got stuck onto the gloves. Or maybe its more of a demon/devil/fiend that is working through the gloves. Help me develop this "character" a bit more.

TL;DR My player got magical sentient evil black gloves, help me develop the character of the gloves.

Before I give an answer, what kind of evil? Is it Chaotic, Neutral, or Lawful? And does it conflict wtih the PCs alignment?

Chaotic Evil: If these contradict a Lawful/Chaotic Good PCs alignment, I would recommend a CHA check (as charisma also represents force of willpower) against a DC appropriate to the characters . On a failure, the players alignment becomes evil (The Lawful/Chaotic part remains the same) On a success, the player can use the gloves, but add some interesting roleplay with the evil nature of the gloves conflicting the player's actions. It might also be a good idea (Depending on how gritty the campaign is) to have the PC reroll a check every so often to resist the power of said gloves)

Neutral Evil: Same as above, but only change the alignment on a fail of 5 or more.

Lawful Evil: Same as above, but only if the player is not in a direct source of bright light.

With all that said, The sentient part should be the soul/spirit of a creature appropriate to the alignment. While this isn't much of a problem with humanoid characters, adding something that is typically always evil (such as a vampire) would make the most sense IMO.

[Corran]

Why hold person? I admit I didnt get the reference. But since it is supposed to be sth really op, and since you can inflict all sorts of drawbacks to balance things out if you later feel it is necessary, due to the evil alignment of the gloves that is, why not go for sth other than a mere hold person? Go for sth big and flashy. Give him disintegrate, I am sure your player is going to love this spell and they will have a hard time forgeting to use it. Since balance is not a major issue anyways.

[JeffreyGator]

in addition to the self-centered ness of the evil nature of the gloves (what is in the self-interest of gloves really??) is it mischievous (partly answering the self-interest question with amusement)

Does it constantly tempt the character to pickpockets from the dark?

In the imposed darkness are the gloves amused when the darkness is problematic for the player as well?

[Sir cryosin]

If the player don't know yet don't make it evil make neutral. And give it Shikamaru personality. We're when they try and use it have them roll a percentile dice to see if it feels like doing anything. It will keep it more balanced and annoying and fun at the same time. Never knowing if it's going to work for them.

[KorvinStarmast]

So I am DMing a non-serious campaign with a bunch of middle schoolers (3 groups, each has 3-5 students).

TL;DR My player got magical sentient evil black gloves, help me develop the character of the gloves.
I recommend that you convert Evil to Chaotic as the point of emphasis for the glove's personality.

it can essentially control shadows.
It can put out lights and fires,
it can cast darkness,
darkvision, and it can cast hold person (Shikamaru style) with shadows.
Nice kit. By control shadows, do you mean the creature, or shadows as regards areas of light and shadow?

Later on, I might let him use shadows to attack people, but we will see.
Suggest against, this thing is already powerful in terms of features.
As a utility item, it's really neat.

Suggestion on the guiding principle in these gloves:
sentience mixed with the whimsy of a Wand of Wonder type of effect, or the Wild Magic Sorcery table. If this was a more serious game, I'd have different advice.

As you are running a beer and pretzels kind of game ... activate powers at odd times if the character misses the Charisma contest versus the gloves. Alternatively, roll for surprise (1d6, 1d8, 1d12, whatever) and then, if the gloves surprise the character, have an effect go off.

Whimsy and strange things happening. As much fun as a barrel of monkeys.