3.5e Making Cursed Items for my players

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Hello guys :)

I am thinking about making some Cursed Items for my players and I am searching for your advice(First time DMing, never made Cursed Items and I don't want to harm my players).

I was thinking on making one for every player, I want to give them a nice benefit with the item so they will want to use it.

My party have:
Draconic Elan Erudit
Draconic Tabbit Dragonfire Adapt
Half-Minotaur Fighter

They will be at level 7-9 when I will introduce them the items.

I have an idea for the Erudit item for now:
A necklace with bonus PP and Power he can't learn that give him -5/10 on consecration because he became very angry until he beat someone to half HP/negative HP.
After he got someone to this condition his anger and the bad affect are gone for the rest of the day.

What do you think on this one?
How should I change it to make it better?
What Power should I add?
How much PP I should add?

Do you got any ideas for items for the Fighter and Dragonfire Adapt?

I will be vert happy to get help :)

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I will really like to get suggestions and help.

[weckar]

The simplest way to create a cursed item is by having it act in the opposite way it appears to. Good old rings of protection that make them easier to hit and all that - except you don't tell them that explicitly. Making items do the opposite of what players believe them to do requires some DM bookkeeping and works best with straight numerical increases, but it can be a fun diversion. I once had a store that specialised in these :smalltongue:

[BloodSnake'sCha]

The simplest way to create a cursed item is by having it act in the opposite way it appears to. Good old rings of protection that make them easier to hit and all that - except you don't tell them that explicitly. Making items do the opposite of what players believe them to do requires some DM bookkeeping and works best with straight numerical increases, but it can be a fun diversion. I once had a store that specialised in these :smalltongue:

Thank you, this is very good.

[BWR]

I've given out Rings of Protection -4. Player just sat there cursing my dice rolls that always seemed to hit him even though he had a '+4' Ring.
A ring that claimed to be sentient and magic with numerous useful abilities. He hasn't realized it isn't magic and just had a programmed spell that triggered when he put it on yet because the other players (who are in on the joke) always been able to come up with good reasons why he shouldn't try to use it or why things won't work when he does.

The 'claims to be a bonus but is actually a malus' is classic, but uninspired. Joke items might be fun. Hats of Disguise that always make you seem exaggeratedly ugly or give off a nasty smell that the wearer doesn't notice.
A Bag of Holding or Handy Haversack that never yields the right item the first time around (or which you have to empty every time you want to get something). Unfortunate side effects, like a powerful sword that forces you to speak in rhymes or riddles when wielded (enforce this OOC, making the player word him/herself properly), or a shield that gives off an annoying sound while held (make sure to find the right sound and play it loudly during combat).

[weckar]

BWR has the right idea for anything beyond the simplest forms. One-off nastiness (from hair turning green to trapping your soul in a mirror) or continuous inconvenience (on a weapon as a negative bonus to make it maybe worth it) are both valid options.
In the second category, here's a couple I used:

Screaming (-1 bonus): The weapon constantly screams that is it being stolen when wielded (and is only muffled by a scabbard). Owners automatically fail any Move Silently checks, and take a -6 on any Listen checks.
Gluttonous (-3 Bonus): Whenever the wielder misses an attack, the weapon forces them to roll damage against themselves instead. The need for blood must be sated.
Blinking (-2 Bonus): The blade of the weapon randomly turns ethereal. Whenever an attack is made using the weapon, you have a 50% chance to miss the target.
Jiggy (-1 Bonus): When the wielder of this weapon or armor wants to use a move action to move more than half their land speed, they have to make a DC 20 perform(dance) check or fail to move at all (losing the action).

[denthor]

Item does as stated.

BUT you have eat three time normal.

BUT it is hot pink (or othe color)

BUT it has a destiny to be destroyed by it opposite. Then compels it owner to seek out that opposite. No damage to pc but destroys the big bad guy who where's the evil opposite.

[Andezzar]

One-off nastiness (from hair turning green to trapping your soul in a mirror) or continuous inconvenience (on a weapon as a negative bonus to make it maybe worth it) are both valid options.
What actually happens when the soul is trapped in a mirror? Isn't that rather an advantage when your soul is in a safe place, instead of on your squishy body? Don't phylacteries, horcruxes and those organ jars for dry liches do exactly that?

[Malimar]

BUT it is hot pink (or othe color)
In this vein, I enjoy both the Pimp Hat Of Disguise (Hat of Disguise, but the hat is always an ostentatious giant purple floppy hat with an ostrich feather), and the Wand of Identify that functions perfectly except everything it's used on turns hot pink and cannot be unpinked.

[Lapak]

Do you got any ideas for items for the Fighter and Dragonfire Adapt?

I will be vert happy to get help :)
I think you are on the right track with making them genuinely useful; I find that cursed items with a genuine upside tend to get a lot more time in the campaign than something you’re forced to use until you Remove Curse and wouldn’t use willingly once you knew the downside.

For this reason, I try to make sure cursed items have a strong advantage. One of the easiest things to do with a cursed item is to make sure that power bites both ways. For example, let’s say your Minotaur fighter is lacking in the ranged-attack department but has a strong attack bonus and piles of HP; the following may be a little overboard but gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.

***
Rib-Cracker
This Throwing Axe +3 has a range increment of 120’. The wielder is treated as if they have the feat “Improved Critical - Throwing Axe” and any critical threat is automatically confirmed. The weapon returns after being thrown, but does so with intent to kill: this is treated as an attack on the wielder using the same modifiers for to-hit and damage as the original attack.
***

It’s a useful weapon for hitting flyers, spellcasters, and other annoying people hanging out of his reach, and has potential to do some serious damage. But it’s coming back at him just as hard. Sometimes that’s a trade he’ll want to make (throwing at a soft target when he knows he can take the hit, say) though as the (eventual) target of many throws he’s going to crit himself sooner or later.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I've given out Rings of Protection -4. Player just sat there cursing my dice rolls that always seemed to hit him even though he had a '+4' Ring.
A ring that claimed to be sentient and magic with numerous useful abilities. He hasn't realized it isn't magic and just had a programmed spell that triggered when he put it on yet because the other players (who are in on the joke) always been able to come up with good reasons why he shouldn't try to use it or why things won't work when he does.

The 'claims to be a bonus but is actually a malus' is classic, but uninspired. Joke items might be fun. Hats of Disguise that always make you seem exaggeratedly ugly or give off a nasty smell that the wearer doesn't notice.
A Bag of Holding or Handy Haversack that never yields the right item the first time around (or which you have to empty every time you want to get something). Unfortunate side effects, like a powerful sword that forces you to speak in rhymes or riddles when wielded (enforce this OOC, making the player word him/herself properly), or a shield that gives off an annoying sound while held (make sure to find the right sound and play it loudly during combat).
This is nice, they can give one of the ring to their enemies to get a benefit from them.

BWR has the right idea for anything beyond the simplest forms. One-off nastiness (from hair turning green to trapping your soul in a mirror) or continuous inconvenience (on a weapon as a negative bonus to make it maybe worth it) are both valid options.
In the second category, here's a couple I used:

Screaming (-1 bonus): The weapon constantly screams that is it being stolen when wielded (and is only muffled by a scabbard). Owners automatically fail any Move Silently checks, and take a -6 on any Listen checks.
Gluttonous (-3 Bonus): Whenever the wielder misses an attack, the weapon forces them to roll damage against themselves instead. The need for blood must be sated.
Blinking (-2 Bonus): The blade of the weapon randomly turns ethereal. Whenever an attack is made using the weapon, you have a 50% chance to miss the target.
Jiggy (-1 Bonus): When the wielder of this weapon or armor wants to use a move action to move more than half their land speed, they have to make a DC 20 perform(dance) check or fail to move at all (losing the action).

I think I will give them the blinking one, they will be able to use it vs etreal and hard to hit enemies (if it's blink it will remove their Dex to AC).

I think you are on the right track with making them genuinely useful; I find that cursed items with a genuine upside tend to get a lot more time in the campaign than something you’re forced to use until you Remove Curse and wouldn’t use willingly once you knew the downside.

For this reason, I try to make sure cursed items have a strong advantage. One of the easiest things to do with a cursed item is to make sure that power bites both ways. For example, let’s say your Minotaur fighter is lacking in the ranged-attack department but has a strong attack bonus and piles of HP; the following may be a little overboard but gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.

***
Rib-Cracker
This Throwing Axe +3 has a range increment of 120’. The wielder is treated as if they have the feat “Improved Critical - Throwing Axe” and any critical threat is automatically confirmed. The weapon returns after being thrown, but does so with intent to kill: this is treated as an attack on the wielder using the same modifiers for to-hit and damage as the original attack.
***

It’s a useful weapon for hitting flyers, spellcasters, and other annoying people hanging out of his reach, and has potential to do some serious damage. But it’s coming back at him just as hard. Sometimes that’s a trade he’ll want to make (throwing at a soft target when he knows he can take the hit, say) though as the (eventual) target of many throws he’s going to crit himself sooner or later.

Thank you, I love it.

[Lapak]

Ok, I’m enjoying myself with this without worrying about how effective this one will be.

***
Crown of the Ever-Burning Fire
This silver tiara grants the wearer protection at the cost of normal interaction with their surroundings. Whenever the wearer is physically struck by an attack doing at least one point of damage the crown immediately activates: the wearer is affected as if by the greater invocation Aura of Flame at CL 11 for the next 6 hours. Further attacks while the aura is active do not increase this duration.

However, the flaming aura does not just deal damage to attackers: anyone touching the wearer for any reason is hit by the aura, as is any object the wearer touches which they were not already carrying or wielding when the aura was triggered. (Additionally, flammable objects may be set alight by this effect.) The aura cannot be suppressed or dismissed by the wearer before the full 6 hours have elapsed once it is triggered.
***

Early access to the invocation, automatically punishes attackers, keen-looking jewelry. But once you get hit your life becomes a little complicated for a while: no one can touch you even to help you without getting burned, you’re going to have a hard time climbing ladders or ropes, reading is definitely out, and you’re a walking fire hazard in some environments - not a good idea to be wearing this in a forest or a town where wood is a popular construction material.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Ok, I’m enjoying myself with this without worrying about how effective this one will be.

***
Crown of the Ever-Burning Fire
This silver tiara grants the wearer protection at the cost of normal interaction with their surroundings. Whenever the wearer is physically struck by an attack doing at least one point of damage the crown immediately activates: the wearer is affected as if by the greater invocation Aura of Flame at CL 11 for the next 6 hours. Further attacks while the aura is active do not increase this duration.

However, the flaming aura does not just deal damage to attackers: anyone touching the wearer for any reason is hit by the aura, as is any object the wearer touches which they were not already carrying or wielding when the aura was triggered. (Additionally, flammable objects may be set alight by this effect.) The aura cannot be suppressed or dismissed by the wearer before the full 6 hours have elapsed once it is triggered.
***

Early access to the invocation, automatically punishes attackers, keen-looking jewelry. But once you get hit your life becomes a little complicated for a while: no one can touch you even to help you without getting burned, you’re going to have a hard time climbing ladders or ropes, reading is definitely out, and you’re a walking fire hazard in some environments - not a good idea to be wearing this in a forest or a town where wood is a popular construction material.
Have fun, but be careful because you are on fire:smallwink:

Those are great items, maybe there is a need to open a thread about cursed items with benefits.

[weckar]

What actually happens when the soul is trapped in a mirror? Isn't that rather an advantage when your soul is in a safe place, instead of on your squishy body? Don't phylacteries, horcruxes and those organ jars for dry liches do exactly that?

Oh it is absolutely fine if you're undead. Any victim of Trap The Soul will tell you that otherwise... not so much.

[Andezzar]

Oh it is absolutely fine if you're undead. Any victim of Trap The Soul will tell you that otherwise... not so much.While the spell is called trap the soul, it traps soul and body. That's the problem. From your description of the cursed item, I did not assume the same would happen.

[Mutazoia]

A ring of warmth that only functions in temperatures of 50 deg or higher
A singing sword that constantly sings, loudly and off key, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Gauntlets of Ogre stench
Robe of useless things (a used, still moist kleenex, instruction on how to make mud, 1/2 inch of string, etc)
Flaming sword, functions as a +1 sword and looks FABULOUS!
Bag of molding. Fuctions as a bag of holding, but anything placed inside comes out overed in (ordinary) mold.
Helm of invisibility. The helm is completely invisible. Grants no other benefits.
Ion stone. The size of an actual ion, orbits the users head and makes them generally fell positive about themselves.
Slippers of spider climing. Wearer can climb spiders with the greatest of ease.
Folding Goat. A DR 10 strength check allows you to fold this goat in half. Only works once.

[Andezzar]

Helm of invisibility. The helm is completely invisible. Grants no other benefits.Now would that create the appearance of a hedless person or would the contents of the helm be seen?

Ion stone. The size of an actual ion, orbits the users head and makes them generally fell positive about themselves.How would anyone ever find such an item? Ionic radii are quite small.

[noob]

Slippers of spider climing. Wearer can climb spiders with the greatest of ease.
Actually there is places where it is very useful.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Actually there is places where it is very useful.

And this is the kind of items I try to find.

[Mutazoia]

Now would that create the appearance of a hedless person or would the contents of the helm be seen?

The contents would be seen, but not the helm itself. So a person wearing it would appear to have permanent helmet hair.


How would anyone ever find such an item? Ionic radii are quite small.

The same way you find every other magic item.... Detect Magic! Duh! :smallbiggrin:

[noob]

The contents would be seen, but not the helm itself. So a person wearing it would appear to have permanent helmet hair.



The same way you find every other magic item.... Detect Magic! Duh! :smallbiggrin:

I guess that the Ion stone would sell quite well: I am quite sure there is a lot of people ready to buy positiveness.

[weckar]

I'd probably get some postive and negative ion stones, but that might make everyone salty...