Lightly-Cursed Magic Items

[Lalliman]

Cursed items are conceptually fun, but I don't like the ones in the DMG very much. Many are utterly devastating: effects like being forced to attack your allies or having vulnerability to the most common damage types basically take your character out of the action until cured. Their method of removal is also one-sided: you either have access to Remove Curse or you don't.

Thus I want to make some cursed magic items that:
A) Have a detriment that is dangerous or inconvenient but does not vastly outweigh the benefit. The players should actually consider using them even if they know they're cursed.
B) Have a method of removal other than casting Remove Curse, preferably one that is doable at low level.

I've made the following prototypes. Do you guys think they fit the purpose? Do you have any other suggestions?

Giant’s Ring
When you put on this ring, you become one size category larger, along with anything you are wearing or carrying. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d4 damage. However, you have disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws. The ring automatically attunes when put on, and then cannot be removed. Attunement can only be ended by casting Remove Curse or Enlarge on the wearer.

Pygmy’s Ring
When you put on this ring, you become one size category smaller, along with anything you are wearing or carrying. You have advantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws. However, you have disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and your weapon attacks deal 1d4 less damage (to a minimum of 1). The ring automatically attunes when put on, and then cannot be removed. Attunement can only be ended by casting Remove Curse or Enlarge on the wearer.

Dagger of Returning
This magic dagger guides the user’s hand when thrown. It has a thrown range of 30/90, and has a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls when thrown. When thrown, it will return to you at the end of your turn. However, it will return blade-first, attacking you with half the attack bonus used for its last attack.

The dagger automatically attunes the first time you attack with it. From then on, it will fly to you (blade first) if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you for more than 6 seconds. Attunement can only be ended by the Remove Curse spell, or by keeping wielder and dagger separated for 24 hours.

Berserker Weapon (alternate)
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. When you reduce a creature to 0 HP with it, you must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or go berserk. While berserk, you are unable to stop fighting and must attack any creature within 30 feet of you with the weapon. If there are multiple creatures within 30 feet, you can still choose your target. The berserk state wears off when there are no living or animated creatures left within 30 feet, when you are incapacitated, or when the weapon is removed from your possession.

The weapon automatically attunes the first time you attack with it. From then on, even when not berserk, you are unwilling to part with it, and will instinctively attack when someone tries to take it from you. When separated from the weapon, you will do whatever you can to get it back. Attunement can only be ended by the Remove Curse spell, or by keeping wielder and weapon separated for 24 hours.

Ring of Equivalent Exchange
When you put on this ring, you can raise one of your ability scores by 2. In return, one body part of your choice disintegrates. This can be either a leg (speed -20, or -10 with a peg leg), an arm (disadvantage on checks that normally require two hands), or an eye (disadvantage on Perception checks and ranged attack rolls).

Taking off the ring undoes its effects, including restoring your body part. However, the ring automatically attunes when put on, and then cannot be removed. Attunement can only be ended by casting Remove Curse on the wearer. Alternatively, the ring can be transferred to a different willing creature, who then becomes the new wearer and can choose their own benefit and detriment. The ring can’t be transferred more than once every 12 hours.

Wand of Mephits
When used as a magical focus, this wand provides a +1 bonus on spell attacks and to the user’s spell save DC. When you use the wand to cast a spell, you must also roll a d20. If you roll a 1, a number of mephits are summoned in random empty spaces within 30 feet of you. The DM chooses the type of mephit based on the spell you were casting. The number of mephits summoned is equal to the level of the spell (min 1) if summoning mud, smoke or steam mephits, or half the level of the spell (min 1) if summoning dust, ice or magma mephits. The summoned mephits are hostile to all creatures except each other.

The wand automatically attunes the first time you cast a spell with it. From then on, if it is more than 30 feet away from you, it will summon one random mephit every ten minutes, which will try to seek you out and attack you. Attunement can only be ended by casting the Remove Curse spell on the user, or by keeping user and wand separated for 24 hours.

[CTurbo]

I gave one of my players a +2 Battleaxe that once used to attack with, the character could not put it down. It wasn't that they didn't want to put it down, They could NOT put it down, until they found somebody to cast Remove Curse on it at which point it turned into a regular Battleaxe. It was fun. The characters were all asked to come speak in front of the queen and he got arrested for refusing to put his weapon away lol.

I gave one of my players a +3 Longsword that had a curse on it that any Intelligent character that saw it, wanted it REALLY bad. They had to roll a Wis saving throw DC12. On a fail, they simply inquire about it, and possibly offer to buy it or trade for it. On a fail, they do anything to get it. Depending on their character, they would beg and plead for it, try to steal it, or just fight to the death trying to take it. It was fun too. Once you passed the save, you were Immune to it's effect, or else the group would have killed each other over it lol

[Sariel Vailo]

Dagger of returning can be used by a clever rogue or monk well enough

[Lunali]

One thing to think about with cursed magical items, why was it created? Usually a cursed item is created with the intent of causing serious harm, either to someone specific or to whoever loots it from your horde.

[Trippic]

One thing to think about with cursed magical items, why was it created? Usually a cursed item is created with the intent of causing serious harm, either to someone specific or to whoever loots it from your horde.

or the creator botched its creation process

[Trask]

or the creator botched its creation process

This is a good enough reason as any. Or perhaps the item is so ancient that its magic has warped.

Wanted to make a ring of invisibility? It turns you invisible but not your clothes.

Axe of returning? It returns, but in 1d4 minutes.

[Metamorph]

I gave one a magical katana which was a sentinent evil weapon. It wanted the wielder to murder Innocent but got strong if the wielder did.

Furthermore, it did not accept that the attuned onw wields an other weapon.

(Give this just to good alignt characters.)

[Spectrulus]

How about this one, having it binds to the first person that finds it.

Persistent Driftglobe,

As regular Driftglobe, but cursed to never go below dim, and will always resist being put away, always trying to shine as brightly as possible if restrained.

Remove curse only deactivates it, waiting for a new owner.

[hymer]

Wanted to make a ring of invisibility? It turns you invisible but not your clothes.
You mean vice versa, right? :smallwink:

I'm trying to think of interesting things that can happen, when you roll a natural 13 on any roll while wielding a partially cursed weapon. Attack roll with the weapon? Maximum weapon damage. Attack roll with anything else? Minimum weapon damage. Mental skill check? Reroll and pick worse. Physical skill check? Reroll and pick best.

[Xetheral]

My favorite cursed item was a Broom of Flying that only had two speeds: 0 mph and 500 mph. The strength check necessary to hold on when it accelerated was impressively high.

[ciarannihill]

You could also involve some that are more roleplay/non-combat detriments, for example:

Circlet of Truth:
Grants the wearer advantage on Insight and Perception checks, but replace the value of all die rolls for Deception or Performance with a 1. This item can only be removed by the wearer telling a secret to someone or by casting Remove Curse (Probably needs to be worded better, frankly, but hey)

Impulse Gloves:
When the wearer of these gloves makes a Sleight of Hand check, they can choose to replace the result on the die with their Dexterity stat.
When around people who are unaware of their presence, the wearer must make a DC 13 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save they feel an overwhelming impulse to pick that individual's pocket.
These gloves can only be removed by the wearer succeeding on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or by casting Remove Curse

Just some off the cuff ones, but you could do some very funny things with these.

[Kadesh]

'While Attuned, the character gains a Lisp. If they have one, it becomes even more pronounthed.'

I gave it one of my players who loved the idea that much he kept attuned to it even when he had the oplortunity to break the curse, even having the character get a Mike Tyson tattoo

[ciarannihill]

'While Attuned, the character gains a Lisp. If they have one, it becomes even more pronounthed.'

I gave it one of my players who loved the idea that much he kept attuned to it even when he had the oplortunity to break the curse, even having the character get a Mike Tyson tattoo

I love when players lean into things like that. Makes for memorable games.

[Maxilian]

Wand of Sorcerer (basically +1 Wands and those wands that basically give an extra spell slot to warlocks), the curse? It yells every spell you cast (Like how in old cartoons and things like those, before they use an ability, they have to yell the name of it)

[Segev]

Giant’s Ring
When you put on this ring, you become one size category larger, along with anything you are wearing or carrying. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d4 damage. However, you have disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws. The ring automatically attunes when put on, and then cannot be removed. Attunement can only be ended by casting Remove Curse or Enlarge on the wearer.

How about, instead if it actually being "cursed," it just doesn't grow as much as the person who put it on, so it becomes too tight and can't come off for that reason? Removing it requires something particularly slick, like oil of slipperiness, aboleth mucous, or something else unpleasant and hard to get. Technically, cutting off the finger would work, too, though regenerating it would be its own adventure.

Patriot Light
In the very first game of D&D I ever played, the DM had a series of magic weapons of significant power, each with its own drawback. The only one whose drawback I recall is Patriot Light. It amounted to a Holy Avenger with some added perks, but its drawback was the memorable bit: every time the wielder drew it, he was compelled to proclaim his allegiance and swear his fealty to his cause. Mechanically, the DM required the player to mime holding aloft a sword and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to represent the action. This took one round. IT wasn't too hard to work around: the paladin would draw his weapon BEFORE we burst through doors or otherwise expected combat. But it did inhibit stealth, and if we were surprised or he forgot to draw it before the fight started, he gave up his round.

This one doesn't have a way to break the curse, because you can put it down and just choose not to use it.

[holywhippet]

How about a magical item that improves relations with NPCs greatly when in their presence, but 5 minutes after you leave they start to dislike you, a lot. Like send the guards after you a lot. If you manage to make it back to them they will be baffled and unable to remember why they would have sent their guards after you, but as soon as you leave again they send more guards.

[Harpier]

I remember a friend of mine proposing a magical poison that could easily be remade into an item with the same effect.

The poison, called Blue Lotus Nectar, worked like this: It would genuinely increase a character's most important stat by 1 or 2, probably enough to bump the modifier up by one. Say, a rogue might get Dex, but they might also get Cha if they put a huge personal emphasis on their ability to fast-talk people.
However, the character would PERCEIVE the stat as having gone up by 5 or 10, and be influenced to revel in their newfound "power". A druid might be cackling about being the new god of nature after growing a decent-size oak tree, a bard might be acting as if they had fey-like grace after getting a stutter toned down and a couple of spots removed, or a paladin might be continually trying to challenge clearly dangerous foes to duels due to their "divine strength".
This one varies on how much the player likes roleplaying, or how much of a rift the DM writes between the actual gain and the character's perception, but I can imagine a couple of players having fun with it, and the madness dosen't really take hold right away, so the other PCs have to figure out what's causing it.

[nickl_2000]

My favorite item I ever created

Whip of Encouragement
Whenever you attack with the whip you may shout "try harder you lazy scum" and the whip will cast the guidance spell as a cantrip on the target. This lasts the normal duration of the guidance spell, but does not require concentration. Once per short rest, you may shout an insult as you hit with the whip. The next time the hit target makes a roll with a d20, it will have the total reduced by 1d6


This was originally in the hands of a sadistic dwarven slavemaster who had very low strength but high dex. He would use his strength as an attack mod when he wanted to make the slaves work harder but not be as likely to hit them.

[Rerem115]

A while ago, I brewed up an item that was fueled by the luck of its wielder. It had some pretty impressive effects, IIRC, but gave you anti-Elven Accuracy and anti-Halfling Luck; you rolled 3 and took the lowest when Disadvantaged, and were forced to re-roll natural 20s.

[MagneticKitty]

How about:
Weapon (any melee / non thrown) of bloodlust
Requires attunement. Once you are attuned you may not attune to another weapon Until this attunement is broken.
Your first strike with this weapon each turn against a creature is at advantage. If you successfully hit the creature you may not willingly move away from the creature and must attempt to harm it with this weapon every turn until it is dead or you are separated for 10 minutes. You may only have this effect with one creature at a time.

[Sigreid]

In one of the adventure books there's a magic staff that makes its user crave power above all else.

[MilkmanDanimal]

I gave a player magic armor that caused body odor; not overpowering or overwhelming, but noticeable to everybody. Except the player, who was immune to the effect. It led to much in-game arguing about "You need to take a bath", "No, I just took a bath, I smell fine", and so forth. Stupid, but fun.

[randomodo]

I had The Blade of Two Widows. +1 to hit and damage, -1 to AC (it aggressively resists parrying), forces you to use your reaction to riposte if hit with a melee crit.
___
You have on your journey seen many kinds of weapons, both plain and works of art. Nobility and higher quality craftsman tend to demand or make weapons that are equally functional for their bloody purpose and as tasteful fashion accessories. You have seen ornate webs of hand guards protecting the hilt of a weapon, you have seen pommels encrusted with gorgeous jewelry, you have seen blades engraved with beautiful filigreed calligraphy. Some weapons you have seen are so ornate and gorgeous that you think they would shatter at the first attempt at an actual use in a combat situation.

The Blade of Two Widows is quite aggressively none of these things. Is it almost defiant in its lack of adornments and devotion to a singular purpose. You have seen even crude weapons of orcs that are more aesthetically designed than this.

It appears to be carved out of a single piece of some dull grey metal. There is no evidence of soldering or piecing together; the blade, the hilt, and the handle, all appear to be made of one piece.

The only grudging concession to utility is a string of rawhide wrapped around the handle to soften the shock of a blow. Even this is continually somewhat loose no matter how much you attempt to tighten it, as though the blade rejects the alien nature of the rawhide and is resentful of the necessity of its presence.

The blade resists all efforts at polishing and oiling; the oil seems to simply slide off the metal and it retains its dull color without any degree of flash, shininess, or reflectivity.

You lift the weapon and take a stance against an imaginary opponent that stands in front of you. As you move your arm going through the motions of strokes you feel as though there is something off inside of the sword. As if perhaps there was liquid metal within, changing its center of gravity making it move in a way different than what you intend.

You realize with a chill this is not the case. The blade is moving to some extent of its own accord continually trying to position itself in your hands for an offensive blow. You realize that there was a chance that in the heat of battle this innate aggression of the weapon could render you unable to move defensively to dodge or parry, that the weapon seems to have some sinister base intellect that demands offense above all.

The weapon sits still now in your hand, still and silent as blades should be. But unlike the average tool, the silence seems not natural, but sullen as if it is simply waiting, waiting for a chance to do that for which it was made. The blade itself is an incitement to violence.

(If you'll pardon me cribbing the final sentence from Homer)

[Lord8Ball]

A +(X) sword that when unsheathed cannot be removed from your hand unless some being is killed. After 100 kills the blade will turn upon its wielder and attempt to kill him/her. This item cannot be unnatuned and any attempt to remove or leave it results on it returning to your person in a way chosen by the dm. This magic item was the result of a wizard screwing up a soul binding ritual between the warrior and the blade causing it to manifest in the form of a curse whose true nature is unbenownst to the weilder.

[Finback]

I gave a PC a cursed familiar, so to speak.
They found a bird skeleton, woven together into its life-position, and put in a cage. If they carried it, it gave them darkvision to 60ft, and a +5 to Perception checks.

Of course, whenever a player made a bad pun, the skeletal parrot would shriek with laughter, alerting any enemies nearby.


So if anything, I taught my players using puns may not be as rewording as they like..

[Finback]

Wanted to make a ring of invisibility? It turns you invisible but not your clothes.



This is great; it gives the player an option to use it, but with given limitations. Sure, they can infiltrate the evil warlord's base, but they're doing it naked and weaponless.

[Asmotherion]

I'd go for prestidigitation-like effects that can be slightly anoying, but not really mechanics-altering:

-A Flame Tongue Sword that leaves a non-stop 10 foot smoke trail, even when shealthed. Can be inconvinient to keep indoors especially in inns and palaces due to complains.

-A ring of disapearance; Perhaps it's original purpose was to make you invisible, but now it just makes random body parts of yours invisible wile you wear it, and people react to it as if you actually were getting harmed by some magical effect; An other minus is that whoever created really didn't want to loose it, since whenever you try to put it away, it just magically reapears on your hand 1d10 minutes latter. (Latter investigation may conclude how to actually unlock it's full potential as a Ring of Invisibility).

-A magical +armor that, whatever you may try to clean it, soils itself automatically due to it's link to Elemental Earth, and always looks Dirty, as if it was just dug out of the earth.

-Staff of Levitation; A broken Broom of Flying, allows the user to replicate Levitate (Self Only) without concentrating on the spell. Problem is, the stuff has a 10 percent chance of leaving the owner every time it is used to Levitate, to meet with it's broken part, and become whole again, which can lead to a fall in an unwanted situation. After that, the Broom of Flying returns to whoever it recognises as it's rightfull owner, (50 percent that it's the PC).

[Banana3lf]

In my campaign I gave out a dagger with a slightly cracked crystal in the pommel. The dagger was enchanted with a misty step abilty but over the course of time the crystal was damaged. Since then the dagger while attuned allows the user to teleport 1d4 times per day exactly 5 feet to the right of the direction they are facing. However if the user does not use all of the teleports before the days end while they sleep they will teleport to the right exactly 5 feet even if it puts them into a wall.

Another item I gave out was a chess board that seems to have every school of magic inbeded. If the keeper manages to beat the game (chess game on dm side on expert level) they get the deck of many things...this itsself is not light at all but the person playing can only move once per day and if he/she does not win all of their saving throws are -1 permanantly.

[Segev]

A Hat of Disguise that physically shrinks you by a foot and a half and makes you look no older than pubescent, no matter what illusion you use. Even your own un-disguised self is illusioned to look to be right at the cusp of puberty. It can only be removed, once attuned, by the hand of your own child.

[paddyfool]

Chainmail bikini armour This suit of magic full plate has an automatic glamer effect which activates the first time a stranger sees you wearing it, making it appear as if you're wearing a chainmail bikini (or other silly outfit of the DM's choice). You may only remove the armour with a Remove Curse spell or by going and hiding away where nobody can see you for 7 days and 7 nights.

Armour of the Knightly Challenge This suit of armour shouts out a challenge in your voice the first time it sees what it considers a worthy opponent, and continues to shout insulting challenges at them until you fight. (Add in will save based mechanic if you like, or just rp the outcome). You may only remove it with a remove curse spell or by beating 3 opponents thus challenged in single combat.

Judgemental blade This +X enchanted sword has strong opinions on proper behaviour. If you try to steal something, it condemns you as a thief. If you try to draw it from its scabbard to use against an opponent it deems unworthy, it won't budge. If you run away from a fight, it loudly condemns you as a coward and tries to trip you up. If you do something truly diabolically evil, it may even try and execute you. Other than that, it functions perfectly well, but if you ever move more than 5' away from it it flies back towards you and slaps you with the flat of its blade. May only be removed with a remove curse spell, by destroying the blade, or by behaving in an exemplory manner as would befit the purest and noblest paladin for a sufficient period of time to convince it of your righteousness.

Cynic's dagger: As above, but instead this blade believes you should behave viciously and selfishly, and will punish any other behaviour.

[Mummy king]

So if anything, I taught my players using puns may not be as rewording as they like..
I hope this was intentional