Possessed Item Effects

[Jay Culnis]

Hi! I've been tasked with coming up with effects for a magic item. This will be a powerful weapon, but there must be good and bad effects. There is an otherworldly being possessing this called the Emissary whose goal is to kill you to gain its freedom. I'm having writer's block on this though, so I'm reaching out to you all for ideas. The character this will go to is a fighter/warlock. I'm not yet sure if I should make this a CHA saving throw or just a straight d20. Here's what I have so far, and I'm not married to any effect or any order of these effects so feel free to make any suggestions:


The Emissary uses the highest spell slot available to attack a teammate.
The Emissary takes a 10th of your max hp.
You lose your highest available spell slot.
You are unable to take any action until your next turn.
You are unable to use a bonus action until your next turn.
You are unable to use your reaction on your next turn.
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You have disadvantage on everything on your next turn.
You have disadvantage on your next action or attack on your next turn.
You have disadvantage on the next check for this item on your next turn.
You have advantage on the next check for this item on your next turn.
You have advantage on your next action or attack on your next turn.
You have advantage on everything on your next turn.
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You gain a second bonus action on your next turn.
You gain a free action on your next turn.
You can cast a spell at the highest slot available to you.
You are healed for 10% of your max hp.
Choose a willing creature to be healed for 10% of your max hp.

[Son of A Lich!]

As soon as I saw the d20 chart, I already knew your problem.

You are approaching this in a very crunchy way, and players that like Crunch Loath random, Even if they don't know they hate it.

As soon as they know the weapon has bad and good consequences, they will do everything in their power (Including releasing it, even if you don't want them too) to get rid of it.

If the players don't mind the crunch, and just want to see the effects go off, they will quickly lose interests as soon as it seriously becomes a detriment to them.

3rd edition had a book called something like Libra Mortis or... something. It was all about using D&D for horror stories. I'll see if I can find my copy. I know it has a section on haunted items. If you don't like what I recommend here, then I recommend looking it up just for inspiration.

----

So, I'm guessing that The Emissary is a Sword specifically?

First of all, when the player first draws it to take care of it, in the reflection of the blade is the visage of The Emissary. And he does not look happy, but almost as soon as the player is able to see the other face in the blade, it's gone again.

Anyone that has paper and ink in the bags finds scrawling, rambling text in a long dead language. Not enough to make any fiscal problems, (A sheet or two, nothing they would have to keep track of) but enough to make people wonder what the hell is going on. This also could be used as a plot device and adventure hook. ("Make a history check?" ... "Sure, I'll make one *Roll* 13?" "You don't know what the language is, but Aelswick, the next town over, has a library with a historian who might know" "Hey, that's on the way to Exampleton!")

I don't know who the Emissary is, or what they want, so I'm going to just ramble some creepy effects.

When the player is standing watch, 'The Emissary' leaves "gifts" for him. If he has any sacred and/or Profane animals, lets say Ravens for creep factor, Ravens fall from the sky on the player's lap. They look healthy enough on initial inspection, only to find that they have their hearts have been removed without breaking the skin in any way.

If the Player talks about the sword, there are moments when everyone around him stops talking in Common and starts speaking a gutteral ancient dialect of Infernal. Only the player with the blade can hear it.

If the player is counting gold, or rummaging through loot, the blade will tug and point towards hostile entities in the general area. If the player places the sword on the ground, it will point to the nearest enemy, even if they are in another room. When the player starts to rely on this trick, and trusts what is going on... it starts pointing to the who ever doesn't want him to release The Emissary.

Songs played in particular scales will have random strings plucked in twine. It forces the Minstrel to play songs in the key of his holy songs.

The player will find himself getting lost in town, especially ones he is familiar with, and winding up in front of stores that sell materials needed for the ritual that will release 'The Emissary'.

Priests and clerics of holy temples are compelled to turn him away at their doors. They don't know why specifically, but they feel a deep urgent need to usher him out of the hollowed ground.

=====

That's how you make a weapon feel Haunted and Possessed.

[terodil]

[...]
Blimey, some of these are awesome.

This scribbling sound you hear totally is an emissary ruining my stacks of vellum and not me stealing those ideas for future campaigns.

[Unoriginal]

How about the Emissary diminishes the PCs' health by X amount, while making it impossible to get that restored before 24h?

The benefits would have to be good, but that'd add a lot of tension about using this item.

[MintyNinja]

After a week of being Attuned to the weapon, the Emissary starts casting Dream on the target, often opting for the nightmare option which deals damage and disrupts Long Rests. I would recommend that this is a Recharge 6 ability, so that he can't do it every night and just murder the target, but so that after a rough day he can make the next one even worse.