I'm looking for ideas for items with a catch: not necessarily a "cursed item", more like an object with an intended drawback so that I can give something fun to low level players without having to skimp on usual treasures. As it stands, I already had an idea for a thorn-based dagger: when first unsheathed, it periodically deals 1 damage to the wielder. Once it's fed with blood however (either through a crit or killing blow) it stops doing this, and as you feed it more in a short period it starts to grow more and give little bonuses such as being very difficult to disarm, gaining an extra viney appendage and eventually causing bleed when it hits vital areas. Feed it too much too quickly and it starts lashing out and it starts lashing out on its own and hitting anyone near you, friend or foe.
As it stands I'm going to have items like this given out by a wandering resident-evil-esque merchant named Annette (there's always a catch). She's going to appear periodically as the party finds old coins scattered around and will give these "gifts" in exchange. Any ideas /tg/? Any experience with this sort of double-edged sword idea?
A lot of the bog-standard drawbacks listed in the DM's guide are definitely worth looking through.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cursedItems.htm
I like the idea of cursed items that kind of fuck everyone over equally.
For example, a cursed dagger which if touched makes it impossible to be ressurected. This includes the user, but also the guy he stabs. So your rogue may not be able to come back but neither will the BBEG.
I also like the Sword of Olympus from God of War. It has all the powers of a God but you get your power taken when you use it. Obviously a weaker mortal version will work better for most parties.
>>43734917
I'm not sure I'm a fan of the whole "permanent curse" thing, and frankly I don't think resurrection prevention would hurt anyone at this level except party members, but it's a good idea. Maybe something along the lines of it stealing a stat at random when you take it out, and it steals it from enemies too.
>>43734796
An orb that shoots out bright light blinding everyone in its vicinity
Finn's cursed grass sword from Adventure time could be a cool idea but instead it could be a gauntlet that transforms into a rusty sword. The upside is that it's a magic weapon so it can damage ghosts and other stuff, the downside is that it's a shitty rusted sword
>>43736798
And you can't remove the gauntlet and while the gauntlets on you can't wield any other weapon
>>43734796
A throwing knife that always returns. Make sure you can catch it.
A staff bound with earth magic and tremendously weighty and hard-hitting. In fact, it causes directional tremors whenever it hits a surface. At any speed. Get used to carrying it, or at least not setting it down indoors.
A flaming sword. Somebody lost the dragonskin sheath. Get used to carrying IT, too, though at least you don't have to worry about making campfires.
A smaller sword, with a dog's head on the pommel. It's possessed by the ghost of the dog, and if you treat it well, it'll guard your valuables. If not, well, I hope you like bite marks on your fingers.
A withered and dead staff, wrapped in iron wire. When planted firmly on the ground, it boosts your magic, but also sucks the life out of plants, animals, etc. nearby. Druids will hate your guts.
The shield of a noble and selfless knight, whose passion for justice inhabits it yet. While a really good shield, it will also try to drag itself (and by extension you) in the way of attacks on 'innocents' nearby. What the shield defines as an innocent is inconveniently vague.
>>43736875
This is exactly the kind of shit I'm looking for. Personally I love the risk of the throwing knife and the shield, and the withered staff has some interesting implications that might make them feel bad for using them. Not sure about the others, they seem like a nuisance but I'll keep them in mind. Thanks for the help.
>>43736875
A spear with the soul of a dragon. A proud and powerful weapon, it can spit fireballs, twist to bite at foes, and pierce the toughest of scales; Unfortunately, being proud, it also tries to start shit with anything dragony for being dragony.
A mace that shatters spells and enchantments, leaving shards of chaotic magic in the area. On one hand, it gets through magical protections damn well. On the other hand, it is now raining opposite-of-fire-elementals and everything is catching on unfire.
A powerful sword, destined to be drawn from its anvil only by the true and rightful king of a forgotten land. You're not him. It's basically a big fuckoff hammer with an awkward sword hilt, though it's enchanted enough to be damn near invincible.
A bow that fires snakes. On one hand, poison arrows, and they're magically protected from harm and hit as hard as normal arrows. On the other hand, you have to carry a basket of snakes everywhere. And find a bunch of pissed-off snakes if you want to reuse them.
A gauntlet of 'Catching', which gives excellent protection to your hand and limitedly allows you to attract attacks to it. Once it's clamped onto something, it'll take quite some work to get it off. Does not protect anything past the forearm, and lets go if there's no hand in it.
A bigass iron boot banded in giant's bones and spiked on the bottom. Pros- Kick enemies through walls. Kick through walls. Stomp shit like a champion. Cons- Only one was ever made, enjoy hopping everywhere and fucking up every wood floor you come across.
>>43737057
Is this a bad time to mention the rogue has a deathly fear of snakes?
I feel this is the best time to mention it.
>Nightbearer
A dagger forged from a single lump of blue-blackish metal which is said to contain the very night itself. Drawing blood will make the dagger cause its wielder to blur slightly as if bathed in moonlight in the middle of night. If the dagger is coated in the living blood of its wielder, the wielder will turn invisible.
>Rust
Perfectly clean at all times. Poisons water, including blood when submerged as all the rust it should have developed over its thousand year lifetime is disgorged.
syrneth itens (7th sea) normally have a "catch".
I remember a stone or monocle that gives you a "spider man danger sense", EXCEPT that Ill lead you to became paranoid (using it all the time) AND the danger that WILL kill you the item dont activate. Pretty fucked up... but cool
>>43737057
A spear of bone and connective tissue that lives inside your body, painlessly extending as a surprise attack. The drawback, other than being super creepy, is that it might try to move on to a stronger host and leave you in the lurch.
An excellent repeating crossbow with extradimensional storage space. The action is a bit fucky, though... Occasionally it will just start shooting and not stop. Better not put too many bolts in it...
A triple headed flail, inscribed with runes of aerial power and encrusted with clear gems. The user can spin it over their head to levitate slowly, but it looks goofy as fuck and is a little loud.
A ring that shoots blasts of arcane power shaped like hungry wolves, who tear at the flesh of a target and a few times a day can bring back life essence to the user, sharing their grisly meal for healing. The drawback? It's a plain metal band with the runic markings on the inside, and the wolves are perfectly happy to go after you or your fingers if it twists a little.
A ten-foot jousting lance, enchanted by a wizard to aid with training. The pale wood of the lance and tip can't actually touch anything, but the runes of repulsion along the sides cause anything it comes into contact with (except around the handle) to go flying back at high speed. Thus, it's mostly useful as a sort of long greatclub, and its damage can be assumed to come from hitting the ground or a wall.
An axe used to behead a king. He probably wasn't a very good king, but the proper forms weren't followed in any case, so it constantly drips blood and is surrounded by spectral lamenting for a kingdom long since dissolved or gone. Makes an excellent weapon, though, just spooky.
>>43737529
Your persistence is inspiring
I like the glove of catching, any more ideas? Ones that aren't so silly?
>>43737057
>A powerful sword, destined to be drawn from its anvil only by the true and rightful king of a forgotten land. You're not him. It's basically a big fuckoff hammer with an awkward sword hilt, though it's enchanted enough to be damn near invincible.
I fucking love this one. Stolen.
>>43734796
An amulet with a gem in the center, nothing particularly valuable so the person doesn't get any ideas about prying it out and selling it. Damaging spells directed at the wearer are absorbed by the amulet and leave the wearer unarmed. The gem however can only contain so much energy and will eventually explode - not a pleasant thing when it's wrapped around your neck.
An amazing set of armor - chain, plate or whatever you're feeling - that was once worn by an Orc warmonger that lead many armies to victory and was said to give him great strength, a pillar to be toppled by no man. However the armor is demonic in origin and is impossible to remove under normal circumstances as when it's worn it becomes part of the wearer's very skin. The Orc never had a problem with this since he never took the armor off, which probably explains the lingering smell.
A purple book lined with a gold colored trim and very fine pages made from a hard to find tree. The book is filled with a variety of useful combat and utility spells written down by past users that reveal themselves as the user becomes more adept at magic. The book also siphons the spirit of those that use it - the user is constantly hearing the voices of the previous owners of the book. The voices mostly spout gibberish, but occasionally drop hints at very ominous things.
A bag that is easily recognized as a bag of holding however it's able to hold twice as much as the standard bag of holding. The bag however is not unique as is one of many copies floating around that were crafted by a very smart and greedy dragon. The bag stores most items as usual to be easily retrieved, however valuable metals such as gold or silver, any gems, and items of magical nature disappear from the bag - they are magically teleported to the dragon's treasure mound.
Its been posted a few times, but an item that boosts the wearers strongest characteristic (STR for a barb, INT for a wizard) but they slowly get more and more attached to it, eventually to the point theyd rather die than give it up.
If you want to make it more interesting, the previous owners obsessiveness about it extends past death amd he reanimates to follow the new owner to get it back. He will pursue them until his zombified corpse has been disintegrated (literally disintegrated) by holy fire.
Its likely closer to a cursed item, but still fun.
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