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Magic Items - Cursed

This document summarizes 9 cursed magic items that provide both benefits and drawbacks when attuned to. Each item is described briefly, noting the benefit provided (e.g. increased fire damage or movement speed) and the curse incurred (e.g. vulnerability to fire or reduced movement). The curses are detrimental but not deal-breaking, creating a meaningful cost-benefit decision for players. Examples include an amulet that enhances social skills but prevents lying, boots that greatly increase movement at the cost of severely reducing it otherwise, and a manuscript that can cast resurrection but often has random negative side effects when used.

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I love you Evans Peter
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580 views3 pages

Magic Items - Cursed

This document summarizes 9 cursed magic items that provide both benefits and drawbacks when attuned to. Each item is described briefly, noting the benefit provided (e.g. increased fire damage or movement speed) and the curse incurred (e.g. vulnerability to fire or reduced movement). The curses are detrimental but not deal-breaking, creating a meaningful cost-benefit decision for players. Examples include an amulet that enhances social skills but prevents lying, boots that greatly increase movement at the cost of severely reducing it otherwise, and a manuscript that can cast resurrection but often has random negative side effects when used.

Uploaded by

I love you Evans Peter
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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9 Cursed Magic

Items
I love the idea of cursed magic items. They're such a staple
of fantasy stories and, when done properly, can create a
huge amount of dramatic tension all on their own.
Unfortunately, most of the cursed items in the core books
are so detrimental that they end up being more like 'gotcha'
traps - and once a cursed item has been identified, it usually
just gets discarded. Who would bother attuning to an Armor
of Vulnerability or putting anything into a Bag of
Devouring?
Therefore, I have decided to write up some cursed items
that are genuinely useful. The idea here is that they give the
player a difficult choice to make, where the 'right' answer
isn't at all obvious: is it worth using the item and dealing
with the curse, or not?

Amulet of Openness
Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
This ostentatious amulet would suit someone with an Cursed. The boiling staff is cursed, and attuning to it
extroverted personality. While attuned to it, you are the life extends this curse to you. As long as you are cursed, you
and soul of the party, gaining magical insights into the have vulnerability to fire damage and you cannot break
wants and needs of the people around you. You have your attunement to the staff.
advantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Persuasion)
checks you make to interact with humanoids, and whenever
Boots of the Hare
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
a creature must make a saving throw to avoid being
charmed by you, it has disadvantage. While attuned to these boots, whenever you use your action
Cursed. The amulet of openness is cursed, and attuning to Dash, you gain 90 feet of extra movement instead of the
to it extends this curse to you. As long as you are afflicted usual amount.
with this curse, you are unable to remove the amulet or Cursed. These boots are cursed. a fact that is revealed
break your attunement to it, and creatures you interact with only when an identify spell is cast on the boots or you
can always tell when you are lying; you automatically fail attune to them. Attuning to the boots curses you until you
all Charisma (Deception) checks you make. You also are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic.
automatically fail any saving throw you make that would While cursed, your movement speed is 15 feet and can't be
prevent a creature from reading your thoughts or increased by any means.
communicating with you telepathically, and you cannot
attune to a ring of mind shielding, be targeted by a mind
émigré Manuscript
Wondrous item, rare
blank spell, or benefit from any similar effect.
This ancient tome is shaped like a skull and smells of either
Boiling Staff violets or tiger lilies. Once per day, the manuscript can be
Staff, uncommon (requires attunement by a spellcaster) used to cast the spell resurrection.
This black iron staff is warm to the touch and, when you Cursed. The Émigré Manuscript is cursed to bring
wield it, you feel slightly feverish. While you are attuned to nothing but misery to those who would use it. Whenever
this staff, any spells you cast through it that deal fire you use it to raise the dead, roll a d20 to determine the
damage ignore resistance to fire damage, and treat result according to the table below.
immunity as if it was resistance.
d20 Effect Cursed. Mind's eye is cursed, and wearing it extends this
1-2 The spell fails and the caster immediately dies. curse to you. While cursed, you are unable to remove
3-4 The target is resurrected as a revenant, seeking mind's eye, though another creature can if it succeeds on a
revenge against the caster. DC 25 Strength check and then spends 1 minute undoing
5-6 The target is resurrected as a ghost, but otherwise the knot. While wearing mind's eye, you are blind. You
retains their memories and personality. cannot benefit from darkvision, blindsight or truesight, you
7-8 The spell works, but the 200 humanoids nearest cannot see through the eyes of other creatures, nor can you
to the target (excluding the caster) immediately see using spells like arcane eye or scrying.
die.
9-10 The spell works, but the caster must roll twice on Overdrive Bangle
the Indefinite Madness table, suffering both Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a
results. If the same result is rolled twice, the
spellcaster)
caster immediately dies.
11-12 The spell works, but the target loses all of their This bangle is set with glowing gems in many colors.
memories, class levels, proficiencies (including While you are attuned to it, any damage dealt by a spell
languages) and personality traits. you cast of 1st level or higher is maximized.
13-14 The spell appears to work, but the target dies Cursed. The overdrive bangle is cursed, and attuning to
again after 1d10 minutes. No magic short of a it extends this curse to you. As long as you are cursed, you
wish can revive them from this death.
cannot remove the bangle or break your attunement to it,
15-20 The spell works as normal.
and whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher, you
must expend an additional spell slot. The additional spell
Glass Fang slot can be of any level. If you only have one spell slot left,
Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) you cannot cast any spells other than cantrips.

While attuned to this charm, whenever you add an ability Ritual Straps
score modifier to a weapon damage roll, that modifier is Armor (leather), rare (requires attunement)
doubled.
You have a +1 bonus to your AC while wearing ritual
Cursed. This charm is cursed and attuning to it curses
straps. Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points
you until you are targeted by the remove curse spell or
while attuned to this armor, you regain hit points equal to
similar magic. As long as you remain cursed, whenever you
four times the creature's CR (rounded down).
take damage, you are overcome with agony. You have
Cursed. The ritual straps are cursed, and attuning to
disadvantage on attack rolls, can't cast spells, and can't add
them extends this curse to you. While you are cursed, you
your Strength or Dexterity modifier to damage until the end
are unwilling to remove the straps, staying attuned to them
of your next turn.
at all times. Whenever you reduce a creature to 0 hit points
Mind's Eye while cursed, you experience a rush of euphoria that leaves
Wondrous item, very rare you incapacitated until the end of your next turn.

This black blindfold is embroidered with arcane sigils. Wring


While wearing it over your eyes, any hit you land with an Ring, artifact (requires attunement by a sorcerer)
unarmed strike is automatically a critical hit.
Inspired by the raw destructive power wielded by raging
barbarians, the creator of Wring sought a way for
spellcasters to mimic their fighting style. The item was a
partial success, enabling its user to sling deadly spells at
incredible speed and with single-minded focus, but at
significant cost to their health.
Anyone who uses Wring in battle requires constant
support to keep the ring from draining their energy
completely, as well as help doing anything that cannot be
accomplished by magic alone. As long as they have this
support, however, they are a veritable engine of arcane
destruction.
Magic Ring. Wring is a magic ring that grants a +3
bonus to spell attack rolls you make while wearing it. It
also functions as a ring of free action.
Random Properties. Wring has the following randomly
determined properties:
• 1 major beneficial property
• 1 major detrimental property
• 1 minor detrimental property
Arcane Conduit. While attuned to Wring and in combat,
you regain one sorcery point at the beginning of each of
your turns.
Warp Speed. While attuned to Wring, you are
permanently under the influence of a haste spell.
Furthermore, you can use the additional action to take the
Cast a Spell action, and gain a +10 bonus to initiative rolls.
If you ever remove Wring, the 'wave of lethargy' effect lasts
for 8 hours.
Cursed. Wring is cursed, and attuning to it extends this
curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are
unwilling to part with Wring, staying attuned to it at all
times. Your natural lifespan is reduced by 10 years as soon
as you attune to Wring.
As long as there is a hostile creature within 120 feet of
you, you cannot take any actions other than to Cast a Spell
or Ready an action to cast a spell.
Wring Out. Whenever you cast a spell while attuned to
Wring, it attempts to devour some of your life energy. You
must make a Constitution saving throw against the spell
save DC for your sorcerer spells, taking 2d6 necrotic
damage on a failure.
Destroying Wring. Wring can only be destroyed by a
wish spell cast by a creature. However, if Wring is
destroyed, the creature that provided the wish must roll a
d20. If the result is odd, the creature is instantly killed and
cannot be resurrected by any means. If the result is even,
the creature loses all spellcasting abilities and can never
cast a spell again.

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