So I was working on a Witch character for the first time, and took a good look at the new spell Beguiling Gift. I added it to spells known thinking that it'd be a nice backup in case I ended up in melee against a big brute; "Here, have this, and drop that big scary looking sword, would you?"
After a while though I starting thinking more deviously. Can I make a potion of fireball? What about poisons marked as potions? Then I noticed that the spell description itself makes mention of cursed items. So I started looking at the cursed items handily provided right in the core rule book.
Potion of Poison: Well now this is interesting. DC14 fort save vs Con damage for 6 rounds you say? Not too shabby, and potentially cheaper (see below) than any equivilent poison out there. Safer too, you don't run the risk of poisoning yourself.
Necklace of Strangulation: Now we're talking. Oh, except I can't get it back when we're done, unless I carry a rotting body around for a month (or come back later).
Scarab of Death: That's the ticket. Gotta be careful when I'm carrying it myself, but otherwise it's a DC25 Reflex save vs. Death. Question is, if I offer a closed box with the scarab as the Beguiling Gift, does the spell compell the victim to open and put on the necklace, just open the box, or just accept the box? I would think that they'd at least open it since that's what you'd do with a gift. What if I offered the open box? If they make their save vs the spell, do I have time to close the box again before the scarab thinks I'm a meal?
There are other interesting cursed items of course, but these are the ones that jumped out at me as immediately useful in combat. Is this cheesy though? Overpowered (for a 1st level spell no less)? Also, how much do these cursed items cost? Presumably the same or less than the Magic Items that they were actually intended to be. On the other hand, it strikes me as a little off having an item like the Scarab of Death available for only 1,500 GP (cost of a Brooch of Shielding) or less. A Potion of Poison "accidentally" created from a 1st level potion gone awry would be 50 GP, less than half the cost of any immediate-effect CON poison, not to mention safer and faster to create.
Have I gone wrong anywhere here? Is this a legimate use for the spell, or am a horrible munchkin for even thinking of such a thing? :)
I don't think the target is required to hrt himself knowingly. Still, I have a witch PC that frequetly hands out Cause light wounds potions to bad guys, and the occasional acid flask. 'Here..drink this'
The Bad guys, of course, gets his normal save vs the potion, and I've allowed a perception check for potential acid drinkers to notice that the brew they are about to down is acid. Otherwise caveat emptor.
Batts
I must accept and use the item...
I would accept it and use it as a gift, or put it on you -- since it doesn't say I have to use it on myself.
I must accept and use the item...
I would accept it and use it as a gift, or put it on you -- since it doesn't say I have to use it on myself.
An interesting twist, but considering that these are cursed items and specifically supposed to look like something beneficial...