I have recently read some neat descriptions of some cursed items. Lets make a list of good ones.
Starting with some I found already:
1. Andostre gave us [paraphrased]: when you go to sleep, this ioun stone hide socks, place Legos on the ground, rearrange drawers, and other acts of minor mischief.
2. blahpers gave us: Picture a flubbed bag of devouring that just noisily tastes whoever reaches into it (making it a standard action to retrieve an item from it), briefly glomping their arm with a toothless "mouth", making "mmm-MMM!" sounds and leaving the arm covered in extradimensional slobber.
3. blahpers gave us: A robe of vermin that is supposed to cause concentration-affecting bites but instead causes the wearer to attract any nearby mindless vermin to simply hang about as if fascinated, with the expected social ramifications.
Screaming Wand. Somehow this wand is intelligent. It doesn't know what will happen when you use up its last charge; it fears that doing so will lead to its death. Understandable, it does not help you to figure out how to activate it and will scream if used. It otherwise has no special abilities or purpose.
Ring of Dazzling Wizardry. This ring works as a of ring wizardry. Every 24 hours, it can change to function as any one ring of wizardry the wearer wishes (1 to 4). It also increases the wearer's caster level by 2. The side effect; every spell the wearer casts becomes pink with tones of yellow and purple, and is filled with glitter, sparkles, and everything in between. This renders nearly every illusion ruined by a pink sparkling aura (including invisibility). A fireball will leave behind pink paint and glitter. A remote divination sensor will glow pink.
Screaming Wand. Somehow this wand is intelligent. It doesn't know what will happen when you use up its last charge; it fears that doing so will lead to its death. Understandable, it does not help you to figure out how to activate it and will scream if used. It otherwise has no special abilities or purpose.
Ring of Dazzling Wizardry. This ring works as a of ring wizardry. Every 24 hours, it can change to function as any one ring of wizardry the wearer wishes (1 to 4). It also increases the wearer's caster level by 2. The side effect; every spell the wearer casts becomes pink with tones of yellow and purple, and is filled with glitter, sparkles, and everything in between. This renders nearly every illusion ruined by a pink sparkling aura (including invisibility). A fireball will leave behind pink paint and glitter. A remote divination sensor will glow pink.
I love the screaming wand (and will have to take something like that for my own campaign), but the Ring of Dazzling Wizardry is practically no curse at all. A ring of wizardry III or IV that adds 2 to your caster level in exchange for colors and sparkles? That fireball will still kill enemies just as well with sparkles attached. As long as you avoid subtle spells, this is a huge boost. :)
I'm glad you like the screaming wand. I made it short and simple so people could customize it to their game. Maybe it likes to chat when its not screaming. Maybe it chats too much so people might want to be rid of it, possibly by using it up.
I think I may have gone too far with the ring of dazzling wizardry. I wanted folks to be encouraged to use it. I thought the unique signature of the item, everyone will know its you, would be enough of a drawback.
If it were just a ring of wizardry 1, would the drawback be enough? Maybe it should be just a curse alone. I wanted it to have some power, like a ring of wizardry, so the name would be appropriate.
Aww. I thought this was gonna be about 101 Cursed Items from Zenith Games. Backhand of glory and the rod of maximum security forever!
(Numbering seems a bit muddled)
8. Boots of Elevenkind— As boots of elvenkind, but they secretly give a –11 penalty to every 11th attack, save, and skill check. Also, the wearer grows an eleventh toe the first time the penalty occurs, whether they were aware of its effect or not.
9. Sleeves of Glass Garments— As sleeves of many garments but when the wearer is attacked, the disguise drops and the sleeves become joint-less, arm-length, barbed glass wires that constantly break, splinter, and cut the wearer with any actions that involve significant movement or gestures, causing slight damage and bleed (one minute duration if not healed before). The glass barbs magically reform and regrow continuously, so no matter how much the wearer breaks or bends it, it remains until remove curse is cast (which destroys the sleeves).
Had a variant that randomly turned another item (typically boots) into glass for one hour as well when this occurred.
10. Hammer of the Forge: a +1 warhammer which showers sparks everywhere on a hit doing 1d6 fire damage to those within 5', including the wielder. On a critical hit the wielder (only) must make a DC 13 Fort save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.
11. Haunted Handy Haversack: A handy haversack with the spirit of a mischievous (and hungry) fey somehow trapped in it. Anything edible or drinkable left within for an hour or more vanishes. Gems left within for 24 hours vanish likewise, though these are not consumed and may be retrieved from the ethereal plane - survival DC 30 to track the spirit to where it hid the gems if you can access the ethereal.
12. The Everlasting Skipping Stone: This perfectly smooth and flat disc of stone is perfect for skipping across a pond. Upon throwing, dropping, placing or otherwise discarding the stone another identical copy of the skipping stone appears in the users hand. Anyone who picks up a copy of the Everlasting Skipping Stone is treated as if they had touched the original. The stone does not prevent complete use of the hand its in, instead imposing a -2 penalty to any skill check, attack roll, or concentration check attempted that involves that hand. This stone functions as a +1 sling bullet if used as ammunition, or can be thrown as a simple weapon using statistics of a +1 shurikan that does bludgeoning damage. The Stone can only be permanently removed from a hand by using remove curse at the same time the stone is discarded. This turns that single copy of the Everlasting Skipping Stone into an ordinary rock.
The whole party had these for a while, as did everyone the party could encounter. Started as a joke, became a religion.
13. Returning Bullet: This returning Bullet can be fired from any firearm. The bullet hits it's target as normal, then rapidly reverses course to strike the shooters flat-footed AC, using the shooters original attack roll. Six rounds after returning the bullet regenerates a fresh cartridge in the wound.
14. Knitting Needles: This striking matched pair of blades appear to each be +2 weapons. Until they draw blood, which will turn them into knitting needles complete with a ball of yarn. The only way to set aside or remove the curse on these needles is to use the entire ball of yarn to knit something.
15. Inexplicably Ringing/Beeping/Vibrating Rectangle of Annoyance: This 2 and a half inch by 5 and a half inch rectangle will ALWAYS find it's way into the hands of the party rogue-type. It will ALWAYS Ring/Beep/Vibrate when a stealth check is needed. The Rectangle will continuously flash brightly until the tiny text messages of the most embarrassing sort from the PLAYER's MOTHER appearing on the rectangle are read out-loud. The item will ALWAYS find it's way back to the offending player
14. Amulet of mitey fists: This medallion appears to be an amulet of mighty fists, but when used to attempt an unarmed strike or natural attacks, the user's fist, claw, or other attacking appendage shrinks to Small (or by one size category, whichever is smaller) for 1d100 minutes. During that time, the appendage strikes as though the creature was the new size category. Furthermore, Strength-based attack rolls and other Strength based checks using the associated limb treat the bearer's Strength as 8 (or 2 less than their current Strength score, whichever is lower). Attempting to attack with a different limb or appendage causes that limb to shrink. Having a shrunken hand, foot, elbow, knee, claw, bite, or other natural weapon may impede the wearer in other ways at GM discretion, though in the case of a monk attempting to headbutt while wearing the amulet, a shrunken head does not affect the wearer's mental capabilities. Remove curse is sufficient to end the effects of the amulet and allow its removal.
Edit: Curses, someone beat me to it! The other variants in that post's responses are pretty amusing as well.
15. Shocking Sword - the caster was just attempting to make a +1 short sword of shock, but the copper-wire-wrapped hilt turned out to be a terrible idea, as the user took 1d6 electrical damage every time he attacked with the blade, in addition to doing +1d6 electrical damage to the target of the attack. Attempting to make lemonade from these lemons, the crafter of this sword has since regifted it to a peer with a flesh golem guardian...
16. Goggles of (Endless) Night - these goggles of night are made of typical opaque crystal, but instead of conferring the ability to see in the dark, they render the wearer blind, and cannot be removed save by remove curse. Even after being successfully removed, the ex-wearer is afflicted as if by a blindness spell, which must be individually cured.
Not to be confused with;
17. Goggles of Night-Night - which affect the wearer as per a sleep spell which cannot be dispelled or ended until the goggles are removed (which, again, requires a remove curse).
18. Caltrap Boots (Caltrapped Boots?)— As caltrop boots, but after 1d10 rounds of use (checked daily), a create pit opens under the wearer (depth determined by CL, typically 20 feet at CL 5), at least filling their space in a confined area or if they are larger than normal. The wearer receives no saving throw and any unattended caltrops within 50 feet are pulled into the pit on top of them, dealing 1 damage per square's worth (possibly including any other effects on the caltrops, such as poison). This damage does not cause movement penalties, though the bottom of the pit is considered covered with them afterward. The caltrops remain until the pit expires.
19. Erratic ioun stone— This property can be on any ioun stone, causing its orbit to go slightly erratic and bump distractingly into the user's head during tense or stressful moments. This gives a –1 distraction penalty to skill checks during such times. This property is very subtle and most users chalk up such distractions as being from the situation itself or from their own careless movements causing them to bump into the stone themselves.
20. Barbed ioun stone— This property can be on any ioun stone, causing it to visibly grow barbs and points when the user enters a tense or stressful situation. Once that occurs, the stone has a chance to bang into its user's head when they move more than 20 feet in a round or take a suitably erratic action. Treat this as an attack (+5 to hit) that deals 1d4 piercing damage and bypasses DR/magic. It ignores concealment chances and any armor and size bonuses (but not penalties) to Armor Class. Helms and protective headgear that cover most of the head and face add a +1 bonus for padded or leather and +2 for chain, metal, or other hardened materials.
Once the curse manifests, the ioun stone deals this damage to anyone trying to grab it and, even if the stone is removed, locked away, or destroyed, it reappears the next time the user is in a stressful situation, seeming to come streaking from a distance (though it appears from nowhere) and smacking into them (+20 to hit for this attack). The stone does not function for other users until a remove curse is successfully cast upon it, which frees the current user but does not remove the curse from the stone. Anyone knowingly trying to place the cursed stone upon another creature is affected by it instead, though they may not realize it until they are in a stressful situation and it vanishes from the other creature.
21. Headband Of Obnoxious Intelligence: As a headband of vast intelligence +6, except the wearer is compelled to end every statement they make with a really sarcastic "Einstein!" (Or whatever the Golarian equivalent would be. "Nethys!" maybe?)
21. Headband Of Obnoxious Intelligence: As a headband of vast intelligence +6, except the wearer is compelled to end every statement they make with a really sarcastic "Einstein!" (Or whatever the Golarian equivalent would be. "Nethys!" maybe?)
How about also having to say bazinga after telling a joke?
18. Caltrap Boots (Caltrapped Boots?)— As caltrop boots,
What? There's an item called caltrop boots!
22. Boots of Those Damned Legos Underfoot... The only warning to the person about to don these boots is their unusual appearance, of a sort of brick-work pattern in various colors of bold red, blue, yellow and white. Once put on, they prove impossible to remove, and every round the wearer moves more than 5 ft. subjects the wearer to a caltrops attack.
23. Anchoring Amulet— This property can be on nearly any neck slot item, not just amulets. The item functions normally until the wearer ends up in water at least twice as deep as they are. At this time the item's normal properties cease to function and it becomes a large, heavy anchor chained around their neck, giving them a constant lead anchor effect. The anchor is always just heavy enough to put the wearer at heavy encumbrance before accounting for any other gear they may have and is so big and unwieldy that it requires two hands to carry, otherwise it must be dragged regardless of Strength (with the normal penalties for such movement).
The user must succeed at a DC 22 Escape Artist check or a DC 30 Strength check to break the thick, metal chain (hardness 10, 50 hp) and both it and the anchor are immune to rust. Escaping reverts the item back to its normal form but breaking the chain or anchor destroys the item irrevocably. Freedom of movement and teleport effects fail to slip the chain, though they might get the victim out of the water (though remember the weight limit on such effects). A successful remove curse frees the victim and reverts the item to its normal appearance but does not remove the curse.
24. Vile Anchoring Amulet— As the anchoring amulet property, but any creature that dies while anchored and remains submerged for 24 hours rises as a draugr. This does not remove the anchor.
Not sure if this list is supposed to be playfully whimsical cursed items or not. If so, then the anchors could probably be a bit easier to escape from or break. Or maybe just activate at troublesome times that aren't strictly drowning hazards.
25. Lego-forged*— This cursed property can be placed on any magical item that grants its wearer a bonus to Armor Class. It functions, looks and feels normal, though true seeing reveals it to be made of multiple, tiny, multicolored plastic bricks that appear to snap together. When the wearer is attacked in earnest and is missed due to the item's AC bonus, the item bursts into a pile of these tiny pieces in the wearer's space, functioning as caltrops, but dealing non-lethal bludgeoning damage. Additionally, if the wearer receives a larger bonus to AC of the same type, the curse co-opts it to include that range of bonus. For example, a lego-forged ring of protection +1 provides its wearer a +1 deflection bonus as normal. If they receive a shield of faith (+2 or more deflection bonus), even though the bonuses do not stack, if the wearer is missed because of the larger deflection bonus, the curse activates even though it would normally only happen on a miss by 1.
The item can be rebuilt by someone who knows what it looked like originally by carefully putting them all back together, but it requires one hour of work and a successful Intelligence check (DC 10 + 1 per 1,000 gp cost of the magic item). Alternatively, the builder can spend 20 hours working on it (effectively Taking 20). This need not be done all at once, but the entire period of work must meet those requirements, ie. no stressful activity or distractions or that hour does not count.
The pieces all maintain a faint aura while disassembled and there always seems to be enough to rebuild the item even if a few pieces are crushed or scattered, but only a few. If a significant amount are scattered widely, lost, or damaged and destroyed (such as by an area effect spell), then the item is effectively lost and irretrievable.
*:
or some other similar but distinctively different tiny building brick that in no way resembles any intellectual or copyright-protected property.
My thoughts for this thread was for good curses. I will define that as a curse that you have to think about if the downside is worth going to the effort to remove the curse.
I loved the screaming wand. You must choose when to use it, and accept the alert it gives out to nearby monsters. You aren't sure if it is worth getting rid of.
I also loved the Hammer of the Forge. Sure it hurts you a bit, but that can be worth it if it is also hurting your enemy. I once had a character going for a Vicious weapon because he could take the damage.
In this vein, here is another item:
26: Lego Stride Boots: These boots act like Boots of Striding and Springing, but also leave a trail of small brick shaped caltrops. The bricks stay for an hour before disappearing. This makes tracking the wearer easy, even if they fly. It also makes the squares passed through difficult teraign while the bricks exist. You can move faster, but at the price of 1 non-lethal for each square traveled thru.
I was aiming for an ethical dilemma with the screaming wand. Technically its an intelligent being that fears dying when all the wand charges are used up. Maybe I should of been more clear that it could talk and beg for its life...
All things considered, wanting to get rid of it because it alerts nearby monsters is an acceptable drawback. Sometimes you should let a fun idea bloom.
I want to take another jab at the ring of dazzling wizardry. The first version didn't get a good reception.
Ring of Dazzling Wizardry. (redo). At first glance, it appears to be a normal ring of wizardry 1. In that regard, it does work. However, upon putting the ring on, the wizard (or other arcane spell caster) feels a strange warm glow flows through their body. When the spellcaster next rests to renew/keep spells, all the spells the caster gets are all changed by the ring. All affected spells now glows pink with tones of blue and purple, and gains sparkles and glitter. This renders all the spells cast by the user anything but subtle. Even an invisibility spell is ruined as a translucent colorful aura surrounds the target. Another drawback is all the bonus spells this ring provides are filled with the spell color spray. A plus is the wearer gets an unlimited use the color aspect of the spell prestidigitation.
I designed this ring to serve a rather eccentric kind of spellcaster. A spellcaster who loves all the colors, glitter, and sparkles that this ring can provide. To most people, all the color is a nuisance and possibly a risk to their cover (the MO is quite unique).
I want to take another jab at the ring of dazzling wizardry.
Could also make it cover the wearer in sparkles and glittery pink... umm... glitter for 1 round per spell level of the cast spell. Like a personalized glitterdust spell but without the blinding effect. That would be a drawback that removed concealment benefits from the caster, but if they didn't use such spells, no real loss (other than the aforementioned really noticeable part). That might seem too harsh if you think it would ruin invisibilty or blur/displacement spells and such, but that would only be about 2 to 3 rounds and then they'd be functionally normal. You could instead have it cut concealment miss chances on the wearer in half for the duration of such spells, which means total concealment would only be 25% miss chance and 10% for typical concealment.
27. Boots of the Curious Cat— As boots of the cat, but whenever the wearer passes within 10 feet of a shaft, hole, or pit deeper than 30 feet or one of any depth of which they can't discern the bottom, they must succeed at a DC 12 Wisdom check or decide to jump in and see what's down there. This check is at a +4 bonus if the wearer is currently in danger, such as combat or fleeing, or if the pit contains visibly identifiable dangers, ie. spikes, acid, lava. A water-filled (or similarly non-directly dangerous) shaft that has the bottom obscured does not provide this bonus. A successful Wisdom check grants the wearer immunity for that particular opening for 10 minutes. Once a wearer has jumped into a pit or examined the bottom, they are unaffected by the proximity of that opening unless there's an reasonable chance that something has changed or is different down there. The boots can be removed at any time.
28. Mini-taur Belt— As a minotaur belt, but whenever the wearer makes a charge, overrun, bullrush, or trample attempt, they are reduced by two size categories (minimum Tiny) for one round. This effect does not negate or cancel maneuvers that require a requisite size, though it can affect their chance of success and the wearer must meet those requirements when they begin the action. Once this occurs, the belt requires a successful remove curse to remove for longer than one minute or so (So you can still take your pants off, I'm not a monster).
Continuing on the Lego theme that strangely seems popular: 29. Lyre of Lego Building— Functioning identically to a lyre of building, when the user ends a performance of any length, they must make an Intelligence check (DC 10 + 1 per 30 minutes played) or all the construction made during that time becomes tiny, garishly multi-colored, plastic building blocks. This affects even valuable materials like adamantine, though intrinsically magical materials are only affected for 24 hours before resuming their normal form. A failure by 5 or more results in the pieces collapsing into a pile. This doesn't result in damage or collapse to an existing, unaffected part of a structure unless those pieces were supporting it. These pieces can be rebuilt by hand, even into a whole new shape, though this requires exacting work and time. Oddly, despite its name, this lyre is entirely unable to construct (or rebuild) anything with Legos normally.
30. Robe of the hypocrite: This robe appears beautiful and elaborate, but once it's put on it becomes crushingly heavy, causing the wearing to permanently be heavily encumbered. The robe cannot be removed without a successful remove curse spell. (hoping someone gets the reference)
31. Robe of Pins and Needles— As a robe of needles, but after the first time the robe is used the wearer becomes cursed. Whenever they change position from anything other than upright (ie. sitting, kneeling, or prone), their hands and feet become slightly numb, tingling with pins and needles as though they had been sitting or laying on them wrong. This gives a –1 penalty to actions and checks involving those limbs and a –5 foot penalty to speed for one minute. Anyone spending one round massaging their limbs removes this penalty from the wearer. The robe can be removed at any time but the curse remains once triggered.
32. Tapestry of Magic: This midnight blue cloak is sprinkled with tiny glowing dots that appear to be stars and slightly dimmer colored lines that draw various constellations and arcane symbols. The 'stars' slowly wander from one side of the cloak to disappear days later off of an edge. New 'stars' appear just as frequently. The cloak does not display the known sky. There is always a symbol of Nethys somewhere on the cloak.
While wearing the Tapestry of Magic the bearer feels the power of magic flowing freely through their body. The user gains a +1 enhancement bonus to CL, or if they have an enhancement bonus to CL that bonus is increased by 1. DC of spells and spell-like abilities cast by the wearer are increased by 1. After wearing the cloak for 24 hours the wearer may prepare one additional spell for each spell level they have access to. If the user has spell slots, they gain one additional spell slot of each spell level they have access to. The wearer may not benefit from resistance bonuses. All spells cast on the user are treated as if they had the Maximize Spell Metamagic for the Tapestry of Magic wearer only. Other creatures affected by the spell would be treated normally.
If the wearer has no casting ability, after 24 hours they gain the casting ability of a 1st level Cleric of Nethys with the Magic domain and a wisdom of 11. The wearer does not gain other abilities of a cleric or any bonus spells if their wisdom is greater than 11.
33: Glowing Green Luckstone +1: This glowing green stone looks vaugely like a semi precious stone with a green magical glow. It sheds light like a candle. The item functions like a normal Luckstone.
After 7 days the curse takes effect. Over the next 24 hours the bearers hair falls out in clumps leaving the user completely hairless. The users skin becomes smooth, supple and shinny (as if a thin coat of oil was applied to the skin). If the bearer has scales the hardened scales shed exposing the soft scales beneath. Those soft scales never harden. If the bearer has a racial bonus to natural armor class, it is decreased by 1. The bearer receives a +4 circumstance bonus to save vs skin diseases and magic that targets the skin.
If the bearer discards the Glowing Green Luckstone +1 their hair/scales begins to grow back at a normal rate.
34. Long Island ice floe elixir: This appears to be a regular ice floe elixir, but upon imbibing the contents, the drinker is inebriated as though they had consumed 10 normal alcoholic beverages. The cold resistance, however, lasts for ten hours instead of one.
If the elixir is instead uncorked to create a cold vapor, creatures within the booze-scented fog are affected as though by stinking cloud (DC 14) in addition to the vapor's normal effects. On the first round, creatures in the same square as the bottle (usually including the creature opening it) incur a -4 penalty to their saving throws versus the stinking cloud effect.
32. Tapestry of Magic: This midnight blue cloak is sprinkled with tiny glowing dots that appear to be stars and slightly dimmer colored lines that draw various constellations and arcane symbols. The 'stars' slowly wander from one side of the cloak to disappear days later off of an edge. New 'stars' appear just as frequently. The cloak does not display the known sky. There is always a symbol of Nethys somewhere on the cloak.
While wearing the Tapestry of Magic the bearer feels the power of magic flowing freely through their body. The user gains a +1 enhancement bonus to CL, or if they have an enhancement bonus to CL that bonus is increased by 1. DC of spells and spell-like abilities cast by the wearer are increased by 1. After wearing the cloak for 24 hours the wearer may prepare one additional spell for each spell level they have access to. If the user has spell slots, they gain one additional spell slot of each spell level they have access to. The wearer may not benefit from resistance bonuses. All spells cast on the user are treated as if they had the Maximize Spell Metamagic for the Tapestry of Magic wearer only. Other creatures affected by the spell would be treated normally.
If the wearer has no casting ability, after 24 hours they gain the casting ability of a 1st level Cleric of Nethys with the Magic domain and a wisdom of 11. The wearer does not gain other abilities of a cleric or any bonus spells if their wisdom is greater than 11.
I believes it's the lack of any resistance bonuses and that all spells on them are maximized. Presumably some beneficial and healing spells will be affected, so that's still a benefit, but all damage effects will as well.
I would probably put an alignment restriction on the cleric thing though, since most must be one step from the god. Otherwise just saying 'cleric with Magic domain' would work, like following a philosophy.
33. Useless Sword Of The Fool: This scimitar gives the wielder a -5 penalty to attacks and damage, as well as giving them a -4 penalty to INT. Any other weapons the cursed person tries to wield change into this weapon until the curse is removed. Note: This is based on a real item I once got from the random item generator on Diablo (including the name). It wasn't cursed but was only worth 1 gp making it MORE valuable when not identified!
34. You are the tip of the spear... The shaft of this ornate spear, whose blade somewhat resembles an elongated viking-style helmet, is wrapped in studded leather and cloth, for a secure grip. It acts as a +1 spear for a single strike, and then it's curse activates, causing the wielder to transform into a +1 spear (that somewhat resembles him), while a random person appears holding said spear, having finally escaped the same fate, and been cursed to be a spear for all the time that this spear has lay around waiting for someone to use it again in battle. Whoever this new person is may well be insane, depending on how long they were transformed, and in any case will be violently adverse to the notion of possibly getting stuck again in that state, which may prompt them to attempt immediately to destroy the spear (that used to be you!), so that they cannot be forced to switch places and free you...
Piffler of Perfect Pitch: This potion contains a slightly glowing honey like substance. If anyone drinks the contents of this bottle their vocal cords are miraculously improved. The imbiber receives a +2 inherent bonus to charisma, and a +2 inherent bonus to bluff, diplomacy, and performance skills based on the user's voice. Everyone within 100' can hear the users voice perfectly.
Especially when the user tries to whisper or doesn't want everybody to hear them. The user can be herd through any non-magical barrier when they talk. This effect can be removed with a wish, limited wish, or by drinking either Oil of Slipperiness or Universal Solvent. Removing the 'curse' also removes the positive aspects of this item.
36. Conducting wand— This property can be placed on any magic wand. When the possessor of this wand is within 30 feet of a musical performance or song they must draw the wand and wave it about as though directing an orchestra, regardless of the genre, mood, atmosphere, or appropriateness (ie. funeral dirge, bardic performance during combat, etc.) This does not occur if the possessor is the source of the music. They may put away or sheathe an item to free up a hand but they must draw the wand that turn (otherwise they must drop an item or one magically drops to make room).
Waving the wand uses no actions but during this time the wielder cannot move farther than 30 feet from the music's source or origin and can take no hostile standard actions except activating the wand. This does not grant the wielder any ability to use the wand or knowledge of command words. During this time, if the wielder has a free hand and waves that along in time with the wand, the wand's CL and save DC increases by +1. Additionally, the wand gives a +2 masterwork bonus to musical conduction attempts.
The curse persists as long as the music or performance plays or until the wand is out of charges. The wielder may attempt a Will save after one minute to be able to sheathe or drop the wand or move away from the music, even new or different sources (DC equal to Performance check if applicable, minimum 15). After one minute, the curse restarts again if in the presence of music.
37. Mantle of Filth— Functions as a mantle of faith except it always has a dirty, soiled, or unclean look to it (it will never be to a deity of cleanliness, though it doesn't necessarily smell unpleasant) and it has DR 5/rust and filth instead of DR 5/evil. The damage reduction is bypassed by creatures that are dirty or filthy (such as sewer rats, some beggars, undead like zombies or ghouls, many slimes or oozes, or visibly diseased or pestilent creatures) or a weapon that is coated in dirt or mud or filth or is rusty.
39. Mask of Stoned Demeanor— Appearing and detecting as a mask of stony demeanor, this functions normally until the wearer tries to lie to someone with authority over them in that situation (ie. not against a judge or guard sitting with them in a tavern, but in court or during an investigation or looking into suspicious activity or in the course of their duty). At that time, the wearer receives a –5 penalty to Bluff instead as their words and expressions become slurred, drawn-out, or meandering, though the wearer doesn't realize this at all. Once triggered, this effect continues for 10 minutes on further lie attempts regardless of situation or if the mask is worn.
40. Boots of Striding and Falling— These boots function and detect as boots of striding and springing but they either (50%) only work during the autumn season between summer and winter (–25% cost), or they do not work during the autumn or fall season (–10% cost).
41. Boots of Striding and Falling II— These boots function and detect as boots of striding and springing but whenever the wearer makes a jump attempt while moving (not standing in place or just jumping down) and they roll a natural 1, they fall into or tumble over what they were leaping across or just trip and sprawl prone on the ground, even if a natural 1 would succeed on the check. When Taking 10, the GM secretly rolls a d20 and on a natural 1 the wearer falls as above. There is no indication that the boots are to blame for these occurences.
42. Warhammer, Dwarven Thrower. Despite the name, this hammer works for any user. If used in melee, it operates normally, but when a foe is out of melee range and hits you with a ranged attack, you are compelled to throw the hammer, which has a 60 ft. range and no increment. When thrown, you retain your grip on the hammer, and are hurled along with it the full distance, to land prone at the feet of your target. You also take the same damage as the target, from this sudden collision. On the upside, you didn't drop your hammer!
43. Javelin of Lightening. This javelin feels oddly heavy, but weighs no more than a normal javelin. When thrown, the target is reduced to a fraction of their weight, and is knocked back a number of 5 ft. squares equal to the number rolled for damage (1d6 squares), taking no damage from this effect, as they drift back as if weightless, before regaining their normal weight at the end of the round and landing gently in their new space. This unplanned movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity, and due to the relatively gentle nature of the repulsion, striking an obstruction simply ends the movement in that square. Once the javelin has lightened a single target, this property ends and the javelin becomes non-magical.
44. Sword, Blame Tongue. Whenever a target (other than yourself) within your melee reach is hit in melee by anyone other than yourself, you provoke an attack of opportunity from that target. Allies can make a Will save (DC 15) to resist this impulse.
37. Mantle of Filth— Functions as a mantle of faith...and it has DR 5/rust and filth instead of DR 5/evil.
Should be 'DR 5/rust or filth' nor 'rust and filth'.
45. Joyless armor— This cursed armor detects and functions as deathless armor except that whenever it absorbs 10 positive or negative energy in an attack or blocks a negative level, the wearer loses the ability to benefit from one +1 morale bonus. They just have a lessened ability to benefit from such feelings.
This reduction to positive morale bonuses stacks, even though they don't reduce a wearer's morale to a negative penalty on their own. They do apply to any morale bonuses that would counteract or mitigate such penalties. The armor can be removed freely but any losses are permanent until the wearer receives a remove curse or similar effect. A successful check removes one of the mitigating effects, with each +5 result above the DC removing an additional.
46. Fornication armor— This cursed armor detects and functions as fortication armor (light, medium, or heavy). Whenever the armor or shield negates a critical hit, however, the wearer receives a distraction penalty to most checks equal to the critical multiplier of the attack due to carnal thoughts and urges in their mind and body. The penalties do not apply to checks made to alleviate the urges (such as Diplomacy or haggling checks or skill checks for performance).
These penalties stack and remain even if the armor or shield is removed (which it can be freely) or until the wearer performs an act requiring 10 minutes of stress relief for each –1 penalty. These sessions can be broken up, removing only some of the penalties and then others in a separate act. A successful remove curse or calm emotions can remove them as well. Creatures that are not subject to such distracting thoughts receive no fortification benefit.
47. Eyes of the Beagle These lenses make your eyes appear overly large and a warm brown in color, as well as affording you a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks. Unfortunately, others also gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks to influence *you*, and this bonus is doubled if they offer you food… Elves particularly loathe these items, as not only do they affect apparent eye color and size, but they also make long ears droop and sag, which causes proud elven ears to resemble those of bugbears (there is no noticeable affect on races who do not have pronounced ears, like dwarves or humans). Like many cursed items, they are difficult to remove, and you will not willingly do so. *Someone else* can remove them, but this requires you to be incapacitated, as you will most assuredly be unwilling! (Once removed, this compulsion fades.)
48. Chime of Interrupting As a normal Chime of Interruption, but it does not sound a magical note when struck, only when its bearer attempts to cast a spell that uses Verbal components (and like the non-cursed version, can only sound this magical note once every 10 minutes). This sound is loud and clear, even if the chime is stored away in a pack or case, but cannot be heard if it is stored in an extradimensional space. It also sounds annoyingly, if not to magical effect, whenever the bearer attempts to use the Aid Other action (raising its difficulty by 5), or make a Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate or other skill check that requires verbal interaction (raising those difficulties by 5). Like many cursed items, it cannot be simply abandoned or given away, and appears in your pack or among your gear at the end of any round in which you attempt to dispose of it, without first using remove curse.
49. Deck of Many Thugs For every card you draw from this Deck, another thug appears in the nearest open adjacent space and attacks you. They are half your level, and usually have class levels in fighter or rogue (sometimes barbarian or ranger). Their level-appropriate equipment (such as magical armor or weapons) vanish when they are defeated, making them more of a nuisance than anything else.
50. Blunderbow– Created by an artisan that loved the blunderbuss, this +1 light crossbow has a bell-shaped cone on the end that the quarrel passes through when fired. The bolt turns into a scatter shot effect. The weapon uses the stats of a blunderbuss except it deals piercing damage. Masterwork, special materials, or magical bolts apply to damage and attacks normally, as long as they make sense as a flying cloud of splinters and slivers. It also reports loudly like a firearm.
Blunderbow:
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Unlike a normal misfire check, which requires all the rolls against targets in the scatter effect to be a 1 or 2, if any of the attacks fall into that range, the blunderbow also fires a 15 ft. cone backwards. One affected square will always be the wielder and they do not receive a Dex bonus to AC against it. The blunderbow also gains the broken condition and has the penalties of a misfired firearm (including increased misfire range, which firearms proficiency does not reduce). Once this occurs, all weapons the wielder uses are considered to have the broken condition for attack and use penalties (they are not damaged or lose hit points), until the blunderbow is repaired (with make whole or an appropriate craft skill to repair crossbows) or they receive a remove curse effect.
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51. Cameron's Titanic armor— This armor functions and detects as a suit of titanic armor. The wearer receives a –2 penalty to saves against cold effects and any checks made to maintain footing on icy surfaces or swim in icy (not just cold) water. If the wearer is ever struck by an ice effect, object, or creature (such as ice storm, a thrown icecube or snowball, or an ice golem, not just a cold creature), they must make a Acrobatics check to maintain their footing or fall prone (DC is 5 + damage dealt or the effect's save DC, whichever is higher, difficult terrain penalties apply).
–15% cost.
52. Hammer of the Ford— (moderate transmutation; CL 10) This +2 warhammer has images of parting waves on its head and handle. If struck against the shore of a body of water or into the water itself, it parts the waves, creating a path.
Hammer of the Ford:
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It functions as control water but the wielder has no control over the shape. It will always lower water in a 10-foot wide path, extending up to 1,000 feet long and reduce the water's depth by 20 feet. The effect lasts for 100 minutes or for 1 minute after the wielder moves more than 100 feet from the affected area. This ability can be used 3/day.
Creatures composed of water (not just creatures with the Water subtype or other fluids, like blood, ooze, or oil), that are struck by the hammer require a DC 16 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round.
The first time one of the above effects occurs, the wielder becomes cursed with hydrophobia (no save) until they receive a remove curse effect, though they can attempt a DC 16 Will save once per round to attempt to imbibe a potion or liquid.
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53. Hubert's Hanky Haversack— (moderate conjuration; CL 9) This bag detects and functions as a handy haversack but the first time the user attempt to draw an item from it during combat or a stressful situation there is a 50% chance that instead they pull out a long, connected string of multi-colored handkerchiefs.
Any other humanoid creatures within 30 feet that see this must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or be fascinated while it goes on. The user's allies cannot shake free with a standard action.
Long, connected scarves:
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The GM secretly rolls 1d20 x 5 feet to get the length. The wearer automatically draws 5 feet of length from the action of retrieving the item. As a move action, they can draw out 5 feet of scarves with one hand or 10 feet using two or more hands (or someone Aiding Another to help). Once the required length is exceeded, the item pops out into the user's hand and the scarves disappear. The scarves also disappear if one round passes without some length of the scarves being drawn out.
If the wearer fails to draw the item or opts not to draw out the scarves or tries to retrieve a different item the next item will always trigger the curse and the length will always be at least the last rolled length (treat shorter results as being at least that long).
The wearer can drop or leave the bag behind at any point, but once the curse triggers, it will apply (50% of the time) to any attempt to retrieve an item from the bag or similar nondimensional or extraplanar spaces, even outside of combat or stressful situations, until the user receives a remove curse effect.
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54. Ring of Feather Calling (aka Fizban's Fortune) When you fall precipitously, a mass of soft downy feathers attempts to cushion your fall, and allows you to only take nonlethal damage from the fall, but you and all spaces adjacent to where you landed to suffer the effects of glitterdust for 1d4+1 rounds as the feathers swirl about distractingly, obscuring vision and causing explosive sneezing.
55. Ring of the Ham This iron band has the head of a boar on it, and three times / day can fire a smoked suckling pig at a target within 30 ft. with great force, doing 2d6 nonlethal damage. Annoyingly, the succulent smelling projectile then vanishes at the end of the round, so it's not even useful to feed one's animal companion.
56. Ring of Fiend Shield Three times / day as an immediate action to being struck with a damaging attack, you can give yourself the Damage Reduction and Energy Immunity and Resistance of an imp to that attack. There is a 5% time every time you use this feature that the imp trapped in the ring breaks free and expresses their displeasure... (The ring becomes nonmagical at this point.)
57. Ring of Shooting Stabs This ring is looks like it was crafted from dozens of miniscule daggers, all stuck together, like a very unsafe looking throne from a popular show. This ring can be used eight times per day to create a MW dagger as a free action that vanishes one round after it leaves your grasp, and you are treated as if having Rapid Shot and Far Shot for throwing these conjured daggers only. This free action can be taken multiple times in a round, on your turn, so you can create and throw multiple daggers as part of a full round action.
58. Ring of Three Fishes Want a talking salmon (about 10 lbs.), who generally gasps out, 'Help! Can't breathe!' until it dies (or you release this awakened salmon into a suitable water source)? Yeah. The fish does not vanish after death, and can then be eaten, but dude, it was talking just a minute ago, that's sick! The ring can call up an awakened salmon three times, for, whatever reason.
55–58 above (continued): If a GM wants to add or expand on the cursed effects:
55. When used, the wearer smells of succulent meat for the next 6 hours. Encounters with predators will be increased and the user will be targeted by such creatures with greater prevalence. They are also far easier to track via scent.
56. When the ring is activated, the wearer detects as an evil outsider of their HD for the next 2 hours and all outsiders with the good subtype view them as an imp, as disguise self. True seeing effects reveal their true form, but it will be seen as inverted (an imp in disguise) for such creatures and their initial reactions will be adjusted accordingly.
57. There is a 25% chance when the wearer touches a non-enemy creature they will prick them with the ring for 1 piercing damage (bypasses DR/magic and any materials the ring is made from). This can happen for such actions as administering a touch spell, passing an object between them, petting an animal, mounting a steed, holding a baby, shaking hands, etc. Extra care and time, typically a move action for a single action effects, can prevent this. The ring also detects as being poisoned, though it isn't, and most people will likely assume this is an assassination attempt if they are just meeting the wearer for the first time or at least will have their initial starting reactions lower immediately.
58. After each use, the wearer is affected by hydrophobia (no save). They may attempt a save every hour to end the effect.
59. Ring of Countersells— Detecting and functioning as a ring of counterspells, this cursed item causes the wearer to purchase something in return whenever they sell an item. Whenever selling one or more items, they must make a Will save (DC 15 + 1 per 1,000 gp in sale value of items) or they end up purchasing at least 25% of items from the merchant in return. The wearer doesn't realize they are being influenced, though they can choose purchases (if the PC can be trusted to roleplay it) and such items tend to be useful and usable, unless they have a friend or ally they would plan to gift it to, like a wand or scroll they can't cast. Otherwise it will be items the character might need; rope, bedroll, rations, potions of healing, etc., though the item(s) could just be interesting, like a potion of rainbow hues, a singing rock, a glowing stone, or magic beans. If the wearer tries to have an agent or other person sell an item on their behalf, that person will also return with 25% of the sell price in items unless they make a Will save at their bonus or the wearer's, whichever is lower.
Once the curse triggers, the wearer is affected whether the ring is worn or not until they receive a remove curse or until the ring is sold or giving to a new owner and they trigger the curse. This curse always affects an attempted sale of the ring by any creature, whether owned, worn, or not.
60. Ring of Shooting Start— This curse can be placed on any magical ring. Whenever the wearer or an ally within 30 feet attempts a charge or run action, there is a loud report of a starting pistol and that character is considered to have a +5 inspired bonus to their movement speed that round. They are also subject to a magical ranged attack (+CL of ring to hit). The subject is denied Dexterity bonuses to AC against this attack unless they possess uncanny dodge. The ring's wearer also does not receive any defensive bonuses from the cursed ring itself if they are the target (such as a ring of protection's deflection bonus). If the attack hits, they receive 1d6 force damage + 1/2 the ring's CL).
There is no indication this comes from the wearer or the ring and a creature cannot be affected more than once per day by this curse.
61. Ring of Mine Shielding— Detecting and functioning as a ring of mind shielding, this cursed ring causes any floor-based traps within 60 feet of the wearer, such as pits, landmines, bear traps, pressure plates, or caltrops to be harder to notice or detect (DC + ring's CL) for the wearer or their allies. It has no effect of spotting mineshafts, unless the check is to avoid falling into one.
62. Ring of Pi Mastery— This cursed ring of ki mastery holds up to 3.14159 ki points, and typically always has 0.14159 points within it, since there's almost no way to spend that amount, and the wearer has no way to detect that. As long as as the ring has at least 0.14159 ki points stored within it, the wearer secretly receives a –3.14159 (rounded to –3) calculation penalty to saves against spells or effects with a radius, diameter, spherical or hemispherical area.
While typically found on a ring of ki mastery, this curse can rarely be found on rings of any type.
