Cursed items

A list of six cursed items that do exactly what they seem to do.

My concept of cursed items isn't objects that stick you with a negative modifier and can't be put down - although those have their place. It's perfectly serviceable items that perform a valuable function in a way that compromises the character's values.

Admittedly that's not much of a threat to murderhobo characters. But the caveats for these items should at least make non-chaotic players pause and then avoid the GM's eye while mumbling about the end justifying the means!

1. Death Holds No Secrets

A gem-studded collar that can temporarily revive a being dead for less than INT bonus days and no more than user's level+INT bonus HD to answer three questions in full. The being can save vs Magic to resist. After the questions have been answered, the collar returns the being to its rest.

After Death Holds No Secrets has passed out of range, there is a 3-in-6 chance of the being reviving again as a hostile undead with HD up to user's level.

2. Stand-Alone

A sword with faceted obsidian inlaid in the pommel in place of a gem. It allows the user to reduce the closest ally NPC's STR bonus by 1 in order to gain the same bonus until the end of a combat. The borrowed strength does not return to the NPC.

 

(Technically, the effect should apply to PCs as well. Would you want to be in that game? I wouldn't. I wouldn't want to be the same building.)

3. The Uneasy Crown

A simple gold crown, decorated with gold wire and rubies. This item only works if placed on a second person's head by someone who knows the passphrase, 'uneasy is the head'. After that, if the crowned one gives an order anyone with a lower charisma modifier will carry it out automatically, provided it isn't dangerous to them. (Save vs device to resist.) Each time an order is given, the crown tightens slightly. It cannot be removed until the person who crowned the wearer speaks the passphrase. That person is immune to the crown's effects. After being removed it cannot be used again by the same wearer. It will immediately tighten until it's too small to place on their head.

4. The Mirror Gem

The owner of this gem can enter a magical sleep and possess whoever wears the gem. The possessed wearer will look and sound like the owner, and has no will of their own while their actions are being directed. The wearer takes 1d4 HP damage each week they wear the gem. That damage can never be recovered.

5. Man-breaker

This is a lash with a core of hardened clay in the hollow handle. Each time it's used on a person, the victim loses a point from either INT, WIS or CHA and gains one in STR or CON. Over time their skin becomes more and more clay-like until they lose their last point of mental attributes and transform fully into a clay golem, good only for manual labour.

6. Persuasion

 

A narrow chain, with spiked links. If one of the spikes is used to nick a victim, the entire cord will slither inside through the wound and coil around their bones. From that point, if they refuse to follow when ordered to the chain will constrict, causing awful pain. Persuasion leaves a body the way it enters, but causes a lot more damage in the process. Most die.

The Why of Ships

It's sometimes important to know about passing ships. In a coastal village, sails on the horizon could mean raiders, or vital supplies arriving. Sometimes your characters need passage, no questions asked. Sometimes they need an unreasonable amount of flammable oil in a hurry, for perfectly legal activities. Sometimes, heh, it's a funny story, but they're stuck without a ship of their own because they set the vessel and its crew on fire completely by accident and there's no-one left to say otherwise.

That ship on the horizon is:

1. A fishing boat 
2. A freighter carrying goods to market 
3. A smuggler 
4. A military patrol vessel 
5. A pirate 
6. A fast courier 

Its distinctive feature is:

1. An elaborate figurehead
2. Coloured sails
3. An unusual flag
4. A motto emblazoned on the hull
5. An unusual crew makeup
6. A strange passenger
   

The captain is:

1. A drunk 
2. A scoundrel 
3. A strict disciplinarian 
4. Deeply religious 
5. Deeply morose 
6. A lunatic 

Their misfortune is:

1. Damaged 
2. Low supplies 
3. Disease on board 
4. Blown off course 
5. Short-handed after a failed mutiny 
6. Short-handed after a successful mutiny 

The closest ports are:

1. Allies 
2. Enemies 
3. Neutral 
4. Closed to them 
5. Open but may confiscate their goods 
6. Under the influence of a rival

They know:

1. The location of a nearby island with timber, game and fresh water
2. Passwords to make military ships ignore them
3. The location of a cache of supplies, guns and money
4. A colonial governor's humiliating secret
5. A safe route through an archipelago dotted with dangerous reefs
6. Market prices across all ports within a week's travel

Starting situation generator

Tables for instantly generating the bones of a simple adventure. 

Sometimes you want to start with the action and figure out the why of things later. Especially if it's a pick-up game with little or no prep time, you want to play now, plan later. 

With the tables below, you can throw down a set of polyhedral dice and instantly have enough background info to start in media res.

The party is (D4):

1. fighting with
2. negotiating with
3. hiding from
4. chasing

a group of (D6):

1. guards
2. mercenaries
3. zealots
   
4. intelligent monsters
5. unintelligent monsters
   
6. beasts

in a (D8):

1. city street
   
2. dungeon 
3. wilderness
4. crypt
5. temple
6. mansion
7. ship
8. tower
   

because (D10):

1. something has been stolen
2. someone has been taken
3. an offence must be punished
4. a plague must be cured
5. a curse must be broken
6. a bounty is on offer
7. a sentence must be commuted
8. a prophecy has been spoken
9. an oath has been sworn
10. a debt is owed
    

 and if they fail (D12):

1. a debt will default.
2. they will be cursed.
3. they will be outlawed.
4. a bounty will be placed on them.
   
5. an ally/family member will be harmed.
   
6. an allied faction will be weakened.
7. a crime will go unpunished.
8. a regime will fall.
9. a war will begin.
10. their home will be destroyed.
11. an opportunity will be lost.
12. an enemy will be empowered.

The theme for this adventure is (D20):

1. betrayal.
2. the generosity of honourable enemies.
3. competition with another party of adventurers.
4. a generation-spanning grudge.
5. insidious, creeping evil.
6. a race against time.
7. conspirators in every shadow.
8. revenge.
9. defending the weak.
10. reclaiming a heritage.
11. exploration.
12. impending disaster.
13. righteous vs despotic monarchs.
14. revealing treachery.
15. the gods are angry.
16. babysitting.
17. keeping up an act.
18. acting with stealth.
19. allies in unlikely places.
20. forbidden knowledge.

 

(Thanks to Spwack of the Slight Adjustments blog for the generator code.)

D6 delving-adjacent complications

A D6 table of ways an adventuring party can be victims of their own success.

You delved the dungeon. You lived. Now you're on your way back to town with the loot. Neat. Clean. Simple. Except... when has an adventurer's life ever been that easy?

1. Muggers
   Think you were discreet? A party of battle-hardened adventurers rode into town and bought up food, torches, oil, and pack animals. They hired on a group of helpers who look like they can run fast, for 'sundry duties to be clarified as and when needed'. Smells like someone's planning to make some quick money.
   
   Of course, since they are battle-hardened, it makes sense to let them go about their business and stake out the road they take out of town. When they return, exhausted and bleeding, a gang of bandits strikes.
   
   
2. Claim-jumpers
   Everyone knows the corridors of the tomb complex up on the hill are littered with gold coins... and guarded by vicious undead. It's gruel and cheap beer again this week, but that's better than being something else's meal.
   
   But if someone else takes the risk and staggers away for a long rest before returning to finish the lower levels, a clever and careful person sends for the closest neighbours and lets them know there's an opportunity. They grab packs and hurry up the hill to step over the smoking skeletons and ransack the cleared levels.
   
   
3. Price gougers
   As soon as you were spotted returning on the road, the richest merchant in town bought up everything you could possibly need. Of course he's willing to sell it to you... at ten times the original price. He has a squad of mercenaries protecting his stores. You could try taking them, but it wouldn't be easy and then you'd be law breakers.
   
   
4. Lawsuits
   It turns out the family that originally built that tomb on the hill still has scions in the kingdom. Diminished, impoverished, but still inheritors of the family name and crypt. They never had the guts to step inside or the money to pay for someone to clear it out, but fate just handed them an opportunity. You robbed their ancestors and now they're practically salivating at the chance to sue you for the return of that loot.
   
   
5. Terrain
   Paintings, statues, antiques, golden idols. They're as good as money, but only if you can get them home. Can you carry them out of the forest? Will the cart's axle support the weight? Is the road passable to a fully laden cart, or will you bog down in every wheel rut? What if the weather changes and the road turns to mud? What if you have to go cross-country to avoid bandits?
   
   
6. Suspicion
   You chose a platinum crown studded with gemstones as part of your share. Now it's gone and the wizard's pack looks a little heavier. Did you face all this danger to let one of your own companions rob you when you let your guard down?