So, last night, l had a idea for a cursed magic item, and once l thought of it, I realized that if l add it to the game, there's a chance a PC would use it without knowing about the curse and end up becoming a victim, so l thought of a QTE
Here's what l have so far. Advice on stuff to add or changes to DC are welcome.
Item: Cursed Collar of water breathing: Trades your ability to breath air with the ability to breath water. (Might be a silver choker with a sapphire on the front, and a locking clasp on the back. Could also be made of leather or some other kind of fabric. Point is, l don't know what it'll look like except for being a collar like object)
If someone is foolish enough to put it on, especially away from water, they'll begin to suffocate. Describe them becoming unable to breath, and have everyone roll initiative. The event starts just after the dying player on the initiative. If the curse is still effecting them at the end of their turn, it counts as a failed death save. Naturally, 3 failed death saves=death. (though, hopefully the players will have some kind of solution before that point)
A DC 15 perception (passive or check) or 10 investigation (check) is required to notice that above the collar, the pc has strange flaps on their neck. A DC 5 nature check will then reveal them to be gills, like a fish.
A DC 25 strength check is required for the collar to be torn off. If succeeded, the collar then becomes broken and non magical. (Player wearing the collar must make check with disadvantage after the first round, as they begin to struggle to stay alive and awake.)
Remove curse is useless because the item doesn't require attunement, it simply locks when worn.
Dispel magic requires a casting at 5th level, or a dc 15 check.
Submerging their head in water will allow them to breath. If this happens, the countdown pauses until they exit the water with the curse still in effect. (could be done with a combination of mold earth and a spell that creates water.)
Dc 18 to unlock the collar with thieves tools. Or, the "knock" spell could be used, or, if they can somehow get to a key maker/ magically create a key, then that would work (though might need a DC 15 check to create the key with only a key hole to go off of, though l don't know what kind, or how that would actually be done, as l'm not a locksmith or key maker)
Edit: Thank you for the feedback. I have added to the above text to add things l forgot to add (specifically in regards to unlocking the collar). Now, to clarify/ share my thoughts on some things that have been brought up:
QTE stands for quick time event. (i'm using the term to express the general idea)The idea is, if they don't figure something out before time runs out (3 rounds minimum), then yes, the PC would die. That said, I made this thread to come up with ways the party might try to avoid that, so l can give appropriate skill checks and DC's for said skill checks. To be clear, I don't want the PC to die, but there should be some danger to putting on something you found in a treasure horde, without having it be checked to see what it does first. In short, It's meant to be a learning experience: Danger can lurk even in seemingly benign places, and you should look before you leap. And keep in mind, this is just for a hypothetical situation where someone actually "Leroy Jenkins'" the treasure. Ideally my players wouldn't just put on a random collar they found somewhere infested with enemies, but if there's one thing l know about dnd, is that players will do some (fake cough) "unexpected" stuff, so l decided to come up with what to do before it could happen.
The locking clasp at the back is a Physical part of the object, and designed to close/lock when put on. It would have once had a key, but it would have been lost to time. (or maybe found with a DC 20 investigation check. (subject to change depending on size of treasure hoard)) The curse would have been added to the object after the collar itself was created, so removing the curse wouldn't unlock it. (and it doesn't require attunement, so RAW, remove curse would do nothing, even if the locking were a part of the curse.) And the Str check to tear the collar off is meant to be almost impossible. From my understanding, destroying a magic item is very difficult. (though l might be wrong, so please tell me if l am, and a source would be especially useful)
(IMO) There is a difference between Holding your breath, and suddenly finding yourself unable to breath. l can hold my breath right now, but if l suddenly find myself being forced underwater without prior warning or time to inhale, then l would immediately start to drown. It's like that, but on land. In other words, holding their breath is useless cause they can't use air to breath, as they now require water. There for, this skips the "holding your breath" faze of the suffocation, and skips straight to the part where you only have a few rounds to live. That said, l think I might let them add their con mod to the timer, especially if the party is small and or low level. (giving them (con mod) rounds to try to save themselves before falling unconscious and beginning death saves.)
From reading the identify spell (and what i've seen on critical role) Identify would be able to tell if a item is cursed, as a curse is a magical property of the object. Even if that's not RAI, As the dm, I'll allow it to see curses.
Your Cursed Collar of Water Breathing is very impressive. It's a great joke. You can't seriously be expecting anybody to use this and have fun, can you?
Consider: It's likely to kill the wearer. It's terribly difficult to get back off of them It's easy enough to spot the problem, but removing it requires a very high DC Strength check or a Dispel Magic cast at high level or a dc 15 check, and I'm not sure what that means. You say that Remove Curse won't help remove the curse on a Cursed item because it simply locks in place, but what keeps it locked is the curse. I can't make heads or tails out of that.
You wind up your post saying "Dc 18 to unlock the collar." Difficulty Class 18 would seem to indicate a skill check, but which one? This will be pretty simple for anyone with a proficiency in Thieves Tools, but there's really not that many classes who get that. All I can think of is Artificer and Rogue. In the unlikely event that both of these classes are not present, proficient in Thieves Tools, and not the ones wearing the Cursed Collar, the character is pretty much doomed, which makes the DC 18 check with Thieves Tools much too low. I'd put that at 30, as it's nearly impossible.
I really your cursed item idea. As far as dealing with the effects of the item goes, I'd use the suffocation rules in the PH instead of reinventing the wheel. You could also consider Medicine checks to recognize what's happening.
Keep in mind a DC 25 Strength check is literally impossible without 20 Strength and they'd still need to roll a 20, unless they have help from Bless, Bardic Inspiration and the likes.
Not really sure what you meant by DC 18 to unlock the collar but I'd personally go with a Thieves' Tools roll.
It wouldn't go straight to death saves. I wouldn't think it would use suffocation rules.
"A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds).
When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.
For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points."
Beyond that. Remove curse ends attunement. If a creature is not attuned, they can just take the thing off. So either remove curse works, or they can just remove it, would be traditional under RAW (as I understand RAW, anyway.) Don't know why you'd want to make an item that would kill a PC even harder to deal with than a standard cursed item which is often annoying but never directly fatal.
Cursed items should not a punishment for "impulsiveness." An identify spell will not show a curse, so even a not-impulsive character who takes the time to identify an item wouldn't know of the curse and will still suffer the consequences. Cursed items work as plot devices, not as mean-spirited traps.
Finally, QTEs are in video games. You are proposing a series of skill checks that have nothing to do with tapping buttons quickly.
Maybe you could have the item appear as a collar of waterbreathing... nothing too fantastic. One of the party members will use it down the road to go underwater. Have the curse trigger then and now the player can't breath air, so is trapped in the river/lake/ocean until the curse is removed.
And let remove curse snap the lock open and free the PC.
Also agree with using the suffocation rules if PC tries to get onto dry land.
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So, last night, l had a idea for a cursed magic item, and once l thought of it, I realized that if l add it to the game, there's a chance a PC would use it without knowing about the curse and end up becoming a victim, so l thought of a QTE
Here's what l have so far. Advice on stuff to add or changes to DC are welcome.
Item: Cursed Collar of water breathing: Trades your ability to breath air with the ability to breath water. (Might be a silver choker with a sapphire on the front, and a locking clasp on the back. Could also be made of leather or some other kind of fabric. Point is, l don't know what it'll look like except for being a collar like object)
From reading the identify spell (and what i've seen on critical role) Identify would be able to tell if a item is cursed, as a curse is a magical property of the object. Even if that's not RAI, As the dm, I'll allow it to see curses.
What exactly does "QTE" stand for?
Your Cursed Collar of Water Breathing is very impressive. It's a great joke. You can't seriously be expecting anybody to use this and have fun, can you?
Consider: It's likely to kill the wearer. It's terribly difficult to get back off of them It's easy enough to spot the problem, but removing it requires a very high DC Strength check or a Dispel Magic cast at high level or a dc 15 check, and I'm not sure what that means. You say that Remove Curse won't help remove the curse on a Cursed item because it simply locks in place, but what keeps it locked is the curse. I can't make heads or tails out of that.
You wind up your post saying "Dc 18 to unlock the collar." Difficulty Class 18 would seem to indicate a skill check, but which one? This will be pretty simple for anyone with a proficiency in Thieves Tools, but there's really not that many classes who get that. All I can think of is Artificer and Rogue. In the unlikely event that both of these classes are not present, proficient in Thieves Tools, and not the ones wearing the Cursed Collar, the character is pretty much doomed, which makes the DC 18 check with Thieves Tools much too low. I'd put that at 30, as it's nearly impossible.
<Insert clever signature here>
I really your cursed item idea. As far as dealing with the effects of the item goes, I'd use the suffocation rules in the PH instead of reinventing the wheel. You could also consider Medicine checks to recognize what's happening.
Keep in mind a DC 25 Strength check is literally impossible without 20 Strength and they'd still need to roll a 20, unless they have help from Bless, Bardic Inspiration and the likes.
Not really sure what you meant by DC 18 to unlock the collar but I'd personally go with a Thieves' Tools roll.
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It wouldn't go straight to death saves. I wouldn't think it would use suffocation rules.
"A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds).
When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.
For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points."
Beyond that. Remove curse ends attunement. If a creature is not attuned, they can just take the thing off. So either remove curse works, or they can just remove it, would be traditional under RAW (as I understand RAW, anyway.) Don't know why you'd want to make an item that would kill a PC even harder to deal with than a standard cursed item which is often annoying but never directly fatal.
Cursed items should not a punishment for "impulsiveness." An identify spell will not show a curse, so even a not-impulsive character who takes the time to identify an item wouldn't know of the curse and will still suffer the consequences. Cursed items work as plot devices, not as mean-spirited traps.
Finally, QTEs are in video games. You are proposing a series of skill checks that have nothing to do with tapping buttons quickly.
Maybe you could have the item appear as a collar of waterbreathing... nothing too fantastic. One of the party members will use it down the road to go underwater. Have the curse trigger then and now the player can't breath air, so is trapped in the river/lake/ocean until the curse is removed.
And let remove curse snap the lock open and free the PC.
Also agree with using the suffocation rules if PC tries to get onto dry land.