Interesting. In my home game a player discovered an item that could save on a failed wisdom roll against attempt to influence their mind, and cause 2d6 psychic damage to assailian t. But each use causes a permanent +2 to death saving throws.
I've used the BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia D&D rules on cursed items ever since I learned about them back in the day.
That means that each cursed item found appears for all intents and purposes to be a particular beneficial item (example: a cursed sword might appear to be a dragon slayer), but when put into use it has a negative effect instead of the expected effect (continuing the example: when the character first makes an attack with what they think is a cool magical sword, they find it's only effects to be -1 to attack and damage rolls) and it is impossible to discard or use something else when you could use the cursed item.
Then, the important difference in these rules and the way all the other types of D&D handle cursed items, when the curse is removed from the item it actually removes the curse, transforming the item into what it initially appeared to be (to finish the example, that means the party actually gains a useful magic item, rather than just being able to discard a detrimental one).
The only time I have items have both benefits and drawbacks to them is when they are artifacts (so that category of item doesn't feel like just another power category like when comparing common items to rare items or what have you).
I use them all the time. I just make them up and put both good effects and bad effects on them. So the party is really torn on getting rid of the item. The one side of the coin the item might have some really nice benefits - lets say a +2 Battleaxe. But the downside is every time they use it they have to roll percentile die and if they roll 01-10 they turn into a Were creature and just start going crazy. There was also another minor effect to the curse where the user would only use the axe and it caused extreme greed in the wielder. But it made for great RP.
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Do you use them? Any favorites? What sort of balance do you place between benefit and penalty? Do you allow players to discover the curse first?
I use them, but not too often. Usually when adapting published material to my game.
I don't worry too much about balance - usually my cursed items don't have any benefit. If they do have any I make sure they aren't worth the penalty.
Discovery depends on the item. Most published cursed items, you don't have a chance to discover the curse until it's too late, and I go with that.
Interesting. In my home game a player discovered an item that could save on a failed wisdom roll against attempt to influence their mind, and cause 2d6 psychic damage to assailian t. But each use causes a permanent +2 to death saving throws.
I've used the BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia D&D rules on cursed items ever since I learned about them back in the day.
That means that each cursed item found appears for all intents and purposes to be a particular beneficial item (example: a cursed sword might appear to be a dragon slayer), but when put into use it has a negative effect instead of the expected effect (continuing the example: when the character first makes an attack with what they think is a cool magical sword, they find it's only effects to be -1 to attack and damage rolls) and it is impossible to discard or use something else when you could use the cursed item.
Then, the important difference in these rules and the way all the other types of D&D handle cursed items, when the curse is removed from the item it actually removes the curse, transforming the item into what it initially appeared to be (to finish the example, that means the party actually gains a useful magic item, rather than just being able to discard a detrimental one).
The only time I have items have both benefits and drawbacks to them is when they are artifacts (so that category of item doesn't feel like just another power category like when comparing common items to rare items or what have you).
Hmmm. Maybe I am thinking of artificats and not cursed items, then.
I use them all the time. I just make them up and put both good effects and bad effects on them. So the party is really torn on getting rid of the item. The one side of the coin the item might have some really nice benefits - lets say a +2 Battleaxe. But the downside is every time they use it they have to roll percentile die and if they roll 01-10 they turn into a Were creature and just start going crazy. There was also another minor effect to the curse where the user would only use the axe and it caused extreme greed in the wielder. But it made for great RP.