So my first campaign is still pretty young, we're six seasons in and my players just got to level three. I'm looking through the list of magic items in the DMG for fun things to throw at them, and I think that it could be interesting to let them find a cursed item - specifically a Sword of Vengeance. What I'm wondering is, how can I present the item to them without spoiling the curse, and what's the best way to spring it on them?
If I understand the rules correctly, the players can *identify* the item through a short rest, but they won't actually be cursed before they choose to attune to it (and until they do I suppose it works like a regular sword, with no magical advantages OR disadvantages). But... When my players identify the item, what am I supposed to say to them?
If I tell them "This is a Sword of Vengeance" and give them the item stats, they'll search for 'sword of vengeance' on DNDbeyond and they'll immediately read from its description that it's cursed, and obviously choose not to attune tobit.
If I DON'T tell them it's a Sword of Vengeance, they won't know what item to add in DNDbeyond (which they probably want to do, since that's where they're keeping track of what attacks they can do), and I'm not sure if there's a good way I can do that without rousing suspicion. I could tell them it's just a +1 sword, except I can't, because regular +1 weapons don't require attunement.
Is there an obvious solution I'm not seeing here? This feels like it would be easy to solve if we WEREN'T using dndbeyond and I had the only copy of the item description and they copied it down with a pencil, but...
Follow-up question: Assuming I figure out how to keep the curse secret from them, what's the best way to reveal it! Should they get the full description when they're attuned to it ("Now you're cursed!"), or should they only discover it when they're trying to either use the weapon and the curse's *effect* kicks in, or they try to unattune or get rid of the weapon and realize that they can't?
You could call it by another name. The Sword of Vengeance is just a +1 magic sword in addition to its curse. If they cast identify on it, then you can just tell them that. Alternately, let them research the item and decide whether the bonus offsets the curse. How important to you is it to get the cursed item zinger on them?
Huh, that's an amazingly obvious solution, thanks 😀 It kinda feels like cheating, but even in-story it kinda makes sense that an object is known under multiple names.
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So my first campaign is still pretty young, we're six seasons in and my players just got to level three. I'm looking through the list of magic items in the DMG for fun things to throw at them, and I think that it could be interesting to let them find a cursed item - specifically a Sword of Vengeance. What I'm wondering is, how can I present the item to them without spoiling the curse, and what's the best way to spring it on them?
If I understand the rules correctly, the players can *identify* the item through a short rest, but they won't actually be cursed before they choose to attune to it (and until they do I suppose it works like a regular sword, with no magical advantages OR disadvantages). But... When my players identify the item, what am I supposed to say to them?
If I tell them "This is a Sword of Vengeance" and give them the item stats, they'll search for 'sword of vengeance' on DNDbeyond and they'll immediately read from its description that it's cursed, and obviously choose not to attune tobit.
If I DON'T tell them it's a Sword of Vengeance, they won't know what item to add in DNDbeyond (which they probably want to do, since that's where they're keeping track of what attacks they can do), and I'm not sure if there's a good way I can do that without rousing suspicion. I could tell them it's just a +1 sword, except I can't, because regular +1 weapons don't require attunement.
Is there an obvious solution I'm not seeing here? This feels like it would be easy to solve if we WEREN'T using dndbeyond and I had the only copy of the item description and they copied it down with a pencil, but...
Follow-up question: Assuming I figure out how to keep the curse secret from them, what's the best way to reveal it! Should they get the full description when they're attuned to it ("Now you're cursed!"), or should they only discover it when they're trying to either use the weapon and the curse's *effect* kicks in, or they try to unattune or get rid of the weapon and realize that they can't?
You could call it by another name. The Sword of Vengeance is just a +1 magic sword in addition to its curse. If they cast identify on it, then you can just tell them that. Alternately, let them research the item and decide whether the bonus offsets the curse. How important to you is it to get the cursed item zinger on them?
"Not all those who wander are lost"
You can create a homebrew copy of the item with a different name and curse omitted.
Huh, that's an amazingly obvious solution, thanks 😀 It kinda feels like cheating, but even in-story it kinda makes sense that an object is known under multiple names.