An unassuming swashbuckler rogue has picked up a rapier and cutlass and taken them as his weapons. He is a pirate. I want to surprise him that they are cursed. Fellow dm’s I need your best cursed sword ideas, feel free to be diabolical!
As above, what kind of curse do you want. Here's some ideas off the top of my head for funnier, less serious ones. There are a lot of magic items with more serious effects, so I'll stick with the funnies for now.
The Curs Curse: The bearer smells of wet dog. This may discourage people from interacting with him, or alert people to his presence. A small penalty to stealth checks and having inn keepers throw him out for putting customers off would suffice
The Curse Curse: The bearer utters a random curse word every time they are introduced to another person, potentially making them less inclined to help.
The Coarse Curse: All garments feel like roughspun sackcloth while the bearer is wearing them. Give him a small penalty to mental ability checks, as he is distracted by the fabric rubbing against his skin or something similar.
Don't tell him that it is the rapier, just describe the effects (at least at first).
Maybe the two weapons are cursed to constantly compete with each other and are somehow always fighting in the mind of the user to be the one to strike the killing blow.
Or maybe you keep track of how many kills they've made with each, and when one gets much higher than the other it gives the wielder some boon while the other gives some ill effect to try and slow down the other blade.
Personally I’m a big fan of sentient weapons. Since they are a pirate, perhaps the sword is searching for a wielder to find a lost ancient treasure, or perhaps just pieces of treasure in general. If there is some valuable trinket nearby the sword tries to coax the wielder into acquiring it... at any cost. After they hear the whisper they make a wisdom saving throw, if they fail, whatever else they were doing no longer matters, they gotta get that treasure.
Have one weapon be a soul drinker that passes 2 hp on to the user as long as it does more than 2 dmg that round, but those hp are drained out by the other weapon, that will get a commensurate damage bonus based on how many hp it drains from the wielder.
Then have the soul drinker get 'full' halfway through combat. It refuses to heal him, the other weapon continues to drain him, though and he starts to hear mocking laughter. Never let the weapons directly communicate with him, only with each other. Let them be like the "Mean Girls" of sentient swords. They'll talk, just not to him.
Mean Girl Swords: Bekka and Kara- constantly competing for killing blow and are sentient.
Bekka gives 2hp as long as she does 2 damage.
Kara does 2 additional damage for each time she is used, in exchange for draining 2 hp with each attack.
They constantly hurl cruel cutting insults at anyone they consider an opponent, causing awkward social situations if they are drawn from their scabbards.
They refuse to talk to the pirate but will talk to anyone else.
Bickerblade. I'll sketch the concept rather than impose the stats. Scale it how you like, it's an intelligence weapon, lawful neutral in alignment. Give it language based magic like comprehend languages, command, etc. Make it a powerful weapon, +2 or more _BUT_ it only engages well in combat if it is also engaged in a compelling argument with its wielder. Bickerblade doesn't need to win the argument, and rather would face a lengthy challenge than something that can be resolved simply. If it doesn't feel intellectually engaged, it's bonuses are reversed or just nonexistent (your determination). Probably best suited for a College of Eloquence Bard. Arguments can be either role played or performed via INT/WIS/CHR depending on the topic. Probably most suited for College of Elloquence bards.
I haven't figured out what it would be beyond concept, but Bickerblade of course has a nemesis blade, chaotic neutral The Absurdist. Tasha's Hideous Laughter will be available to it, not sure what it's gimmick will be, maybe require the wielder to perform increasingly ridiculous approaching entropy in combat. I suppose it could be "big cursed" in that it's wielder could become enchanted by its maniacal meaninglessness until the wielder fully descends into nihilism and become unplayable unless rescued by the forces of reason. Psychic damage effect as the wielder gets caught up in the joke?
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
you could also think about the foible path instead of full-blown curse. Lore-wise, the darkblades created with shadowsilk had these (all but one which actually had a more traditional cursed). foibles are more like annoying flaws than curses. If i remember correctly, some of the foibles included: the sword snored when the wielder slept, one had to be dunked in ale between each battle, one made the wielder dreamwalk while sleeping into a loved-one's bedroom, one hummed in battle. the cursed one drove the wielder insanely jealous thinking everyone wanted to steal his sword.
you could also think about the foible path instead of full-blown curse. Lore-wise, the darkblades created with shadowsilk had these (all but one which actually had a more traditional cursed). foibles are more like annoying flaws than curses. If i remember correctly, some of the foibles included: the sword snored when the wielder slept, one had to be dunked in ale between each battle, one made the wielder dreamwalk while sleeping into a loved-one's bedroom, one hummed in battle. the cursed one drove the wielder insanely jealous thinking everyone wanted to steal his sword.
Bickerblade's insistence on carrying an argument in order to "engage" would definitely fit into the foible category.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Make them more powerful than what the best weapon the party currently have - and make it clear they grow in power as the owner does. The curse is that :
Every bit of damage they do to someone else, they do to their owner exactly one hour later.
Nasty little question - do you use your best weapon and try to heal yourself later? Party goes through a lot of extra healing if you make this choice.
Make them more powerful than what the best weapon the party currently have - and make it clear they grow in power as the owner does. The curse is that :
Every bit of damage they do to someone else, they do to their owner exactly one hour later.
Nasty little question - do you use your best weapon and try to heal yourself later? Party goes through a lot of extra healing if you make this choice.
Give it to the BBEG and befriend a group of moon druids.
You could make it that the weapon is blessed to never miss, but cursed to not distinguish friend from foe. So every time he swings it, he will either hit the enemy, or the closest thing. That's not such an issue if he is amongst lots of enemies, but is a big issue if he's beside a friend and misses the enemy. Rolling a 1 could actually hit himself. If he waves it around too much it'll hit someone, even if it's a weird fluke of him losing his grips and the sword being flung at someone nearby.
Find something small and somewhat petty that the player hates. Make them constantly see/smell/hear/otherwise sense it nearby.
For example, one of my players hates oranges. Taking a magic weapon might give them a damage bonus, but it might also make them constantly smell of oranges.
I don't know what the combat effect of such a weapon would be, but it could be that every 1d4 rounds the sword is drawn the player has to make a wisdom check or they get fed up with the weapon and throw it at a wall/monster/other player.
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An unassuming swashbuckler rogue has picked up a rapier and cutlass and taken them as his weapons. He is a pirate. I want to surprise him that they are cursed. Fellow dm’s I need your best cursed sword ideas, feel free to be diabolical!
Are you looking for mechanical things, or rp, or just cosmetic/ flavor. Funny or scary or something else.
As above, what kind of curse do you want. Here's some ideas off the top of my head for funnier, less serious ones. There are a lot of magic items with more serious effects, so I'll stick with the funnies for now.
Don't tell him that it is the rapier, just describe the effects (at least at first).
Maybe the two weapons are cursed to constantly compete with each other and are somehow always fighting in the mind of the user to be the one to strike the killing blow.
Or maybe you keep track of how many kills they've made with each, and when one gets much higher than the other it gives the wielder some boon while the other gives some ill effect to try and slow down the other blade.
All of the above.
Personally I’m a big fan of sentient weapons. Since they are a pirate, perhaps the sword is searching for a wielder to find a lost ancient treasure, or perhaps just pieces of treasure in general. If there is some valuable trinket nearby the sword tries to coax the wielder into acquiring it... at any cost. After they hear the whisper they make a wisdom saving throw, if they fail, whatever else they were doing no longer matters, they gotta get that treasure.
Have one weapon be a soul drinker that passes 2 hp on to the user as long as it does more than 2 dmg that round, but those hp are drained out by the other weapon, that will get a commensurate damage bonus based on how many hp it drains from the wielder.
Then have the soul drinker get 'full' halfway through combat. It refuses to heal him, the other weapon continues to drain him, though and he starts to hear mocking laughter. Never let the weapons directly communicate with him, only with each other. Let them be like the "Mean Girls" of sentient swords. They'll talk, just not to him.
anyways, that's my idea for the day.
These are freaking awesome!
Mean Girl Swords: Bekka and Kara- constantly competing for killing blow and are sentient.
Bekka gives 2hp as long as she does 2 damage.
Kara does 2 additional damage for each time she is used, in exchange for draining 2 hp with each attack.
They constantly hurl cruel cutting insults at anyone they consider an opponent, causing awkward social situations if they are drawn from their scabbards.
They refuse to talk to the pirate but will talk to anyone else.
(this is going to be hilarious).
Love it!
Bickerblade. I'll sketch the concept rather than impose the stats. Scale it how you like, it's an intelligence weapon, lawful neutral in alignment. Give it language based magic like comprehend languages, command, etc. Make it a powerful weapon, +2 or more _BUT_ it only engages well in combat if it is also engaged in a compelling argument with its wielder. Bickerblade doesn't need to win the argument, and rather would face a lengthy challenge than something that can be resolved simply. If it doesn't feel intellectually engaged, it's bonuses are reversed or just nonexistent (your determination). Probably best suited for a College of Eloquence Bard. Arguments can be either role played or performed via INT/WIS/CHR depending on the topic. Probably most suited for College of Elloquence bards.
I haven't figured out what it would be beyond concept, but Bickerblade of course has a nemesis blade, chaotic neutral The Absurdist. Tasha's Hideous Laughter will be available to it, not sure what it's gimmick will be, maybe require the wielder to perform increasingly ridiculous approaching entropy in combat. I suppose it could be "big cursed" in that it's wielder could become enchanted by its maniacal meaninglessness until the wielder fully descends into nihilism and become unplayable unless rescued by the forces of reason. Psychic damage effect as the wielder gets caught up in the joke?
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
A sword of wounding that causes psychic damage whenever anyone you ever hit with it dies, whether at the end of combat, in the middle, or years later.
A singing sword that sings every time you unsheath it. It is +1 but once you attune it you have disadvantage to use any other weapon.
Blood Blade: similar to a blood hunter's ability. Take 1d4 slashing damage to gain advantage in attack rolls with this weapon for 1d4 rounds.
Blade of the Wanderer: feels a magnetic pull toward the most dangerous nearby trap, monster, or social encounter.
Something like this might work, if you want a scheming, evil, sentient cursed sword:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/tips-tactics/85791-5e-throwdowns-d-d-beyond-edition-5-spooky?comment=14
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I didn't really make these cursed enough.
Make the Blood Blade's 1d4 damage non-optional and take effect on any miss, but the weapon is +2.
Blade of the Wanderer causes 1d4 psychic damage for each turn the wielder moves away from the nearest danger within 500 feet.
you could also think about the foible path instead of full-blown curse. Lore-wise, the darkblades created with shadowsilk had these (all but one which actually had a more traditional cursed). foibles are more like annoying flaws than curses. If i remember correctly, some of the foibles included: the sword snored when the wielder slept, one had to be dunked in ale between each battle, one made the wielder dreamwalk while sleeping into a loved-one's bedroom, one hummed in battle. the cursed one drove the wielder insanely jealous thinking everyone wanted to steal his sword.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Bickerblade's insistence on carrying an argument in order to "engage" would definitely fit into the foible category.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Make them more powerful than what the best weapon the party currently have - and make it clear they grow in power as the owner does. The curse is that :
Every bit of damage they do to someone else, they do to their owner exactly one hour later.
Nasty little question - do you use your best weapon and try to heal yourself later? Party goes through a lot of extra healing if you make this choice.
Give it to the BBEG and befriend a group of moon druids.
You could make it that the weapon is blessed to never miss, but cursed to not distinguish friend from foe. So every time he swings it, he will either hit the enemy, or the closest thing. That's not such an issue if he is amongst lots of enemies, but is a big issue if he's beside a friend and misses the enemy. Rolling a 1 could actually hit himself. If he waves it around too much it'll hit someone, even if it's a weird fluke of him losing his grips and the sword being flung at someone nearby.
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Find something small and somewhat petty that the player hates. Make them constantly see/smell/hear/otherwise sense it nearby.
For example, one of my players hates oranges. Taking a magic weapon might give them a damage bonus, but it might also make them constantly smell of oranges.
I don't know what the combat effect of such a weapon would be, but it could be that every 1d4 rounds the sword is drawn the player has to make a wisdom check or they get fed up with the weapon and throw it at a wall/monster/other player.