Bag of Monkey Bones
Wondrous Item, rare (cursed)
This weathered canvas sack rattles faintly when moved, no matter how carefully it's handled. The faint scent of old straw and burnt sugar clings to it. Inside are the brittle, yellowing bones of a once-lively Capuchin monkey, each marked with faded red paint as though it once wore makeup or costume. The skull bears tiny scratches—bite marks, perhaps, or desperate clawing from the inside.
This monkey once belonged to a cruel organ grinder, forced to perform tricks for coin and punished harshly for failure. After death, the monkey's rage lingered, festering in its remains. Now, the bones thirst for mischief and revenge, especially on those who try to rest or ignore it.
Cursed Nature
Once attuned (attunement is automatic after carrying the bag for a day), the bag cannot be discarded or parted with by nonmagical means. Attempts to get rid of it will fail—anyone who throws it away will find it back in their pack come dawn, slightly warmer to the touch.
The monkey's spirit animates its bones under certain conditions:
Malevolent Animation
- During Long Rests: The monkey animates silently and causes disturbances during the night. It may:
- Steal one small item (DM’s choice) and hide it nearby.
- Rearrange camp or deface personal belongings with chalky bone scratches.
- Whisper in the ear of a resting creature, causing vague nightmares. The affected creature must succeed a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or gain no benefit from the long rest due to unsettled dreams and disturbing whispers.
- Occasionally (10% chance), the monkey fully assembles and dances around the campfire, clacking its jaw and playing invisible cymbals. When this occurs, the eerie racket invades the dreams of everyone within 30 feet. All creatures attempting a long rest in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or have their long rest disrupted, gaining none of the benefits (no hit point restoration, spell slots, or reduced exhaustion). Even on a success, the rest is uneasy and filled with fleeting visions of tiny skeletal hands grasping at their throats.
- During Daytime: The monkey's bones remain inert unless:
- A creature speaks ill of monkeys, organ grinders, or traveling performers.
- A performance check is failed in the monkey’s presence.
- A music box, organ, or similar instrument is played nearby.
If triggered, the monkey’s bones animate as a Skeletal Monkey (use Mastiff stats with no bite but a Claw attack instead) and become hostile to the nearest creature, hissing and gibbering all the while.
Curse Effects
- The bearer has disadvantage on Charisma checks made to interact with animals.
- Once per week, the monkey's spirit may take full possession of its bearer for 1d4 hours, causing them to become twitchy, mimic sounds, and fixate on shiny objects or coins.
- A Remove Curse spell will suppress the monkey’s antics for 7 days but not destroy the curse.
Comments