D&D: Five Cursed Magic Items That Aren’t *That* Cursed
You know, sometimes a curse is a matter of perspective. Sometimes a curse is a curse. These five cursed magic items walk a fine line.
If you’ve been on the internet, ever, you are sure to come across something cursed. And while cursed ojects/images/memes in the real world often just deal psychic damage, cursed things in D&D come with deleterious effects beyond that.
But not all of them are that bad, you know, if you think about it. And like really. How cursed is cursed anyway? These five cursed magic items are out there, living on the edge. Are they really all downside? Sometimes a curse can be exactly what you need.
Demon Armor
This cursed magical armor is more powerful than just a regular suit of +1 armor. For one, it’s stylized and cool. For two, it comes with clawed gauntlets that deal 1d8 slashing damage, and gives you +1 to both unarmed attack and damage rolls. And you also get +1 to your AC and know Abyssal as a treat.
Sure, you are then unable to take off that armor. But, be honest, when was the last time you remembered to say your character took their armor off? When was the last time your character changed their clothes? Do they even own more than one set of clothing? Look at your inventory sheet and be honest.
Yeah. That’s what I thought. And it doesn’t matter that they have enough money to buy new clothes—if you haven’t actually bought them, and bothered putting them on your sheet, your character is still running around in the clothes they’ve been wearing since the start of their adventure.
Shield of Missile Attraction
The Shield of Missile Attraction is a long-time D&D cursed item. But, in its more modern incarnations, is it that much of a curse? Honestly, it can be a powerful boon to a party ready to use it right.
Here’s what it does: while wielding the shield, you have Resistance to all damage from ranged weapon attacks. But it’s cursed, so that whenever you’re within 10 feet of a creature targeted by a ranged weapon, that attack targets you instead.
Which sounds to me, like that’s a great way for a Fighter to soak up ranged weapon hits by just standing near their squishier friends when the archers come out. You don’t even need to spend your Reaction to interpose your shield—you just get to do it for free. And you have resistance to that incoming damage. Just be careful you don’t stand too close to whatever your own ranged weapon users are targeting. You don’t have to worry about spells.
Sword of Vengeance
The Sword of Vengeance is technically cursed. But, it’s more like a sword that’s been cursed to do exactly what you were going to do already anyway.
It is a +1 magic sword, but whenever you take damage, yu have to make a DC 15 Wisdom save or become “cursed” to attack the creature that triggered your curse, attacking until either it or you hit 0 hit points. But, if you’ve ever been in a D&D game, 8 times out of 10, that’s what you were going to do anyway.
Cursed Luckstone
The Cursed Luckstone is all about the principle of knowing when to push your luck—and how to be ready for the fallout. This stone provides good luck for one skill check, at the expense of bad luck for the next two skill checks you make after that.
Basically, while you have this stone, you can use its magic to give yourself advantage on one skill check—though once you use the stone’s magic, your next two skill checks after that are made at disadvantage. But, if you know that’s coming, you can be prepared, either to have someone give you the help action (or to make them on something trivial if your DM plays it cool like that—though if they do, watch out, this is certainly a set up), or take some other means of giving yourself advantage on a roll to cancel out the bad luck.
It’s only situationally useful—but again, when it comes up? Especially if you’re prepared to mitigate the disadvantage, you’ve got access to one more source of Advantage whenever you need it, help action or no.
Bag of Devouring
Finally we come to the Bag of Devouring, which is one of the most potent “technically cursed” magic items in the DMG. Sure, technically finding one of these is a bummer that might get your party (or more accurately just one of your characters) killed. But hey, assuming enough of you survive the initial encounter, now you’re aware of what you have – a golden opportunity.
Becauset he Bag of Devouring is merciless. If any part of a living creature, no matter how small or insignificant is placed inside, there’s a 50% chance that the bag will come to life and try to devour it. That creature has one chance to escape, needing to make a DC 15 Athletics Check (not a saving throw—so legendary resistance won’t help you here) or else they’ll be pulled into the bag.
And any creature that starts its turn inside the bag is devoured. Its body is destroyed. If that isn’t an effective (and horrific) way of killing your campaign’s arch-villain in, like, two rounds, I don’t know what is.
What are your favorite “cursed” magic items?
