Admit it - as a DM you like inflicting cursed items on the party, not enough to become boring, but enough to make the hesitant about trying something out. But sometimes it seems as though the players have the cursed items section of the DMG memorized, so how to make them suffer in new and interesting ways?
Mark Gedak addresses that problem in Athenaeum Arcane: Cursed Items, bringing several additional cursed items, mostly new, to the gaming table.
The book’s 15 pages are divided into four sections - the first being the cursed items themselves, the second a minuscule bestiary with a minuscule construct, the third consisting of spells and psionic abilities useful for bestowing curses, or avoiding their effect, and finally a pair of templates to apply to creatures that a character has been cursed with. This covering of multiple subjects is my only real fault with the product, it could better have been named Cursed! As not all the curses are on items. (Yes, I know that it is a quibble, but if you are hoping for 15 pages of cursed items it can be a minor annoyance.) That said the contents are all useful, even if the title is slightly misleading. The only illustration is the cover, which is a shame, as several of the items would have been the basis for good pictures.
Section 1 - Cursed Items
The cursed items themselves are well described, handled as legendary items in their own rights, with the bardic knowledge roll needed to recognize the item, a brief history of how the item came to be crafted, and a description of the item, followed by the game effects and what detect magic will reveal . All are listed in alphabetical order, so finding an appropriately challenging item can require a bit of digging on the DM’s part, a list of the items by something akin to a challenge rating would have been helpful.
The curses run from the merely annoying (Elixir of Freedom, a potion pf Cure Light Wounds that acts as an immediate laxative and emetic, and Steelmind Matrix, a Psi crystal that loses its charges, unless they are just right) to the potentially deadly (Druid’s Vengeance, a spear that causes hostility in animals, and enrages animals that it strikes, and the Harp of Heroes, a musical instrument that conjures up the combatants of any songs sung to it’s accompaniment ), the truly lethal (Beautiful Loneliness, a cold iron hand axe that inflicts guilt on anyone who uses it against the fey, and kills his companions), to a slow but certain doom. (Keeper’s Toolbelt, which slowly turns the user into a construct that will go to serve the creator once the curse is complete.)
The majority of these items are very powerful, with some bordering on being minor artifacts. As a result the only ones that I have used in game so far have been the Elixir of Freedom and the Bracelet of Weakness (a bracelet that detects disease, while lowering the users resistance to diseases... which I have inflicted on an NPC as part of a now finished plot for my game). Several would others would also work well as major plot points in their own rights. At least one is reward as well as punishment - the Harp of Heroes , after the quest the heroes deserve a happy ending, right? If I were running a slightly more light hearted campaign this would have been the first one I grabbed for use, as it is I will hold it till I am running a game that is a proper fit.
Section 2 - The Bestiary:
An entry for the construct that the user of Keeper’s Toolbelt is slowly transformed into. The item, these creatures, and their purpose could fuel a minor campaign if used correctly, given the game I am currently running these will see use later rather than sooner, but they will see use.
Section 3 - Psionic Powers and Spells:
Ranging from a psionic version of Bestow Curse, to Detect Disease, to minor curses (Vacate Bowels - the spell used to create the Elixir of Freedom). In all 5 spells or powers are described.
Section 4 - The Templates:
The first is the Questing Beast, those creatures summoned by the Harp of Heroes are beyond the normal ken of beasts, tougher, more lethal, and granted magical abilities. The second is the Reverberant, incorporeal revenants bound to seek vengeance against the one who wronged them and abusers of psionic powers.
The entire contents is Open Game, and in turn the book borrows from others Open Game Content, duly credited in the text as well as in the license. This has resulted in me adding several other books to my wish list.
Over all I would give this product either a 4 or a 5 out of 5 stars, depending more on my needs at the moment than the contents. A few illustrations, and a slightly more descriptive title would have pushed it to a clean 5 for my campaign.
Review Summary