This is an ongoing list of cursed magical items, weapons and armor which players will hopefully find intriguing, and be tempted to use, despite their downsides.

In some cases, these are magical creations gone awry. In others, they are intentional products of malign influence. And in some, well, “curse” is in the Eye of the Beholder™.

If you play in my games, HERE BE SPOILERS:

1. The Shadowband

A black iron ring that renders the wearer invisible, except for their shadow, and mute. The wearer cannot interact physically with objects or creatures, but also cannot pass through barriers. Can only be removed under the noonday sun.

2. The Serpent’s Ring

A platinum ring shaped like twin snakes. Enhances the wearer’s skill at deception, but carries a 3 in 6 chance of inducing self-deception. Removal requires that the wearer believe the ring to be mundane.

3. Bristle’s Bane

This gaudy ruby and gold ring is imbued with the spirit of a trickster god. It fills its wearer with a false sense of confidence, compelling them to engage in petty acts of mischief and games of chance. This continues until the wearer bets and loses the ring itself to an unwitting mark. When this happens, there is a 1 in 6 chance its final trick will be to not release from the wearer’s finger.

4. The Identity Loop

This ring, which is enchanted to appear traditionally feminine to men and masculine to women (DM discretion for any nonbinary PCs), changes the wearer’s gender for 3d12 days, after which it can be freely removed.