I confess up-front, this isn't a Ravenloft campaign, but the area the PCs are in right now might as well be.
Here's the story so far: one of the PCs' friends was just sacrificed in a nasty ritual meant to reawaken a god-like shadow dragon from its deep torpor. The ritual was designed to convert the blood sacrificed into the blood of the dragon. One of the PCs noticed the blade used in the ritual was magical and took it. So he's now carrying around a blade bathed in the blood of a dark god.
Obviously, this sword is a little different from standard magical items now, and I'm not letting the PCs get away with using a sword that killed their friend in an evil ritual. I'm having trouble coming up with some nasty side effects for the weapon. The friend managed to be resurrected, so he can't haunt the sword. I've decided I don't want the sword to slowly change the PC into a monster or possess the PC; I want the effects to be more subtle. Does anyone have any ideas of the price that should be payed for using such a sword?
Looking for a good weapon curse...
Looking for a good weapon curse...
"No, but evil is still being — Is having reason — Being reasonable! Mousie understands? Is always being reason. Is punishing world for not being... Like in head. Is always reason. World should be different, is reason."
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ScS of the Fraternity
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God like shadow dragon blood, eh?
One idea is that the sword keeps doing what it was meant to do, albiet ina different fashion. Anything killed by the sword has their blood replaced with the stuff of shadows. Since their corpses are infuses with this evil, mystical essance of the dragon, they animate after a short time. These shadow-zombies are drawn towards the blade and seek to possess it.
In short, anyone he kills with the sword has to be killed again. Except now they're undead and have mysterious powers.
One idea is that the sword keeps doing what it was meant to do, albiet ina different fashion. Anything killed by the sword has their blood replaced with the stuff of shadows. Since their corpses are infuses with this evil, mystical essance of the dragon, they animate after a short time. These shadow-zombies are drawn towards the blade and seek to possess it.
In short, anyone he kills with the sword has to be killed again. Except now they're undead and have mysterious powers.
Evil Reigns!!!!
I second the whole "whoever is killed by this blade comes back, but with dragon powers" schtick, too. You can keep track of however many kills this character makes, then have an army of them show up all at once at sometime in the future at the most inopportune time. (Or, to increase their numbers, maybe whoever the original victims kill after they come back also become infected and so and so forth.) This way, your character has no idea the evil he is creating.
Another fun way for them to find out is to return to an area they had an adventure in and find it in ruins, or discover the townsfolk have started up the very same type of dragon cult the party encounter before. Your character could inadvertantly be spreading this cult's influence even further!
Another subtle technique would to have a shadowy group of influential people start to come after the party, trying to steal the blade from them for their own nefarious goals. Except, the party doesn't really know that's what they are after. They just find there's random people out to kill them or trying to make their lives hell. Then you could have the curse be that these evil beings can track the knife wherever it goes. And when it's finally revealed what they're after, the party should be very upset with the character!
Another fun way for them to find out is to return to an area they had an adventure in and find it in ruins, or discover the townsfolk have started up the very same type of dragon cult the party encounter before. Your character could inadvertantly be spreading this cult's influence even further!
Another subtle technique would to have a shadowy group of influential people start to come after the party, trying to steal the blade from them for their own nefarious goals. Except, the party doesn't really know that's what they are after. They just find there's random people out to kill them or trying to make their lives hell. Then you could have the curse be that these evil beings can track the knife wherever it goes. And when it's finally revealed what they're after, the party should be very upset with the character!
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Lord Cyclohexane
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I agree with ScS's idea, as I'd had a similar one. I'd thought of the 2nd Ed item from Complete Book of Necromancers, the shadowblade which, on a natural 20, drains 1d4 points of Str from the victim. Anyone killed by the Strength damage comes back as a shadow under the blade wielder's control. Or it's something like that (I'd check, but I'm in the middle of moving).
Anyway, I'd say the same, that killing victims with this sword causes the victims to come back as shadows, only that they *aren't* under the control of the blade's wielder. I was going to suggest them being free-willed, but I like ScS's idea of having them be attracted by the blade.
Alternately, since this is the same blade that killed a NPC friend, you could rule that the blade is a bit thirsty for the blood of its wielder's friends. Every time that the wielder rolls a natural 1, instead of potentially breaking the blade, it instead seems to leap from the wielder's hand and strike one of his companions (PCs or positive NPCs). Roll to determine which of the companions it hits, but obviously only if they're in the weapon's range. Unless, of course, if the NPC who had died is within range of the wielder; that NPC is instantly hit on a natural 1 as the blade seeks to complete its purpose and thus picks that NPC over any others.
Another idea, every time the sword kills someone, it steals their shadowstuff (as Scs's idea). Every time the wielder rolls a nat 1, as the blade glances off of a rock or hits someone's armor wierdly, etc, a bit of the shadowstuff escapes, making a shadow (the monster, that is). It needn't attack right then, or even be noticed right then, but it'll eventually come to attack whenever you (the DM) decide.
Or those ideas might just prompt one of your own that works a bit better with your campaign.
Anyway, I'd say the same, that killing victims with this sword causes the victims to come back as shadows, only that they *aren't* under the control of the blade's wielder. I was going to suggest them being free-willed, but I like ScS's idea of having them be attracted by the blade.
Alternately, since this is the same blade that killed a NPC friend, you could rule that the blade is a bit thirsty for the blood of its wielder's friends. Every time that the wielder rolls a natural 1, instead of potentially breaking the blade, it instead seems to leap from the wielder's hand and strike one of his companions (PCs or positive NPCs). Roll to determine which of the companions it hits, but obviously only if they're in the weapon's range. Unless, of course, if the NPC who had died is within range of the wielder; that NPC is instantly hit on a natural 1 as the blade seeks to complete its purpose and thus picks that NPC over any others.
Another idea, every time the sword kills someone, it steals their shadowstuff (as Scs's idea). Every time the wielder rolls a nat 1, as the blade glances off of a rock or hits someone's armor wierdly, etc, a bit of the shadowstuff escapes, making a shadow (the monster, that is). It needn't attack right then, or even be noticed right then, but it'll eventually come to attack whenever you (the DM) decide.
Or those ideas might just prompt one of your own that works a bit better with your campaign.
My name is lost to me
I know not who I am
And I await the crimson fires
That'll wash this world away!
- Wolfbait, "In My Lonely Time Of Dying"
I know not who I am
And I await the crimson fires
That'll wash this world away!
- Wolfbait, "In My Lonely Time Of Dying"
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Jasper
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If you own VRG to Shadow fey I would make it that the sword slowly turns anyone who uses it into a changeling by feeding on that persons shadow.
The user gains imortality/agelessness of a changeling but also suffers the lack of emotion and spark becoming a puppet for the shadow dragon. The drain is slow and noticable (shadows grows dim/losses reflection etc: ) but can only be stoped by killing and draining the shadow of a sentient creature every day at twilight.
The user gains imortality/agelessness of a changeling but also suffers the lack of emotion and spark becoming a puppet for the shadow dragon. The drain is slow and noticable (shadows grows dim/losses reflection etc: ) but can only be stoped by killing and draining the shadow of a sentient creature every day at twilight.
"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish it's source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."
Anais Nin
Anais Nin
The sword inflicts a great damage against the victmin his bearer wants to kill (or against his most hatred foe). The exact nature of this damage is up to you to decide.
The sword is able to detect the weackness of his owner enemy and talk telapatically with his owner, about this weakness. Tha weapomn will direct his attacks to the weak (or vital parts) of his foe. For example, fighting against a lich it will detect the phylactery and will attack it. Or fightning against a creature of ice its blade will become hot.
In owther words, the sword will show all the powers needed to defeat the character his owner most hate.
Now, the curse:
After killing the enemy of its owner, the sword will not deal a single point of damage to any creature. The weapon will drive all his will and powers to kill someone that his owner loves (his wife, son, a friend...), and will not stop until a loved one of the character dies.
The weapon will even fight alone (as a dancer sowrd) if needed to kill, remaining in the character hands until someone he loves be closest enought to be killed.
The sword is able to detect the weackness of his owner enemy and talk telapatically with his owner, about this weakness. Tha weapomn will direct his attacks to the weak (or vital parts) of his foe. For example, fighting against a lich it will detect the phylactery and will attack it. Or fightning against a creature of ice its blade will become hot.
In owther words, the sword will show all the powers needed to defeat the character his owner most hate.
Now, the curse:
After killing the enemy of its owner, the sword will not deal a single point of damage to any creature. The weapon will drive all his will and powers to kill someone that his owner loves (his wife, son, a friend...), and will not stop until a loved one of the character dies.
The weapon will even fight alone (as a dancer sowrd) if needed to kill, remaining in the character hands until someone he loves be closest enought to be killed.
Possible ideas:
In the hands of anything other than a dragon or dragon kin, the blade could cause berserk rage, (perhaps on a natural attack roll of 20?) making its wielder slay everything in sight unless he makes a successful Will save.
Like a shadow dragon's breath weapon, the blade can bestow negative levels on victims. The wielder gains temporary 5 hit points for each time this happens. However, the sword eventually must claim some number of life levels for a given period of time. You could say that it has to do this every day, every week, or even every time it's drawn from its scabbard.
The sword can bestow special vision on its owner. This is similar to darkvision or a detect spell, in that the owner becomes aware of enemies even if they are concealed. The curse comes when the blade wishes to drink the blood of a good person - perhaps it commands the wielder to cut a friend and make them bleed. If the wielder refuses, the sword bestows vision that blocks out all enemies (rendering them invisible in the wielder's sight) and only allows him to see innocents and friends.
Like Harkon Lukas' blade, perhaps the blade is cursed so it always appears in the owner's hand when violence begins.
It also has the effect of enraging all dragons and dragon kin that see it wielded, as they will be aware of the blade's history and the fact that a mere mortal is toying with powers of the old draconic gods. The blade may even seek out a powerful dragon in the knowledge that it will likely kill its current owner and claim it for itself.
In the hands of anything other than a dragon or dragon kin, the blade could cause berserk rage, (perhaps on a natural attack roll of 20?) making its wielder slay everything in sight unless he makes a successful Will save.
Like a shadow dragon's breath weapon, the blade can bestow negative levels on victims. The wielder gains temporary 5 hit points for each time this happens. However, the sword eventually must claim some number of life levels for a given period of time. You could say that it has to do this every day, every week, or even every time it's drawn from its scabbard.
The sword can bestow special vision on its owner. This is similar to darkvision or a detect spell, in that the owner becomes aware of enemies even if they are concealed. The curse comes when the blade wishes to drink the blood of a good person - perhaps it commands the wielder to cut a friend and make them bleed. If the wielder refuses, the sword bestows vision that blocks out all enemies (rendering them invisible in the wielder's sight) and only allows him to see innocents and friends.
Like Harkon Lukas' blade, perhaps the blade is cursed so it always appears in the owner's hand when violence begins.
It also has the effect of enraging all dragons and dragon kin that see it wielded, as they will be aware of the blade's history and the fact that a mere mortal is toying with powers of the old draconic gods. The blade may even seek out a powerful dragon in the knowledge that it will likely kill its current owner and claim it for itself.