Quirks, Flaws, and Imperfections in Magic Items

This document exists because I firmly believe that magic item usage in D&D should be a meaningful decision for players, not an automatic one.  As such, adding costs in the form of quirks, flaws, and imperfections to items make players truly think about the merits of using an item at any given time.  Either as part of a custom item or merely attached to something from a published source, these twenty options provide the DM with an imperfect method of balancing otherwise potent magic items.

Remove Curse spells do not remove these traits, and they have no affect on attunement, because these traits are not curses – they do not bind the cursed item to the user, they merely affect the user when the item is used.  Successfully unbinding one of these traits typically destroys the item in the process.

Some of these suggestions work better with certain types of items than with others.  Mixing and matching these effects can also make for some entertaining items.  Durations of these effects vary between long rests and entire sessions.  This is to prevent people gaming the system and the whole exercise being a waste of time.

Erol Otus, from Moldvay Basic, 1981

 

1.  Exhaustion. Each use of this item leaves the user with a level of exhaustion. 
2. Footprints. For the next several hours, the user’s footprints glow, sear, form chalk outlines, steam, or otherwise make it readily apparent which way the user went.  These footprints remain for the rest of the session.
3. Glows. Using this item places a Faerie Fire upon the user.  This particular version lasts until the next session.  The color of the glow may be dictated by wielder’s alignment, by random, or may be a specific color each time. 
4. Volume.  Using this item either makes the wielder mute until after the next long rest or forces them to shout everything until after the next long rest.  Roleplayers rejoice!
5. Synesthesia.  Activating this item affects the user’s voice, and their words come out and appear above them in glowing letters.  These words are visible to anyone with eyes, and of course, the words can still be heard.  Shouted words are LARGE AND IN ALL CAPS, while whispered words are far smaller.  All of the words glow bright enough to see by.
6. Addictive.  Using the item forces a Wisdom save DC 12 or immediately use it again, even if not a tactically sound move.  That time forces a DC 14 save.  The next time a DC 16.  Etc.  If a wielder successfully saves, the next time used starts at the DC left off on.  This is how stories of berserkers begin…
7. Senseless. Using the item renders the user temporarily blind or deaf until after the next long rest.
8. Reduces stat. This item is powered by its wielder’s Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.  Activating the item reduces the appropriate stat by 2d4+1 (or a fixed amount, as you prefer) for the rest of the session.
9. Vulnerability. When carried, this item makes the carrier/user vulnerable to 1d6: 1 silver, 2 iron, 3 wood 4 fire 5 water 6 truth.  Alternatively, when activated, the user becomes vulnerable to that substance for the rest of the session. 
10. Spell immunity. The bearer/user is immune from all spells of specific levels (typical 0 and 1, or 2, or 3, etc).  All spells, enemy, ally, and self, fail to work on the PC.  Discarding the item helps, but the immunity takes a month to wear off.
11. Enrages.  All living and unliving things that encounter you are enraged and want to ruin you (physically or in reputation, if they cannot reasonably win a fight.  Even allies are affected, but their familiarity nets them a DC 14 save to not attack.  EDIT: It might just enrage beings of a certain race or species.
12. Draws fire.  The user mystically draws the attention and anger of all opposing combatants, so when in doubt, they attack the user and try to kill him/her dead.
13. Magic Surge.  When used, a blue sphere of light surges out from the user for 60’ in all directions. All spells cast in that 60’ radius automatically force a roll on a good Wild Magic table.  This affect wears off after a full night’s rest.
14. Lucid Dreaming.  Using this item guarantees strange dreams or visions during the next long rest; even creatures that typically don’t dream are affected by it.  Some of these dreams are oracular in nature, providing a hint or answer to a current problem.  Others are hellish nightmares, resulting in the long rest being disrupted. 
15. Unlucky.  This item is powered by fate.  Activating it makes the user roll at disadvantage the rest of the session.
16. Vampiric. This item is powered by allies’ spell slots, luck, or hit points.  Never the bearer/user, though.  Just their allies.  If there are no allies to drain, the item fails to function. 
17. Magic Draining.  This item is powered by other magic items or spell slots.  When used, the nearest item loses a charge or becomes useless if a single-use item.  If no items are available, the wielder loses their highest spell slot for a month.  Should the wielder not have an item or spell, the power is leeched from the nearest such item or caster.
18. Forgotten.  With each use of this item’s power, a necessary NPC utterly forgets the PC’s existence. Family, friends, and patrons – all are eligible.  In theory, a PC might forget the other PC, but that requires actual roleplayers and DM scheming.  One person forgets per use.  A PC utterly forgotten by all s/he knows dissipates into nothingness.
19. Haunted.  This item has one or more ghosts bound to it; exorcising them probably disenchants the item as well.  The ghost might be the creator, the first wielder, or one or more beings slain by it, if a weapon.  Go all American Werewolf in London and the ghosts only begin manifesting after the first being slain.  Of course, they all have their own agendas and offer all sorts of commentary. 
20. Elemental.  Activating this item creates a wave of elemental energy that deals damage to all in a 60’ radius, to all but the wielder.  The element type may be random or may be static due to nature of item.