Alternative methods to removing cursed items? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternative methods to removing cursed items? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ZSpade
06-22-06, 04:02 PM I'm sure this has come up before, but I have always been fairly curious as to whether or not it is possible. Can you remove, say, a cursed ring by cutting off the finger on which it resides?

I'm actually asking this not as a DM or Player (though I have been both on many occasions), but as a reference for a graphic novel I will be producing. Any imput/references would be greatly appreciated.
Dalthbar
06-22-06, 04:12 PM I think largely comes down to how you define the curse itself.

I know some items if "thrown away" magically reappear on the cursed player's person shortly thereafter. If the curse allows you to remove the ring and "toss it" but it comes back, removing the finger likely won't help, as the ring would probably pop on any other finger available.

Now, that leads us to the next question - what if you cut off both your hands at the wrist? Suddenly the magical item has no viable body slots to reappear on - so would the user be removed of the curse?

I don't know - is the curse bound to the body slot or bound to the -PLAYER-... and if the latter, what's the true connection if the item isn't worn by the user due to the item not having a spot being worn?

I haven't read the FAQ for these sorts of things, but I would think these are the questions that need to be answered and if you're writing your own novel, you can answer these for yourself and write a plot around them.
MingThing
06-22-06, 04:17 PM i played a dwarf in one of my first games. we had been trying to solve a murder crime for many nights of gaming, where the wictims was torn asunder by a beast (werewolf we knew.) we had resived a cut of finger with a ring on it. im my dwarfish frustration, i put the ring on my little finger (i specified the little finger, as i knew what was coming) and guess what, it was stuck curse like.

the following night, we had found the room of the suspected humanoid, and the half orc barbarian slept in his bed, while i slept under it, in a smart attempt to suprice the would be werewolf.

in the middle of the night, the barbarien was woken by screeming and gnashing of bones popping and warping. he, thinking the bed was collapsing on me, jumped out, and pulled away the bed. then he saw me in the middle of transformation.

he grabbed my axe, held my hand and chop choppedy chop, i was from then on known as the 9 fingered dwarf.
tarkin
06-22-06, 05:01 PM There are basically only a few kinds of cursed items:

1) Items that have a penalty when used, but are still usefull.

2) Items that make you think they do something different than from what they really do.

3) Items that you can not remove (either because they stick to your or teleport back)

4) Items that make you want them so you personally don't want to remove them.

Cutting off a ring finger works for Class 3 curses only, and only if they stick to you.

Being unable to qualify for the curse can also work. For example, only certain types can become weres. If you change your type to something else, then you can't be a were.
shruggar
06-22-06, 05:45 PM I was in a game where I had been cursed by a gem which I couldnt get rid of (it returned if I threw it away or gave it away). Eventually I was plane shifted. The game ended there, but I have wondered if the gem would have stayed with me if I had dropped it just before being plane shifted. This might have implications regarding portable holes and bags of holding, so for simplicity's sake maybe a plane shift doesnt matter.. but it's worth a shot.

Cutting off a finger seems like the standard way to get rid of a cursed ring. If your Cleric can cast Restoration (or was it Regeneration?) it's not even that big a deal. But then the nastier ones probably avoid that. My current DM is a little too fond of compulsions, and I know if I tried that he'd just have me put the ring on another finger, until I was all out of similarly shaped extremeties.
Frodo, though he could resist putting on the One Ring, was still pretty much under its power while wearing it on a chain. Of course, that one had a habit of falling off on its own.
ZSpade
06-22-06, 06:00 PM Ok, this is all pretty good so-far, and thanks for your replies. What I'm trying to do here is really just avoid any incongruencies with official D&D materials. I've never really seen any official examples of this myself, so I just wanted to cross-reference with anyone else to see if they had.

The curse
The ring simply won't budge, even by a remove curse spell (it would take a wish, and my characters are way too low level for that). I suppose since this is pretty much a unique item in the first place I can take some liberties with it.

Thanks all.
shruggar
06-22-06, 07:57 PM Every curse can have an upside. Might make his finger completely inseperable from his body, or the finger and ring all regenerate together if the finger is cut off.
My favorite is still when I sold that green gem, walked away, had it return to me... :D

(*then got arrested by the town card for using magic, but it could have worked..)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ZSpade 06-22-06, 04:02 PM	I'm sure this has come up before, but I have always been fairly curious as to whether or not it is possible. Can you remove, say, a cursed ring by cutting off the finger on which it resides? I'm actually asking this not as a DM or Player (though I have been both on many occasions), but as a reference for a graphic novel I will be producing. Any imput/references would be greatly appreciated.
Dalthbar 06-22-06, 04:12 PM	I think largely comes down to how you define the curse itself. I know some items if "thrown away" magically reappear on the cursed player's person shortly thereafter. If the curse allows you to remove the ring and "toss it" but it comes back, removing the finger likely won't help, as the ring would probably pop on any other finger available. Now, that leads us to the next question - what if you cut off both your hands at the wrist? Suddenly the magical item has no viable body slots to reappear on - so would the user be removed of the curse? I don't know - is the curse bound to the body slot or bound to the -PLAYER-... and if the latter, what's the true connection if the item isn't worn by the user due to the item not having a spot being worn? I haven't read the FAQ for these sorts of things, but I would think these are the questions that need to be answered and if you're writing your own novel, you can answer these for yourself and write a plot around them.
MingThing 06-22-06, 04:17 PM	i played a dwarf in one of my first games. we had been trying to solve a murder crime for many nights of gaming, where the wictims was torn asunder by a beast (werewolf we knew.) we had resived a cut of finger with a ring on it. im my dwarfish frustration, i put the ring on my little finger (i specified the little finger, as i knew what was coming) and guess what, it was stuck curse like. the following night, we had found the room of the suspected humanoid, and the half orc barbarian slept in his bed, while i slept under it, in a smart attempt to suprice the would be werewolf. in the middle of the night, the barbarien was woken by screeming and gnashing of bones popping and warping. he, thinking the bed was collapsing on me, jumped out, and pulled away the bed. then he saw me in the middle of transformation. he grabbed my axe, held my hand and chop choppedy chop, i was from then on known as the 9 fingered dwarf.
tarkin 06-22-06, 05:01 PM	There are basically only a few kinds of cursed items: 1) Items that have a penalty when used, but are still usefull. 2) Items that make you think they do something different than from what they really do. 3) Items that you can not remove (either because they stick to your or teleport back) 4) Items that make you want them so you personally don't want to remove them. Cutting off a ring finger works for Class 3 curses only, and only if they stick to you. Being unable to qualify for the curse can also work. For example, only certain types can become weres. If you change your type to something else, then you can't be a were.
shruggar 06-22-06, 05:45 PM	I was in a game where I had been cursed by a gem which I couldnt get rid of (it returned if I threw it away or gave it away). Eventually I was plane shifted. The game ended there, but I have wondered if the gem would have stayed with me if I had dropped it just before being plane shifted. This might have implications regarding portable holes and bags of holding, so for simplicity's sake maybe a plane shift doesnt matter.. but it's worth a shot. Cutting off a finger seems like the standard way to get rid of a cursed ring. If your Cleric can cast Restoration (or was it Regeneration?) it's not even that big a deal. But then the nastier ones probably avoid that. My current DM is a little too fond of compulsions, and I know if I tried that he'd just have me put the ring on another finger, until I was all out of similarly shaped extremeties. Frodo, though he could resist putting on the One Ring, was still pretty much under its power while wearing it on a chain. Of course, that one had a habit of falling off on its own.
ZSpade 06-22-06, 06:00 PM	Ok, this is all pretty good so-far, and thanks for your replies. What I'm trying to do here is really just avoid any incongruencies with official D&D materials. I've never really seen any official examples of this myself, so I just wanted to cross-reference with anyone else to see if they had. The curse The ring simply won't budge, even by a remove curse spell (it would take a wish, and my characters are way too low level for that). I suppose since this is pretty much a unique item in the first place I can take some liberties with it. Thanks all.
shruggar 06-22-06, 07:57 PM	Every curse can have an upside. Might make his finger completely inseperable from his body, or the finger and ring all regenerate together if the finger is cut off. My favorite is still when I sold that green gem, walked away, had it return to me... :D (*then got arrested by the town card for using magic, but it could have worked..)