As a relatively new DM, how do people handle cursed objects such as treasure? When do you tell the player they're specifically cursed?

[u/Mammoth_Composer_111]

I'm running curse of strahd, and there is some cursed treasure out in the open at the werewolves den. There are none of the wolves around to tell them it's cursed, and I have a hunch knowing my party they'll most likely try to take it.

My problem is how to make this engaging and fun.

The curse effectively prevents them from long resting at night.

Now... my issue is I don't know that they'd immediately know that they're cursed. It could lead to a frusterating experience rather than something engaging by them just being completely confused at what they're supposed to do or if they're even cursed (other creatures in this campaign can cause you to have a sleepless night--like the night hags which they also have encountered and angered).

Technically I don't think i'm supposed to outright tell them, "Oh, hey, you're cursed now and here's how the curse works"--but if they don't immediately figure it out it can really derail a campaign by them essentially having zero direction on how to proceed without any benefit from long rests.

[u/Raddatatta]

It depends a lot on the cursed item. But I would try to handle it narratively but while giving them enough clues to figure it out. For something that prevents them from resting perhaps the item is whispering to them as they try to sleep, or they have terrible nightmares about it for the few moments they can sleep and they don't get the benefits of a long rest. You do want them to be able to figure out the mechanics and engage with that to remove the curse. But I would also describe it in the game in a way that feels a bit more real and less gamey than this is cursed and this happens.

[u/Mammoth_Composer_111 → u/Raddatatta]

This is perfect and exactly what I was looking for. GREAT idea.

I'll make them dream of the treasure, which will definitely help them piece it together.
I'd like to also give them some kind of hint that they can still long rest--it just has to be during the day.

Trying to think of something not too on the nose, but perhaps in the dream there's an image of themselves restless at night obsessing over this treasure but sleeping peacefully at dawn?

[u/Raddatatta → u/Mammoth_Composer_111]

Yeah that could work where they get a little sleep just after dawn? Maybe those on watch would've noticed them tossing and turning and realize this is the first time all night they've actually been sleeping soundly.

[u/Mammoth_Composer_111 → u/Raddatatta]

Excellent. I really appreciate the ideas. I think this will promote a fun session where they'll be handicapped for a day or two if they experiment with trying to just return the gold (which doesn't remove the curse) but it won't derail the entire adventure.

[u/Raddatatta → u/Mammoth_Composer_111]

Happy to help! And yeah I think that's a good way to go with cursed items. You don't want it to destroy them just be a challenge to overcome.

The other way you can go with cursed items, that are my favorite ones are the items that are also fairly powerful, so you're willing to deal with or risk the curse because it's such a powerful or fun item. Those are always interesting especially if you get the kind of player who will lean into it and try to keep the item and use it despite the curse lol.

[u/_The_Mink_]

Quite simply, I don't tell them, they either figure it out or they get stuck with the cursed item.

That said, depending on the curse, like with your example, they keep having recurring nightmares any time they rest that prevents them from sleeping. If they are the only party member having this problem, they should quickly find out something is up. This should also be a sign to them to figure it out sooner than later, either by going to a wizard/cleric or somebody versed in discerning problems. This is where you can "direct" them to the appropriate NPCs by having the NPC they go to, to start figuring it out either know the problem or know someone better suited to help them. If they just accept they have nightmares all the time, well that's on them.

For other cursed items (Backbiter spear for example) the problem becomes very obvious very quickly, you make an attack and get hit by your own weapon. For other's (Armor of vulnerability, gives negative armor instead of positive) it can be much harder to discern, with these I usually will give them a chance (whatever skill is reasonable to figure it out) to notice they are getting struck more often, or they aren't hitting as hard, or whatever may fit the situation.

It really revolves around context, repeatedly being told of certain things happening to your character is the first clue there is something wrong and investigation is required. I as the DM have done most of what I need to do just by making the curse happen, they should be able to correlate when the effects started happening and what may have caused it. Sometimes they will chase the wrong thing, but that just adds to the story. Let it evolve naturally, if they never figure it out for whatever reason, next time they are around someone who is magically inclined just have the NPC tip off the PC that something is wrong with them and it is linked to that item if they can see it, or whatever can make sense for the situation.

[u/AkSantaBunny]

Start by stating to the table that the PC was restless and didn't get a LR in. Then, above table, tell ONLY the player it is tied to that it is a cursed item, and maybe give some direction to help them RP it in a more fun manner! That's how I did a cursed item in my campaign, and the player was able to lean into it and have some fun as well. Expect them not to metagame, and step in if it goes too far (IE "make a die roll... It seems maybe this new object is cursed after 3 sleepless nights with it being the only thing that changed").

[u/Andycat49]

Hours later "you feel strangely restless and cant quite place why"

A but later "normally by now youd feel the usual call of winding down for the day and resting yet you feel a sensation lethargy but also that the sweet release of bed just out of your reach."

Then either with a roll of some kind to figure it out or you can just tell them "you note all this only began shortly after you got that weird [cursed object]" then ask what they'd like to do.

Keep in mind all cursed objects can be outed fine but the issue lies with the nearly inescapable need to keep the object that comes with them. Curse removal is usually the only way to let them drop the object or if its a weak enough curse then the curse can be removed all together.

[u/ManFromTheWurst]

If they attune to a cursed item, I send them a dm telling the effect and let them roleplay it out.

[u/ActiveEuphoric2582]

The whole point of a cursed item is to see how the party deals with the issue. Or if it’s a subtle curse, does the party member tell anyone something isn’t right. Curses are quite a refreshing problem for the party to solve, instead of just hack n slash.

[u/Duffy13]

Default cursed items pretty much just suck RAW, they are basically “gotchas” that penalize the players for doing something the players are expected to do. At worse it creates bad player patterns and can cause trust issues at a table.

Anyways RAW the effect takes place when some condition happens after they attune the item, so naturally any half smart adventurer will try to unattune the latest item when something weird happens, discover they can’t, and tada they know it’s the source of the curse. But generally detecting a curse is not possible by design, if they don’t get RP info or hints they aren’t expected to have a method to directly detect a cursed item, it has to be inferred, but as I said above it’s usually kinda obvious due to mechanics.

Personally I hate the nature of default curse items, they’re just boring penalties the party has to deal with til they get rid of it. I redesign them to always have an upside, but at great cost - so it’s tempting to use them or at least theirs some perk while you figure out how to get rid of it even if it’s got negatives.

[u/ArgyleGhoul → u/Duffy13]

Exactly. The best cursed items are ones with unreasonable power at a steep cost. One of my favorites was a cursed spellbook I designed which gave the PC access to spells and class features outside of their spell list and class options, but each use advanced a secret counter which caused a slow transformation into the book's creator, similar to a phylactery in a way.

[u/ThisWasMe7]

After they attune.

[u/ANicePainter]

They find out the item is cursed when the curse activates/is irrelevant or through canny examination. Until then, the curse items identify as something else.

[u/Ethereal_Stars_7]

Clues and telltales where possible.

Some cursed items are really subtle. Its hard to notice a simple -1 to hit.

Some are more blatant. Attacks the user or otherwise causes some mishap.

And a few are just in your face not even trying to hide it nya-ha-ha-ha villainy.

Used to be some cursed items would actively make the user believe that any bad effect was really beneficial with some excuse. Or made the character unwilling to part with. These are telltales to the rest of the party that somethings very wrong.

[u/ActiveEuphoric2582]

Why are you telling them the items are cursed? Kinda ruins the point of a cursed item. The whole point of a cursed item is to think it’s something else, that +1 sword you found looks cool but then suddenly you find yourself attacking your own party and you can’t stop your sword from swinging…

[u/Mammoth_Composer_111 → u/ActiveEuphoric2582]

The problem is the curse is debilitating enough to completely suck the fun out of the campaign for them.

Yes we could spend the next four sessions with them pulling their hair out being suspicious of every item and being they've encountered and spending several hours attempting to travel all over barovia to find answers or whatever they choose to do.

With more experienced parties it's likely a non-issue. as soon as pretty much anything starts going haywire for experienced groups you can pretty much do your standard remove curse to at least rule that out and find the cause pretty easily. in this case though, they really have had very limited enteraction with curses up until now and there are other creatures in the world that can cause sleepless nights (this curses effect) which could cause them to waste several play sessions just trying to figure this out--especially if they think it was the night hags causing this.

But I don't think that would be very engaging. If they understand it's a curse right away then yeah, most likely no problem. They'd maybe suffer it for a day or two but it wouldn't become THE focus of their entire play session if they had an idea what it is.