Cursed Magic Items - The Amulet of Insomnia
Added 2020-03-18 22:38:34 +0000 UTCI know I’m not as good as Stephen about posting when I should, and I apologize for that. It’s part family responsibilities (I have two kids, Stephen abhors children), part lack of creativity, especially when compared to my counterpart. I thought I’d get more done being housebound, but it turns out it’s harder than I thought with the rest of my family also stuck at home. I normally work from home and am a stay at home dad, so I want to know why all these people are in my ‘office’ when they don’t work here!
Anywho, the next on my list of cursed magic items is the Amulet of Insomnia. It’s a reskinning of a cursed magic items of the same name from the AD&D/2nd edition days. As I’ve stated previously, I love cursed magic items. That does not mean I am looking to screw over players and give them an item that will kill them outright...well, most of the time. I don’t like how in 5e you roll on a chart for good and bad traits that an item might have, as it limits one’s creativity. Some magic items should make the player decide whether the benefits out way the negatives. Others should challenge the player to figure out a solution before the item causes irreparable harm.
For example, I currently have a Shield of Missile Attraction in Stephen’s campaign. I needed a shield, but why wouldn’t I just buy one in the next town instead of using an attunement slot for a cursed item? Since I am the tank for our party, the shield makes a whole lot of sense. I am playing a Goliath Paladin (Oath of Conquest if you must know) with a Protection fighting style, so I feel having the shield is exactly what my character should use. Our weaker characters tend to be close to me if I’m not on the front lines since I can grant them a bonus to their saving throws and impose disadvantage to attacks against them as a reaction. So why not go all the way and take the hit from all those annoying arrows headed their way? I have enough HP and with an AC of 22 with my normal buffs, those puny little arrows miss me most of the time anyway!
The Amulet of Insomnia most likely isn’t an item you’ll keep, or at least won’t after 6 days. This is when the negative effects kick in and let me tell you some of them are no joke. If you’ve ever had problems sleeping, or even worse had insomnia, you know that after multiple days of no sleep things start to get weird. I was one of the unlucky few who had insomnia and my mid-twenties were rough. After a few days with no sleep, you do being to see things. The Amulet of Insomnia is a great chance to have some fun roleplaying, depending on how long the player wants to keep wearing it. Of course, It’s hard to roleplay when your character is dead, so be smart about how long you keep it!
I hope you enjoy this, and as always, I greatly appreciate any feedback on the item. Your comments and suggestions are the best way for me to make this and future creations better.