Values for Cursed & Nonstandard Items

If a character decides to create a cursed item, the DM should determine the cost and difficulty by comparing the cursed creation to useful items of similar power. A cursed sword –2, for example, is as difficult to make as a sword +2. If an attempt to create a cursed item fails, it is destroyed. If the attempt fails on a roll of 96–00, a curse of the DM’s choice falls on the creator—the character does not wind up with a useful item instead.

If a character attempts to create an item not found in any rule book, the DM should assign it an experience point value by comparing it to similar items that already exist. Like choosing materials and processes for items, this task requires imagination and common sense. If difficulties arise, stop to consider what spells are needed to make a scroll with the same powers. Table 24 gives the typical range of experience values for items. If the maximum value for the category seems too low for the proposed item, the item probably is too powerful. When in doubt, try to err on the high side; characters attempting to create items no one else has heard of are entering uncharted territory and are more likely to fail than characters who stick to standard items.

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