Evil Bronze Relic — Possession Curse
Evil Bronze Relic — Possession Curse
Original Basic D&D — B2
Four ancient bronze vessels on the altar carry a demonic influence that can turn their possessors into servants of chaos.
Location: The chapel altar in area 55: shallow bowl, two goblets and ewer.
Trigger: A character picks up one of the relics.
Checks, rolls and results
| When | Roll / condition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Each character picking up one of the vessels | Original save versus Magic, with −2 | Success gives a feeling of great evil and permits putting it down. Failure begins demonic influence. |
| Failed initial save | Within 6 days; no timing roll | The character becomes a servant of chaos and evil, returns the relic and remains as a guard. |
| Attempt to destroy a relic | Automatic alarm; fixed response of 3 rounds | The great bell sounds and shrine residents come running. |
| Day 1, after dispel magic followed by bless | 1d100; 1–60 succeeds (60%) | Remove the evil influence on success. |
| Day 2, after dispel magic followed by bless | 1d100; 1–50 succeeds (50%) | Remove the evil influence on success. |
| Day 3, after dispel magic followed by bless | 1d100; 1–40 succeeds (40%) | Remove the evil influence on success. |
| Day 4, after dispel magic followed by bless | 1d100; 1–30 succeeds (30%) | Remove the evil influence on success. |
| Day 5, after dispel magic followed by bless | 1d100; 1–20 succeeds (20%) | Remove the evil influence on success. |
| Day 6, after dispel magic followed by bless | 1d100; 1–10 succeeds (10%) | Remove the evil influence on success. |
Running the trap
- Possessors will not sell, surrender or allow others to handle the relics.
- Detect evil makes the items glow ugly purple and causes good characters to feel loathing.
- The removal check requires dispel magic and then bless, in that order.
- The source gives no later remedy after the listed six-day window.
Not specified in the source
- The success number for the initial class-based saving throw is not supplied.
Source passage
Upon it are 4 ancient bronze vessels - a shallow bowl, a pair of goblets, and a ewer, a vase-shaped pitcher. They are also bloodstained but obviously worth a great deal of money. (The value is 1,000 g.p. for each cup, and 2,000 g.p. for each of the other items, but these are relics of evil, and any character possessing them will not part with them or sell them nor allow others to handle them.) For each character who picks up one of these objects, the DM should have the character roll a saving throw vs. Magic at -2. Any who save successfully will get a “feeling of great evil” about the object, and he or she may voluntarily put it down. If the save fails, the character will rapidly fall under the influence of a demonic spell and within 6 days become a servant of chaos and evil, returning to this chapel to replace the relics, and then staying as a guard forever after. If someone attempts to destroy these relics the great bell (see 58., below) will sound and the Shrine’s residents will come running in 3 rounds. If a detect evil spell is cast upon these items, they will glow an ugly purple, and all good characters will feel instant loathing for them. If the character who has taken them has a dispel magic and then a bless spell cast upon him or her, there is a 60% chance of removing the evil on the first day, 50% on the 2nd, 40% on the 3rd, 30% on the 4th. 20% on the 5th, and 10% on the 6th. Otherwise, nothing will be able to save the character!)
Source: 55 — Chapel of Evil Chaos. Original narrative retained. Low-face d6/d100 results in this table are a notation for the stated chances, not new detection or save rules.