A semi-regular column: new magic items! Let’s see how long I can sustain the enthusiasm for this lol!

Dagger of No Return

Weapon (dagger), cursed (requires attunement)

With its wickedly sharp, obsidian-hued blade, the Dagger of No Return is a malevolent weapon carrying a terrible curse: not only does it compel the attuned wielder to attack those around them (or themself), once attuned, it becomes nearly impossible to part with.

The Dagger of No Return compels its attuned wielder to make a melee attack with it at the start of every combat encounter, targeting the nearest creature (friend or foe) or even the wielder themself, if no other targets are within reach. The wielder must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw to resist this compulsion. Failure results in an immediate attack. A successful hit on the targeted creature (or themself) automatically compels the wielder to attack the same creature again, continuing to attack until they miss, at which point the compulsion ends.

The dagger grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, with this bonus increasing by +1 each time it is used to make an attack as a result of the dagger’s compulsion, to a maximum of +3. If the wielder misses, the bonus resets to +1. Once the compulsion ends, the dagger can be wielded normally until the opportunity arises again with the next combat encounter (note: encounter, not target).

Using Identify on this item does not reveal the curse, only that it is a +1 magic dagger that has the ability to increase its bonus each time it hits.

Once attuned, the Dagger of No Return cannot be unattuned voluntarily. Attempting to do so requires a DC 30 Wisdom saving throw, and on a failure, the wielder is compelled to attack the nearest creature (friend or foe) as if starting a combat encounter. Unattuning can only be attempted once per month. Aside from this, only a Wish spell or similar magic can free the wielder from the curse.

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