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| Description |
Armor (plate), rare (requires attunement) While wearing this armor, you have resistance to one of the following damage types: bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. The GM chooses the type or determines it randomly. ***Curse.*** This armor is cursed, a fact that is revealed only when an identify spell is cast on the armor or you attune to it. Attuning to the armor curses you until you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic; removing the armor fails to end the curse. While cursed, you have vulnerability to two of the three damage types associated with the armor (not the one to which it grants resistance). |
|---|---|
| Source | Dungeon Master’s Guide 🛒 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Category | Armor |
| Full rules | open5e.com ↗ |
The Armor of Vulnerability is a perfect example of why player characters should be cautious with magical items. What appears at first glance to be powerful protection turns out to be an insidious trap that does more harm than good.
The Insidious Mechanics of the Curse
This cursed armor initially grants resistance to one of the three physical damage types: bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. The Dungeon Master determines randomly or at their discretion which type the armor protects against. This sounds tempting at first – after all, resistance means incoming damage is halved.
However, the curse only reveals itself after attunement or through the Identify spell. Once cursed, the wearer suffers vulnerability to the other two physical damage types. Vulnerability means double damage – a catastrophic disadvantage that far outweighs the small benefit.
Important Changes in the 2024 Version
The revised version brings a significant improvement: While the 2014 version was exclusively available as plate armor, the 2024 version can be any type of armor – whether light, medium, or heavy. This flexibility makes the item relevant to various character classes and increases the likelihood that player characters will fall for it.
The basic mechanics remain unchanged: One damage type is halved, two others are doubled. This makes the armor a disadvantage in most situations, since physical attacks rarely use only a single damage type.
Using It as a Dungeon Master
As a Dungeon Master, you can strategically use this armor to teach lessons about caution. It’s particularly effective in treasure vaults or as an apparent reward after a difficult battle. The players’ initial joy quickly turns to disillusionment once they discover the item’s true nature.
Consider balance when doing so: A single item shouldn’t ruin the entire campaign. Make sure the group has opportunities to break the curse – whether through a Remove Curse spell or an appropriate adventure. The Dungeon Master’s Guide 🛒 offers additional ideas for creative handling of cursed items.
The Armor of Vulnerability perfectly embodies the principle “nothing is free” in D&D. It teaches players that magical items are not always what they seem to be, and that attunement sometimes comes at a high price.
This article was created using AI, based on data from the 5e-database project (D&D 5e System Reference Document, licensed under CC BY 4.0).
