Cursed Nightcap (5e Equipment)

Cursed Nightcap

Wondrous item, varies (requires attunement by a creature that can sleep) These nightcaps are made out of soft, blue fabric with small silver crescent moon designs adorning their surface. A band of gold cloth encircles the brim, which usually hosts a small gem that has a varying coloration based on the curse affecting the nightcap. Each of these nightcaps can be attuned to by wearing them as part of a 1 hour ritual before going to sleep. The nightcap automatically attunes to a creature if that creature is wearing it and unconscious. Attunement ends when the cap is removed. You cannot be attuned to more than one nightcap at a time. If a creature attempts to place a nightcap upon a sleeping creature that has not been put to sleep unnaturally, they must succeed a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against the target's passive Perception. If the creature fails the check, the target wakes up.

Nightcap of Restlessness

Common

This nightcap is fitted with a glass gem of pink coloration.

While wearing this nightcap, a sleeping creature's rest is disturbed with unpleasant dreams and nightmares, causing them to writhe and shift uncomfortably. When the creature sleeps during a long rest, roll a d8. The number rolled is the maximum amount of hours of sleep that creature could get during their long rest. If that number is below a 6, the creature awakes gasping from a particularly bad nightmare and loses the benefits of their long rest.

If the nightcap is targeted by a remove curse spell, it becomes a normal, non-magical nightcap. The glass gem can be pried off of the nightcap and is worth 15 gp.

Nightcap of Eternal Slumber

Uncommon

This nightcap is fitted with a gem of pinkish-red coloration.

After attuning to the nightcap, a creature becomes unconscious if they are not so already, and cannot be woken up by any means. Their aging becomes greatly slowed, and they no longer require food or drink.

Another creature can use its action to remove the nightcap from the creature wearing it, ending its effect. Alternatively, if remove curse is cast on either the creature or the nightcap, the nightcap's effect is temporarily suppressed for 1 minute, allowing the creature to wake up as normal.

If the nightcap is targeted by a remove curse spell of 5th level or higher, it becomes a normal, non-magical nightcap. The gem can be pried from the nightcap, and is worth 50 gp.

Nightcap of Eternal Restless Slumber

Rare

This nightcap is fitted with a gem of deep red coloration.

After attuning to the nightcap, a creature becomes unconscious if they are not so already, and cannot be woken up by any means. Their aging becomes greatly slowed, and they no longer require food or drink.

While wearing this nightcap, the sleeping creature is subjected to constant horrible dreams and nightmares from which they cannot wake from. Shall they ever wake up, they gain no benefit from the long rest they took. Instead, they suffer adverse effects based on how long they were asleep.

Duration	Effect
24 hours or more	The creature wakes up with a level of exhaustion.
1 week or more	In addition to the previous effects, roll once on the short-term madness tableDMG p259. The creature is afflicted with that madness for 1d10 minutes.
1 month or more	In addition to the previous effects, roll once on the long-term madness tableDMG p259. The creature is afflicted with that madness for 1d10 x 10 days.
1 year or more	In addition to the previous effects, roll once on the indefinite madness tableDMG p259. The creature is afflicted with that madness, which lasts until cured by an effect such as greater restoration.

Another creature can use its action to remove the nightcap from the creature wearing it, ending its effect. Alternatively, if remove curse of 5th level or higher is cast on either the creature or the nightcap, the nightcap's effect is temporarily suppressed for 1 minute, allowing the creature to wake up as normal.

If the nightcap is targeted by a remove curse spell of 7th level of higher, it becomes an ordinary, non-magical nightcap. The gem can be pried from the nightcap, and is worth 500 gp.

Nightcap of Unending Nightmares

Very rare

This nightcap is fitted with a gem of violet coloration.

Its effects are identical to the Nightcap of Eternal Restless Slumber, with the additional property of being irremovable from the creature while attuned. A remove curse of 7th level or higher can suppress this property for 1 minute in addition to allowing the creature to wake up.

If a 9th level remove curse is cast on this nightcap, it becomes an ordinary, non-magical nightcap. The gem can be pried from its brim, and is worth 1500 gp.

See Also

• Nightcap of Restfulness, an item that might get confused with one of these.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Equipment → Wondrous Items