Buy me a coffee“Collar of Venom: The Serpent’s Bite Unleashed”
“A dark necklace of power, the Collar of Venom leaves ruin in the wake of its wearer.”
Collar of Venom – A heavy iron band etched with shifting serpent coils, the Collar of Venom grants its wearer terrifying power at a terrible cost. Said to be forged in cauldrons of poison or bound with the spirits of snakes, it infuses every strike with venom while slowly corroding the bearer’s mind and spirit. Feared in battle and shunned in peace, this very rare D&D 5e magic item embodies both temptation and curse.
Appearance
The Collar of Venom is a broad band of blackened iron, heavy on the throat and cold to the touch. It bears no jewels, only faint engravings in the shape of coiling serpents. By firelight, the lines seem to ripple as though alive, a trick of the eye that unsettles even the stout-hearted.
Origins
Its beginnings are lost to time. Some chronicles speak of desert ascetics who sought truth through the study of serpents and their venom, forging the collar as a vessel for that knowledge. Others whisper of a war-smith who quenched the iron in a cauldron of viper’s bile, binding the poison to the metal forever. Whatever the truth, the collar has never been a token of beauty or devotion, but always of fear and death.
Stories and Folklore
War songs recall a chieftain who rode into battle with the collar bare upon his neck, his foes falling as though stricken by invisible serpents. Though feared in war, he died alone, abandoned even by his kin who dared not embrace him. In another tale, a wandering priest condemned the collar as a mark of damnation, warning that those who wore it carried venom not only in their flesh but also in their spirit. In remote villages, old folk still point to cursed barrows said to hold collars buried with their wearers, the iron locked in the earth lest its poison seep back into the world.
Mysterious Qualities
Wearers of the collar speak of a chill presence beneath the skin, as if something coiled rests just above the heart. Some report faint hissing when alone, whispers urging cruelty or vengeance. Others say the collar feeds upon its bearer, leaving them isolated and estranged. Whether this is the spirit of a serpent bound in iron or simply the curse of poisoned metal, none can say. What is certain is that the collar’s weight is more than iron, and its shadow lingers long after the wearer is gone.
Collar of Venom 5e 2024
Collar of Venom Pathfinder 1E
Collar of Venom 3.5
Collar of Venom
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
Appearance & Lore
The Collar of Venom is a heavy band of blackened iron, cold against the skin and engraved with faint serpentine coils. Its origins are debated: some claim it was quenched in vats of viper’s blood by desert poison cults, while others whisper it was the cruel invention of a warlord who sought to bind serpent spirits into iron.
Those who wore the collar in ages past gained terrifying power but were often shunned, for the collar does not only strike at flesh—it erodes trust, companionship, and the warmth of human touch.
Magic Item Abilities
- Venomous Strikes. While wearing the Collar of Venom, your unarmed strikes and natural weapons drip with magical venom. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 poison damage and become poisoned until the end of your next turn.
- Serpent’s Resilience. You gain resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against poison.
- Whispers of the Serpent. Once per long rest, you can call upon the collar’s latent spirit. For 10 minutes, you gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and can detect the presence of poisoned creatures within 30 feet.
Curse of Isolation
The Collar of Venom is subtly cursed. Each dawn, roll a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you become restless and irritable until the next dawn, suffering disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks. Long-term wearers often grow distant, unable to rest easily without the collar clasped around their throat. Removing it after weeks of use leaves not only a scar but also lingering unease, as though part of the serpent’s whisper remains.
Rarity & Value
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Suggested Price: 30,000–50,000 gp
- Weight: 3 lbs
In Gameplay
- A potent item for monks, druids, barbarians, and beast-form characters, amplifying natural or unarmed strikes.
- Excellent for villains and NPCs, especially serpent cultists, assassins, or cursed warlords.
- Adds roleplay tension: its wearer is feared in battle but mistrusted in peace.
- Serves as a story hook, whether buried in the grave of a venomous tyrant, stolen by cultists, or offered as a dark gift to tempt the party.
⚔️ DM’s Note: The Collar of Venom works best when treated as both a weapon and a curse. Its presence should inspire equal parts dread and temptation—players may crave its power, but NPCs will recoil from its shadow.
Collar of Venom
Aura moderate transmutation and poison; CL 5th
Slot neck; Price 50,000 gp; Weight 3 lbs.
Description
This heavy iron collar is etched with twisting serpents, their fanged maws biting into the metal as though eager to strike. When clasped around the throat, the collar pulses faintly with a sickly green sheen, as if venom itself flows through its seams.
Rumors say the first collars were forged in the lairs of serpent cults, quenched in cauldrons of vipers’ blood, and blessed by deities of venom and shadow. Though it grants its bearer terrifying power in battle, the Collar of Venom carries a dark reputation—those who wear it too long are said to grow cold-blooded and cruel, their words dripping malice as surely as their strikes drip poison.
Effects
- Venomous Strikes (Su): While worn, all of the wearer’s natural attacks and unarmed strikes are laced with deadly venom. A creature struck must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 14) or take 1d10 Constitution damage as both initial and secondary damage.
- Conditional Effect: This ability functions only while the collar is worn; removing it immediately suppresses the effect.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, poison; Cost 25,000 gp
Lore & Use in Play
- Assassins & Cults: Favored by killers who worship serpent gods, the collar often marks its bearer as chosen—or cursed.
- Tactical Edge: Ideal for shapeshifters, monks, or any character who relies on natural or unarmed attacks.
- Story Hooks:
- A noble family hides a tarnished heirloom collar, fearing discovery of its venomous legacy.
- Cultists hunt the PCs to reclaim a stolen collar said to be the “Fang of their Serpent God.”
- A collar is found fused to the bones of a forgotten knight, its venom still potent centuries later.
Collar of Venom
Book of Vile Darkness 3.5
By Monte Cook
A creature wearing this heavy iron collar gives all of its natural attacks an additional poison attack (Fort DC 14) that deals 1d10 points of Constitution damage as its initial and secondary damage.
Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, poison; Market Price: 50,000 gp; Weight: 3 lb.