A cursed weapon I'm considering introducing to the campaign causes the wielder, after the wielder slays a foe with the weapon, to make a Willpower saving throw (DC 16). Failure means for 1d6 days the wielder suffers from the affliction mania/phobia—specifically, a mania triggered by creatures of the same kind that were most recently killed.
The PCs will likely employ the weapon against trolls occupying a large underground cave system that have kidnapped some villagers. The weapon'll give the PCs a serious advantage over the trolls, but one or more PCs might also become fascinated repeatedly by the trolls. What I want to avoid is having the condition fascinated ending whenever a troll moves closer, therefore rendering the curse largely moot. The condition fascinated reads:
Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect.
The best idea I've come up with is to have the mania work like the scarecrow supernatural ability fascinating gaze, which reads:
The approach or animation of the scarecrow does not count as an obvious threat to the victim of this particular fascination effect (although the scarecrow's attack does count as an obvious threat and ends the fascination immediately).
Is there a better way to keep the weapon's curse relevant or a different way to cause the wielder momentary inconvenience that probably needs friendly intervention? I don't want to use a deadlier condition like dazed, staggered, or stunned.
:-)\$\endgroup\$