Forceful separation from a cursed item

Question

For my group of (un)willing adventurers, I have a session coming up where the plan is essentially to render them all unconscious, separate them from all their gear and leave them in a dungeon to escape (think, diabolical James Bond style plot).

The only problem I can foresee with this is that one of the players has attuned himself to the Berserker Axe

This axe is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the axe, keeping it within reach at all times. You also have disadvantage on attack rolls with weapons other than this one, unless no foe is within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear.

Whenever a hostile creature damages you while the axe is in your possession, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or go berserk. While berserk, you must use your action each round to attack the creature nearest to you with the axe. If you can make extra attacks as part of the Attack action, you use those extra attacks, moving to attack the next nearest creature after you fell your current target. If you have multiple possible targets, you attack one at random. You are berserk until you start your turn with no creatures within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear.

In order for this to work, the player has to be separated from his weapon.

Now, rules as written, when separated from the axe, I read it as the player can use other weapons, but only with disadvantage, and doesn't risk going berserk. Maybe also struck with a longing to be reunited with the axe (and any effects the player chooses that to have on the character).

Are there any rules I've missed that describe a situation like this, and if not, is there a better way of handling it?

Answer 1

You are correct.

In your situation, you describe the party being knocked unconscious and being forcefully separated from their gear. The berserker axe says:

you are unwilling to part with the axe...

There is no contradiction here since the separation of the axe was coerced through thievery.

Now, since separating from the weapon does not end the curse, this effect of the axe still applies:

You also have disadvantage on attack rolls with weapons other than this one, unless no foe is within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear.

Next, the entire second paragraph does not apply while the player does not have the axe, since it says:

Whenever a hostile creature damages you while the axe is in your possession...

Finally I think your description of how the player would feel the curse while separated from the axe is perfect:

Maybe also struck with a longing to be reunited with the axe (and any effects the player chooses that to have on the character).