Alt. Uses of Bestow Curse

[Kuzimu]

I was hoping that we could collect here the good other uses of Bestow Curse.


Here's a few obvious ones to get us started!


- Infertility is a big one in royal/political intrigue campaigns!
- Giving someone an irrational phobia of something is also good

[Coidzor]

Well, one can age a dragon up to the next age category artificially with the spell and it'll be permanent until it's dispelled/remove curse'd.

When this would actually be of use rather than of detriment is the sticky wicket. Aging up non-dragon types is of use against martial types and a disadvantage against casters.

Can't remember if it can also be used to kill someone who's venerable though.

[sonofzeal]

You might want to check "Hexer" from "Masters of the Wild". It may give you some ideas.

[Gamer Girl]

My List:

• Target is rendered sterile.
• The next person introduced to the target for the first time
will hate him or her uncontrollably forever. Even if this
curse is removed, the person still hates the victim of the
curse, but the victim can improve the person’s attitude
normally after the curse is gone.
• Each time the target attempts to help a friend or ally, there
is a 50% chance the attempt fails and causes the ally to fail
at the task.
• Target is struck blind and deaf.
• Each round in combat, there is a 25% chance that the
target will attack the nearest creature rather than choosing
an opponent normally.
• Every time the victim makes a d20 roll, a roll of 20 counts
as a 1.
• The victim effectively ages, moving him or her to the
beginning of the next age category. See Chapter 6 of the
Player’s Handbook for the effects of aging.
• At some point within the next week (or whenever it is feasible),
thieves are able to steal all monetary wealth the
victim has.
• Animals refuse to be within 5 feet of the target and do not
respond to the target’s commands or requests.
• Each time the target meets someone for the first time,
there is a 50% chance that the new person will confuse the
target with a hated enemy, a well-known criminal, or a
raving lunatic.
• All creatures of a specific kind (such as orcs, owlbears, or
black dragons) are permanently invisible to the sight of
the victim (invisibility purge does not help, but see invisibility
and true seeing do). The spellcaster chooses the kind of
creature.
The following effects can be substituted for those given in
the bestow greater curse description (see Chapter 6).
• A random friend or family member of the target contracts
a disease. If the disease is magically cured or runs its
course (regardless of the outcome), another loved one
contracts a new disease.
• The target’s most powerful and/or cherished item falls
apart, becoming forever useless.
• Valuable metals (such as platinum, gold, silver, and
copper) turn to lead in the target’s possession, even if they
are in a bag of holding or stored away from the target. The
target’s touch transmutes valuable metals (including
coins) into lead as well.
• 1d4+1 of the target’s loved ones or allies are affected by a
curse chosen from the bestow curse list above.
• All of the target’s loved ones and allies suddenly despise
him and are considered to have unfriendly attitudes. See
NPC Attitudes in Chapter 5 of the DUNGEON MASTER’s
Guide for actions former allies might take.
• The target cannot cast spells, use spell-like abilities, or
activate spell completion or spell trigger items.

[Re'ozul]

• A random friend or family member of the target contracts a disease. If the disease is magically cured or runs its
course (regardless of the outcome), another loved one
contracts a new disease.

That one is the most deadly when you have a warlock with you and are evil.
Kidnap the most well-liked guy in town. (philantrope or loved street performer who mingles with the crowd)
Then at-will bestow curse the city to death.

[Asheram]

That one is the most deadly when you have a warlock with you and are evil.
Kidnap the most well-liked guy in town. (philantrope or loved street performer who mingles with the crowd)
Then at-will bestow curse the city to death.

Oh dear... cursing someone to be a healthy plague carrier...

Could get Very interesting...

[Fiery Diamond]

Bestow Curse (and the Greater variant) are heavily subject to DM approval for anything not specifically listed in the description. The reason? Bestow Curse is among the most powerful broken spell in core if used without some arbitrator's limitation. Some of the effects that have been listed in this thread are ones that you wouldn't be able to achieve with any spell other than Wish if Bestow Curse didn't exist. And Bestow Curse is 3rd level. The Greater variant is what, 7th level? Though that is non-core, I think.

Just the ability to give a phobia is super powerful, let alone all this other stuff. Pick a spellcaster and give them a phobia of magic. Done. And a phobia is something that I think almost all people would agree is within the limitations of Bestow Curse. Most of the other stuff posted here I wouldn't allow as a DM, and I certainly wouldn't allow Greater Bestow Curse into a game I DMed at all. Frankly, Bestow Curse, while a very fun spell, is insanely powerful for its level. Honestly, if you're going to allow the level of shenanigans suggested in this thread with the spell, is should be like 6th level, on par with things like Flesh to Stone.

[Skaven]

• The target cannot cast spells, use spell-like abilities, or
activate spell completion or spell trigger items.

I think that one is a little too powerful for the spell. At best I think they would have a 50% spell failure penalty.

[Fiery Diamond]

My List:

• Target is rendered sterile.
• The next person introduced to the target for the first time
will hate him or her uncontrollably forever. Even if this
curse is removed, the person still hates the victim of the
curse, but the victim can improve the person’s attitude
normally after the curse is gone.
• Each time the target attempts to help a friend or ally, there
is a 50% chance the attempt fails and causes the ally to fail
at the task.
• Target is struck blind and deaf.
• Each round in combat, there is a 25% chance that the
target will attack the nearest creature rather than choosing
an opponent normally.
• Every time the victim makes a d20 roll, a roll of 20 counts
as a 1.
• The victim effectively ages, moving him or her to the
beginning of the next age category. See Chapter 6 of the
Player’s Handbook for the effects of aging.
• At some point within the next week (or whenever it is feasible),
thieves are able to steal all monetary wealth the
victim has.
• Animals refuse to be within 5 feet of the target and do not
respond to the target’s commands or requests.
• Each time the target meets someone for the first time,
there is a 50% chance that the new person will confuse the
target with a hated enemy, a well-known criminal, or a
raving lunatic.
• All creatures of a specific kind (such as orcs, owlbears, or
black dragons) are permanently invisible to the sight of
the victim (invisibility purge does not help, but see invisibility
and true seeing do). The spellcaster chooses the kind of
creature.

I won't cover the Greater version, since I think the regular version is powerful already, but I'll give my blow by blow on how I would handle a player trying these things.

Sterility: This is reasonable, and I would allow it. Very useful if used on nobility, until they figured out what was causing the sterility and got it Remove Cursed anyway.
Next Person Will Hate: I would not allow this. I don't think Bestow Curse should be able to directly affect anyone other than the recipient of the spell, and this does very strongly.
Helping 50% Failure: This is in line with the 50% no action; maybe even weaker, so I would allow this.
Blind and Deaf: Well, just one of these things (requiring a Fort save rather than Will save) is a 2nd level spell. It can be gotten rid of with a single spell if inflicted with Bestow Curse, so I think I would allow this.
25% Chance of attack nearest creature: I would not allow this. The idea is to give penalties or drawbacks to a character, not to force a character to do things. I'd say that this does not fall within the intent of Bestow Curse.
20=1: I would allow this. It seems to be along the same lines as the 50% do nothing, but weaker. It takes away high success and increases chance of failure.
Victim Ages: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Where on earth did anyone get the idea that aging someone is even remotely in line with a 3rd level effect? I admit my knowledge of non-core is limited, but I wouldn't allow this to be done without consequences even with Wish! Effectively aging someone would be an instantaneous effect anyway, not an ongoing one like Bestow Curse would apply.
Thieves: Again, no. For the same reason as the hate one. Bestow Curse should not directly affect people other than the recipient.
Animals: ...Maybe. Anything that is (Augmented Animal) and is now a magical beast (such as an awakened creature) or an animal companion shouldn't be affected, but otherwise I'd allow it since normal animals don't really fall under the category of people.
50% Mistaken Identity: This one is iffy. So long as this is more of a "can be convinced in short order of their error", I might allow it for mistaking as a specific well-known criminal. You're affecting the projected appearance of the target, I guess. Still, iffy.
Invisible: Well, I suppose that if you can render the target blind, you can render them unable to see other specific kinds of creatures unless they use See Invisibility, so I'd allow this.

[Cog]

I'm not certain of anything particularly quoteworthy, but Dragon Magazine #348 has a suggested list for both the basic and Greater spells. Matching Skaven's instinct, losing spellcasting is given for the Greater list.

[Fiery Diamond]

I'm not certain of anything particularly quoteworthy, but Dragon Magazine #348 has a suggested list for both the basic and Greater spells. Matching Skaven's instinct, losing spellcasting is given for the Greater list.

And we all know how great, balanced, and good Dragon Magazine is!:smallsigh:

[Cieyrin]

And we all know how great, balanced, and good Dragon Magazine is!:smallsigh:

Not all of Dragon is broken beyond reprieve, one just has to look over the material before allowing use in your game, like any homebrew, as essentially Dragon is published homebrew by a fancy name.

Now, if one wants to look for more curses, there was a thread a couple months ago about producing 1000 curses that could be mined for material. Some were rather good, I think. Let me see if I can dig it up...

[Land Outcast]

Well, one can age a dragon up to the next age category artificially with the spell and it'll be permanent until it's dispelled/remove curse'd.

When this would actually be of use rather than of detriment is the sticky wicket. Aging up non-dragon types is of use against martial types and a disadvantage against casters.
Actually, I guess only the physical aspects would take place, you're not growing wiser by having a decrepit body.

[Gullintanni]

1.25% Chance of attack nearest creature: I would not allow this. The idea is to give penalties or drawbacks to a character, not to force a character to do things. I'd say that this does not fall within the intent of Bestow Curse.
2.Next person will hate.
3.Ageing


I think the first two would be better accomplished by the following:

Subject is prone to fits of anti-social rage. There is a 25% chance that the target will fly into a rage whenever they come into contact with people. The enraged target can not perform any social interactions, including any CHA based skill check. There is a 10% chance that a character afflicted by rage will become violent.

Per ageing, the afflicted is treated as becoming frail and weak. They advance two age categories in appearance, receiving any physical penalties appropriate to the new age category, without any of the benefits. This age persists until the curse is broken. Venerable characters are not penalized by this form of curse, and afflicted characters can not be aged to death.

Neither of these is particularly overpower, but they are both significantly detrimental to the afflicted's immediate attention.

[Gamer Girl]

Victim Ages: ABSOLUTELY NOT. Where on earth did anyone get the idea that aging someone is even remotely in line with a 3rd level effect? I admit my knowledge of non-core is limited, but I wouldn't allow this to be done without consequences even with Wish! Effectively aging someone would be an instantaneous effect anyway, not an ongoing one like Bestow Curse would apply.

The spell description says it can give a -6 to an ability or a -4 to rolls. Aging causes less penalties then that. Being moved one age category won't even give you a -4 to all rolls.

[Kuzimu]

Any other more creative uses y'all could think of?

They don't have to be ones that you've seen written down somewhere- how would you personally use the spell?

[Erom]

Yeah, I would think visually aging one category and taking the physical penalties that go with it would be reasonable - no, you can't kill anyone that way, and no, you don't get the mental boosts. Yes, when the curse is removed you go back to the way you were.

It's just a flavorful way to give penalties that are less than the default function of the spell, so I don't see the problem.

[SuperFish]

Our Wizard plans to use Bestow Curse on our Frenzied Berserker.

Effect: Target has a 60% chance to have any attack against a specific set of targets fail.

You can likely guess what said targets were. And yes, our DM approved this.

[Flickerdart]

Yeah, I would think visually aging one category and taking the physical penalties that go with it would be reasonable - no, you can't kill anyone that way, and no, you don't get the mental boosts. Yes, when the curse is removed you go back to the way you were.

It's just a flavorful way to give penalties that are less than the default function of the spell, so I don't see the problem.
Why shouldn't you be able to kill anyone that way? Considering that multiple castings of the curse wouldn't stack, this would only work on someone who's already deep into Venerable. I would at least make them appear dead, but if the curse is broken they spring back to life as if they had not been cursed.

[The Shadowmind]

A few of the ones Gamer Girl posted are from the BoVD's section of alternative uses of Bestow Curse/(Greater).

[Akal Saris]

Our Wizard plans to use Bestow Curse on our Frenzied Berserker.

Effect: Target has a 60% chance to have any attack against a specific set of targets fail.

You can likely guess what said targets were. And yes, our DM approved this.

40% chance of success against party members is still about 39% too high for my comfort. :smalltongue:

[graymachine]

Aging penalties that can be removed after combat with a simple Remove Curse? If I'm an arcane caster sign me up! Free, untyped boosts to my intelligence, wisdom, and charisma!

[Qwertystop]

Aging penalties that can be removed after combat with a simple Remove Curse? If I'm an arcane caster sign me up! Free, untyped boosts to my intelligence, wisdom, and charisma!

Your own post named the flaw in your logic:

Aging penalties
Not benefits.

[graymachine]

Your own post named the flaw in your logic:

Not benefits.

I thought the suggested curse was advancing the character on the age category chart. If it was applying aging penalties, true.

I was more making a small joke about munchkins finding the bonus in an intentionally negative affect; perusing the suggested list made me smirk at thoughts about how they could be turned to the advantage.

[Magikeeper]

Weakening class features you don't want. Like the heat aura of walker in the waste. Turn it into a summer breeze unless you put your hand in your mouth or something. Forcing yourself to follow bard restrictions when casting silent image is useful when you have the shadowcraft mage auto-silent ability and a different ability that powers up verbal spells. Using curses to restrain powers that are too powerful for their own good, basically. GBC is better for this as it is harder for enemies to remove.

[Dimers]

May your mistress and your daughters come to look like your wife!
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits.
May your beloved dwarven beard fall out, irreplacably, in slow agonizing tangles ... along with every other hair on your body.
May your successes ever turn to ash when trying to protect what you love. *Note: has a tendency to make the recipient Evil, and you along with it.*

[Coidzor]

Actually, I guess only the physical aspects would take place, you're not growing wiser by having a decrepit body.

It just ages them, doesn't actually specify only penalties, because it refers to the table for the effects of aging as far as I recall it, though if anyone can remember the page reference and can double check that bit, I'd appreciate it, especially since I'd like to know where to look it up myself since it's part of a list of expanding upon bestow curse.

Even just the physical aspects taking place would still buff a dragon by giving it 3 HD and possibly giving it new natural weapons.

Question, what creatures, other than dragons and phaerimm, benefit from advancing to the next age category? Or at least have non-standard age categories. I think Kythons have a hatchling form or something...

[Amador]

I have used bestow curse as a punishment for thieves. "If you try to steal anything again, your hand falls off."

[Flickerdart]

I have used bestow curse as a punishment for thieves. "If you try to steal anything again, your hand falls off."
That would be a) the Mark of Justice and b) beyond the power of the spell.

[Set]

Any other more creative uses y'all could think of?

They don't have to be ones that you've seen written down somewhere- how would you personally use the spell?

For controlling someone's behavior, kinda sorta;

Curse someone to suffer pain (nonlethal damage + sickness from the pain until you are fully healed) equivalent to any damage you suffer, from *any* source, strongly motivating them to protect you from harm...

Curse someone to have -4 to all checks, attack rolls, contested rolls or saving throws made against you, including to resist stuff like bluff, diplomacy, intimidate, etc.

Curse someone so that they become irresistibly attractive to carrion animals / vermin, and are always accompanied by a miasma of flies, that find them to smell delicious.

Curse someone to only be able to eat spoiled food, and, depending on the level of spoilage, to have to make Fort saves after eating to avoid being sickened for a time.

Curse someone to find the 'wrong' gender attractive, and vice-versa, to only appear attractive to members of the 'wrong' gender. (The reverse of whichever they prefer.)

Curse someone with social awkwardness. Not 'oh, he said something tactless,' but actual physical clumsiness, that only manifests in social situations.
"Oh, your holiness! Sorry about falling down and splashing horse manure all over your frock..."
"A pleasure to meet you Princess Demoiselle..." <knocks over candle, sets her long sleeves on fire> "Oops! Let me get that!" <grabs a tankard of water to douse the fire and turns too quickly and smacks her in the face with it>

Curse someone who has lied to you to suffer an uncontrollable sneezing fit (nauseated 1 round) whenever they attempt to lie.

Curse someone who has stolen from you to develop a terrible glaring red rash (sickened condition, very visible) whenever they have an item of that sort on their person (stole a magic item? reaction caused by magic items. stole gold? reaction caused by the presence of gold. 'borrowed' your spellbook? reaction caused by the presence of any spell effect (other than this one) on their body, so that if they want mage armor, they'll also be sickened for the duration.)

Curse someone that you have physically wounded so that the last wound that you gave them will not heal naturally, and will resist magical curing. If you ever wound this person again, the curse ends.

Curse someone to require an unusual (but readily available) dietary supplement, such as blood, in addition to normal sustenance, or to require three times as much food or five times as much water (terrible curse for a desert traveller!).

Curse a miser with excessive generosity, requiring a Will save to avoid charitible contributions to beggars, and to resist 'tipping' 50% more for any good or service, or accepting only 50% value for items sold.

Curse someone to suffer the visible effects of a feared contagious disease, but not to actually have said disease. Whatever ability damage would normally be suffered is instead applied as a one-time ability penalty, and the visible symptoms remain in effect until the curse is removed, possibly leading to a lot of coin being wasted on remove disease spells, and a lot of NPCs shunning and avoiding the 'plague-bearer.' A Greater version of this curse might even be contagious, spreading the visible symptoms only (but not any sort of mechanical penalties) to anyone who comes into close contact with the cursed individual. Heal checks may discern that the 'disease' is fake, and various treatments (lesser restoration, dispel magic, perhaps even a protection from evil spell) might cure the 'infected,' but remove curse is the only thing that will end the appearance of 'disease' on 'Patient Zero.

A terrible thing to combine with an *actual* plague situation, as the local healers may end up wasting priceless remove disease spells and effects on people who are only cursed to appear diseased.

Curse someone not to be infertile, but so that their next child bears features reminiscent of someone other than themself, such as their best friend or a local ne'er-do-well with a reputation for being overly friendly with the ladies, leading to questions of paternity...

[Achernar]

Can bestow curse be used to mute someone? Remove all powers of coherent speech?

[Andion Isurand]

There is an article in Dragon Magazine 348 pg 34 that lists alternate effects for Bestow Curse and Greater Bestow Curse.

[Cog]

There is an article in Dragon Magazine 348 pg 34 that lists alternate effects for Bestow Curse and Greater Bestow Curse.
Yeah, I can't believe nobody mentioned that already. :smallcool:

[Andion Isurand]

heh, oops, I failed my Spot check

[Slayn82]

To neuter young sorcerers. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10442802#post10442802)

100% true

[Ravens_cry]

Hmm, can you use it to remove an unwanted character feature? Case in point, I had a paladin who was reincarnated as a troglodyte. The stench feature is great for a troglodyte in a party of troglodytes, but bad for a trog in a party of humanoids. I didn't think of this at the time, but could a bestow curse curse away the stench?

[Andion Isurand]

You can use the Trait Removal spell from Serpent Kingdoms if Bestow Curse doesn't fly towards removing the stench ability. Albeit its temporary.

Or take a gamble in seeking out an agreeable Sarrukh to wipe it away in exchange for some service or item.

[Ravens_cry]

You can use the Trait Removal spell from Serpent Kingdoms if Bestow Curse doesn't fly towards removing the stench ability. Albeit its temporary.

Or take a gamble in seeking out an agreeable Sarrukh to wipe it away in exchange for some service or item.
Well, this wouldn't work for a paladin, but you could always pull a Brer Rabbit on an enemy caster you knew liked Bestow Curse if your Bluff was high enough. :smallbiggrin:

[Brendon]

So my ideas I have for bestow curse are... more unique/Useful
*A distinguishable feature, scar, burnt face, extremely hairy
*Cut speed, whether it be over the coarse of days or instantaneous(depending on the campaign)cut it by 50%
*Post traumatic stress disorder, in battle there is a 10% chance you will get shakened for 3 rounds and paralyzed for 1 round (Conditions DO NOT renew (if you have shakened for 1 round but get it again it stays 1 round)
*Bestows disease (In"Cure"able, the ability to add minor details to the condition
*Unfocused -7 on all knowledge checks(Not OP because -5 on all checks is the default one, this isn't as encompassing
*Healers Despair, Healing,Resting cures 50% less Hit points, healing(manual) Impossible(healers kit)
*Slow to the draw, Always are 2nd last(initiative) or -8 or -10 initiative
*Opening, You Remove targets DR every other turn unless lower than 5
*Chills, Acts as permanent exposure to below 0° F in areas not affected by a heat source (Torch, Fire, Sun)
*Spell resistance, Blocks level 1 or 2 healing spells once 2/days, and fast healing 1 until removed(NOT POTIONS)
*Cryptic, S/M Details of things are altered, Text, Scrolls(level1) Puzzles, Traps(-3), babel, sensations
*IDK, A feat(With 1 perquisite BAB=1 or lower) is rendered useless(Dodge Cleave) Rolls a d100 to decide which
*Spellless, Take 1 level 2 spell per day, Cantrip Skill Nullified (As a balancer you could take away level 2 spells
But level 1 spells become cantrips or you add 2 level 3 spells per day
*On your heels, -4 AC (Incredibly useful)
*Characters with a Dex higher than 15 lose their armor bonus(ONLY ON ROUGES OR ARCHER)
*Change Alignment Changes targets aura to that of your choosing(Does not break any deity connections/Relationships
*Limits, Doubles Weight(Carrying)
*Targeted, +5 to hit(For everyone)
*Objects, Can curse a object max +2 Simple weapon, 4DR/Bypass 1d6 Typed damage( if you include the extra 1d6 you take 1d3 Locked to you, Easily detectable(you can sacrifice the +2 to a +1 to make it undetectable(Can be changed(Or make it work for you only, incorporeal enchantment, is not able to be enchanted if enchanted before it loses it, in a large burst of energy dealing 2d4
*Tormented, Always Shaken
*Melancholic, Can not feel joy or happiness, and doesn't know the cause
*Short term memory loss, losses current memory, DC/10 Every 2MIN
*Handicapped, blind, deaf, limbless, blind, Numb(+Diehard +20 HP has to fight to death), Mute
*Lamb Chop, 3x hunger rate(9 meals a day)
*Restlessness, Can't sleep more than 3 hours every 12 hours
THIS WILL BE ADDED UPON(Just enjoy the ones I've added already)