Quest for a Curse

[Stront]

I've just started running an Evil campaign and my players are tasked with traveling to a region that has recently lost its ruler. The Master of the group would like to expand his influence into the new region and has sent the party to cause chaos and weaken/thwart any attempts by anyone to try regaining control of the region.

They are required to remain somewhat behind the scenes and not openly draw attention to themselves if possible. That being said, I have been debating on introducing a tool for them to use against the populace. This will be in the form of "Curse Crafting"; creating an almost Epic Curse that will be able to be used against an individual or an entire region/populace.

My thought so far is the following:

The party will run into a hag somewhat similar to Baba Yaga that will offer the ability to craft a nasty BBEG like curse. One of the PCs will be required to contain the curse and track the progress of creating it. This will come in the form of five tattoos on their forearm. As the requirements are met the tattoos will fill in.

I'm looking for some more ideas on this; I currently have the following thoughts for steps (that must be completed in order):

Step 1 - Shed the blood of the weak and infirm, and feed the blood to a holy man. (Now what exactly is a holy man here? Just because someone is a priest might not mean they are exactly "holy").

Step 2 - Destroy the hope of a community, filling all with despair. (Pretty vague but that is the point).

Step 3 - Slay a true champion of good; make others learn of their demise and create fear.

Step 4 - Destroy beauty on a grand scale, leaving the world more barren and devoid of such things.

Step 5 - Slay a truly pure and innocent one and bathe the curse tattoo in its blood.

When all 5 steps are completed the curse will almost becoming a living thing on the PCs arm. It will move and may gain a life of its own. Holding the curse will be a struggle but it can be done.

The PC will now have the ability to direct the curse on an item, a person, or an entire region/area of effect. If it is dispersed in the latter manner, it will be less powerful if it is focused but it would harm more things. If the PC is slain while holding any part of the curse it will be unleashed and affect those around it.

I'm looking for any other ideas, if you have any - feel free to share them.

[Kane0]

-Theres always turning a good person to evil (paladin to blackguard not being the only choice here)

- Creation of a unique poison/disease (or both)
- Mixing this poison/disease into something far more potent with magic/alchemy

- Summoning and binding good creatures to force to do evil
- Summoning and binding evil creatures to freely spread evil

- Invoke/create a mighty symbol of evil that desecrates on a mass scale, then bind it to the curse

- Corrupt several promising individuals to turn to evil in their youth. If you miss their chance find a way to mess with their heads (memory alteration is a good choice here)
- Start an evil institution. Remember to start teaching them when they're young!

- Find a way to introduce more evil to something thought of as impossible (teach a devil something new. That would be a hard task!)

Hope this helps.

[Stront]

-Theres always turning a good person to evil (paladin to blackguard not being the only choice here)

- Creation of a unique poison/disease (or both)
- Mixing this poison/disease into something far more potent with magic/alchemy

- Summoning and binding good creatures to force to do evil
- Summoning and binding evil creatures to freely spread evil

- Invoke/create a mighty symbol of evil that desecrates on a mass scale, then bind it to the curse

- Corrupt several promising individuals to turn to evil in their youth. If you miss their chance find a way to mess with their heads (memory alteration is a good choice here)
- Start an evil institution. Remember to start teaching them when they're young!

- Find a way to introduce more evil to something thought of as impossible (teach a devil something new. That would be a hard task!)

Hope this helps.

Yes, this is exactly what I'm looking for! Thanks!

[RollynT.Glal]

Here's a few if you're still looking:

-Bind an angel or equally good extraplanar creature then feed it to undead

-Open a gate to a level of the Abyss that is comprised entirely of elemental pestilence in the middle of a great city

-Have a hero of good sacrifice himself for what will ultimately be an evil act

-Corrupt a High Priest's holy symbol with the soul of a fiend until it overwhelms the priest (hopefully at high mass)

-Drive a species to extinction

[Kane0]

-Have a hero of good sacrifice himself for what will ultimately be an evil act


Ooh thats a good one there. Especially if he has been completely deceived and not controlled into doing it. You can go even further and make him choose the lesser of two evils to lose status on top of doing a good deed that turns into a really evil one. Muahahaha

[Yitzi]

You can go even further and make him choose the lesser of two evils to lose status

That gets tricky, as a well-designed institution of good will not have him lose status for taking the lesser of two evils. Of course, those characters most easily tricked into sacrificing them for what is ultimately an evil cause probably belong to a less pragmatic/realistic institution of good, so it could still work.

On a similar note: Trick two good groups into thinking each other evil and fighting each other (again, "lesser of two evils" will probably be a good way to pull it off if they can get one group to not realize the predicament they put the other one in.)