Fun/clever use of Bestow Curse

[Mongrel]

I've always thought that Bestow Curse (and Bestow Greater Curse) could be a really fun spell when used creatively as it has the open ended "you can create your own curse with DM approval" clause and the power level of the example curses is relatively high. Does anyone have any ideas for cool curses to put on people, or stories involving using a curse creatively in games? I'll start us off with some suggestions of my own:

-Subject exudes a terrible odor that cannot be washed off or disguised. Probably would involve a charisma penalty, but since this would have other ramifications (such as severely hampering invisibility) it might be -4 rather than -6

-Subject sobs uncontrollably whenever he tries to speak (spell failure chance for verbal spells?)

-Subject is always targeted first in combat, if feasible (a curse of unluck).

-All food and drink taste like ash to subject

[Zero grim]

Might as well repost this from an earlier post.

-Whenever you are in a restful environment a bee appears and stings you.

[MOLOKH]

- The only words the subject can speak are "Omelette du fromage". Bonus points if you get to cast it on a red-haired gnome Artificer.

[Karnith]

- The only words the subject can speak are "Omelette du fromage". Bonus points if you get to cast it on a red-haired gnome Artificer.
But then he correctly answers every question directed at him. Hardly much of a curse.

I have always enjoyed taking a page from X-Men, and cursing someone to vomit when certain words are spoken ("dungeon," "gold," and "cast" on an adventurer, I should think) sounds like fun, so let's go with that.

[Andreaz]

But then he correctly answers every question directed at him. Hardly much of a curse.Artificers are overpowered like that.

[ddude987]

-subject gets phantom limb syndrome for appendages that never actually existed on them.

[Elricaltovilla]

Subject is convinced that they succeeded at any skill check which they actually failed.

[Callin]

Subjects vision is backwards. Left is Right. Right is Left.

[Venger]

subject has a midas touch

[Rubik]

I like using it as a buff.

"Subject is sterile and cannot have children, and yet everyone he's attracted to is attracted back."

"Wyrmling familiar subject ages a few categories."

"Every time subject goes outside a bag of 10d10 platinum pieces falls from the sky, causing 1d6 damage."

[georgie_leech]

subject has a midas touch

Oh yeah, hand the adventurers an auto-kill, WBL destroying power :smallsigh:


For mine, I've always liked "Can only speak in Haiku," it really gets the players in character when they won't stop quoting certain british gentlemen. My favourite used to be a curse that caused anything you tried to eat to gain a gum-like texture. But then a player got creative with it when a Dragon tried to swallow him...

[Cruiser1]

BoVD page 28 gives several additional uses of Bestow Curse and Greater Bestow Curse that are valid by RAW. Some of them can be considered beneficial in certain situations:

Bestow Curse can render a target sterile. If your character is a Bard or likes to sleep around, cast it on yourself to avoid uwanted pregnancies. Combine with Remove Disease (and Death Ward in case of Succubus) and you can sleep with whoever you want. :smallwink:

Greater Bestow Curse can destroy a target's most powerful item, rendering it forever useless. If you're trying to get rid of a dangerous artifact, and can't cast or don't want to risk Disjunction, cast it on yourself to get rid of it right now. :smallcool:

[Zahhak]

The curse/madness cards in Munchkin are probably the most inhumane. My group actually has a rule with some of them that if you make OCD I reserve the right to hit you.

Everything subject does must be alphabetical order, or he loses his turn.

[Elricaltovilla]

Subject's pants have a cumulative 1% chance of falling down each round per person present.

[Mongrel]

A few more I thought up:

-Subject attracts vermin, causing otherwise clean or pristine places he visits to soon become infested with mundane rats/cockroaches/spiders/etc. If he remains in one location for too long he can start significantly affecting food reserves, farms, and the population's health and wellness (not to mention his own)

-Subject's surface thoughts can be "heard" by nearby intelligent creatures

-Subject's fingers become detachable golden jewel encrusted ornaments that still function normally for him. Any intelligent creature who looks at these fingers desires to have them for him/herself. If one or two fingers are removed from one hand, the subject takes penalties to actions that use his hand and a 25% spell failure chance with spells cast with that hand. If three or more of these fingers are removed from one hand the subject cannot wield weapons or cast spells with somatic components using that hand and actions that require manual dexterity (such as picking a lock) are impossible.

-Subject becomes genderless (similar to the sterile curse)

-Subject automatically fails all fortitude saves for resisting the effects of alcohol. One sip of alcohol is equivalent to a full drink for the subject (particularly nasty for dwarves)

[Dire Panda]

A few I've used in the past:

-Subject's normal body odor is replaced with a powerful smell of roast chicken. No magical or mundane effects short of breaking this curse alter this odor; the subject could fall into an outhouse and would still smell like chicken. It's certainly nice for one's companions, especially in gritty campaigns where hygiene often goes neglected, but it makes stealth difficult and tends to attract every hungry beastie in the province when the party makes camp.

-Subject is invisible... or at least part of her body is. Her skin, muscles, and connective tissues become transparent, leaving visible her internal organs, bones, and blood vessels. Not only does this provide no combat or stealth bonuses, but good luck not being mistaken for some bizarre undead. (This one actually came from a spell mishap and was reversed quickly, but I can see its power being in line with Bestow Curse)

-Subject has one or more "trigger words" that activate temporary curses if spoken nearby. Think Simon putting River to sleep in Serenity.

-Subject's saliva becomes thick and gummy to the point where they can't speak effectively (-4 to CHA-based checks and a 25% chance to miscast spells with a verbal component). The Bestow Greater Curse version also requires the victim to spend a standard action coughing up gobs of it every minute or begin to choke.

-Subject is bad with money. He cannot have more than a gold piece on his person for more than an hour, or some bizarre misfortune will snatch the money away (without harming the subject). My group used this curse on a miser who'd refused to help them in the past, and rejoiced when his well-secured coin purse kept falling off every time he stepped over a sewer grate.

-Subject's descendents, down to the third generation, will be born horribly malformed. (This is definitely Greater territory)

-Subject attracts nearby mindless undead. These creatures will never attack the subject unless attacked themselves, but try to remain as close as possible and will attack any other living creature within ten feet. Imagine trying to explain to the innkeeper why three skeletons broke through his door to watch you sleep.

[Socratov]

snip

-Subject attracts nearby mindless undead. These creatures will never attack the subject unless attacked themselves, but try to remain as close as possible and will attack any other living creature within ten feet. Imagine trying to explain to the innkeeper why three skeletons broke through his door to watch you sleep.

still a better story then twilight :smallbiggrin:

I think a strong curse is narcolepsy, it would screw royally with out of combat happenings...

[Gildedragon]

- The only words the subject can speak are "Omelette du fromage". Bonus points if you get to cast it on a red-haired gnome Artificer.

Man you transported me ages back with that. I'd forgotten about it.

As to odd to cunning curses:

Excepting banalities, you are cursed to have a 50% chance saying precisely the opposite of what you intended.

You become invisible, mute and incorporeal

Your pop out of existence temporarily whenever your familiar forgets about you

All wands you touch are treated as having 49 less charges for you and you alone.

Any extradimensional space you encounter becomes unfathomably deep: retrieving something from a bag of holding now requires you to climb down into it, portable holes are mile long fissures, and handy haversacks require you reach deep into it (requires a move action to take off, and a full round action to search for the object)

Unbeknownst to you the next wish you make aloud will be fullfilled (as ironically as possible). The only immediately evident sign of the curse is that a single green dot has appeared on your tongue

Your heart's desire is now perpetually within 15' of your reach and enjoyment; never more, never less.

You now have the Spell Thematics Feat. Theme: Scary Clowns/Your mother/sparkles and rainbows/ symbols of gods you are opposed to/ freudian imagery

A number of skillpoints equal to your level get transfered to Truenaming, allowing you to exceed the skillpoint maximum for that skill.

All of your levels except your first become Truenamer

[Mongrel]

A number of skillpoints equal to your level get transfered to Truenaming, allowing you to exceed the skillpoint maximum for that skill.

All of your levels except your first become Truenamer

Now that's just mean XD

[Krobar]

I had an angry NPC sorcerer curse the barbarian in the party once. All he could do, whenever combat started, was run around in a circle waving his arms, screaming "I'M A STUPID IDIOT! I'M A STUPID IDIOT! I'M A STUPID IDIOT!" until the combat was over.

[Tulya]

But then he correctly answers every question directed at him. Hardly much of a curse.

Ah, but it's every question but the one most important one to you.

That's actually an interesting basis for a curse: Benefitting the recipient most of the time, but representing a crippling drawback when they least want it.

For example, a +4 bonus to all saving throws, but the victim automatically attempts to resist harmless spells, and can not voluntarily fail the save.

[Rubik]

I got cursed in a game once.

"Everyone you find yourself attracted to is gay."

The NPC witch didn't know me that well. I thought it was the best curse ever.

I definitely used it to my advantage. My blue goblin shaper had a nice fat 16 starting Charisma. I seduced everyone from the serving boy at the inn we frequently stayed at to the king's son. The king was a sourpuss (almost as sour as me), so I didn't like him much. Otherwise I would've gone for the gold.

[CigarPete]

Every female you interact with treats you like a 5 year old child in desperate need of mothering.

[Slipperychicken]

"Everyone you find yourself attracted to is gay."


1. Play in a violently anti-gay setting, which lynches homosexuals.

2. Love Thy Enemy (the goatee'd royal advisor in particular. It's not your fault his Charisma is 27). Also several popular Gods.

3. ???

4. PROFIT!

[Rubik]

1. Play in a violently anti-gay setting, which lynches homosexuals.I was a manifester. There wasn't much anyone could do to me at mid-to-high levels. I managed to take down several threats 10+ CRs above mine through cleverness and proper application of power. I even had the party wary of crossing me, though I did put myself in danger to protect them a time or two. And ensured they knew it, too...even when I had to fabricate a few details.

Plus, I was Lawful Evil, which would've meant lynching anyway, had anyone known about it. Bluff is a wonderful skill to have.


2. Love Thy Enemy (the goatee'd royal advisor in particular. It's not your fault his Charisma is 27). Also several popular Gods gods.Seducing a god is definitely a good decision, assuming a Neutral alignment. Seducing Evil gods...probably isn't.


3. ???Ah, the ubiquitous '???'. The lynchpin in every successful plan.


4. PROFIT!With divination, PROPHET!

[navar100]

Every female you interact with treats you like a 5 year old child in desperate need of mothering.

How is that curse when need some milk? :smallwink:

[The Viscount]

-Subject is invisible... or at least part of her body is. Her skin, muscles, and connective tissues become transparent, leaving visible her internal organs, bones, and blood vessels. Not only does this provide no combat or stealth bonuses, but good luck not being mistaken for some bizarre undead. (This one actually came from a spell mishap and was reversed quickly, but I can see its power being in line with Bestow Curse)

A Quth-Maren in particular matches that description.

A classic:

All of subject's teeth fall out, save one. That one tooth has a permanent toothache and cannot be removed.

[Sith_Happens]

Greater Curse:

Should the target ever walk barefoot, a LEGO will appear beneath their foot with each step.

[Elricaltovilla]

Greater Curse:

Should the target ever walk barefoot, a LEGO will appear beneath their foot with each step.

You... you MONSTER!!

[XmonkTad]

I like the idea of a bunch of curses that don't seem so bad until you actually have to live with them.

-Name changed to "Noe (http://www.goblinscomic.com/11172009/)"

I would say that bestow curse could create a phobia. A fear effect of "shaken" or "frightened" seems pretty in line with the mechanical limitations of bestow curse.

[QuidEst]

"May you live in interesting times!"

Allergies.

Chairs move back when you try to sit in them.

Unpleasant odor.

Unable to use extradimensional spaces.

Weight of any objects carried temporarily doubles until you are not carrying it.

When you are about to fall asleep, you feel like you tripped, and your leg jerks.

You cannot understand Common.

Magical items you use that have charges expend twice as many.

Items in your pack rearrange themselves so that the one you are looking for is at the bottom.

[Immabozo]

My DM used a really annoying one on my wildshaping Druid once. If I am wildshaped and I attack, I am forced back into my natural form before the attack lands

[Clericzilla]

My DM used a really annoying one on my wildshaping Druid once. If I am wildshaped and I attack, I am forced back into my natural form before the attack lands

What did you do to make your DM mad?

Also, come on... You are still a full caster with an animal companion... You aren't really that screwed with that curse... It is actually one of the least problematic curses so far (come on.. legos under your feat? Ouch, suck it Halflings).

[Xervous]

best one I saw with greater bestow curse.

"Your casting ability score is set to 11/12/13 or so until you say the magic words."


Since your casting stat is reduced, you can only cast low level spells, so you appear to all interested parties as a low level caster, until the magic words are spoken. Of course you know the magic words because you cast this spell upon yourself, so this is just a way to hide your ludicrous spellcasting abilities at higher levels.

[manyslayer]

-Subject is invisible... or at least part of her body is. Her skin, muscles, and connective tissues become transparent, leaving visible her internal organs, bones, and blood vessels. Not only does this provide no combat or stealth bonuses, but good luck not being mistaken for some bizarre undead. (This one actually came from a spell mishap and was reversed quickly, but I can see its power being in line with Bestow Curse)


Oh the sunburn.

[Arbane]

"When you teleport, you will always arrive somewhere you don't want to be."

[Elricaltovilla]

You will never be able to think up a creative use for Bestow Curse/Greater Bestow Curse.