Request for ideas.

[Lognor]

I'm working on a character that has, through no fault of his own, been cursed such that he can't enter the afterlife, instead he is constantly reincarnated as a sentient being. Now he didn't really notice for the first thousand years of coming back... But after a while he started to remember his old lives. Now it is 3000+ years since his original life, and he wants it to end. So he is trying to use the knowledge / skills from those past lives to help him end it.

To this end (and with my DM's permission) we have decided that he will be able to draw from some skills and possibly abilities from past lives (especially knowledge checks) . However, there needs to be a balance, so I'm looking for perhaps some ideas of things that would balance the untrained use of a skill.

I was imagining that these past lives have some serious mental scars that temporarily change roll outcomes, personality traits, etc. Thus I'm looking to create a random list of negative outcomes...

Any ideas on what should be in the list?

1. Becomes terrified of dm defined object for 1d4x10 minutes

2. Loses conciousness/becomes blind/deaf/mute for x minutes plus skill check value after attempting to use skill.

3. Suffers from paralysis on one side of body for x minutes

4. Starts laughing uncontrollably, and cannot stop without a DC 15 + character level Cha check, can only be retried every x minutes

I have other ideas obviously, but was wondering what the creative minds in the playground can come up with...


Lastly, I'm leaning towards having this character as a wizard, as I feel that might be the best way to figure out how to end the curse (we already have a cleric so Im not going the divine route), but I'm interested to hear some arguments for other options.

A few other points to make is that this is a pathfinder based world where magic is looked upon with serious distrust, (since the mage city that ruled the world accidentally opened a huge gate to the abyss). As well the DM is allowing the character to have created a spellbook across multiple past lives... So it contains a vast array of spells... i just need to find it.

[Koo Rehtorb]

Every time you use a skill untrained gives the DM a point. The DM can spend those points to do an equivalent negative thing to one of your rolls whenever he wants.

[Jonagel]

Aside from wizard you go for Monk (enlightenment jazz/unity of body and soul to achieve death of both instead of just your body so to speak)? Otherwise wizard is the only choice I'd take -- very cool idea and DM for rolling with it.

The point pool for the DM is a good one, though maybe each point allows him to make you treat a trained skill as untrained whenever he wants (like your past selves butt heads when you do that spell craft check). Another would be to come up with a table so everyone you use something due to a past self a random affect occurs. Have a few of them be good, a few extra bad, most a little bad, and a few neutral maybe?

Good:
gain an additional +1 to that roll, or have it be considered trained until you do this again.
Get to re roll and take the higher

Bad:
Get minus 1 on that roll instead of any bonus
Receive a temporary penalty to your wisdom score
Go into a rage per a barbarian
Loss a prepared spell for the day
Have any of the negative status effects happen for 1d4 rounds or minutes or hours depending on deafness vs paralyzed etc.
Go prone
Drop everything your holding
Immediately cast a random spell (ability to still react and aim it so you don't fire all your feet or friends)


The point system is easiest to manage, but the random effects seem more fun....

[SomeNerd]

Maybe the penalty should be based on what class it's a class skill for, or what the main attribute involved is.

So like...

Dex-based skills (Rogue/Ranger):
- Character is compelled to steal the next valuable item they see (they may use untrained skills to do so without further penalty)
- Character's alignment becomes chaotic neutral for one minute per point they fail a DC (whatever) Will save by
Str-based skills (Paladin/Fighter):
- Character becomes compelled to follow a Paladin-esque code of honor for 1 day
- Character gives off an aura of good so powerful that it can be detected by all creatures with some radius.
Wis-based skills (Cleric/Druid):
- Character is overcome with a sense of having committed some nameless sin, preventing them from sleeping that night.
- Character cannot eat meat for the remainder of the day.
Cha-based skills (Bard/Sorcerer):
- The first half of an unfinished song gets stuck in the character's head, causing them to take a -3 distraction penalty to all actions requiring focus.
- The character becomes intensely over-dramatic about everything for 1 hour
Int-based skills (Wizard):
- Intense nausea for 3 rounds from memories of trying to become a lich
- Knowledge checks aren't always accurate (they might be a few thousand years out of date, after all)
Con-based skills (Barbarian):
- Enter a rage
- Illiterate for the remainder of the day.


So, stuff like that. It's easier when you think of what kind of life someone with the skill the character is trying to use might have had. ...And keep in mind, nothing says every incarnation needed to have been good.

[Lognor]

I knew that I would get some great ideas from people here! I really like the idea that not all past selves would be the same alignment... Could be interesting if using certain abilities/skills lead to a temporary alignment shift, and each time you use it the shift is longer until it becomes permanent? With only the DM knowing how many uses it takes until it is permanent...

The spontaneous casting consequence is so something I hadn't considered...

And class based consequences is also really interesting.. Especially if it was linked to the use of a class ability... At a serious disadvantage... Like use lay on hands as a paladin... But with chances that it could fail.