The Curse Subschool
Spells of the Curse subschool, unlike most spells, are permanent effects that cannot be dispelled through such means as dispel magic. Instead, they must be broken with remove curse, a specific reversal spell, or a similar means of overcoming the curse. Occasionally, spells of the Curse subschool have alternative means of removal, though these vary from case to case and are annotated in each spell's description.
Despite their permanent durations, some spells of the Curse subschool do not have immediate effect, instead requiring a specific set of circumstances to come about before the spell takes effect. Most spells have these set actions delineated in them specifically, but some more powerful curses allow the caster to set the required action at the time of casting.
The Curse Subschool and Existing Spells
The Curse subschool should be added to several existing spells as follows: Core spells:
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arcane mark, baleful polymorph, bestow curse, binding, blindness/deafness, cause fear, contagion, doom, dominate animal, dominate monster, dominate person, energy drain, enervation, feeblemind, flesh to stone, geas/quest, geas, lesser, imprisonment, insanity, magic jar, mark of justice, rage, sequester, soul bind, temporal stasis, trap the soul, unholy blight.
Non-core spells:
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To be added.
Spells of Mōlia
Hex Domain
Granted Power: Your caster level for spells of the Curse subschool increases by 1.
- Blindness/Deafness
- Censure
- Bestow Curse
- Stone Curse
- Baleful Polymorph
- Silver Scimitar
- Flesh to Stone
- Temporal Stasis
- Block Advancement
Blighted Earth
Transmutation (Curse) [Death]
Level: Druid 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 0'
Area: 1 mile radius
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Upon completion of this spell, the area surrounding the caster becomes blighted and has difficulty providing nourishment to vegetation within the area. Crops and farmlands within the area wither and die over the next few days from this lack of nutrition.
This spell effectively makes it twice as difficult to successfully farm, hunt, or fish with the Profession skill, gather food with the Survival skill, or similar tasks. Halve the results of all checks for these skills (round down) while this spell is in effect. A skilled--or lucky--farmer or gatherer may still be able to harvest, but it will be far more difficult to bring in any sort of meaningful amount of food.
This spell can only be overcome by a plant growth spell followed immediately by a remove curse spell, or by limited wish, wish, or miracle spell.
Block Advancement
Enchantment (Curse)
Level: Sorceror/Wizard 8, Hex 9
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent until dispelled
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
When a block advancement spell is successfully cast upon an individual, the character is instantly stripped of the ability to advance in levels of spellcasting ability until the recipient successfully survives the ordeal induced by a conquer self spell. This spell will only affect a spellcaster of no less than 5th level and no greater than 15th, and of an alignment within one step of the caster. Block advancement cannot be removed otherwise except through a wish or miracle spell.
The recipient of the spell is allowed a Will save, and the spell does not come into effect if the saving throw is successful because the spell was designed to stop the advancement of any spellcaster deemed not worthy of power until such time as he proved himself.
Once block advancement comes into effect, the recipient cannot learn any new spells (though spellcasters with spellbooks can still transcribe spells from scrolls), nor can any spells be cast of a level above the highest level that the spellcaster was able to use before being blocked. He or she may, however, gain more spells of the levels currently held. Thus, if cast upon a 5th level wizard, block advancement would prohibit the wizard from casting 4th level spells until the spell was removed—but would not prevent the attainment of additional 3rd-level spells. A block advancement spell does not prevent the target from gaining experience or levels while it remains in effect. Advancement in level occurs as it normally would. Thus, the net effect of the spell is only to limit a spellcaster to the current level of spellcasting ability. Once the spell is removed, the recipient immediately gains all of the normal spellcasting abilities appropriate to his or her level.
A creature that has already been the successful target of a block advancement spell and who has succeeded in the trial of ordeals presented by a conquer self spell cannot be the target of another casting: any such attempt fails.
Focus: A small jade statue of the recipient of the spell, upon which a feeblemind spell has been cast prior to the casting of block advancement, worth 5000 gp
Censure
Abjuration (Curse) [Law]
Level: Cleric 3, Hex 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
To enact this spell, the priest must touch a target creature with HD equal to or less than the caster's Caster Level with his or holy symbol. If a successful melee touch attack indicates that the priest has done so, the priest, by word and gesture, "casts out" the target of the spell. The target creature is allowed a Will save, and if it fails, the creature is marked by the spell. The mark is visible only to the casting cleric and those of the same faith. Other priests of the same alignment who worship other deities instinctively react with fear, hatred, and aversion to a censured creature, and do neither trust nor willingly aid it.
Those faithful to the same deity able to see the mark refuse to aid or even approach the creature, and ignore it if it attempts to deal with them, or drive it away if it tries to enter a building, home, or even a territory controlled by one who can see the mark. The mark is invisible to the one bearing it, who may not even know of its existence if it was bestowed in a battle or while the victim was asleep or unconscious, and shines clearly through clothing or disguises.
Worshippers can thus readily spy upon and follow those marked as enemies, even in crowds or busy city streets. It will be revealed to others by detect magic, and can be removed by break enchantment. Clerics are warned that misuse of such a spell brings about divine misfavor.
Conquer Self
Abjuration
Level: Sorceror/Wizard 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One creature under the effects of a block advancement spell
Duration: 6 hours
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No
Upon the completion of this spell, the recipient of a block advancement spell begins a great personal ordeal which either results in death or in the removal of the block advancement spell and the gaining of an experience-point bonus--if the target is deemed worthy of the conquer self spell. The spell is useless for any other purpose.
Once cast, the recipient undergoes a six-hour ordeal during which he is rendered helpless by wrenching pains and powerful hallucinatory visions—hence the recipient is usually placed in a special area where he is relatively safe from attack. The outcome of the ordeal is dependent upon the actions of the recipient since he received the block advancement spell. Although the recipient is automatically affected by this spell if he meets the previous requirements, the final outcome of the spell is dependent upon a successful Will saving throw. This saving throw roll is modified by several conditions, most of which are dependent on the actions and performance of the recipient. No form of magic affects this saving throw, and all other saving throw modifiers from which the target would normally benefit—besides the bonuses gained from a high ability score and from class levels—are ineffective.
The modifiers apply only from the time of the application of the block advancement spell. They are as follows:
{table=head]Condition | Modifier
Per 10,000 XP gained | +1
Perfect alignment performance | +3
Average alignment performance | +1
Poor alignment performance | -1
Every successful major quest performed | +4
Each point of Intelligence or Charisma above 12 | +1
Evaluation of recipient by caster of conquer self spell based on ability, ambition, heroism, etc. | -3 to +3[/table]
If the recipient's save fails, he dies, and all efforts to raise him short of a miracle are fruitless. If the recipient's save is successful, the effects end after 6 hours. At this time, spellcasting abilities appropriate to the present level are regained and a 10% experience point bonus awarded for all experience earned since block advancement was cast upon the character.
Material component: The jade statue used in the block advancement spell, which shatters at the end of the 6 hours.
Mark of Fury
Transmutation (Curse) [Chaos]
Level: Cleric 3, Druid 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes
By scribing a sigil on the target and imbuing it with magical energy, the spellcaster can force the target into performing actions in line with his alignment. When the mark is upon the target, any actions that do not coincide with the alignment of the caster automatically cause the target to fly into a wild fury. The target gains +4 to Strength and Constitution, gains a +2 bonus to Will saves, and takes a -2 penalty to AC. This fury lasts for a number of rounds equal to the spellcaster's Charisma modifier plus the target's improved Constitution modifier. At the end of this duration, the target becomes exhausted.
Each round the target is under the fury, it receives a Will save. A successful save will stave off the effects of the fury for one round, but causes the target to instead be sickened for one round.
Silver Scimitar
Evocation (Curse) [Force]
Level: Sorceror/Wizard 6, Hex 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25' + 5'/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent until activated
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell brings into being a shimmering, scimitar-shaped blade of force. This scimitar appears in the air directly above a target creature, hanging point downwards some 2 feet above the head of the target creature. Invisible to all but the caster and those employing detect magic, the scimitar has no physical existence, and cannot be attacked, magically repulsed, dispelled, or left behind by teleportation or travel to other planes.
It will fall (upon the target creature only, regardless of physical or magical barriers) upon the fulfillment of a single condition set verbally during casting of the scimitar, doing 1d10 points of damage per caster level. The unwitting target creature is allowed a Will saving throw at this time, and if successful, the scimitar dissipates harmlessly into nothingness, and the spell is wasted. Otherwise, it plummets downwards at the end of the next round, vanishing upon contact with the target's body and dealing its damage. This causes the target to collapse in a convulsion of wracking pain that momentarily affects movement, speech, spellcasting, and even posture--victims of a scimitar often fall, writhing, to the ground. This pain, should the target survive, causes the target to be dazed for 1d4 rounds.
Typical conditions include the target creature uttering a certain name or word, commencing spellcasting, drawing a weapon, or going to sleep. The condition cannot be tied to a specific time or location, and in some cases many years have passed between the casting of a scimitar and its strike.
A limited wish or similar powerful magic can destroy the scimitar--unless, of course, the casting of such a magic is the condition which will cause the scimitar to fall.
Material component: a miniature scimitar carved of diamond or clear sapphire of at least 3000 gp.
Stone Curse
Transmutation (Curse) [Earth]
Level: Druid 5, Hex 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25' + 5'/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial or negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell causes the target to slowly become a lifeless, stone statue. Upon the initial casting of this spell, the target must make a Fortitude save. A successful save prevents the rest of this spell's effects. On a failed initial save, the spell has continuing effects as follows:
At the beginning of each of the afflicted creature's turns, the target must make a Fortitude save or it is dealt 1d4 Dexterity damage and receives a cumulative -5' penalty to all forms of movement. Flight speeds are reduced one mobility category with each penalty as well, and flight becomes impossible if the target's mobility category becomes worse than Clumsy.
Should this Dexterity damage reduce the target's Dexterity to 0, the afflicted creature immediately turns into a lifeless, inert stone statue, as if affected by the flesh to stone spell.
Material component: a shard of granite.
Re: [Isle] The Isle of Mōlia
