1,001 Curses [3.5]

[gdiddy]

A staple in my games is the humble, third level spell, non-game-breaking Bestow Curse. I was trained by a DM who has been playing since 2e, and famously gave about 30% of the items in his world curses. I give about 10% curses.

The thing is, while it is a crunchy spell, Bestow Curse also has a creative element that makes it possibly the most useful single target spell for its level.

Of course, the indicated -6 Ability score, -4 to all rolls and AC, or 50% chance of no action are great in themselves, but it's when we get creative that the spell shines.

Some I've seen used:

1. Withered Limb (ruins any martial character's day)
2. Infertile (RPers delight)
3. Cloth that touches target feels like fire (Shenanigans! Target is either Nauseated or cannot wear clothes.)
3a. There are a dozen further variations that keep your target unarmored and disrobed.
4. A whole race is invisible to target (Your human/elf/dwarf/black dragon friends rejoice.)
5. Spiders come out of the targets mouth instead of words. (Spiders are not good Verbal components)
6. Age someone a category up (Do not do this to a caster.)
6a. Age a character down a category.
7. Make the target's son destined to kill him.
8. Gender Switch (A violent, painful, and emotionally jarring process that will *at the least* make the target's armor no longer fit.)
9. Target loses a feat of caster's choice.
10. Any magical weapons held in the target's hands lose their powers. (They function normally when he puts them down.)
11. Target forgets how to read or write.
12. Target can only speak in an obscure dialect of Ignan.
13. Target perceives everything as if in a nightmare.
14. Target's left eyeball becomes permanently cross-eyed.
15. Any food the target touches rots.
16. The target loses its reflection.
17. The target get's chicken feet. (Painful if they're in boots)
18. The target is deaf and blind. (Save or Suck?)
19. The male target loses its male organs. (Violently.)
20. A living creature touching the target's skin leaves large black spots on its skin for a month. Prolonged touching results in open sores. Calculate damage accordingly. These wounds can only be healed magically.
21. Target develops the desire to mate with Gnomes.
22. Target develops the desire to mate with Red Great Wyrms.
23. Target's next level is in Commoner.
24. Target cannot take any actions, but instead enters a peaceful slumber, for the entirety of any Monday.
25. The only words the target can speak are in the Dark Speech.

How about some more ideas?

[taltamir]

many of those effects seem to be an overpowered geas. or otherwise beyond what the spell should probably do.

but they are certainly COOL effects.

22. Target develops the desire to mate with Red Great Wyrms.

Being the parent of some half dragons and having a friendly great wyrm is hardly a curse ... Forget slaying dragons, I wanna lay some dragons

[Temet Nosce]

A staple in my games is the humble, third level spell, non-game-breaking Bestow Curse. I was trained by a DM who has been playing since 2e, and famously gave about 30% of the items in his world curses. I give about 10% curses.

The thing is, while it is a crunchy spell, Bestow Curse also has a creative element that makes it possibly the most useful single target spell for its level.

Of course, the indicated -6 Ability score, -4 to all rolls and AC, or 50% chance of no action are great in themselves, but it's when we get creative that the spell shines.

Some of your other ideas were good, but I would be torn between wanting to quit in disgust and turning it into a war on a DM who just gave me an item which screwed me up mechanically. Curses are a fun part of D&D, and some of my DMs have used awesome ones (alignment changes, possessions, transformations, odd desires, addictions, geas...) however if you're using them just to hurt your players I personally would not expect a happy response, or for it to add anything to the game except irritation or anger at you.

Now keep in mind this is from someone who actually likes curses. I regularly let my characters get cursed when I could have prevented it with relative ease (I have even on occasion collaborated with my DM OOC to come up with ways to curse my characters), simply because I enjoy the added dimension to the game, but purely mechanical curses drain absolutely all pleasure from it since they fail to add another dimension to the game in favor of simply hurting the character and turning it into just another combat. Can it work anyways? Sure I suppose, but be aware your players are going to check every item they get for curses, and may just break the WBL IC and buy all their stuff instead to avoid it (that would be what I'd probably default to, since I dislike dealing with the aggravation).

[horngeek]

Here's a good one:

Get turned into that which you detest/feel contempt for.

So, a Sexist would be GB'd, Redcloak would be turned into a human...

The transformation would also be quite painful.

Really, I'd only use a curse for a plot reason.

[Set]

1) Aura of Obnoxiousness - all NPC encounters react to you one step worse on the table. You annoy *everyone.*

2) Nummy Treat - monsters with bite attacks given a choice between attacking you or someone else will always choose you. Once a monster has bitten you, it will continue making bite attacks on you whenever given the opportunity, because you taste so darn good. (Within reason. A creature that has decided to flee will retreat, rather than risk death for a last bite.)

3) Damage Magnet - any melee attack made on a target within reach of you that misses it's intended target has a 50% chance of hitting you instead. This includes your own attacks. Missile attacks that miss anyone within 5 ft. of you also have a 50% chance of hitting you instead.

4) Tomb-Touched Soul - you are unusually resistant to positive energy, and are required to make a saving throw against all healing spells or receive only half of the benefit. Regardless of your character level / HD, you only recover a single hit point of natural healing overnight (two with a day's bed rest or the care of a competent healer). You are damaged normally by negative energy.

5) Allergic to Magic - for every spell cast upon you, you gain a Sickened Condition that lasts as long as the spell is upon you. Unlike the normal Sickened condition, the penalties from these conditions stack (and will stack with any actual Sickened condition received through other means). The Curse itself does *not* count as a spell for these purposes.

6) Master of Misfires - you have a 50% spell failure chance. This affects all spells, arcane or divine, and stacks with other sources of spell failure (such as arcane spell failure for wearing armor). Roll 1d20 whenever you cast a spell. On a 1-10, the spell has no effect, but the spell (or spell slot) is discharged and used up, as if the spell had been cast.

7) Corrosive Touch - your sweat becomes acidic, inflicting 1 hit point of damage per minute to items worn, held or carried. This damage bypasses item hardness. The damage does not apply to items that you are not wearing, carrying or holding in your hands. Putting your hand on a door will not affect it, but if you are somehow able to lift the door off of the ground in your hands, your acidic sweat will begin to damage it. One type of item (feathers are a popular choice, for some inexplicable reason), named by the caster, will not be affected by this acid, and any item that is explicitly part of a class feature (such as a Kensai's weapon or a Wizard's spellbook, will be unaffected).

[robgrayert]

Great ideas, but most of these seem too powerful for Bestow Curse. They might be better thrown on top of a tasty item as a drawback.

Personally, I like curses that are more roleplay- rather than mechanics-based. Like:

- character must always lie (as in, not tell the truth, not lay down!) while in possession of this item
- character may only speak in monosyllabic words

etc.

[tyckspoon]

Great ideas, but most of these seem too powerful for Bestow Curse. They might be better thrown on top of a tasty item as a drawback.
.

Really.. most of them are *less* powerful than the default options. It's actually pretty hard to think of something that sucks worse than a 50% chance to do nothing, every round of of the rest of your life.

[Xenogears]

Being the parent of some half dragons and having a friendly great wyrm is hardly a curse ... Forget slaying dragons, I wanna lay some dragons

But who says the dragons will want a puny human like you. So its a curse because now your just gonna run around trying to get red dragons to sleep with you and then get firebreath to the face...

[Faleldir]

Isn't it impossible to force someone to speak Dark Speech?

[Xenogears]

Isn't it impossible to force someone to speak Dark Speech?

yes. The pronounciations are so exacting that it is only possible to speak them willingly (which is wierd seeing as though forcing someone to speak in a language of pure evil that actually corrupts objects would be awesome, but it was probably included for game balance and simplicity.

[gdiddy]

Primarily, these are things my players have come up with for Bestow Curse. I would never subject a player to one of these curses without at least giving them a chance to identify the item. Most of these were from a Drow Cleric who I mistakenly gave a meta magic rod that made Touch Spells Close-ranged. The player was a really devious woman and amazing role player, so whatever she came up with was always fitting and helped the narrative. Heavy use of Bestow Curse and Greater Bestow Curse could conceivably ruin many games. I just think it's a great spell because of its rp potential. I like some of Set's ideas.

As someone already mentioned...none of these really match the enumerated penalty of taking away half a person's life.

Edit: The Dark Speech was mispronounced, and didn't give the usual penalties, but it did get the Paladin kicked out of his order (which the player wanted).

[Xenogears]

Primarily, these are things my players have come up with for Bestow Curse. I would never subject a player to one of these curses without at least giving them a chance to identify the item. Most of these were from a Drow Cleric who I mistakenly gave a meta magic rod that made Touch Spells Close-ranged. The player was a really devious woman and amazing role player, so whatever she came up with was always fitting and helped the narrative. Heavy use of Bestow Curse and Greater Bestow Curse could conceivably ruin many games. I just think it's a great spell because of its rp potential. I like some of Set's ideas.

As someone already mentioned...none of these really match the enumerated penalty of taking away half a person's life.

Or the bestow greater curses 75% chance to do nothing...

[taltamir]

2) Nummy Treat - monsters with bite attacks given a choice between attacking you or someone else will always choose you. Once a monster has bitten you, it will continue making bite attacks on you whenever given the opportunity, because you taste so darn good. (Within reason. A creature that has decided to flee will retreat, rather than risk death for a last bite.)

OH god that is awesome! wow you taste delicious!

Although, can also be a source of cursed with awesome... find a hot and friendly vampire of the preferred gender. She is your new girlfriend.

[chiasaur11]

Your head is on fire.

You take a rather substantial penalty to concentration checks from the pain. Oddly, it never does any permanent damage.

[Ravens_cry]

Your head is on fire.

You take a rather substantial penalty to concentration checks from the pain. Oddly, it never does any permanent damage.

Get yourself a gnomish steam driven two wheeled Cart of the Pig, Leather Armour, and show the world how awesome you are.

[deuxhero]

Treat one skill (like say Profession:Farmer) as though the victim has no ranks in it.

[taltamir]

Your head is on fire.

You take a rather substantial penalty to concentration checks from the pain. Oddly, it never does any permanent damage.

duplicate said curse... cast it on a bunch of hamsters... make a steam engine which is powered by the perpetual fire source...

Or release them all at once at an enemy / city / whatever.

Or duplicate it on the party grappler (he doesn't need to concentrate, he is now scary as hell, and everyone he grapples with takes damage).

[Dixieboy]

Your head is on fire.

You take a rather substantial penalty to concentration checks from the pain. Oddly, it never does any permanent damage.

You also take a -10 penalty to disguise as well as hide checks and cannot gain concealment from darkness.
Why?
Because you HEAD IS ON FIRE.

[ZeroNumerous]

Your head is on fire.

You take a rather substantial penalty to concentration checks from the pain. Oddly, it never does any permanent damage.

You also gain an addiction to cocaine and a Dimension Door ability with a 15% chance to activate randomly on the beginning of your turn.

Nanana

[Melamoto]

The Victim must hence
Forever speak in Haiku
No matter how hard.

Or, they can only talk in Iambic Pentameter.

[taltamir]

The Victim must hence
Forever speak in Haiku
No matter how hard.

Or, they can only talk in Iambic Pentameter.

ok, that is the scariest curse i have ever heard... ugh... i could never do it.

[chiasaur11]

The Victim must hence
Forever speak in Haiku
No matter how hard.

Or, they can only talk in Iambic Pentameter.

Limericks only. One out of every three has to be inconceivably crude.

[Dixieboy]

There once was this guy named john.
Who thought the menacing sword looked fun.
It had a big curse.
But what was worse.
Was that john kinda sucked at limericks.

:/

[Deth Muncher]

There once was this guy named john.
Who thought the menacing sword looked fun.
It had a big curse.
But what was worse.
Was that john kinda sucked at limericks.

:/

That made me laugh. It's kinda like the Yo Dawg: Yo dawg, I herd u liek makin' fun of me, so I put a bomb in yo' car.

[The Dark Fiddler]

OH god that is awesome! wow you taste delicious!

Although, can also be a source of cursed with awesome... find a hot and friendly vampire of the preferred gender. She is your new girlfriend.

This is even more hilarious!

[Hyozo]

I like this topic. Some of these curses will be showing up on items in my game.

[Assassin89]

You are forced to act as if irresistible dance has been cast on you. In addition, you hear strange music. Not within the power level in its current state.

You are forced to sing constantly, even if said song would annoy everyone.

You are gifted with an owl wearing a vest and monocle. The owl does not help in any way, except warning you about danger when it is too late, and refusing to enter any place of importance.

Alternatively gain a pixie companion who annoys you by shouting "Hey! Listen!" every time it succeeds on a knowledge check. The pixie must stay within 2ft from you.

[Myou]

You are forced to act as if irresistible dance has been cast on you. In addition, you hear strange music.

So you want to make Bestow Curse replicate an 8th level spell?

[Cieyrin]

You must always carry a duck in at least one hand.

A chicken has taken roost on your head, preventing you from wearing hats.

Wearing pants draws ants to nest in them. (why isn't there a pants slot, now that I think about it? do characters normally go pantsless, since there's no benefit other than social implications? 0_o)

Your hair grows at abnormal rates, drawing birds to come nest in it.

Your nails grow at an abnormal rate and are brittle, making it difficult to manipulate objects with your hands.

You cry constantly, making everything you see blurry (20% miss chance).

You become anemic, causing you to bleed from any non-bludgeoning attack at a rate of 1 point of damage/round, which is cumulative with multiple wounds, that can only be stopped by magic healing.

You can only whisper. (In a similar vein, you can only shout or you lose your voice).

You lose all your hair.

I could continue but I'd need to dig out my Munchkin cards.

[Assassin89]

So you want to make Bestow Curse replicate an 8th level spell?

Maybe if it has a DC13 will save once per day.