Curse-> advantage

[Mystify]

Based on some discussion in another thread, I've been pondering the idea of have a character start with a disadvantage, and they turn it into an advantage. The closest mechanic to this I can think of is the Pathfinder Oracle's curse. For example, you can start out with clouded vision, and can't see beyond 30ft. By the end, you have darkvision, blindsense, and blindsight to various ranges.

The basic idea I am going for is that a character gets a curse, and over time learns to counter its effects, and eventually turn it into an advantage.

For instance, your are cursed with magnetism.

Initial curse: Metal weapons are attracted to you, giving you a -4 AC against their attacks.
Negation: You have learned to predict how your magnetic field attracts objects, and can use it to make the blows strike your armor. You get a +4 dodge bonus against incoming metal attacks, effectively negating your curse when you are not flat footed.
Initial advantage: You have learned how to amplify the curse, making you even more magnetic. Any attacks by metal weapons within 5ft of you must target you.
Ultimate benefit: You can spike your magnetic field as a move action, allowing you to make a free disarm attempt against all targets within 30ft with metal weapons with a +5 to the check. Success means their weapon is stuck to your body.

Any thoughts on this mechanic? Any other ideas for curses you can turn into an advantage?

[Kane0]

As long as you play your cards right i cant see any gamebreaking effects from this. It all depends on your curse and how you choose to overcome it.

Going along with that, I made a 5 level prestige class not long ago that had the requirement of the player (usually a wizard) being blind.
Resonance Mage

Other nice curses you might want to turn into benefits are:
- Diseases/poisons (Cancer Mage PrC here)
- Bound to extraplanar pacts/beings
- Having no sense of time or place
- Not feeling pain
- Randomly polymorphing (at the worst possible time is most fun)
- Being way too curious
- Never forget anything from that point on. Anything.

[jojolagger]

The TVtropes pages Cursed with Awesome and Blessed with Suck might give you some ideas for this.

One idea would be to have the Character have SR that only applies to helpful spells. At the start. By the end they have immunity to harmful magic, and can still be healed.

[Mystify]

[QUOTE=jojolagger;12851030TVtropes[/QUOTE]
No, My free time.....

I like the SR idea though.

[The Mentalist]

I have a few ideas, how would you like these statted? Feat tree? (that seems expensive and not worth it) level progression? (Possible) Some sort of sacrifice? (Eh)

[Mystify]

I was thinking it would be a level progression. Maybe a single feat to negate the curse and activate the effects by level. A "reverse curse" feat would work. This makes it so you aren't getting these abilities without a cost. Multiple feats would be too much, but a single scaleing feat feels about right to me.

[The Mentalist]

That does sound really good. I'll get to work on it. (Flaw+Feat thing maybe)

[jojolagger]

Why not make it a all part of a 1st level only feat. Then you spend a feat and get the Curse. As you level, it changes from bad, to annoying, to useful, to awesome.

[Mystify]

Why not make it a all part of a 1st level only feat. Then you spend a feat and get the Curse. As you level, it changes from bad, to annoying, to useful, to awesome.

I dislike the idea that the feat will give you the disadvantage. The feat should turn the disadvantage into an advantage.

[jojolagger]

I dislike the idea that the feat will give you the disadvantage. The feat should turn the disadvantage into an advantage.

Which leaves us without a source of the disadvantage in the first place. Have it some what negated by level 2, all negated by level 4, and starting to give bonuses by level 6, and players will see it as a small downside now for some cool stuff a short distance down the road that scales with level. The downside at the start helps pay for the more than a single feat value powers you end up getting.

[Kane0]

Use a plot trigger, if your not really fussed about mechanics.

There is always Bestow Curse and Greater Bestow Curse, as well as the Hexblade class.

[The Mentalist]

Jojo, there's an easy source for the curses, there is a somewhat broken Flaw mechanic in the game already, this seems like a good use for it.

[Veklim]

So you wish to use a broken flaw mechanic to allow someone to take a long-game stealth bonus and pretend it's still a drawback..? Ermmmm.....

Using an actual curse is asking for trouble. What happens when someone uses remove curse on you, right after you've got to the point where all that investment, time and a feat has finally started paying off for you? You end up with no bonus and a worthless feat.....

My personal favourite for this would be using a good old-fashioned Greek myth staple. One god has a chosen favourite, someone they enjoy watching. Another god decides to curse this 'pet mortal' in spite. Amusement commences.

On the idea of the Curse->Boon principle itself though, I like it. It's another layer of actual RP, meshing nicely with mechanical consequence, all there to give a fuller character and some interesting encounters. Sweet