The Unforgivable Curses

[magic_unlocked]

I was bored and decided to write up the Unforgivable curses. I think they're balanced, at least, as close as they can get. What says the Playground on this?

The Unforgivable Curses

These curses are, above all else, unforgivable, even in Wizarding circles and are punishable by death, or worse.


The Cruciatus Curse
Dark/Necromancy [Evil, Vile]
Level: clr 5, sorc/wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft + 5ft CL)
Effect: 1 creature targeted with line of sight (See Text)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round a level (max 20)
Spell Resistance: Yes.

By channeling pure hate and spite, your torture your enemy to her very core, driving her into madness with sheer pain.

This spell deals 4d8 + CL non-lethal damage per casting to your victim, in addition to this; she must make a fortitude save or fall to the floor in utter pain, falling helpless for 1 round. As a further effect of this most terrible spell, the target must also make a special will save, DC 10 + ½ your caster level or take 2 points of Wisdom damage. If she takes enough wisdom damage to put her to 0, it then becomes permanent wisdom drain and only a restoration spell, or similar divine magic, can restore a victim back to sanity. Arcane magic, even a Lesser Wish and Wish have no effect.

A person brought to insanity by this spell does nothing but drool and mutter incoherently.

The Imperious Curse
Dark/Enchantment [Evil, Vile]
Level: brd 6, sorc/wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft +5ft CL)
Effect: One creature in line of sight
Duration: See Text
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a single spoken word, you utterly crush your targets will and dominate their mind to your complete control.

This spell functions almost exactly like the Dominate Monster spell, however, the duration is indefinite… almost. Every day, the target muse make a will save equal to 10 + ½ caster's CL + caster's cha modifier (calculated at time of casting). Failure results in the target being utterly dominated by you. However, once your target has been dominated, you can force it to do actions that would otherwise be against its nature. It a make a standard Will save if the action is against their nature, however, they are not released from mental domination and act as though slowed for 1 minute and a Wisdom check DC 15 reveals that they are mentally dominated. The target that makes the will save due to actions against their nature still carry that task out, but in the absolute least efficient way possible, especially if it will get them discovered.

You can only have one such creature dominated by this spell at a time. If the creature breaks free of your domination, you are immediately alerted with a mental "ping" similiar to that of an Alarm spell.

The Killing Curse
Dark/Necromancy [Evil, Vile]
Level: clr 9, Death 8, Necromancy 8, sorc/wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft + 5ft CL)
Effect: 1 ray (see text)
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Resistance: No

With two words of power, you snuff out the life force of any creature in one blow, killing it instantly.

You expel the creature’s soul out of its body while simultaneously stopping all of its vital processes at once. The creature must make a Will save to keep its soul in its body and it must make a fortitude save to keep its vital processes alive.

If a creature fails its will save, it soul is ripped out of its body in the harshest, most painful way possible. It takes 2d8 points of wisdom drain and dies instantly. If later brought back, this wisdom drain is not restored, even if a True Resurrection spell is cast. It takes a restoration spell, or similar divine magic to restore this wisdom drain after the creature is brought back.

If a creature makes its will save, but fails its fortitude save, it is immediately dropped to negative 9 HP and takes 2d8 points of strength and dexterity drain, it also takes 4 constitution drain, but HP lost from constitution is not calculated when it is dropped. It is a simultaneous result.

Even if a creature makes both saves, it takes 3d6 + CL in damage, and takes 1d4 points of ability drain to all of its abilities. It is also stunned for the next round and dazed the round after that.

This spell can only be used on living creatures that have souls.

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Sorry about the large post. I don't know how to hide it, sorry.

Edit 2.0: Added a clause in the Killing Curse that limits it to living creatures that have souls. Also added a clause in the Imperious Cuse limiting it to one creature at a time. Added a standard will save to the Imperious Curse. Fixed Special Will Save mix-up. Added the Vile descriptor.

[Spiryt]

They seems okay, but those:

The casting any of these spells is an evil act; however, it does not change your alignment to Evil immediately. If you cast 5 Unforgivables in a row, you must make a Will save DC 15 + 1 per check, or become evil.

are completely redundant. They are very setting specific - and even in Harry Potter using them wasn't making user evil. It's nonsense.

In D&D there are dozens of much more horrible spells, and merely using them does not make you evil.

What you are using them for means everything.

[TheLogman]

All three should require Line of sight in the form of requiring a touch attack.

[Rowanomicon]

Yeah, they should all be ranged touch attacks.

[Arioch]

Only the killing curse is a ray - the others aren't ranged touch attacks. You just point.

[Rowanomicon]

Good call. I guess people don't dodge the other two.

[MandibleBones]

They are very setting specific - and even in Harry Potter using them wasn't making user evil. It's nonsense.

Yes, but they should have the [Evil] descriptor. You have to mean them, after all.

[magic_unlocked]

Thanls for the info. I'll Update these.

[HellFencer]

As cool as these sound, I think they are a little overpowered. Here are some of my opinions on them.

The Cruciatus Curse-
The duration for this doesn't make sense. No where in the description of the spell does it say an effect lasts Caster Level in rounds. Even so, I think it would be better balanced if the duration was concentration + WIS mod. in rounds.

The Imperious Curse-
In addition, I'd say you can only have a single creature dominated by this spell at any given time. Should a second creature become dominated, the first is instantly relieved of the domination. Also, to be clear, the dominated creature makes daily will saves?

The Killing Curse-
This needs to say that it is only usable on living creatures that have souls (in d&d terms, someone that is a viable target for resurrecting). Also, I would say you are only allowed to prepare this spell once per day, regardless of how many spell slots you have.

In all cases, line of sight should be natural, meaning you can't scry on someone, nor can you look at someone in a mirror around a corner.

[TempusCCK]

The torture curse is a little overpowered, helpless for a round is asking for an evil cleric to alternate "Curse, Coup De Grace. Curse, Coup De Grace." through armies of badguys.

It's a fifth level instant kill against bad fort save characters.

[Noble Savant]

These spells are just asking to be Vile. The "history" that they have clearly points to them as being highly taboo. Not to mention every description we got about them.

They are most certainly Vile.

[Copacetic]

Nh, you only have to mean to hurt People for the ouchie curse. Killing people or controlling them really doesn't rely on emotion.

[Mewtarthio]

Also, I would say you are only allowed to prepare this spell once per day, regardless of how many spell slots you have.

Why? It's a ninth-level spell, after all.

[Szilard]

On the Torture one, forgot how to spell it right now... Crutiatus or something, It should be dissmissible. And maybe reflex saves to dodge the spelll like so often in Harry Potter, and if it misses another creature in the line or ray could possible be hit.

[Rayzin]

Thinking about this is there a Harry Potter D20??

[Deathtouched]

Hooray for HP!
There probably should be a couple changes, but otherwise they look good.
However, I am in love with necromancy, so my opinion...
Good spells...

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

Yes there is, though i am too lazy to dig up the thread. It was almost finished, I think, and they were just starting the first playtest. I'm not sure if they actually went through.

[magic_unlocked]

Thinking about this is there a Harry Potter D20??

There is, somewhere on this crazy Forum.

On another note, I'll alter the Cruciatus to duration: concentration, up to CL (max 20)

The duration on that curse was/is tricky. It appears that the caster can dismiss it and resume it... i think. But I'll go with concentration, up to 1 round/level (max 20)

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Also, how would i make these spells Vile? simply add it in the descriptot? [Evil, Vile]?

[jagadaishio]

Why? It's a ninth-level spell, after all.

Because even if you succeed in the save, you STILL take permanent ability drain. That's huge.

[magic_unlocked]

Because even if you succeed in the save, you STILL take permanent ability drain. That's huge.

While that may be true, remember, anyone known to have cast these spells is doomed to death, or worse. They are horrible to be used on another sentient creature.

Though, I think i need to have it say soemthing that whenever you cast a spell, you emit an aura of terrible dark energy. And even magicks that prevent detection have trouble hiding it. I'll work on the DC for that later.

[Vaynor]

While still including the daily Will save, the Imperius curse should also allow a Will save when the victim is forced to do something strictly against his/her nature.

[magic_unlocked]

While still including the daily Will save, the Imperius curse should also allow a Will save when the victim is forced to do something strictly against his/her nature.

While i would normally agree with this, that's the difference between this spell and any other dominate spell. Which is why you're only able to have 1 subject under this curse.

Though, i think i might allow a will save if the action is against their nature so they act as though slowed for 1 minute and a Wisdom check DC 15 reveals that they are mentally dominated.

[Kesnit]

The Imperious Curse
Dark/Enchantment [Evil]
Level: brd 6, sorc/wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft +5ft CL)
Effect: One creature in line of sight
Duration: See Text
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a single spoken word, you utterly crush your targets will and dominate their mind to your complete control.

This spell functions almost exactly like the Dominate Monster spell, however, the duration is indefinite… almost. Every day, the target muse make a will save equal to 10 + ½ your CL + your cha modifier.

This puts Wizards at a disadvantage. Perhaps "your casting stat modifier."

[magic_unlocked]

I think i need to fix that up. It's supposed to be DC = 10 + 1/2 casters CL + casters cha modifier. Sorry about the mix up.

[Kesnit]

I think i need to fix that up. It's supposed to be DC = 10 + 1/2 casters CL + casters cha modifier. Sorry about the mix up.

But it is CHA, not INT for Wizards, correct?

[magic_unlocked]

Right. Cha represents a character's force of personality. Remember, you are crushing your opponents will with your own and the only way to represent that, in my opinion, is by adding in the cha modifier. Sure, this favors sorcerers, but there are also other spells, especially in the Draconomicon, that favor sorcerers as well.

[F.H. Zebedee]

Yes, it makes sense, due to being a war between spirits/personalities. So, instead of being anything a Wizard can learn to do, it depends on the force of their personality.

Really, wizards should use Int to determine what spells they can cast, and then various stats all throughout so as to force some degree of MAD. I think that'd help the balance a lot.

IIRC, the HP project was aborted, but in a playable state. Started by someone named Ditto.

[magic_unlocked]

Thanks F.H. While I agree with you on the MAD, this is to be used in a standard setting as originally done by WotC. So, we'll have to do the MAD casters at a later time. ^^;;

[Rayzin]

I FOUND IT!!!
He didnt finish it though...

[magic_unlocked]

I FOUND IT!!!
He didnt finish it though...

True sadness