1001 curse ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

1001 curse ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
NabraKaj
05-03-06, 03:57 PM trying to develop some original curse ideas for campaign. Here are some that I have come up with.

1.Multiple personality
2.Amnesia
3.implanted memory
4.insomnia
5.sleepwalking
6.schitzophrenia
7.contracting a disease
8.others see you as an evil being
9.become blind
10.become deaf
11.alignment change
12.gains the personality of the owner of the item
13.gender changed
14.spells have a percentage of firing back at you
15 item must kill so many things to have victim survive
16.dreams or nightmares manifest to real world
17.age dramatically
18.contract bad luck
19.teleported to another plane
20.cant contact deity through prayer
21 cannibalism
24.drains charges of magic items
25.when using a polymorph spell have chance of being stuck in that form
26 become catatonic
27 lose level
28.become narcissitic
29 item can steal souls
30 item makes you a berserker
31.item can turn into a mimic
32.creates dead magic zone around you
33.give wielder a phobia
34.corrodes wood,metal
35.affects mass
36 affects gravity
37. has a chance of gating in monster
38.ability drain
29 steals memorized spell
30 wielder gains narcolepsy
31. bound to evil being
32.become undead being
33.become alcoholic
34. addicted to gambling
35.studdering
36.obssesive compulsive
37.nervous ticks
38.habitual liar
39.overanalyze everything
40.lose a physical apect of self
41 migraines
42.black mantle spell is placed on wielder (on able to cast healing spells)
43.unleash a lost army on the world
44.a doppleganger takes place of he wielder
45. the item contains a geas spell ordering you to do an act
46. item bring upon an eclipse
47. item bring on a volcanic eruption
48. item brings a tornado
49. item brings on earthquake
50. item brings on tsunami.
51. item has permenent heat metal spell
52. weapons lose magical properties
53. develops bad breath
54.disintegrates user
55.turns user to stone
56.transfers the users life force to random item
57.sends to alternate paradox of world
58. sent back in time or forward in time
Millennium
05-03-06, 07:04 PM Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight).
Krug_the_smasher
05-03-06, 07:05 PM Here is a curse:

You are followed by an Animated Living Epic Fireball. CR 95. Slam attack 2d10+40d6. Any PC would die instantly from that. Even if you were level 40.

Or:
All spells cast within a 40ft radius, or with effects that occur within a 40ft radius automaticaly affect you, no save allowed.
Krug_the_smasher
05-03-06, 07:08 PM Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight).

Haha...Cows endurance. You gain 80lbs and move at 3/4 speed. Cowball. A ball of cows suddenly appears and lands on your enemies, doing 1d6 damage per caster level.
BRJN
05-03-06, 09:41 PM You should peruse Testament, especially their suggestions for "Bestow Curse." :D

62. Elsewhere I suggested that a PC who thinks he wants to play a Vampire could be cursed with "Vampire-lite": he hates direct sunlight and needs to stay in the shade or wear a big floppy hat, must eat one meal of raw dripping-blood meat a day, has a bat hovering somewhere around him (like a magician's familiar), and cannot enter a home unless the owner says quote "I bid you welcome."

63. How about Werewolf-lite: grows thick fur on limbs and chest, wants to howl at full moon, forgets where he was and what he was doing for a whole night near full (or new) moon, gets claws (1d6) for 2 nights and the day in between and a few hours just before/after, ears curl out a bit.
DaMullet
05-03-06, 10:01 PM Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight).

Mordenkainen's ... Cow

A cow lands in an inconspicuous location on the battlefield, and lets forth an earshattering MOOO!!! which strips all magical items in the area of their properties as per the spell before modifications.

Transmute Mud to Cow/Transmute Cow to Rock and Transmute Rock to Cow/Transmute Cow to Mud

As the spell, except in the first case, upon casting the spell, a cow of equal mass to the rock/mud being transmuted appears in the center of the mass, walking away when the spell is finished being cast.

In the second case, the cow in question gets a fortitude save to negate the effect (being turned to stone/mud).
Nani?
05-03-06, 11:53 PM You become an alternate version of yourself.

For example, the Bard who ran away from the convent school when she was twelve in a fit of rebellion is suddenly the "lady" she would have become, had she stayed and reconciled herself to her proper station in life. In game terms she is now a Lawfully aligned aristocrat or Cleric of the same level, precisely the person she would have become (and has no knowledge of the bard she once was).

The wizard still a wizard, only the one who picked up the book on illusion and chose to specialise, the half elf is now precisely the person they would have become had they been born human and the fighter who took up adventureing to avenge his lost love never met her in the first place.

All the best,

Nani?
Nani?
05-04-06, 02:01 AM Reduced to a small child.

Be charmed by (in)appropriate NPC. Permanent until curse is removed.

Spells targeted within given radius instead target you.

May not advance in primary class until curse lifted.

One stat is raised +1 daily while another stat gets a -1, cumulative. Example, -1 intelligence +1 Charisma daily = Curse of the Bimbo.

People who leave your pressence must make a will save or forget about you (think wife, parents etc) and regard you as a stranger each time you encounter them.

You are perfectly content, thus having no motivation to do anything.

At given intervals (each full moon, the change of the seasons, a year and a day) a class level is replaced with a class level in another class.

Gain a template or change race.

All the best,

Nani?
Amon_WinterfallIV
05-04-06, 04:03 AM 65? 2s are now also autofails and critical miss threats
66. Your character changes gender
67. Your character turns lime green, Glow in the Dark Fuschia, dull gray, Periwinkle, carrot orange, or lavander. (roll 1d6)
68. Curse of Insuffiency--every roll that can not be determined by the player, even some attack rolls, is viewed as a failure.
69. Curse of Stench--You smell-BAD. You get -5 on all attempts to postively influence others, as well as their initial opinion of you.
70. Your character can only use the number "34", the color "blue" and the noun "Orcs".
"What would you like to drink, Holgar?"
"34 Blue Orcs"
71. Character becomes colorblind--he can only see in black and white.
72. Character suffers the curse of 100 deaths. When he dies, he instead experiences 100 deaths (some of them tortourous), and requires a heal spell or similar magic to reverse the mental trauma he experiences as a result.
73. Character becomes entirely unable to sleep. After two weeks, he will pass out and get his rest (he requires a full day to do this). Note that after one week without sleep, he must make a will safe (DC 10 +1 per day without sleep) to actually attempt a spot, search or listen check.
74. Characters legs and arms are switched-- -2 circumstance penalty for everything for 6 months (until he adjusts to his new shape)
75. Characters voice gains two octaves and now sounds ridicoulous. -10 on perform checks and intimidate checks.
Circon
05-04-06, 05:07 AM 76. Destroys the campaign.
77. Really destroys the campaign.
78. Annoys the other players.
79. Randomly gets people killed.
80. Doesn't deserve these ridiculous curses.

Seriously, 43 through 50 and 54-56 aren't "curses", they're CR 10+ events.
mojorooks
05-04-06, 08:55 AM Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight).

Ha!

-Wouldn't Cowball hit the opponenet with a certain part of a bull?

Cure light cow: Heals nearest cow.
Read Cow: Gain the ability to know what cattle brands mean.
Cow (feather) Fall: Fall at the rate a cow normally would.
Cow Climb: nuff said
Nani?
05-04-06, 10:39 AM 65? 2s are now also autofails and critical miss threats
66. Your character changes gender

It's 64 by the numbered ones and the gender one has already been used (-2). That brings your count down to 73. 75 through 80 are legitimate complaints but not actual curses. However, having tonados or earthquakes happen around you with around you at a given frequency would be a cool curse so I'll leave 43-50. I'll take out 54-56 as campaign destroying. That brings counted number down to 70. The cow spell thing is 71. Krugs are 72 and 73. I have 10 unnumbered curses so I offically designate them 74 through 83.

Therefore,

84. The character is one gender during the day and another at night.
85. Character has no gender, like a barbie doll.
86. Character believes themselves to be the opposite gender and dresses and acts appropriately.
87. Character is physically half one gender and half the other.

All the Best,

Nani?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
NabraKaj 05-03-06, 03:57 PM	trying to develop some original curse ideas for campaign. Here are some that I have come up with. 1.Multiple personality 2.Amnesia 3.implanted memory 4.insomnia 5.sleepwalking 6.schitzophrenia 7.contracting a disease 8.others see you as an evil being 9.become blind 10.become deaf 11.alignment change 12.gains the personality of the owner of the item 13.gender changed 14.spells have a percentage of firing back at you 15 item must kill so many things to have victim survive 16.dreams or nightmares manifest to real world 17.age dramatically 18.contract bad luck 19.teleported to another plane 20.cant contact deity through prayer 21 cannibalism 24.drains charges of magic items 25.when using a polymorph spell have chance of being stuck in that form 26 become catatonic 27 lose level 28.become narcissitic 29 item can steal souls 30 item makes you a berserker 31.item can turn into a mimic 32.creates dead magic zone around you 33.give wielder a phobia 34.corrodes wood,metal 35.affects mass 36 affects gravity 37. has a chance of gating in monster 38.ability drain 29 steals memorized spell 30 wielder gains narcolepsy 31. bound to evil being 32.become undead being 33.become alcoholic 34. addicted to gambling 35.studdering 36.obssesive compulsive 37.nervous ticks 38.habitual liar 39.overanalyze everything 40.lose a physical apect of self 41 migraines 42.black mantle spell is placed on wielder (on able to cast healing spells) 43.unleash a lost army on the world 44.a doppleganger takes place of he wielder 45. the item contains a geas spell ordering you to do an act 46. item bring upon an eclipse 47. item bring on a volcanic eruption 48. item brings a tornado 49. item brings on earthquake 50. item brings on tsunami. 51. item has permenent heat metal spell 52. weapons lose magical properties 53. develops bad breath 54.disintegrates user 55.turns user to stone 56.transfers the users life force to random item 57.sends to alternate paradox of world 58. sent back in time or forward in time
Millennium 05-03-06, 07:04 PM	Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight).
Krug_the_smasher 05-03-06, 07:05 PM	Here is a curse: You are followed by an Animated Living Epic Fireball. CR 95. Slam attack 2d10+40d6. Any PC would die instantly from that. Even if you were level 40. Or: All spells cast within a 40ft radius, or with effects that occur within a 40ft radius automaticaly affect you, no save allowed.
Krug_the_smasher 05-03-06, 07:08 PM	Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight). Haha...Cows endurance. You gain 80lbs and move at 3/4 speed. Cowball. A ball of cows suddenly appears and lands on your enemies, doing 1d6 damage per caster level.
BRJN 05-03-06, 09:41 PM	You should peruse Testament, especially their suggestions for "Bestow Curse." :D 62. Elsewhere I suggested that a PC who thinks he wants to play a Vampire could be cursed with "Vampire-lite": he hates direct sunlight and needs to stay in the shade or wear a big floppy hat, must eat one meal of raw dripping-blood meat a day, has a bat hovering somewhere around him (like a magician's familiar), and cannot enter a home unless the owner says quote "I bid you welcome." 63. How about Werewolf-lite: grows thick fur on limbs and chest, wants to howl at full moon, forgets where he was and what he was doing for a whole night near full (or new) moon, gets claws (1d6) for 2 nights and the day in between and a few hours just before/after, ears curl out a bit.
DaMullet 05-03-06, 10:01 PM	Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight). Mordenkainen's ... Cow A cow lands in an inconspicuous location on the battlefield, and lets forth an earshattering MOOO!!! which strips all magical items in the area of their properties as per the spell before modifications. Transmute Mud to Cow/Transmute Cow to Rock and Transmute Rock to Cow/Transmute Cow to Mud As the spell, except in the first case, upon casting the spell, a cow of equal mass to the rock/mud being transmuted appears in the center of the mass, walking away when the spell is finished being cast. In the second case, the cow in question gets a fortitude save to negate the effect (being turned to stone/mud).
Nani? 05-03-06, 11:53 PM	You become an alternate version of yourself. For example, the Bard who ran away from the convent school when she was twelve in a fit of rebellion is suddenly the "lady" she would have become, had she stayed and reconciled herself to her proper station in life. In game terms she is now a Lawfully aligned aristocrat or Cleric of the same level, precisely the person she would have become (and has no knowledge of the bard she once was). The wizard still a wizard, only the one who picked up the book on illusion and chose to specialise, the half elf is now precisely the person they would have become had they been born human and the fighter who took up adventureing to avenge his lost love never met her in the first place. All the best, Nani?
Nani? 05-04-06, 02:01 AM	Reduced to a small child. Be charmed by (in)appropriate NPC. Permanent until curse is removed. Spells targeted within given radius instead target you. May not advance in primary class until curse lifted. One stat is raised +1 daily while another stat gets a -1, cumulative. Example, -1 intelligence +1 Charisma daily = Curse of the Bimbo. People who leave your pressence must make a will save or forget about you (think wife, parents etc) and regard you as a stranger each time you encounter them. You are perfectly content, thus having no motivation to do anything. At given intervals (each full moon, the change of the seasons, a year and a day) a class level is replaced with a class level in another class. Gain a template or change race. All the best, Nani?
Amon_WinterfallIV 05-04-06, 04:03 AM	65? 2s are now also autofails and critical miss threats 66. Your character changes gender 67. Your character turns lime green, Glow in the Dark Fuschia, dull gray, Periwinkle, carrot orange, or lavander. (roll 1d6) 68. Curse of Insuffiency--every roll that can not be determined by the player, even some attack rolls, is viewed as a failure. 69. Curse of Stench--You smell-BAD. You get -5 on all attempts to postively influence others, as well as their initial opinion of you. 70. Your character can only use the number "34", the color "blue" and the noun "Orcs". "What would you like to drink, Holgar?" "34 Blue Orcs" 71. Character becomes colorblind--he can only see in black and white. 72. Character suffers the curse of 100 deaths. When he dies, he instead experiences 100 deaths (some of them tortourous), and requires a heal spell or similar magic to reverse the mental trauma he experiences as a result. 73. Character becomes entirely unable to sleep. After two weeks, he will pass out and get his rest (he requires a full day to do this). Note that after one week without sleep, he must make a will safe (DC 10 +1 per day without sleep) to actually attempt a spot, search or listen check. 74. Characters legs and arms are switched-- -2 circumstance penalty for everything for 6 months (until he adjusts to his new shape) 75. Characters voice gains two octaves and now sounds ridicoulous. -10 on perform checks and intimidate checks.
Circon 05-04-06, 05:07 AM	76. Destroys the campaign. 77. Really destroys the campaign. 78. Annoys the other players. 79. Randomly gets people killed. 80. Doesn't deserve these ridiculous curses. Seriously, 43 through 50 and 54-56 aren't "curses", they're CR 10+ events.
mojorooks 05-04-06, 08:55 AM	Transmute Spell to Cow: one word in every spell's title is changed to "cow" and the spell's effect is altered accordingly. Effects range from Detect Cow ("There are no cows here") to Tasha's Uncontrollable Hideous Cow (which rampages randomly around the battlefield) to Cow's Grace (or pretty much any stat-buff, reformulated in terms of a cow: not a pretty sight). Ha! -Wouldn't Cowball hit the opponenet with a certain part of a bull? Cure light cow: Heals nearest cow. Read Cow: Gain the ability to know what cattle brands mean. Cow (feather) Fall: Fall at the rate a cow normally would. Cow Climb: nuff said
Nani? 05-04-06, 10:39 AM	65? 2s are now also autofails and critical miss threats 66. Your character changes gender It's 64 by the numbered ones and the gender one has already been used (-2). That brings your count down to 73. 75 through 80 are legitimate complaints but not actual curses. However, having tonados or earthquakes happen around you with around you at a given frequency would be a cool curse so I'll leave 43-50. I'll take out 54-56 as campaign destroying. That brings counted number down to 70. The cow spell thing is 71. Krugs are 72 and 73. I have 10 unnumbered curses so I offically designate them 74 through 83. Therefore, 84. The character is one gender during the day and another at night. 85. Character has no gender, like a barbie doll. 86. Character believes themselves to be the opposite gender and dresses and acts appropriately. 87. Character is physically half one gender and half the other. All the Best, Nani?