Curses
A terrible power is carried in one's thirst for vengeance. Within the Domains of Dread, the Dark Powers are ever vigilant for the cries of the blood & tears. Should someone's desire for justice be powerful enough, or their burning hatred be truly aflame, the Dark Powers may take an interest & lend their aid. Despite the poetic justice many curses provide to the beleaguered souls of the Dread Domains, they are still a supernatural evil begotten of foul deeds & hateful intent.
Types of Curses
Most adventurers are familiar with curses such as those from the spell Bestow Curse cast by bards, clerics, & wizards. In the Domains of Dread, anyone can lay a curse if their fury be potent & the Dark Powers willing. Finally, there are also those that draw the attention of the Dark Powers to themselves either willingly or unwittingly, laying curses upon themselves. These constitute the three kinds of curses that can be found within the Dread Domains: arcane curses, curses of vengeance, & self-induced curses.
Arcane Curses
Arcane curses refer to those available to spellcasters by learning spells like Bestow Curse or Geas. Such spells do not require the spellcaster to make a Curse Check (as detailed below), but the normal limitations of spellcasting do apply. Any spell that has long-term, deleterious effects can be used as the basis of a curse within the Dread Domains.
However, certain opportunities are presented with the Bestow Curse spell within the Domains of Dread. A spellcaster may attempt to empower the spell by calling upon sinister magic or the Dark Powers themselves. When doing this, the caster must succeed on a Charisma saving throw with a DC equal to the following:
If the spellcaster succeeds on the check, they can impose a penalty that is similar to those suggested for the intended severity. However, the targeted creature must fail the normal Wisdom saving throw for the curse to take effect & the duration remains the same length as it would be normally. Should the spellcaster fail on their check or the targeted creature succeed on their Wisdom saving throw, then the curse fails & the spell slot is consumed.
The downside to empowering Bestow Curse in such a manner is that it will call for the spellcaster to make a Powers check, even if the invocation is unsuccessful.
Example
If a cleric casts Bestow Curse as 4th-level spell with a troublesome severity, that cleric would have to succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw (10 + 1 + 2). If the cleric succeeds their check & then the target fails their Wisdom saving throw, then they suffer the effects of a troublesome curse for up to 10 minutes.
Whether or not the invocation was successful or not, the cleric that attempted to cast the troublesome curse will now have to make a Powers check with a 4% chance of failure.
Curses of Vengeance
Curses of vengeance are the result of when a person believes they have suffered some wrong & in their outrage the call for harm to befall the offending party. Even a common peasant with no knowledge of the arcane can invoke a curse of vengeance that could destroy the life of a powerful noble. Laying such curses require a Curse Check (as detailed below), but when successfully invoked the target is immediately cursed with no saving throw & in spite of any spell resistances the target may possess.
Self-Induced Curses
Self-induced curses are those in which the invoker & the victim are the same individual. Often this is the result of some twisted obsession that either attracts the attention of the Dark Powers or drives the character seek out the "gifts" of the Path of Corruption. Such a character can purposefully commit a variety of heinous deeds or dark rites to trigger a Powers check, then willingly fail the check so as to gain the boons of the Dark Powers. Many of the darklords of Ravenloft willingly committed great acts of evil for the sake of their ambitions or desires but now suffer curses that deny them the very temptations they sought.
Components of a Curse
Curses generally have three components: pronouncement, burden, & resolution. At least one of the latter two components should have an ironic or thematic connection to the action that triggered the curse.
Pronouncement
The pronouncement is the threat or warning announcing the curse, promising retribution upon any who dare or have already committed some offense. Curses must be delivered in a demonstrable way, their strength reflected in either the invoker's extreme emotional state or deep concentration on supernatural rites. In cases where the curse arises from a creature, such as a dying victim's last breath, the curse is loud & clear. However, the target of a curse need not hear the curse in order for it to take effect & casting the Silence spell can't prevent a curse from being laid. Curses can also be laid through physical acts, such as inscribing a seal upon a tomb's door or crafting a cursed magic item. The following examples are possible pronouncements:
Burden
The burden is a description of the hardships & suffering that can be expected to be upon the cursed character. In many cases, the burden is a reflection of whatever offending deed triggered the curse in the first place. While a curse will take immediate effect, sometimes a character may not initially notice the effects aside from a growing dread or sense of foreboding. Some effects are not apparent until a situation arises in which the effects become obvious.
Severity
When the DM creates a curse or allows a player to create a curse, they must take into consideration how powerful the effects will be on the victim's life. Below are various severity levels for curses, as well as some potential effects based on those severity levels. When selecting a curse's effect, you can roll on the desired severity's table for a random effect or select one you deem appropriate.
Level 1 - Embarrassing Curses
The least severe & often the least powerful of curses, an embarrassing curse is generally used to punish relatively harmless transgressions. The consequences of such curses will result in only minor changes to the offending character. While the behavioral or physical alterations may be small, some NPC's may notice & become wary of the cursed character. Other than affecting some roleplay scenes, embarrassing curses shouldn't affect gameplay mechanics.
Potential Embarrassing Curses
| d10 | Embarrassing Curse |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eyes Changes - Your eyes turn a strange color or have a sinister glow. |
| 2 | Physical Tics - You develop a facial tic or twitching fingers. |
| 3 | Hair Changes - Your hair turns ghost white or begins to fall out in handfuls. |
| 4 | Skin Changes - Your skin breaks out with oozing sores or other blemishes. |
| 5 | Mouth Changes - Your teeth seem sharper, or your tongue is now forked. |
| 6 | Limb Changes - You grow an extra finger, or one hand starts to wither. |
| 7 | Weird Tastes - You now have a craving for unconventional food, like bone, blood, or raw meat. |
| 8 | Weird Habits - You now have a weird habit, such as howling at the moon, growling when angry, or shredding paper when nervous. |
| 9 | Vocal Changes - You have developed an annoying stutter or start to hiss whenever you speak. |
| 10 | Roll Again |
Level 2 - Frustrating Curses
A frustrating curse can interfere with the cursed character's daily life, often resulting from a relatively moderate offense. The effects can have a minor effect on gameplay mechanics that could make combat, exploration, or social interactions slightly more difficult. NPC's are more likely to notice the curse's symptoms & will often be wary of the cursed character.
Potential Frustrating Curses
| d12 | Frustrating Curse |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ability Score Penalty - You take a -2 penalty to an ability score. |
| 2-3 | Insanity - You roll on the Mild Temporary Insanity Table (see Insanity). At the start of each day, you must succeed on either a 20 DC Wisdom saving throw or a DC equal to the chance of failure for the failed Powers check, whichever is least. On a failure, you suffer the short-term madness you rolled at some point in the next 24 hours, at the DM's discretion. |
| 4-5 | New Fear - You roll on the Seed of Fear Table (see Fear & Stress), gaining a new fear that can affect combat & roleplay. |
| 6 | Sunlight Sensitivity - While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. |
| 7 | Physical Changes - You suffer a significant physical change. Examples include having bestial facial features, patches of fur or scales, a short tail, a hunchback, or growing/shrinking up to 1' in height. |
| 8-9 | Weird Tastes with Penalty - You must eat a strange substance once per day, such as fresh blood, raw meat, pages from a holy book, or graveyard soil. Failure to do so results in a penalty like having disadvantage on attack rolls for the next 24 hours. |
| 10-11 | Weird Rituals with Penalty - You must perform some minor dark ritual once per day, such as insult a close friend, frighten a random stranger, or draw occult sigils in public places. Failure to do so results in a penalty like having disadvantage on ability checks for the next 24 hours. |
| 12 | Vocal Changes - Your voice develops a sinister, inhuman quality. |
Level 3 - Troublesome Curses
A troublesome curse will alter the character's lifestyle, though not in a manner that should result in immediate mortal danger. These are often the result of a character violating some major taboo or causing serious harm to someone. The accursed often suffers a significant change to their appearance or personality that could have a serious effect on game mechancis. Also, NPC's will notice the curse's symptoms & do their best to avoid interacting with the cursed character.
Potential Troublesome Curses
| d12 | Troublesome Curse |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ability Score Penalties - You take a -4 penalty to one ability score, or a -2 penalty to two ability scores. |
| 2-4 | Insanity You roll on the Mild Temporary Insanity Table (see Insanity). At the start of each day, you must succeed on either a 20 DC Wisdom saving throw or a DC equal to the chance of failure for the failed Powers check, whichever is least. On a failure, you suffer the short-term madness you rolled at some point during the next 24 hours, at the DM's discretion. |
| 5-7 | New Fear - You roll on the Seed of Fear Table (see Fear & Stress), gaining a new fear that can affect combat & roleplay. |
| 8 | Partial Disability - You suffer from partial blindness/deafness. If you are partially blind, you have disadvantage on any ability check that requires sight & your attack rolls are at disadvantage if reliant on sight. If you are partially deaf, you have disadvantage on any ability check that requires hearing. |
| 9-10 | Physical Changes - You suffer a major physical change. Examples include having monstrous facial features, vestigial wings, limbs becoming bestial or deformed, or a physical sex change. |
| 11-12 | Personality Changes - You gain a significant personality flaw, such as becoming obsessed with obtaining something that is unobtainable due to the curse itself or suffering an evil alignment shift. |
Level 4 - Dangerous Curses
A dangerous curse will significantly alter the accursed character's lifestyle & cause drastic physical &/or mental changes that will have a significant effect on gameplay. These are often the result of heinous offenses, such as betrayal or murder. The alterations to the accursed characters appearance are often monstrous in nature, causing most NPC's to avoid them in fear, if not outright becoming hostile.
Potential Dangerous Curses
| d10 | Dangerous Curse |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ability Score Penalties - You take a -6 penalty to one ability score, or a -2 penalty to three ability scores. |
| 2 | Insanity - You roll on the Severe Temporary Insanity Table (see Insanity). At the start of each day, you must succeed on either a 20 DC Wisdom saving throw or a DC equal to the chance of failure for the failed Powers check, whichever is least. On a failure, you suffer the short-term madness you rolled at some point during the next 24 hours, at the DM's discretion. |
| 3 | New Fear - You roll on the Seed of Fear Table (see Fear & Stress), gaining a new fear that can affect combat & roleplay. |
| 4 | Disability - You suffer from blindness/deafness. |
| 5 | Lycanthropy - You are afflicted with lycanthropy. |
| 6 | Will Rise as Undead - When you die, you can't be resurrected & will reanimate as an undead creature. |
| 7 | Polymorph - You are polymorphed into a beast that is Small-sized or less, such as a toad or raven. |
| 8 | Predator - You are stalked by a monster that's CR is dangerous for you to face alone. |
| 9 | Sinister Tastes - You can only eat a strange substance, such as blood, bones, raw flesh, etc. |
| 10 | Obsession - You are obsessed to the point that whenever you are presented with an object or person you desire, you will focus on nothing else but to obtain it by any means necessary. |
Level 5 - Lethal Curses
A lethal curse is only reserved for those that commit the vilest of offenses as they will shatter any semblance of normalcy in a character's life & may even result in their death. These curses will cause an immediate change that will drastically alter the character's physical appearance, personality, & gameplay mechanics. The curse is obvious to NPC's who see the accursed, fearfully running for help or becoming immediately hostile.
Circumstances around the casting of a lethal curse are generally fraught with intense feelings of grief or rage. This is necessary for a mortal to cast such as curse, as the invoker's mental turmoil & the often-irredeemable nature of the offense will attract the attention something like the Dark Powers.
Potential Lethal Curses
| d12 | Lethal Curse |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ability Score Penalties - You take a -8 penalty to one ability score, a -4 penalty to two ability scores, or a -2 penalty to four ability scores. |
| 2-3 | Insanity - You roll on the Permanent Insanity Table (see Insanity). |
| 4-5 | New Fear - You roll on the Seed of Fear Table (see Fear & Stress), gaining a new fear that can affect combat & roleplay. |
| 6 | Ability Drain - You suffer a daily -2 penalty to an ability score. If the affected ability score reaches 0, then your character dies. |
| 7-8 | Monstrous Transformation - You immediately & permanently transform into a non-humanoid creature, such as a construct, fey, monstrosity, or undead. |
| 9 | Evil Alignment - Your alignment permanently changes to evil & can't be reversed without lifting the curse. Any previous traits, ideals, or bonds you had become twisted versions of their former selves. |
| 10-12 | Bloodshed - Once a day you must kill someone or commit a similar evil deed. Failure to do so will result in a cumulative penalty, such as gaining a level of exhaustion. |
Resolution
The only way to permanently remove certain curses within the Dread Domains is to fulfil their resolution, also known as the escape clause. While the Vistani can revoke curses laid by their people with relative ease, others who invoke curses can't take them back so easily. Once a curse takes effect, it often gains a life of its own.
While casting spells like Remove Curse can provide temporary relief (up to 1 hour with +1 hour with each spell level above 3rd-level), some curses have methods built in to temporarily negate their effects. These reprieves are sometimes referred to as avoidance clauses. A cursed character simply has to perform a specific task or avoid doing something that can trigger the curse's effects. One example could be a barbarian cursed to lose her sanity whenever she wields a sword, so she switches to using a different weapon. Another could be wizard cursed with a penalty to his Intelligence unless he consumes live bugs every day. All curses that contain a triggered effect includes an avoidance clause by their very nature.
A permanent resolution, sometimes referred to as a redemption clause, often revolves around the cursed character making amends for the offense that triggered the curse. In some cases, a less severe curse can be lifted through restitution or reparations made to the offended party (or to their next of kin). In other cases, the cursed might have to undergo a trial of redemption similar to a character seeking to retreat from the Path of Corruption. For example, a former bandit that was cursed for robbing a priestess might have to defend other clergy from harm at least seven times before curse will be lifted.
Laying Curses
Curses must be delivered in a demonstrable way, their strength reflected in either the invoker's extreme emotional state or deep concentration on supernatural rites. In cases where the curse arises from a creature, such as a dying victim's last breath, the curse is loud & clear. However, the target of a curse need not hear the curse in order for it to take effect & casting the Silence spell can't prevent a curse from being laid. Curses can also be laid through physical acts, such as inscribing a seal upon a tomb's door or crafting a cursed magic item.
Justification
Justification is a measure of how deities or other powerful entities might consider the target of a curse to be worthy of the curse being laid upon them. Certain factors that divine or supernatural beings might consider for whether a curse is justified might include the following:
Justification often focuses exclusively on the perspective of the curse's invoker. If the person who lays the curse believes that they were victimized by the curse's target, that is unfortunately more powerful than whatever is the objective truth. If a necromancer performing a gruesome sacrifice in order to resurrect their long dead child, but a band of heroes stops the ritual to rescue the sacrificial victim, the necromancer may feel justified in laying a curse upon the heroes. Due to the justification of a curse being so subjective, entities with a strong association with law & order may be called upon to aid in resolving a curse that is inherently biased or unfair.
In terms of gameplay mechanics, justification falls into three categories:
Unjustified. The curse is baseless; the target does not need to be punished & the invoker knows that fact. It can also apply to a situation where the invoker attempts to lay a curse that is far too severe for the offense committed. A person that abuses the ability to lay curses will often find their ability hindered, or worse they will attract the attention of entities like the Dark Powers.
Justified. These curses are generally considered fair. The invoker has suffered harm, the curse's target does deserve punishment, & the severity of the curse is relatively appropriate for the offense committed. Curses that would otherwise be considered highly justified, but the severity of the curse is too much may slip into this category.
Highly Justified. These curses are invoked to punish terrible transgressions. The invoker must have suffered serious harm & the curse's target must truly deserve to be punished. Often a deed worthy of a highly justified curse is also worthy of Powers check.
Making a Curse Check
Should a player character either be targeted with a curse or attempt to invoke one themselves, whether or not the curse is successfully laid can be resolved with a curse check. When calculating the DC of a curse check, follow the steps below:
Sample Curses
Provided here are several example curses & the circumstances surrounding them. Change the details of any of these examples to customize them to your adventures.
Ancient Seal
This curse protects the resting place of a long-dead ruler & punishes any who disturb the ruler's remains or plunder the treasures.
Pronouncement. Carved into the stone of the crypt door are the words "Relentless death follows those who disturb the sovereign's rest."
Burden. Each character that gains the curse is hunted by a wraith that appears at sunset & vanishes at dawn, pursuing the single-minded goal of slaying the cursed individual. The wraith manifests in an unoccupied space within 30' of its victim. Destroying the wraith grants a temporary reprieve; it doesn't reform for 10 days. You can scale this curse for lower- & higher-level characters by choosing another kind of creature.
Resolution. The cursed character sets right what they disturbed; stolen treasure must be returned, & if the ruler's body was disturbed, it must be reinterred with proper observances.
Broken Vow
A character breaks a solemn vow. The consequences stem from the powers that observed the oath's swearing.
Pronouncement. Whatever vow the character made, it came with an implied warning that guilt & restlessness would beset anyone who broke the oath.
Burden. The character is plagued by restless sleep and recurring nightmares featuring those the character swore to protect. The character gains 3 levels of exhaustion that can't be removed until the curse ends.
Resolution. The curse lasts until the character upholds the broken oath. That might require the character to wait until the circumstances arise again or, more questionably, to engineer the circumstances.
Final Breath
A deity's favored servant lies dying & calls down divine wrath.
Pronouncement. The dying creature declares to the killer, "May your mind grow dim in battle until the sun sets forever."
Burden. The character has disadvantage on attack rolls brought on by brief, sporadic bouts of confusion.
Resolution. To lift the curse, the character must cause a symbolic setting of the sun or an empowering of the night to appease the slain creature's deity. The character might prevent a festival dedicated to a sun god or perform a ritual that shrouds an entire settlement in magical night for 24 hours, thus ending the curse.
Innocent Blood
The tragic situation came to pass where a character killed an undeserving person, who laid a vengeful curse in punishment.
Pronouncement. The dying victim spits final words: "You shall spill innocent blood until laid low by the moon's bite!"
Burden. The character is cursed with loup garou lycanthropy.
Mishamel
Also known as "the melting curse," is potentially one of the most dangerous curses that can be invoked by a Vistani for especially grievous crimes. For example, a young Vistana that was falsely convicted of several murders & sentenced to be burned at the stake invoked this curse in her final moments, cursing her accusers to share in her suffering.
Pronouncement: The invoker, in a moment of intense emotional &/or physical agony, points at the offending party & utters a curse in Patterna that roughly translates to "For your sins may your blood boil, your flesh melt, & your bones bend until Death claims you."
Burden. Someone who suffers this curse will look as if their flesh is melting while their bones begin to buckle under their weight. At the start of each day, the cursed character takes -2 penalty to their Constitution ability score. If the character's Constitution reaches 0, the character's body completely melts & they die. In in 1d6 days, the character's melted corpse reanimates as a Boneless.
Resolution. The cursed character can delay the effects of the curse by creating an effigy from magical wax & other components worth 100gp. The effigy slowly melts over the course of a ten days, preventing the cursed character from taking the penalty to their Constitution score. To permanently remove the curse, the cursed character must seek atonement from either the invoker of the curse or a Vistani leader. The atonement may involve making a public confession of the offense & performing acts of atonement similar to those needed to redeem a character from a failed Powers check (for more information, see Powers Checks).
Scoundrel's Gloves
This particular curse is commonly cast by the Vistani as a means of protecting personal property they find especially valuable.
Pronouncement. An object protected by this curse often has a pair of black hands or a small glyph that will produce a slight visual or auditory effect when it is handled by someone other than its true owner. This may be a ringing sensation in the ears or an ominous glow, something to warn the handler that the object has some form of arcane protection.
Burden. If someone should steal an item upon which this curse has been cast, the skin of their hands will darken over 1d4 days until becoming pitch black. The curse could also incorporate runes or sigils that mark the character as a thief.
Resolution. The cursed character must confess their crime to a leader of the Vistani tribe that they stole from. The character must undergo a rite of reparation, either returning the stolen item or paying a fee set by the victim, after which the curse is lifted. The cursed character's hands return to their normal color after 1d4 days.
Sources
Table of Contents
Curse Check Modifiers
| Circumstances | Modifier to the Curse Check DC |
|---|---|
| The invoker is native to the Dread Domains | -2 |
| The curse is the invoker's dying words | -2 |
| The invoker calls upon a deity native to the Dread Domains | -1 |
| The invoker calls upon the Dark Powers to cast the curse | -2 |
| The invoker calls upon a specific Dark Power to cast the curse | -5 |
| The invoker fails the Powers check triggered by laying the curse | -5 |
| Curse Severity | |
| Embarrassing | 0 |
| Frustrating | +1 |
| Troublesome | +2 |
| Dangerous | +4 |
| Lethal | +6 |
Comments