Woe is you, unfortunate soul. You have been cursed, whether from birth or some unfortunate series of events, and this curse holds sway over your life. You are not sure if the curse can be broken, but certainly your life would be much more pleasant without it. Each time the fates seem to be working in your favor some disaster strikes and suddenly all your efforts seem thwarted. You may at times feel helpless against the power of this curse, or maybe you reject these dark fortunes and strive against them. In the end though, luck is not on your side. It is up to you and your DM to determine what kinds of effects your curse may have on you beyond what is detailed in this background.
Curses are sometimes of a mundane variety, from tools breaking, food souring, minor items disappearing, or they may be of a more arcane variety; Your face may be impossible to remember, or you find yourself unable to speak at times, or you may have found yourself in a different body entirely. The nature of the curse is typically founded in the manner of it's creation, however, though the meaning may be more or less poetic depending on the reason behind your curse. Did you merely irritate the wrong person, or do you suffer the consequences of someone (or thing's) wrath?
Regardless, curses tend to make one's life more difficult. While you may have learned to live with it, as a cursed individual typically you spend most of your time travelling—either away from angry villagers or because your curse may prevent you from staying in one place for too long (perhaps after your presence has rotted out every stool in the inn.)
- Skill Proficiencies: Two of the following: Arcana, Athletics, Intimidation, Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: One of your choice
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A book pertaining to your curse, thyme, a set of common clothes, a small pouch with 15gp, and a gothic trinket.
You were cursed by something or someone. Roll on the table below to find out who/what it was.
| d8 | Curse Origin |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fiend: A demon saw fit to hex you. |
| 2 | Divine: A celestial being has placed a curse on you. |
| 3 | Primal: The spirits of nature have cursed you. |
| 4 | Fey: A being from the Feywild placed a curse on you. |
| 5 | Arcane: A wizard or other arcane force has stricken you with a curse. |
| 6 | Draconic: A dragon deemed it fit to curse you. |
| 7 | Elemental: An elemental or the elements themselves have conspired and cursed you. |
| 8 | Aberration: A being from beyond your plane has inflicted a curse upon you. |
There is something about you that tips others off, often sparking wariness. Perhaps it is some sort of aura: animals reacting poorly to your entrance or a simple air about you that indicates something is wrong. Or, perhaps, something is more obviously amiss about you, such as strange marks or scars. You may or may not be fully capable of hiding this fact until the time calls for it, but it is always apart of you, and may slip out when the moment is inopportune. Civilians and other folk who wish to avoid trouble may ignore small crimes or trespasses, however be wary: depending on the nature of your curse, clerics and other holy persons may in fact have their attention drawn towards you, and mages with less scrupulous research practices may become a little too interested in your physiology and the nature of the magic that affects you.
Suggested Characteristics
Those who bear curses tend to lean towards either more eccentric personalities, or entirely stone-faced fronts. The characteristics below will help you find towards which direction you lean.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm extremely anxious and tend to second-guess my decisions (and everyone else's). |
| 2 | I get angry when I hear people complaining about their lives. They don't know what true misfortune is! |
| 3 | I don't care who knows about my curse and tend to even brag about being cursed. |
| 4 | I'm extremely driven to live a normal life - or as normal as it can get. |
| 5 | Taking risks is worth it if it gives me a chance to test the curse's power. |
| 6 | I engage in a variety of rituals to attempt to lessen my curse. |
| 7 | I'm incredibly optimistic in the face of my terrible curse. |
| 8 | The curse makes me incredibly volatile, as the littlest things can set me off. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fate. I was cursed for a reason, and therefore I will live with this burden. (Lawful) |
| 2 | Experimental. Perhaps this will break the curse! No? Well, then maybe I'll give this a try! Not that either? Then maybe... (Chaotic) |
| 3 | Acceptance. I strive to learn to live with my curse, even if it means never getting rid of it. (Neutral) |
| 4 | Triumph. Each victory I have is precious, for each one is a blow against my curse. (Good) |
| 5 | Suffering. If I must bear this pain, then so shall the world. (Evil) |
| 6 | Defiance. I will do the one thing that this curse cannot stop me from doing... ignoring it. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | The being that cursed me knows a dark secret about me or my bloodline. |
| 2 | I've been kicked out of towns and cities before because they were afraid I'd bring bad luck, or worse. |
| 3 | I had a master who died in an attempt to remove my curse. Their death has haunted me since. |
| 4 | This curse pushed my family or lover away. I would do anything to get them back. |
| 5 | The origin of my curse is of my own making; I seek to become a better person in spite of it. |
| 6 | I took the place of the one who was actually supposed to have this curse. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | The curse makes my temper hard to control, and I tend to give into violence if provoked. |
| 2 | I secretly wish I could transfer my curse onto another to escape it, no matter who that person is. |
| 3 | I am slow to trust others. After all, others cursed me once, and I've never cursed anyone. |
| 4 | I am afflicted with occasional devastating nightmares and sometimes have panic attacks. |
| 5 | I have become cold and bitter, as the curse has forced me to push people away. |
| 6 | I have difficulty reaching out to others for help because I hate feeling weak in front of others. |
People have a difficult time recalling your name or face (or both.) You easily slip into and out of crowds so long as you don't stand out too too well but could easily get away with things others could not, as your presence is easily forgotten. Any wanted posts with your face on them may vary widely or only faintly resemble the real deal. Your relative unremarkability may mean no one will sing your praises in any towns or bars but may allow you to enter and exit normally private areas—so long as you either reasonably play the part of someone who should be there or stand just out of view. However, this "out of sight or of mind" lifestyle may include members of your party, so perhaps wear an audacious hat or something to keep their attention.
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