Those afflicted with the Curse of Vengeance are unwilling harbingers of justice, bound to the souls of those murdered by criminal violence. This unnatural connection grants them the ability to witness a victim's entire life—its joys, sorrows, and, most painfully, their death. The bond is sealed through an inked visage of the victim upon the bearer's body, using a mixture of blood, holy water, and black ink. This tattoo forges an unbreakable tether between the bearer and the dead, ensuring their restless spirit will not pass on until vengeance is exacted. The price, however, is steep—these spirits linger, whispering in the dark, appearing unbidden in moments of solitude, their deaths replaying in the bearer's mind.
Detailed Background Description
Marked by the spectral echoes of the slain, those burdened with the Curse of Vengeance are driven by an insatiable need to find the perpetrators of these injustices and deliver a reckoning. Their curse grants them unnatural investigative talents, honed by the very memories and voices of the dead. They heal faster than ordinary folk, as if fate itself ensures they survive long enough to carry out their grim task. However, they cannot escape the pain of their calling—every death they bear is relived through their own flesh, a suffering that does not leave wounds but leaves scars nonetheless.
Many of these cursed individuals become relentless seekers of truth, turning to detective work, bounty hunting, or vigilante justice. Others wander as lone wanderers, trying in vain to escape the spirits that shadow them. Though some attempt to break the curse, it is widely believed that only in death will they truly be free.
Background Ability Bonuses
- +1 to Wisdom (Your senses are attuned to the voices of the dead and the truths they reveal.)
- +1 to Constitution (You endure both the physical and psychological toll of bearing such a heavy curse.)
"I carry their pain so they may rest. The only peace I will know is the day I fall beside them."
- Skill Proficiencies:
- Investigation – Your ability to piece together crime scenes and follow clues is heightened by your knowledge of the dead’s final moments.
- Insight – You possess an uncanny ability to detect lies and ulterior motives, often guided by spectral whispers and echoes of past betrayals.
- Tool Proficiencies:
- Poisoner’s Kit – Some of the cursed develop a taste for poetic justice, ensuring their vengeance is delivered in the most painful ways possible.
- Disguise Kit – Some bearers operate in the shadows, infiltrating and deceiving their way to the truth.
- Languages:
- Common
- One language of the victim’s choice (selected upon receiving their tattoo). The victim’s essence lingers within you, granting you an understanding of their native tongue.
- Umbral (a rare, spectral tongue spoken among ghosts and restless spirits).
- Equipment: Background Equipment
- A vial of ink infused with holy water and blood, enough for one tattoo.
- A small book filled with names and descriptions of the dead who follow you.
- A black hood or mask to conceal your identity.
- A set of common clothes.
- A dagger, often used to mark your victims once vengeance is delivered.
- 15 gold coins.
Roll a d8 or choose an option that best fits your experience:
| d8 | Curse-Specific Traits Table |
|---|---|
| 1 | You see every victim you bear in reflective surfaces, their dead eyes staring back at you. |
| 2 | You sometimes awaken with bruises, cuts, or phantom pains from a victim’s death wound. |
| 3 | The spirits in your care whisper in your ear when you’re alone, some guiding you, others mocking your failures. |
| 4 | A victim’s ghostly silhouette follows you in dim light, visible only to you. |
| 5 | You develop an aversion to sleep, fearing the visions that come with it. |
| 6 | You instinctively know when someone has killed before, sensing a faint trace of death upon them. |
| 7 | You find objects belonging to your victims placed around you when you wake up. |
| 8 | A spectral hound or bird follows you from time to time, a messenger of your bound spirits. |
- You can see and communicate with the spirits of those who were murdered unjustly. While they are bound to you, they appear primarily at night or during moments of solitude, whispering their last memories and urging you toward vengeance.
- If you have a tattoo of the victim’s face (created using their blood, holy water, and black ink), you may enter a trance once per long rest to witness the entirety of their life from birth to death, including their final moments. This vision grants you advantage on Investigation and Insight checks related to their murder.
- When experiencing these visions, you feel the full pain of their death. While you take no actual damage, the experience is jarring and distressing, preventing restful sleep unless you succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw.
- These souls will not pass on until either you or their murderer has died. Upon your death, all bound souls are released to the afterlife.
Suggested Characteristics
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | "I will not rest until every soul I bear finds peace." |
| 2 | "Justice must be served, no matter the cost." |
| 3 | "The dead are my only true companions." |
| 4 | "My methods may be brutal, but my cause is just." |
| 5 | "Every moment I waste is another moment my spirits suffer." |
| 6 | "I speak more to the dead than the living." |
| d3 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vengeance – "I am the hand that delivers justice." (Chaotic) |
| 2 | Balance – "The spirits deserve peace, and I will see them to it." (Neutral) |
| 3 | Duty – "It is my burden to bear, and I do so willingly." (Lawful) |
| d2 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | "A spirit in my care reminds me of a loved one I failed to protect." |
| 2 | "I made a promise to a ghost that I intend to keep." |
| d2 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | "I find more comfort among the dead than the living." |
| 2 | "My need for revenge blinds me to the consequences of my actions." |
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