School of Curses

You focus your studies on the use of forbidden spells to debilitate your enemies in exchange for a payment of your own life force as well as Sigils to place dark enchantments upon items and individuals. Curses are a dangerous and powerful source of magic often leading to the destruction of the user which is why it’s a forbidden magic, many who wield the Black Grimoire don’t realize the power they truly wield until it’s too late to stop the consequences. Curse mages are a rare occurrence due to the forbidden nature of their magic and are often hunted by zealot paladins and priests seeking to cleanse the world of darkness. Many curse mages become reclusive hermits using their powers on foolish travelers that seek them out in search of an easy solution to their problems, but others of a rare few use their power to become manipulators of politics to gain more influence behind the scenes, others still choose to become powerful archmages and rule over their own magical tower or domain to further study the power the Black Grimoire provides. What ever the path chosen a Curse Wizard is a powerful ally to have and a horrifying foe to face.

Curse Savant

Beginning at 2nd level when you select this school you obtain an old tattered and ancient Black Grimoire to hold your Curse spells. Instead of gold to copy a spell into your Black Grimoire you use your own blood as the ink and pay 2d6 hit points to copy a spell into the Black Grimoire.
(Divination spells cant be written into the Black Grimoire if a Divination spell is attempted to be copied into the Black Grimoire the writer takes 2D8 force damage.)

Curse Spells
At 2nd level when you choose this school all spells you learn and write into the Black Grimoire gain the “Curse" spell type and take on a Black coloration or aura (fire spells have a Black flame instead of red or orange etc.). All non ritual Curse spells require payment by the caster in the form of 1d4 Hit Points per level as well as the normal materials to cast and will deal a negative, status, or reversed effect - based on the spells original effect - to the target for a number of rounds/minutes equal to the level the spell was cast or until a successful saving roll is made by the target (Cantrip effects last for 1 minute or 1 round) (Status effects like Burn will deal half the original damage of the spell that applied it). Spells that create, summon, or physically change an item or creature will instead create a Cursed Variant (any living thing affected this way is a Cursed Abomination). As a reaction you can heal for 2D6 + int hit points but cannot take a bonus action on the same turn. All Ritual Curse Spells require a payment of 1d8 Hit Points per spell level as well as the normal materials to cast.

Curse Sigils

At 6th level you can spend 1 hour a day or 2d6 Hit Points placing a Curse Sigil on to a small item turning it into a cursed item. The Sigils and their effects are inscribed into your Black Grimoire. An item can only have one Curse Sigil on it at a time. At 10th level you can create new Curse Sigils and inscribe them and their effects into your Black Grimoire, you can also cast any Curse Sigil inscribed in your Black Grimoire as a cantrip or up to a 5th level spell by paying 3d4 Hit Points or drawing it in blood on a piece of magic paper used for writing down spells and paying 1d8 Hit Points. Curse Sigils cast as spells will have their effects last a number of hours or days/rounds equal to the level they are cast at (Curse Sigils cast as Cantrips last 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 round). 

Curse Sigils

Inversion - Counter and dispel a spell that is being cast or is targeting you or a creature within 10ft of you and negate any effects. The caster of the countered spell is unable to cast that spell for the duration of this curse.

Disease and Sickness - The target of this curse is afflicted with a disease of the casters choosing. Over time the disease will worsen till the target is incapacitated or left unconscious until it is dispelled with Dispel Curse, however the disease, no matter how deadly or contagious, will never kill the target or spread to other creatures in the vicinity. Any attempts to cure or slow the disease only make it worse.

Misfortune - The target of this curse is afflicted with terrible misfortune that only grows worse until the curse is dispelled. The target will suffer greater misfortunes over time but will never be killed or harmed physically by the spell's effects. Over time the spell will begin to affect the environment around the target and the people in it until the spell is dispelled.

Pacifism - The target of this curse is unable to attack or be attacked. Whenever the target makes a successful attack against a sentient creature, they will receive any damage that attack would inflict instead. If the target of this curse would be attacked any damage they would receive would be reflected back to its source instead.

Nightmares - The target of this curse suffers horrifying nightmares each and every time they try to sleep until the curse is dispelled. 

Weakness - The target of this curse always has at least one point of exhaustion also any successful attack they would make will only deal half damage and any successful attack on the target will have the damage dice doubled regardless of if its critical or not and doubled again on a critical attack until the curse is dispelled. 

Paranoia - The Target of this curse becomes suspicious and distrustful of everyone around them regardless of prior relationships and grows worse over time.

Ineptitude - The target of this curse becomes unable to perform a certain skill or ability designated by the caster (i.e., casting magic, wielding a sword etc.). If the target attempts to perform the chosen skill, they do so with disadvantage and a -5 modifier.

Harm - The target of this curse is inflicted with constant damage over time starting at once a week and slowly becoming more constant until damage is inflicted three times a day. The Damage starts at 1d4 and increases by 1d4 up to 5d4 before increasing by one dice size to a maximum of 5d12 or until the curse is dispelled. The damage the target receives cannot kill them but can render them unconscious. 

 Fear - The target of this curse experiences debilitating unending terror until the curse is dispelled. The target is unable to calm their sense of terror and believes their worst fear is everywhere whatever it might be.

Hatred - The target of this curse experiences an infinite burning hatred towards a target chosen by the caster and will do anything and everything to kill, destroy or defeat that designated target without any regard for what gets in their way of accomplishing that task. The curse ends once they have removed the source of their hatred or until the curse is dispelled.

Madness - The target of this curse slowly falls into the depths of madness. This curse starts slow and grows worse day by day the longer it afflicts the target until their mind completely shatters into insanity or the curse is dispelled.

Control - This curse allows the caster to take control of a creature that is Small to Large size forcing them to obey all commands given them and answer all questions they are asked that they can provide an answer for. When this curse is dispelled, the target loses all memory of any actions taken while under its influence.

Animate - This curse allows the caster to animate non-living materials and form them into a construct that is small to large size that obeys any commands given by the caster.

 

Cursed Familiar
Using the “Control” or “Animate" Curse Sigils you can create your own familiar by taking control of a small animal (Raven, Owl, Crow, Cat, Poisonous Snake, Rat, Bat, Octopus, Fish, Spider, Scorpion, or Insect) or by animating a small construct no larger than 1 ½ feet tall made from wood, metal, or stone as a Curse Puppet that follows your commands and is capable of simple speech and independent movement. Creating a Cursed Familiar takes 1 day and requires 3d8 Hit Points in payment to complete. You will be able to possess your Cursed Familiar and see and hear what it does and control its movements up to a distance of 120 ft. If your Cursed Familiar is killed or destroyed, you must spend another day and 3d8 Hit Points to make another one. If your Cursed Familiar is killed or destroyed while you’re controlling it you take half the damage that destroys it as psychic damage. A Cursed Puppet has 2d8 + 10 Hit Points and a movement speed of 40 ft.

Curse Configuration

At 10th level you develop your own magic circle configuration to develop and cast your own unique curse spells and rituals and apply it onto your body in the form of a tattoo or physical engraving on your body. This configuration is unique to you and is infused with your own curse magic making you resistant to curse effects and gives you advantage on saving throws against curses. Any curses you cast with your Curse Configuration cost half the components but an additional 1D4 Hit Points for regular spells and an additional 1D8 hit points for ritual spells. Spells cast through your Curse Configuration have any dice rolls increased by 1 dice size and duration effects doubled.

Curse Revenant

At 14th level you become infused with curse energy and become a Curse Revenant, your appearance is permanently altered by the dark powers coursing within you. As a Curse Revenant you no longer need to eat or sleep, your aging is slowed down to every 5 years that pass you age 1 year, and you are now immune to curses and curse effects. You can cast your non-ritual curse spells and sigils without any materials by paying a number of D10s equal to the spells level instead, the spell will deal max damage doubled and the curse effect will last double the usual amount of time however if casting a spell this way would reduce your hit points to below zero you will suffer 1 failed death save for every 10 hit points past zero paid.