2 ideas (The pc cursed does not know of it being cursed when given it)
Fey Blinking: If you are affected by this curse then you must roll a d4. On a 1 the spell fails and you are teleported into the feywild for 1 round and you go back to the material plane after that round.
Blight aura: This spell does not effect fey pact warlocks, rangers, or druids. When cursed and are in the feywild or a nature area on the material plane, every hour the DM must roll a d20 when spent in that area. On a 1 all plants in a 20 ft radius wither up and 1d6 vine blights rise up 10 feet around the cursed player to attack the player (and anything that attacks the blights). During combat on your turn you must roll a d10(instead of a d20) on your turn to see if this effect happens. This effect can only happen once per encounter and once during traveling.
Note: I’d recommend being subtle to the player that they are cursed by providing vague hints and descriptions too about the environment when traveling. In order for one of these spells to be removed something like a remove curse spell would work or you could create an entire adventure around removing the curse if you want it to be harder to remove.
1st, Kind of like the legend of Korra, you have a Fey spirit pass through a person and they adopt aspects of that fey spirit. A fox spirit will morph their ears back, a deer their legs will grove hooves, etc. Its not necessarily negative, but it doesn't give them like "the hearing of a fox" they just have fox ears with human level hearing.
2nd Being followed in shadow. A large hulking shadow-fey creature* follow them in mirrors and reflective surfaces such as still water, slowly getting closer.
*like a the Witcher Leshan or the Black Goat from the Ritual.
Both are "curses" but they don't make it so you can't still keep playing, and they definitely add a lot of flavor for every rest period xD
1st, Kind of like the legend of Korra, you have a Fey spirit pass through a person and they adopt aspects of that fey spirit. A fox spirit will morph their ears back, a deer their legs will grove hooves, etc. Its not necessarily negative, but it doesn't give them like "the hearing of a fox" they just have fox ears with human level hearing.
2nd Being followed in shadow. A large hulking shadow-fey creature* follow them in mirrors and reflective surfaces such as still water, slowly getting closer.
*like a the Witcher Leshan or the Black Goat from the Ritual.
Both are "curses" but they don't make it so you can't still keep playing, and they definitely add a lot of flavor for every rest period xD
Oh yeah #1 is really good idea and I really like it saying I think TLOK is a great show as well as it fits well into a D&D game. Although I do think the curse should do something other than cosmetic altering.
I guess it depends on what type of curse you are looking for. Sure, there are the "You are doomed to walk the earth for eternity" type curses. Or the "I shall drain your lifeforce so waste away, but you shall never die" curses.
But how about a curse that will just cause resignation in the player that receives it? Maybe the blackadder curse could be the way to go? Maybe the player gets hit on the head by an onion at very inopportune moments? About to seduce the whomever for access to the mcguffin? BAM, onion in the head! About to deliver an inspiring speech that will rally the townsfolk against the bandits? BAM, onion in the head! Swearing your loyalty to the mighty queen? BAM, onion in the head!
I always imagine Fey as being a species highly attuned to nature.
In this vein, I would construct a curse on the player's harmony with nature.
My first idea is to have the player taste anything not prepared in a metal container (like a stew or pancakes in a frying pan) as having a taste of ash flavoring it. They can't enjoy a piece of fresh fruit, mushroom spices, root tea unless it is placed in the boiling water on the fire, etc. Fish, venison and game birds would have to be fried and not broiled or seared on a spit. Fresh water would have a taste of mud or dirt, not overwhelming, but enough that you would hate it. Likewise, your sense of smell is effected so that when you are smelling, it seems there is a smell of ash all around you.
A second thought is that plants would 'shy away' from you and animals would run away. So everywhere you went, flocks of birds would take flight. Chipmunks, raccoons, deer, fox, etc. would flee as soon as they noticed you were anywhere near them. Plants would lean away from you to some degree; trees of course being unable to lean much at all, and grasses practically fold if necessary.
A third curse might be for insects to adore you, either like a moth to a flame so they are just a huge annoyance, or like ants to a picnic biting and stinging you until you run in a random direction hoping to find water.
A fourth curse might be that you grow fur or a hide so that you no longer have the appeal of a normal human being. The opposite sex may or may not find you charming, but your odd nature means you're never doing better than the Friend Zone ever again. For example, a hide might be calloused and scaled skin, which might give you +1 AC if you are in light or no armor, but it never goes away. And you have an itch like dry cracking skin often. Or if it is fur, it is not a lovely auburn brown coat of fine fur, but a mottled knotted kind of fur that gives a sensation of wearing an old worn coat, not quite the right size in the shoulders and the arms.
Or in another direction, you develop a green hue to your complexion. It is subtle, but everyone notices there is something not right about you. And your personal body odor smells like marigolds or some other pungent flower that is unappealing. You always look like you're about to toss your cookies.
I hope you get something from that.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Not sure how often this would happen in a campaign, but the idea of it for a back story makes it very very cruel. I have a barbarian character that, somehow, someway, pissed off the wrong Deity of the undead, leading him to be cursed with what I call "Hell's Cycle of Eternal Suffering". This curse grants him a form of immortality, where when he does, he is resurrected. But there is a huge catch. Whenever he is resurrected, he goes through unimaginable pain of fire and Brimstone, while then experiencing all past deaths he's had. His stats then reset to level 3. Example, say he dies with his chest being stabbed. The next time he dies, he relives dieing that way. And this has been happening for a thousand years for him.
They fall in love repeatedly, but the target of their love is always taken in some way. Taken by another person, by their passion/work, by the church, or by death. How horrible would it be to realize you are in love with someone only to realize that the first three options don't apply.
Yeah that is plenty messed up, but that is how much of the old fairy tales ran, very grim.
You are cursed with great luck, but it always brings tragedy with it. Think The Monkeys Paw type events. What you gain another loses two fold. For every time you dodged an arrow aimed at you a comrade took a direct hit, in a critical locations. Not equal and opposite reactions, but lopsided on bringing bad luck to those around you while you continue to experience good luck.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Everything you look at in a mirror appears horrible. Like Cthulu level of madness inspiring horrible. All you see when you look at yourself in the mirror is pure horror, monstrous, abhorrent, disturbing. Seeing other people in reflections shows monstrous versions of them as well.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I have an idea that I would love some assistance fleshing out on how to BREAK this curse.
A friendly satyr in my game has been cursed by a leprechaun to have the need to literally consume gold. He cannot eat regular food, instead he must eat gold. What are some ideas that the party could do to remove this curse and why do you think this boisterous friendly satyr got cursed in the first place?
The cursed individual hears constant whispers that are not audible to others. These whispers are a cacophony of truths, lies, secrets, and nonsensical ramblings. The whispers change in nature and intensity based on the surroundings of the cursed person or the topics discussed near them.
Gotta have consequences, right?
Distraction: The whispers make it hard to concentrate. The cursed individual has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and any ability check requiring concentration.
Sleep Trouble: The incessant murmuring disrupts sleep, making it difficult to gain the benefits of a full night's rest. The cursed may need to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw to gain any long rest benefits.
Secret Insights: Occasionally, the whispers convey useful secrets or hidden truths, giving the cursed individual advantage on an Intelligence (Investigation) or Charisma (Deception) check, at the DM's discretion.
Social Pariah: The constant muttering makes social interactions difficult, maybe even unsettling.
But all is not lost, there should be a cure.
Cure: The curse can be lifted if the cursed person performs a task for the Fey...dunno, say something that aligns with their inscrutable goals, such as retrieving a lost artifact from the mortal world or successfully keeping a dangerous secret for a set period of time. Alternatively, a powerful magic such as remove curse or greater restoration might be required, but only if performed in a place of significant fey power, like an ancient circle of standing stones in the Feywild...or wherever you want LOL
Wait, hold the phone, the whispers need an origin...let me think.
The whispers could be echoes of past events, secrets, and conversations from the Feywild, a realm known for its strong connections to emotions and memories. These echoes might slip through the veils of reality due to the fey's enchantment, surrounding the cursed individual.
In a more sinister twist, the whispers could originate from souls that were trapped or lost in the Feywild. These souls might have been bound into the curse by the fey, either as punishment or as part of a forgotten bargain. They whisper their desires, regrets, and fears to the one cursed.
If the fey involved is connected to natural elements or wild spaces, the whispers could be the secrets of nature itself - wind through the leaves, the slow eroding of stone, and the creeping growth of roots - translated into comprehensible language for the cursed individual.
I have an idea that I would love some assistance fleshing out on how to BREAK this curse.
A friendly satyr in my game has been cursed by a leprechaun to have the need to literally consume gold. He cannot eat regular food, instead he must eat gold. What are some ideas that the party could do to remove this curse and why do you think this boisterous friendly satyr got cursed in the first place?
two things:
one, this curse could have an upside: the cursed satyr can now destroy extremely dangerous magic items. by eating them
two, the curse could be broken by feeding him some 3ish golden mguffins. such as, idk, the three great swords of king Henry von corlein, or the 5 magic dragon-coins
in one of my campaigns that I dm all of my players got op buffs with bad downsides which I chose to call "aberrant gifts" because, unbeknownst to the party, these gifts came from a great old one. I can't remember who chose what, nor can I remember all the gifts, but ill tell all the ones I remember
your charisma becomes 30 but you can't tell a lie or a half-truth
you can, once per session, ask the dm any question about the campaign which they must answer truthfully, you then must tell your party the opposite of what the dm said
you can, once in your lifetime, cast the spell power word kill with the following 2 changes: no 100 hp limit and when you cast it you take an amount of damage equal to 2 times the targets max hp if this damage would outright kill you then you instead go to 0 hp, fail 2 death saves, and have disadvantage on the third
you must fail 4 death saves to die but if you deal the killing blow on a creature you take an amount of damage equal to 2 times its CR
a great old one (the same one who gave them the gifts) speaks to you, it can help you but when your in a tight spot it often urges you to let it control your body. what will happen if you accept?
in one of my campaigns that I dm all of my players got op buffs with bad downsides which I chose to call "aberrant gifts" because, unbeknownst to the party, these gifts came from a great old one. I can't remember who chose what, nor can I remember all the gifts, but ill tell all the ones I remember
your charisma becomes 30 but you can't tell a lie or a half-truth
you can, once per session, ask the dm any question about the campaign which they must answer truthfully, you then must tell your party the opposite of what the dm said
you can, once in your lifetime, cast the spell power word kill with the following 2 changes: no 100 hp limit and when you cast it you take an amount of damage equal to 2 times the targets max hp if this damage would outright kill you then you instead go to 0 hp, fail 2 death saves, and have disadvantage on the third
you must fail 4 death saves to die but if you deal the killing blow on a creature you take an amount of damage equal to 2 times its CR
a great old one (the same one who gave them the gifts) speaks to you, it can help you but when your in a tight spot it often urges you to let it control your body. what will happen if you accept?
I guess it depends on what type of curse you are looking for. Sure, there are the "You are doomed to walk the earth for eternity" type curses. Or the "I shall drain your lifeforce so waste away, but you shall never die" curses.
But how about a curse that will just cause resignation in the player that receives it? Maybe the blackadder curse could be the way to go? Maybe the player gets hit on the head by an onion at very inopportune moments? About to seduce the whomever for access to the mcguffin? BAM, onion in the head! About to deliver an inspiring speech that will rally the townsfolk against the bandits? BAM, onion in the head! Swearing your loyalty to the mighty queen? BAM, onion in the head!
And so on.
its very appropriate that the person who came up with this has a Calvin pfp
i need an idea for a curse that a fey creature or other powerfull being could cast on some one
2 ideas (The pc cursed does not know of it being cursed when given it)
Fey Blinking: If you are affected by this curse then you must roll a d4. On a 1 the spell fails and you are teleported into the feywild for 1 round and you go back to the material plane after that round.
Blight aura: This spell does not effect fey pact warlocks, rangers, or druids. When cursed and are in the feywild or a nature area on the material plane, every hour the DM must roll a d20 when spent in that area. On a 1 all plants in a 20 ft radius wither up and 1d6 vine blights rise up 10 feet around the cursed player to attack the player (and anything that attacks the blights). During combat on your turn you must roll a d10(instead of a d20) on your turn to see if this effect happens. This effect can only happen once per encounter and once during traveling.
Note: I’d recommend being subtle to the player that they are cursed by providing vague hints and descriptions too about the environment when traveling. In order for one of these spells to be removed something like a remove curse spell would work or you could create an entire adventure around removing the curse if you want it to be harder to remove.
I also have two ideas~
1st, Kind of like the legend of Korra, you have a Fey spirit pass through a person and they adopt aspects of that fey spirit. A fox spirit will morph their ears back, a deer their legs will grove hooves, etc. Its not necessarily negative, but it doesn't give them like "the hearing of a fox" they just have fox ears with human level hearing.
2nd Being followed in shadow. A large hulking shadow-fey creature* follow them in mirrors and reflective surfaces such as still water, slowly getting closer.
*like a the Witcher Leshan or the Black Goat from the Ritual.
Both are "curses" but they don't make it so you can't still keep playing, and they definitely add a lot of flavor for every rest period xD
Oh yeah #1 is really good idea and I really like it saying I think TLOK is a great show as well as it fits well into a D&D game. Although I do think the curse should do something other than cosmetic altering.
I guess it depends on what type of curse you are looking for. Sure, there are the "You are doomed to walk the earth for eternity" type curses. Or the "I shall drain your lifeforce so waste away, but you shall never die" curses.
But how about a curse that will just cause resignation in the player that receives it? Maybe the blackadder curse could be the way to go? Maybe the player gets hit on the head by an onion at very inopportune moments? About to seduce the whomever for access to the mcguffin? BAM, onion in the head! About to deliver an inspiring speech that will rally the townsfolk against the bandits? BAM, onion in the head! Swearing your loyalty to the mighty queen? BAM, onion in the head!
And so on.
shameless self promotion time!!!!
https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/226363-alternative-uses-of-bestow-curse
25 alternate curses for the bestow curse spell.
I always imagine Fey as being a species highly attuned to nature.
In this vein, I would construct a curse on the player's harmony with nature.
My first idea is to have the player taste anything not prepared in a metal container (like a stew or pancakes in a frying pan) as having a taste of ash flavoring it. They can't enjoy a piece of fresh fruit, mushroom spices, root tea unless it is placed in the boiling water on the fire, etc. Fish, venison and game birds would have to be fried and not broiled or seared on a spit. Fresh water would have a taste of mud or dirt, not overwhelming, but enough that you would hate it. Likewise, your sense of smell is effected so that when you are smelling, it seems there is a smell of ash all around you.
A second thought is that plants would 'shy away' from you and animals would run away. So everywhere you went, flocks of birds would take flight. Chipmunks, raccoons, deer, fox, etc. would flee as soon as they noticed you were anywhere near them. Plants would lean away from you to some degree; trees of course being unable to lean much at all, and grasses practically fold if necessary.
A third curse might be for insects to adore you, either like a moth to a flame so they are just a huge annoyance, or like ants to a picnic biting and stinging you until you run in a random direction hoping to find water.
A fourth curse might be that you grow fur or a hide so that you no longer have the appeal of a normal human being. The opposite sex may or may not find you charming, but your odd nature means you're never doing better than the Friend Zone ever again. For example, a hide might be calloused and scaled skin, which might give you +1 AC if you are in light or no armor, but it never goes away. And you have an itch like dry cracking skin often. Or if it is fur, it is not a lovely auburn brown coat of fine fur, but a mottled knotted kind of fur that gives a sensation of wearing an old worn coat, not quite the right size in the shoulders and the arms.
Or in another direction, you develop a green hue to your complexion. It is subtle, but everyone notices there is something not right about you. And your personal body odor smells like marigolds or some other pungent flower that is unappealing. You always look like you're about to toss your cookies.
I hope you get something from that.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
thank you theese a really good
You’re welcome
Not sure how often this would happen in a campaign, but the idea of it for a back story makes it very very cruel. I have a barbarian character that, somehow, someway, pissed off the wrong Deity of the undead, leading him to be cursed with what I call "Hell's Cycle of Eternal Suffering". This curse grants him a form of immortality, where when he does, he is resurrected. But there is a huge catch. Whenever he is resurrected, he goes through unimaginable pain of fire and Brimstone, while then experiencing all past deaths he's had. His stats then reset to level 3. Example, say he dies with his chest being stabbed. The next time he dies, he relives dieing that way. And this has been happening for a thousand years for him.
Red rose petals to fall from a character's lips when they tell the truth, a mouth full of rose thorns when they are lying...
Or any gold or silver they touch turn to stone.
Just look to fairy tales.
They fall in love repeatedly, but the target of their love is always taken in some way. Taken by another person, by their passion/work, by the church, or by death. How horrible would it be to realize you are in love with someone only to realize that the first three options don't apply.
Yeah that is plenty messed up, but that is how much of the old fairy tales ran, very grim.
You are cursed with great luck, but it always brings tragedy with it. Think The Monkeys Paw type events. What you gain another loses two fold. For every time you dodged an arrow aimed at you a comrade took a direct hit, in a critical locations. Not equal and opposite reactions, but lopsided on bringing bad luck to those around you while you continue to experience good luck.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
curse #2 is really cool
haver of this weird idea
dark leader of the cult of tiamat
Everything you look at in a mirror appears horrible. Like Cthulu level of madness inspiring horrible. All you see when you look at yourself in the mirror is pure horror, monstrous, abhorrent, disturbing. Seeing other people in reflections shows monstrous versions of them as well.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I have an idea that I would love some assistance fleshing out on how to BREAK this curse.
A friendly satyr in my game has been cursed by a leprechaun to have the need to literally consume gold. He cannot eat regular food, instead he must eat gold. What are some ideas that the party could do to remove this curse and why do you think this boisterous friendly satyr got cursed in the first place?
Sent by magic
Oh, buddy, this is a goodie.
I'll throw my hat in the ring.
Calling it The Curse of Everchanging Whispers.
Its effects?
The cursed individual hears constant whispers that are not audible to others. These whispers are a cacophony of truths, lies, secrets, and nonsensical ramblings. The whispers change in nature and intensity based on the surroundings of the cursed person or the topics discussed near them.
Gotta have consequences, right?
Distraction: The whispers make it hard to concentrate. The cursed individual has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and any ability check requiring concentration.
Sleep Trouble: The incessant murmuring disrupts sleep, making it difficult to gain the benefits of a full night's rest. The cursed may need to succeed on a Wisdom saving throw to gain any long rest benefits.
Secret Insights: Occasionally, the whispers convey useful secrets or hidden truths, giving the cursed individual advantage on an Intelligence (Investigation) or Charisma (Deception) check, at the DM's discretion.
Social Pariah: The constant muttering makes social interactions difficult, maybe even unsettling.
But all is not lost, there should be a cure.
Cure: The curse can be lifted if the cursed person performs a task for the Fey...dunno, say something that aligns with their inscrutable goals, such as retrieving a lost artifact from the mortal world or successfully keeping a dangerous secret for a set period of time. Alternatively, a powerful magic such as remove curse or greater restoration might be required, but only if performed in a place of significant fey power, like an ancient circle of standing stones in the Feywild...or wherever you want LOL
Wait, hold the phone, the whispers need an origin...let me think.
The whispers could be echoes of past events, secrets, and conversations from the Feywild, a realm known for its strong connections to emotions and memories. These echoes might slip through the veils of reality due to the fey's enchantment, surrounding the cursed individual.
In a more sinister twist, the whispers could originate from souls that were trapped or lost in the Feywild. These souls might have been bound into the curse by the fey, either as punishment or as part of a forgotten bargain. They whisper their desires, regrets, and fears to the one cursed.
If the fey involved is connected to natural elements or wild spaces, the whispers could be the secrets of nature itself - wind through the leaves, the slow eroding of stone, and the creeping growth of roots - translated into comprehensible language for the cursed individual.
Well, you get the idea.
Good luck.
two things:
one, this curse could have an upside: the cursed satyr can now destroy extremely dangerous magic items. by eating them
two, the curse could be broken by feeding him some 3ish golden mguffins. such as, idk, the three great swords of king Henry von corlein, or the 5 magic dragon-coins
haver of this weird idea
dark leader of the cult of tiamat
in one of my campaigns that I dm all of my players got op buffs with bad downsides which I chose to call "aberrant gifts" because, unbeknownst to the party, these gifts came from a great old one. I can't remember who chose what, nor can I remember all the gifts, but ill tell all the ones I remember
your charisma becomes 30 but you can't tell a lie or a half-truth
you can, once per session, ask the dm any question about the campaign which they must answer truthfully, you then must tell your party the opposite of what the dm said
you can, once in your lifetime, cast the spell power word kill with the following 2 changes: no 100 hp limit and when you cast it you take an amount of damage equal to 2 times the targets max hp if this damage would outright kill you then you instead go to 0 hp, fail 2 death saves, and have disadvantage on the third
you must fail 4 death saves to die but if you deal the killing blow on a creature you take an amount of damage equal to 2 times its CR
a great old one (the same one who gave them the gifts) speaks to you, it can help you but when your in a tight spot it often urges you to let it control your body. what will happen if you accept?
haver of this weird idea
dark leader of the cult of tiamat
this was at level 1 by the way
haver of this weird idea
dark leader of the cult of tiamat
its very appropriate that the person who came up with this has a Calvin pfp
haver of this weird idea
dark leader of the cult of tiamat