Homebrew Cursed Species Details

Born from the cruel jest of a forgotten god, the Cursed wander the world as living reminders of a divine punchline. Their bodies are unnaturally resilient, refusing to stay dead even as their minds slowly unravel with each resurrection. Feared and shunned by the faithful, they move through life marked by an unsettling aura—both tragic and terrifying. Few truly understand the burden they carry, and fewer still would offer them kindness.

Culture and Behavior of the Cursed

The Cursed rarely gather in large communities, knowing that their presence invites suspicion and fear. Instead, they form small, tight-knit enclaves or wander alone, bound by the shared burden of their unnatural existence. Within these groups, loyalty runs deep—they are fiercely protective of one another, knowing the torment of isolation all too well.

Their culture is steeped in dark humor and fatalism. They like to speak in riddles and bitter jokes, often mocking their own misfortune as a way to stave off despair. Stories and songs among the Cursed revolve around the dead god’s final joke—their origin—and serve as both warning and remembrance.

Despite their curse, the Cursed value knowledge and wit, especially in understanding the forces that condemned them. Many seek forbidden lore, ancient artifacts, or divine secrets in hopes of one day breaking the cycle.

Behaviorally, the Cursed are cautious but bold. They have little patience for false piety or blind faith, often clashing with religious orders that reject them. Still, they can be surprisingly charismatic in darker circles—outcasts, mercenaries, and those who live on society’s fringes often welcome the Cursed as allies.

Their curse weighs heavily, but many choose to wear it as armor, using their resilience and grim resolve to carve out their own fate in a world that refuses to let them rest.

you are a humanoid

walking speed 35

size medium

keep languages and sense-based traits

Flight Restriction

If your original race grants a natural flying speed, you lose this ability upon becoming Cursed. Your movement becomes grounded, symbolizing the curse’s severing of your former freedoms.

Cursed Traits

As a curse you gain his joke

Ability Score Increase

increases con by 2 and str by 1, you still gain ability scores from backgrounds.

Crooked Gift

By taking in this unwanted gift, you gain immune to disease and exhaustion.  no longer require food water or sleep and don't age.

Mocking Vitality

Your body is tougher and heals, accompanied by phantom laughter only they can hear.

Marked by disdain

Clerics, paladins, celestials, and other divine agents instinctively sense that the Cursed were born from a blasphemous joke. Whether seen as a mockery of life, an affront to the gods, or just "wrong," the faithful treat them with suspicion or outright contempt.  you suffer disadvantage on charisma checks except intimidation on lawful good aligned creatures. 

Mockery of Death

When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you die instantly, bypassing death saving throws and normal stabilization. However, your curse denies you true rest.

• You revive after 1d4 hours, returning to life with full hit point.

• Upon reviving, your Intelligence score is permanently reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1).

• This revival does restore severed limbs and cure fatal afflictions

Fragmented Mind

Your mind is breaking; you're losing who you were.  you have advantage on saving throws against charmed and frightened 

False Remedy

When you drink a healing potion, roll a d6. On a 1, the potion fails, and you instead take necrotic damage equal to half its healing amount.

 "Sometimes the magic remembers you're not supposed to be here."

Vampiric Reprisal

Your cursed blood thirsts for life. When you strike with your bare hands, something in you takes more than it gives.

When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.

The damage die for your unarmed strikes increases as you gain levels:

Level 1–4: 1d4

Level 5–9: 1d6

Level 10–14: 1d8

Level 15-19: 1d10

Level 20: 1d12

This healing cannot exceed your Constitution modifier per hit.

“Their touch is not gentle—it’s a bargain made in blood.”

Born of Curse

Your soul resonates with broken magic.

While attuned to a cursed magic item, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving throws.

You are immune to the cursed effects of magic items—you still benefit from their powers, but suffer none of their drawbacks.

You may only benefit from this trait with one cursed item at a time. Attuning to more offers no additional bonuses.

 “It whispers, yes. But it’s the only voice that tells the truth.”