Curses

[Centaur]

I am wondering if anyone has ever come across or knows about any sort of complex or well developed set of rules for curses.

Developing, delivering and removing. The rules in the basic books are all but nonexistent.

 

[jdrakeh]

I am wondering if anyone has ever come across or knows about any sort of complex or well developed set of rules for curses.

I found the attached rules at a Yahoo group some time ago (dont' recall where). I think that with a tiny bit of tinkering, they could be adapted to reflect curses...

I'd change every instance of 'spell' to read 'hex' and calculate 'hex points' - which could alternately be dubbed as an ability 'evil eye' or something - as follows:

Characters with the feat Evil Eye receive 8 hex points when they take the feat and 2 hex points per level gained thereafter.

I'd let hex point pools refresh nightly, and require that a hex have continual daily upkeep that allowed the hex to remain active so long as the character paid it. I'd also change the 'range' rules to reflect vast distances and drop both 'casting time' as well as 'components' (a hex can be cast instantly with a dirty look and ill intention alone).

So, how would all of this work in application? Say you want to drop a hex on a gluttonous party member that stole and ate the party's last ration pack while the party was stranded at sea. You'd like this glutton to suffer intense, damaging, hunger pangs every day. The qualities of such a hex would be:

Range: The distance in miles, as opposed to yards, from the hex-caster that a hex will effect the hexee (note that a hex could follow a character around the world, so long as the hex caster stayed in relatively close prximity). In this case, the guy is right next to you on the boat, so let's call it 'melee' range and assign it a point cost of 1.

Duration: Given the continual upkeep costs of a hex, this aspect becomes irrelevant. So long as a hex-caster pays the daily upkeep, the hex will endure.

Area of Effect: How many people does the hex effect? In this case, it's just the glutton, so add another 1 point to the hex cost.

Saving Throws: How potent is the hex? Do you want to give the hexee a chance to resist? In this case, he's a party member... so you decide to be generous and let him save for half damge from the hunger pangs. This costs 3 hex points.

Damage: Does the hex cause physical harm? If so how much? I hex point = 1 hp of damage. You decide to cause the glutton 2 points of damage... so add 2 points to the hex cost.

Total cost? 7 hex points per day. So long as you pay 7 hex points per day, you can levy the Curse of Hunger described above for as long as you like. Every day you have the option to change its parameters, thus altering its cost and effectiveness.

 

[Aus_Snow]

The Thieves' World Player's Manual has excellent rules for Curses, in my opinion. It's also an all-round great book, again IMO.

 

[diaglo]

you can use the rules in the DMG on cursed items and adapt them.

edit: diaglo "foiled again" Ooi

 

[Pinotage]

Silven Publishing has a book called Curses! See my sig for a review.

Pinotage

 

[Bardsandsages]

Well, depending on your world, there is always my The Manipulative Player's Guide to Sympathetic magic. It works best for low magic/no-magic settings, and is mostly pyschosomatic.

If you're looking for a simple rule set for "real" curses, the Ravenloft campaign setting deals with it.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

"What is it with you and curses? This is cursed! That is cursed!"

Sorry, it had to be done.