[5e] Spell & Crossbones

[CanadienneBacon]

Kid's Background: At age eleven, Kid stowed away on Old Blackheart's ship; he hid below decks for six days, living off a portion of the ship's cargo of rotting musk melons before being discovered. By the time Old Zef found him, Kid was a little tipsy from eating fermented melons for nearly a week straight. It took the crew a day or two to reason out just how dandy Kid was at climbing rigging. Once Kid sobered up, climb he did. Always curious, Kid climbed the rigging and watched. A month and two ports later, Kid worked out Captain's habits well enough to pick his way into Captain's private chamber beneath the fo'c'sle, where he pawed some kind of rolled up treasure map done in fancy ink on vellum. The crew might know about the melons, but nobody knows Kid five-finger-discounted the map. Not even Old Zef. The Aztec coin, though, it came later. And when it did, it hit like a ton of bricks.

---

In game, Kid is going to be fascinated by Verner Magnussen, Caillou's kobold retainer.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

If anyone ever, in their Internet travels, comes across a slightly older version of this child, please download and post it here. I've burned about ten hours looking for "just the right" portrait or fantasy art of a mixed race kid with this coloring and this hair:

 

[Queenie]

Will keep an eye out CB!

 

[Quickleaf]

I think I've hit a bit of wall with coming up with a Curse for Kid, so I'm going to post the rough draft of what I've come up with thus far and crowdsource ideas.

As things currently stand, I have two Curses. The first Curse is static, by which I mean that it imputes a constant penalty that doesn't vary or need to be recomputed. The first Curse would also eventually require Kid to, well, no longer be a kid. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I like Kid being a kid.

The second Curse is dynamic, meaning that the effect of the Curse is variable and would need to be rolled from time to time. One major flaw of the second Curse is that it could end up being a drain on party resources. Also, while the former curse is efficient, the latter might be more fun but requires labor-intensive die rolling.

[sblock=Static Curse]Curse of Aztec Gold: You don’t age. When the Curse lifts, you suddenly regain all the time you lost while under the effect of the Curse. This includes age-related bonuses and penalties. Additionally, the Curse weighs on your heart. Literally. You have asthma at the most inopportune times. You appear svelte but weigh three times your normal body weight, and are encumbered such that your speed is reduced by 5, acrobatics checks suffer a -2 penalty, and you immediately start to sink if you enter water. Strength checks to swim suffer a -2 penalty. The Curse becomes permanent if you fail to deliver the Aztec coin to La Gloriosa no later than attaining 8th level. Other than to cast the coin back into the watery depths of La Gloriosa, the coin may not be disposed of, traded away or given away. Additionally, the coin is indestructible--not even a wish can part you from the coin or destroy it.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Dynamic Curse]Curse of Aztec Gold: The gold coin you picked up imparts a magical curse whose effects varying like the tide. Other than to cast the coin back into the watery depths of La Gloriosa, the coin may not be disposed of, traded away or given away. Additionally, the coin is indestructible--not even a wish can part you from the coin or destroy it.

Die Roll	Effect
1-04	Confusion: Per the spell description pp 224, except that the effect is focused solely on Kid
05-09	Contagion: Per the spell description pp 227, except that duration is one hour
10-14	Seizure: Overcome with shaking, and disadvantage on Dex-based checks, saves, and attacks
15-19	Detect Thoughts: Per the spell description pp 231
20-29	No effect
30-34	Hexed: Per the spell description pp 251, except that it deals 1d6 dmg one time
35-39	Hunger of Hada: Per the spell description pp 251
40-49	Phantasmal Force: Per the spell description pp 264, except does not deal 1d6 psychic dmg
50-54	Locust Swarm: 5' radius sphere of biting locusts center on Kid, Con DC 13 or 1d6 piercing dmg
55-64	No effect
65-69	Mute: Constitution saving throw DC 13 or become mute for 1 min
70-74	Deaf: Constitution saving throw DC 13 or become deaf for 1 min
75-79	Blind: Constitution saving throw DC 13 or become blind for 1 min
80-84	Paralyzed: Constitution saving throw DC 13 or become paralyzed for 1 min, or 3 rounds if on init
85-94	No effect
95-99	Psychic Slam: A bolt of psychic energy from another plan deals 1d4 psychic dmg
00	Plane Shift: Per the spell description pp 266

[/sblock]

Seems like you've gone with the static curse. Which is awesome and very flavorful!

I do worry that it's a bit harsh. If you like it that way for story reasons, awesome,don't let me stop you In fact, it is probably worth an Ill Fortune in its own right...which would allow you to take another Good Fortune if you were so inclined.

If you choose to tone it down, that would make sense. For example, you might strip out this part: "You appear svelte but weigh three times your normal body weight, and are encumbered such that your speed is reduced by 5, acrobatics checks suffer a -2 penalty..." And instead just keep that is causes you to immediately sink if you enter water and imposes disadvantage on any Swim checks you make.

Kid's Background: At age eleven, Kid stowed away on Old Blackheart's ship; he hid below decks for six days, living off a portion of the ship's cargo of rotting musk melons before being discovered. By the time Old Zef found him, Kid was a little tipsy from eating fermented melons for nearly a week straight. It took the crew a day or two to reason out just how dandy Kid was at climbing rigging. Once Kid sobered up, climb he did. Always curious, Kid climbed the rigging and watched. A month and two ports later, Kid worked out Captain's habits well enough to pick his way into Captain's private chamber beneath the fo'c'sle, where he pawed some kind of rolled up treasure map done in fancy ink on vellum. The crew might know about the melons, but nobody knows Kid five-finger-discounted the map. Not even Old Zef. The Aztec coin, though, it came later. And when it did, it hit like a ton of bricks.

---

In game, Kid is going to be fascinated by Verner Magnussen, Caillou's kobold retainer.

Hehe, that last part made me laugh.

I like the background you've developed for Kid a lot! I'm definitely giving a bit more thought to the Aztec gold and how that works into the overarching story that's coming together.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

I nerfed Curse of Aztec Gold to cause Kid to sink if he enters water and impose disadvantage to any Strength (Swim) check Kid makes. But I kept the asthma, and leave it to you to decide when and what penalty to impose when Kid has an asthma attack.

I didn't take an additional Good Fortune. Things feel pretty balanced with Kid; I didn't want to change anything else. Aside from me not having what I consider a quality portrait, Kid should now be ready to insert in the IC.

 

[Unsung]

In game, Kid is going to be fascinated by Verner Magnussen, Caillou's kobold retainer.

Hehe, that last part made me laugh.

Me too.

I mean, fascinated? Honestly, it's like you've all never seen one of them scrawny dragon-headed little dudes from Norse country before.

 

[peterka9]

I'm back... Seems i logged with a bad id on my
cellphone...

 

[Unsung]

Welcome back. How was the break?

 

[peterka99]

Fine. 5 days in a snow resort with the kids. No skiing, just sliding, hicking, etc. Where should i follow-up the game ? The other spells&crossbones thread, w/o "full" in the title ?

 

[Quickleaf]

Fine. 5 days in a snow resort with the kids. No skiing, just sliding, hicking, etc. Where should i follow-up the game ? The other spells&crossbones thread, w/o "full" in the title ?

Sounds blissful. Yeah, the thread in the ROLEPLAYING section of ENWorld. Link also on the first page of this thread.