D&D 5E (2014) Advice Sought - Beneficial Curse Mechanic

[Hawk Diesel]

I don't usually pay too much attention to the Wizard class, but don't you get all your spell slots back after a long rest? If so, you can't regain something you already have. Poor wording, or am I just a dope?

Yea, Wizards do get them back after a long rest. Wizards also have an ability called Arcane Recovery that allows them to get back some of their spells after a short rest (half their level of spell slots rounded up, with no spell slot being higher than 5th level). The OP's ability allows them an additional Arcane Recovery ability, but only takes a bonus action, allowing it to be used in combat.

 

[Ed Laprade]

Yea, Wizards do get them back after a long rest. Wizards also have an ability called Arcane Recovery that allows them to get back some of their spells after a short rest (half their level of spell slots rounded up, with no spell slot being higher than 5th level). The OP's ability allows them an additional Arcane Recovery ability, but only takes a bonus action, allowing it to be used in combat.

Thanks. That'll teach me to actually read the descriptions.

 

[Henry]

Not to put words in his mouth, but I think the OP might have meant something like this:

Additional Arcane Recovery: You may use a Bonus action to recover expended spell slots. The spell slots can have a combined level equal to or less than your wizard level. You cannot use this feature again until you have finished a long rest. (This does not supplant the Arcane Recovery feature; you may continue to use that feature also.)

Correct - My shorthand for the mechanics was unclear, but you got the exact wording I was going for.

 

[Henry]

Excellent ideas all around, thank you all!

This seems cool. But in 5e, things tend to be streamlined whenever possible. For the Arcane Recovery, I might say he has disadvantage on spell attacks for non-necromancy spells, and targets have advantage on saves against non-necromancy spells. It's less math, but a bit more rolling.

I don't know what other boons you may provide, but I have ideas regarding potential "curses."

Those are some nifty corruptions (as Pathfinder calls them) - I'm already doing #1 sort of, and the player is playing it to the hilt and apparently loving it. I think the level of exhaustion might be a bit much (because that's disadvantage on ALL skill checks, which I didn't want to stick him with for literally months of real time play, so I might not go that far.

For the Additional Arcane Recovery, I might call it "Dark Whispers of the Bloodbane" (after the name of the cursed Bloodbane Scroll he read) to distinguish it from Arcane Recovery. To get rid of it, he has to gather some rare components (he's partway through) and he has to cast the curse on someone (basically cursing them and their family with a horrible wasting curse). So part of his dilemma is not just deciding if he wants the abilities at their cost, but picking somone really deserving of this horrible curse to throw it on. (And yes, Steven King's Thinner was an inspiration).

As for flat penalty vs. half prof, I think I'll stay with half prof, because it's easy enough to write down, and it will stay that way for quite a while (we might advance one level in maybe six weeks of play).