The Curse tradition originated in ancient faerie magic that has since been corrupted.
Though it is possible for some users of the tradition to use its spells for good, such as by punishing evildoers or meting out justice, most students of the tradition exult in the power it offers and the misery it creates. As a result, nearly all who deal in Curse magic are as vile as the spells themselves, outsiders living on the fringes of settlements or alone in the wilderness.
Creatures cursed by Curse spells can remove the effect by using any method that would end a spell or magical effect. Also, a caster can always lift a curse that the caster placed on a creature he or she can see and that is within medium range by using an action to do so.
Curse of the Endless Dance
Target One creature within short range that can see you
As you incant the curse, eerie music fills the air. Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 minute. When the target is cursed in this way, it begins to dance in a strange and erratic manner. The target can take only slow turns and must use its movement on each of its turns to move up to half Speed in a direction you choose or a random direction if you cannot see the target to choose the direction.
Attack Roll 20+ The curse lasts until you die or until you lift it. In addition, at the end of each hour the target is cursed, the target must get a success on a Strength challenge roll or become fatigued. If the target is already fatigued, it takes a cumulative –1d6 penalty to its Health. The penalty disappears when the target is no longer cursed by this spell.
Failure
Target One creature within short range that can see you
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Intellect. On a success, the creature becomes cursed for 1 minute. When a creature cursed by this spell gets a success on an attack roll or challenge roll and you are within short range of it, you can use a triggered action to end the spell and turn the success into a failure.
Attack Roll 20+ When you use a triggered action to turn the success into a failure, roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the spell does not end.
Hex
Target One creature within short range that can see you
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 minute or until it takes damage. While cursed, the target is impaired and you make attack rolls against it with 1 boon.
Attack Roll 20+ The target also becomes dazed for 1 round.
Pox
Target One living creature within short range
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. On a success, the target’s body erupts in green, weeping blisters. The target takes 1d3 damage from disease and becomes frightened for 1 round.
Attack Roll 20+ The target also becomes frightened for 1 round.
Scare
Target One creature within short range that can hear you
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes frightened for 1 round. Attack Roll 20+ The target also becomes immobilized while it is frightened.
Frighten
Target One creature within short range that can see you.
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes frightened for 1 minute. While frightened this way, the target can use an action to make a Will challenge roll and removes this affliction on a success.
Attack Roll 20+ While frightened in this way, the target is also impaired
Hobble
Target One creature within short range.
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. On a success, the target becomes slowed for 1 minute.
Attack Roll 20+ The target also falls prone and cannot stand up while slowed in this way.
Jinx
Target One creature within short range
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 minute. While cursed in this way, the target makes attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 bane. In addition, whenever the total of the target’s roll is 0 or lower, one item it carries falls to the ground and moves 1d6 yards away from it.
Triggered When a creature you can see within short range makes an attack roll or a challenge roll, you can use a triggered action to cast this spell against the triggering creature. On a success, the effect lasts for 1 round instead of 1 minute.
Know Thy Doom
Target One creature within short range that can hear you
You pronounce the target’s doom. Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes cursed until you complete a rest or you use an action to lift the curse. While cursed in this way, whenever the target gets a failure on an attack roll or a challenge roll, it grants 1 boon on the attack rolls of any creatures attacking it for 1 round.
Once the curse is lifted, the target has no recollection of its doom.
Mad Laughter
Target One creature you can see within short range
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the creature gains 1 Insanity and becomes cursed for 1 minute. When cursed in this way, the creature howls and screams with laughter, becoming dazed as a result. At the end of each round, the creature can make a Will challenge roll with 1 bane and removes the dazed affliction from itself for 1 round on a success.
Attack Roll 20+ The target creature makes the challenge roll with 2 banes.
Pain
Target One creature within short range.
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. On a success, for 1 minute, whenever the target takes damage, it takes 1d6 extra damage.
Attack Roll 20+ In addition, for 1 minute, whenever the target takes damage, it becomes dazed for 1 round.
Sleeplessness
Target One creature you can see within short range
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. On a success, the creature becomes immune to the asleep affliction for 1d6 days. A target that does not sleep is subject to the effects of deprivation (Shadow, page 200).
Attack Roll 20+ The curse lasts for 3d6 days or until you lift it
Sacrifice You can use an action and expend a casting of this spell to cast the hex spell
Curse of the Emerald Hand
Target One creature within medium range
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 hour. When cursed in this way, the target is poisoned. Until the curse ends, when another creature touches the target, that creature must get a success on a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane or take 1d6 damage and become poisoned for 1 minute.
Attack Roll 20+ The target is poisoned until it completes a rest.
Eternal Stench
Target One creature you can see within medium range
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 hour. When cursed in this way, the target emits a terrific stench, which causes living and breathing creatures to be impaired for as long as they remain within short range of the target.
Attack Roll 20+ The curse lasts until you die or you use an action to lift the curse.
Weakness
Target One creature within medium range.
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 minute. While cursed, the target takes a –10 penalty to Health and makes Strength and Agility attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 bane.
Attack Roll 20+ The curse lasts until you die or until you lift it.
Bloodlust
Target One creature within medium range
Feelings of intense anger build inside the target. Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 hour or until you use an action to lift the curse. While cursed in this way, the target must use an action each round either to attack with a weapon or to charge if no target is within its reach or range. The target makes the attack roll with 1 bane but deals 1d6 extra damage. The curse prevents the target creature from choosing the targets of its attacks. It must always attack the creature closest to it, determining its target randomly if faced with two or more possible targets.
Curse of Maddening Love
Target One creature you can see within medium range
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes cursed for 1 minute. Choose a different creature you can see within medium range to be the object of affection. When the target is cursed in this way, it is charmed by the object of its affections. The curse grants 3 boons on attack rolls the creature makes in social situations to interact with the cursed target. Finally, if the cursed target is more than 5 yards from the object of its affection at the end of any round, it must get a success on a Will challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity.
Attack Roll 20+ The curse lasts until you die or you use an action to lift the curse.
Cursed Apple
Target One apple you are holding
Duration 24 hours or until consumed
You concentrate for 1 minute, during which time you must prick your hand and spill a little blood onto the target. At the end of this time, you imbue the target with magic that imparts a curse on anyone who eats the target. The imbued magic lasts for the duration. As part of the casting, you must state a specifi c action that can lift the curse laid by the target, such as a kiss from a mortal with noble blood, the tears of a maiden, or a drop of blood from a mortal child. You can also use an action to lift the curse from the target, provided you are within long range of it.
A creature that eats the apple falls prone and becomes cursed. While cursed, the creature is asleep, does not need to eat or drink, and grows no older. The eff ect lasts until the curse is lifted, or until you die.
Dread
Area A cone, 10 yards long, originating from a point you can reach
A wave of terror spreads through the area. Each creature in it must make a Will challenge roll, becoming frightened for 1 minute on a failure. While frightened in this way, the creature must take a fast turn each round, using an action to rush away from you by the safest available route. At the end of each round, if the creature does not have an unobstructed path to you and cannot see you, it can make a Will challenge roll and remove this affliction on a success.
Swine
Target Up to three living creatures you can see within medium range
Duration 1 minute; see the effect
Each target must make a Strength challenge roll. On a failure, it is transformed into a pig (a small animal) for the duration, along with everything it wears and carries. While transformed in this way, it becomes frightened and must take a fast turn each round, using its action to rush away from you by the safest available route. The effect ends immediately when the target takes damage.
Sicken
Target Up to five living creatures within medium range
Feelings of profound nausea afflict the targets. Each target must make a Will challenge roll with 1 bane. A creature becomes fatigued for 1 minute on a success, or becomes sickened for 1 hour on a failure. While sickened in this way, the target vomits and releases explosive diarrhea, becoming dazed, fatigued, and slowed. At the end of each round, a target can make a Will challenge roll and stops being sickened for 1 round on a success. After three successes, the spell ends for that target.
Flesh-Bursting Curse
Target One living creature you can see within short range
You whisper a vile curse, promising that the target will experience a messy, painful death. Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target’s body fills with fluid until it becomes visibly bloated. The target is impaired and slowed. In addition, whenever the target takes damage, it takes 4d6 extra damage and stinking liquid sprays forcefully out from the wound. The liquid hits everything in a 3-yard- long cone originating from a point in the target’s space and extending in a direction of your choosing. Each creature on the ground in or under the area must get a success on an Agility challenge roll with 1 bane or slip on the mess and fall prone.
If the cursed target becomes incapacitated, its body explodes in a 5-yard-radius sphere centered on a point in its space. The flying debris deals 1d6 damage to everything in the area. A creature in the area must make an Agility challenge roll and a Will challenge roll. A success on the Agility challenge roll indicates the creature takes half the damage. A failure on the Will challenge roll indicates the creature gains 1 Insanity.
Attack Roll 20+ The target takes 2d6 damage in addition to becoming cursed.
Petrify
Target One creature within medium range that has a physical body
Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength, making the attack roll with 3 boons if the target has Health 50 or less. On a success, the target takes 7d6 + 10 damage and becomes slowed for 1 minute. If the target becomes incapacitated by this damage, it instantly dies and turns into a stone statue.
Attack Roll 20+ The target takes 3d6 extra damage.
Terror
Area A 5-yard-radius sphere centered on a point you can reach
A wave of fear spreads through the area. Each creature in the area with a Health score of 10 or lower takes damage equal to its Health, frightened to death. All other creatures of your choice in the area must make Will challenge rolls. On a failure, a creature falls prone and becomes frightened for 1 minute. When frightened in this way, the creature cannot stand up, grants 2 boons on all attack rolls made against it, and makes its own attack rolls with 2 banes. Furthermore, each time a frightened creature takes damage, it extends the duration of the affliction by 1 round. If the total of a creature’s roll is 0 or lower, it also takes 3d6 damage from shock.