Removing and Oracle's Curse (Don't read if you're in Blaise's RotR game!)

[Sulaco]

I am currently playing a haunted-cursed Oracle with the Dark Tapestry mystery in a "Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition" home game. One possible future plot thread could lead to the possibility of removing the haunted curse, but I'm not sure I like the idea of simply removing the curse without there being some sort of detriment or loss associated with it. So I'm curious as to what ideas you folks might have as to an appropriate negative repercussion associated with removing the curse.

[Fruian Thistlefoot]

DEATH!!!!!

Just kidding..but perhaps losing all the benefits and spells the curse grants you and just pretending that part of the class doesn't exist. Once it is gone everything associated with it is gone.

[Dave Justus]

I think this is a very bad idea. While a curse is negative in some aspects it is also positive in others, and quite integral to the oracle. Removing a characters class features is pretty huge, and definitely could upset a player.

If you must muck with the curse, I would just change the flavor, not the mechanics. Since I'm not sure how you think the haunted curse would be removed it is kind hard to advise on this, but if the 'oracles haunting ghost' is going to move on or something, then perhaps they end up with a 'new ghost' that has some different flavor effects, but mechanically they are still haunted.

If the player is seeking to get rid of the curse, that is a somewhat different thing than you just doing it to them. I think most curses the benefits and negatives are fairly equal, at least after about 5th level, so just removing the whole thing probably wouldn't hurt. Alternately, giving them the choice of a new curse would be balanced.

If the absolute desire is to remove the negatives but keep all the benefits, I would say that is worth at least a feat and require the player to take the 'unhaunted feat' (and this would only be cool if that is what the player wanted).

[Game Master]

There is a Mythic path ability for the Hierophant which simply removes all negative aspects of the curse.

On the other hand... Oracle curses aren't a drawback. They're a desirable class feature which includes a drawback. If you lose the curse, you lose the powerful benefits too.

Alternately, replace it with a different curse. Like, let's say you have the curse "burned" out of you with holy fire. Blam - suddenly you have the Blackened curse instead of Haunted.