I wanted to start a thread discussing some creative applications of Bestow Curse and Major Curse.
There are the conventional debuffing uses: -6 to an ability score, -4 to pretty much any d20 roll, and 50% chance of not acting; it's the fourth, open-ended use which is of interest. Of course, one can be awfully silly and try to break the spell, but these are 4th and 6th level spells, respectively, so effects should be commensurate with those levels.
Here are two (similarly-themed) I've used:
- Bestow: "May your eyes never again behold what which is beautiful." - effect is that cursed victim cannot see beings with greater than 16 charisma, rendering them effectively greater invisible to the victim. This mimics a 4th level spell (greater invisibility, for a restricted group (-), but the effect is permanent (+), which seems to balance out for a 4th level spell.
- Major: "All the world will be blue in your eyes." - effect is that the victim sees everything as the same shade of blue, making it very hard, for example, to resolve different items in the background; it also renders the victim unable to read, since both the page and the lettering are the ame shade of blue... this is quite crippling for prepared casters, who can no longer read their spellbooks, use scrolls, and so on. This mimics a very particular sort of "feeblemind" (a 5th level spell) with other optical debuffing effects (+), so it seems reasonable for a 6th level spell.
I'd love to see more ideas! I think a format like above is nice - the type of curse spell, the nature of the curse, and it's mechanical effect (if any).
I think both of those curses are beyond the scope of the spells in question. The curses aren't supposed to mimic other spells, and they shouldn't be stronger than a -6 to a stat or -4 to all rolls.
-4 to all rolls is potent, but not nearly as potent as permanent invisibility for characters with a certain attribute.
And Major Curse curses are exactly the same as Bestow Curse curses except they're harder to get rid of and it can be inflicted at range, so they should not be more potent.
Not to mention the fact that charisma score hardly is in line with beauty. At least in the traditional sense. The wasting curse for oracles makes a prime example. Also, most high level monsters would be invisible in that case, since they seem to just generically get higher scores. The most twisted of the Qlippoth would be as invisible as the most pure angel under that curse. CHA seems more to be about confidence and ability to control people and the fabric of reality or something along those lines.
Now making a very large penalty to perception based on very specific factors might be in order though. Make them take a large penalty in perception under specific conditions. Make them take a -10 against people with red hats, and the stealth check can be done in line of sight and and daylight. No idea if that is balanced, but could be interesting.
- Bestow: "May your eyes never again behold what which is beautiful." - effect is that cursed victim cannot see beings with greater than 16 charisma, rendering them effectively greater invisible to the victim. This mimics a 4th level spell (greater invisibility, for a restricted group (-), but the effect is permanent (+), which seems to balance out for a 4th level spell.
I like this one! But, I do think that greater invisibility is too strong. I'd make it regular invisibility, so that anyone who attacks the cursed individual can be seen thereafter. If the party had no members who meet the charisma requirement, I might consider greater invisibility.
- Major: "All the world will be blue in your eyes." - effect is that the victim sees everything as the same shade of blue, making it very hard, for example, to resolve different items in the background; it also renders the victim unable to read, since both the page and the lettering are the ame shade of blue... this is quite crippling for prepared casters, who can no longer read their spellbooks, use scrolls, and so on. This mimics a very particular sort of "feeblemind" (a 5th level spell) with other optical debuffing effects (+), so it seems reasonable for a 6th level spell.
As mentioned before, Major Curse is just harder to remove, it doesn't give harsher curses. I like this one too, but instead of outlawing particular activities (like reading), I'd impose a -10 perception modifier for visual perception, and require a perception roll to perform normal activities that require vision.
As a GM, I'd allow any oracle curse to be given with Bestow Curse. (Those actually cover a couple of ideas I've used the the past, specifically Tongues and Breaker.)
Here are a few I'd like to try out.
By the decree of the angels, and by the command of the holy men, we excommunicate, expel, curse and damn Baruch de Espinoza, with the consent of God, Blessed be He, and with the consent of all the Holy Congregation, in front of these holy Scrolls with the six-hundred-and-thirteen precepts which are written therein, with the excommunication with which Joshua banned Jericho, with the curse with which Elisha cursed the boys, and with all the curses which are written in the Book of the Law. Cursed be he by day and cursed be he by night; cursed be he when he lies down, and cursed be he when he rises up; cursed be he when he goes out, and cursed be he when he comes in. The Lord will not spare him; the anger and wrath of the Lord will rage against this man, and bring upon him all the curses which are written in this book, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord will separate him to his injury from all the tribes of Israel with all the curses of the covenant, which are written in the Book of the Law. But you who cleave unto the Lord God are all alive this day. We order that no one should communicate with him orally or in writing, or show him any favor, or stay with him under the same roof, or within four ells of him, or read anything composed or written by him.
Ravenloft d20 rules have details on curses iirc...