Best way to have a 'curse' / negative effect without GM help?

[SorrySleeping]

I'm making a character has due to stat spread has 6 Wisdom. The basic idea was that he got cursed (playing as a Rogue) by accidentally looting a dragon's hoard.

I was wondering the best/easiest ways to roll/roleplay a curse that a dragon might have set on someone that stole his treasure. (Other than death, since that would be the first thing a Dragon does)

[Perfect Tommy]

How about a curse that since he was trying to steal his treasure - now he has to steal - *for* the dragon - with what he loots going to fill the dragons coppers.

treasures from adventures; highway robberty, kleptokracy from townsmen - all geas-driven to fill the dragon's lair...

[Tinalles]

The dragon placed the curse on the treasure, in case somebody manages to sneak it out without the dragon noticing. Anyone who steals from the hoard slowly goes insane and starts believing that they are themselves a dragon.

This is no problem for the actual dragon, because it really is a dragon. But for the thief, it's a huge problem, because:

1) he starts believing that he has wings and can fly;
2) he starts believing that he has a breath weapon;
3) he becomes more and more arrogant;
4) he starts hoarding treasure;
5) he doesn't understand why he should run away from other dragons -- they're interlopers trespassing on his territory.

When some of these things don't work -- such as the breath weapon and the wings -- he starts seeking out magic items that simulate those abilities.

If you really wanted to play it to the hilt, you could take a level of sorcerer, the draconic bloodline, and then go Dragon Disciple.

[M1k31]

or just role a will save every time you attempt to steal an object, that if you fail means you stole worthless crap... like stealing your opponents belt buckle.

[Daw]

Why does this have to be without the GMs help?

You can put pretty much anything into your backstory as long as it doesn't conflict with any GM rulings or give you a mechanical advantage. So, as long as you aren't drying to get around any GM Thou Shalt Nots it should be no big deal.

[Duiker]

There's a drawback in which every time you leave a location, you have to roll a will save to see if you absent-mindedly forgot one of your personal belongings. I had a character with this, and got a d1000 table of random personal items, so that every time I failed I would then tell the story of the wonderful comb, or odd coin, or shiny rock that I had with me ... and would NEVER see again because I couldn't remember where I put it.

[SorrySleeping]

Daw wrote:

Why does this have to be without the GMs help?

You can put pretty much anything into your backstory as long as it doesn't conflict with any GM rulings or give you a mechanical advantage. So, as long as you aren't drying to get around any GM Thou Shalt Nots it should be no big deal.

Any mechanic benefit I ask for from the GM will likely be a harsh curse. Far harsher than I seek.I wanted to see what a could do without asking about it.

I do like the idea of aelf-hoarding and becoming a dragon. I'm planning in using the Eldritch Scoundrel archetype (in spheres of power, it's weird) so taking up dragon traits like flying and breathe weapon aren't too hard.

[Daw]

It sounds like interesting backstory stuff.
Might give you some interesting plot hooks.

[Klorox]

I don't see how you can 'accidentally' steal fro a dragon, unless it's a gold , silver, or bronze and you accidentally burgled his town house... but Perfect tommy's idea about tithing to the dragon seems to e to be a fine idea...

[SorrySleeping]

Well, let me put it better. The character didn't accidentally loot. "Whoops! I just stole all this treasure! I'm so random lol!" He accidentally stole dragon loot.

The campaign setting has dragons long gone, a war with a god has killed all the dragons a generation ago.