(Strangely Changed) Ever had a player shrug when you cursed them? - Come tell me some of your favorite 5e curse stories!

[mysticflame]

Hey yall, I thought I'd share with you a supplement that I recently wrote. I felt 5e had a gap when it came to unique curses, especially since I don't know that I had ever encountered a curse that wasn't simply on an item! My book Strangely Changed details all of the relevant 5e info on curses, and then expands those rules with 99 unique curses ranging from mischievous to world ending. Included are curses not only for items, but for individuals, places, and even entire populations! I'd love to hear what yall think about it, and maybe even swap some stories about favorite curses you've encountered

Strangely Changed - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Strangely Changed - What to expect Strangely Changed is a collection of completely new curses for 5e, but the book is much more than a

www.dmsguild.com

 

[mysticflame]

I've got a quick curse story I can share


I was running a fairly magic heavy campaign a while back, set in the evermoor in Faerun.
One of my players came across a cursed breastplate in a small dungeon. The armor made it so while the bearer had complete immunity to fire damage, they were also constantly wreathed in hot flames, head to toe. All of their equipment burned up and they even set fire to the ground they walked on. Everyone thought it was pretty cool and we moved on.

Not long after, the players ran into a wilderness encounter that I had added to my notes for the campaign months and months ago. in the encounter they met and killed a hag in the swamp. Amongst her belongings, the players found a crown with a lion carved on the front. The same player who had so compulsively put on the armor without identifying it, immediately donned the crown. The crown made it so that they believed themselves to be a person of great importance, and that they would become increasingly paranoid about it.

We all chuckled to ourselves that this character was now on fire, and had a napoleon complex and moved on.

The players actual goal at this point, was to move up into the hills and talk to a barbarian tribe there. This tribe of Uthgardt Barbarians was waiting for a new god in the form of a mortal human to arrive, just like their god Uthgar had. When my player came to their tribe, acting as though he was a man of great power and renown, and wreathed in supernatural flame, they immediately assumed that it was him. Instead of arguing with them, the player latched on to this idea, and began to proclaim himself the god of the sun.

This would be humorous enough, but somehow things got even stranger. The barbarians had captured a dragon egg from a nearby dragon and had attached it to a pole in the middle of their village. Because it was an amethyst dragon (well actually a red/amethyst dragon hybrid but thats no super important) the pole began to grow crystals out of it, that radiated gravitational pushes and pulls. The barbarians believed that if a human could climb this pole and return with the egg that it would signify their deity, and they would be gifted the dragon egg. I had set this physical challenge up to be all but completely impossible, especially with how low level the party was, to force them to either leave the egg, or steal it later. Against all odds, however, the player cloaked in flames made over a dozen high rolls in a row, and succeeded at the challenge, recovering the egg.


These curses and craziness got them into a lot of trouble later, but it was very very entertaining to see an undead (oh yeah, this happened too) ball of flame screaming about being the lord of the sun, while riding an angry dragon wyrmling, and commanding a small army of barbarians, and mainly because of a few great dice rolls, one players compulsive behaviour, and the bizarre way my notes got jumbled and overlapped over time.

 

[Endless Flight]

Welcome to the Pub mysticflame.

 

[CRKrueger]

I've got a quick curse story I can share


I was running a fairly magic heavy campaign a while back, set in the evermoor in Faerun.
One of my players came across a cursed breastplate in a small dungeon. The armor made it so while the bearer had complete immunity to fire damage, they were also constantly wreathed in hot flames, head to toe. All of their equipment burned up and they even set fire to the ground they walked on. Everyone thought it was pretty cool and we moved on.

Not long after, the players ran into a wilderness encounter that I had added to my notes for the campaign months and months ago. in the encounter they met and killed a hag in the swamp. Amongst her belongings, the players found a crown with a lion carved on the front. The same player who had so compulsively put on the armor without identifying it, immediately donned the crown. The crown made it so that they believed themselves to be a person of great importance, and that they would become increasingly paranoid about it.

We all chuckled to ourselves that this character was now on fire, and had a napoleon complex and moved on.

The players actual goal at this point, was to move up into the hills and talk to a barbarian tribe there. This tribe of Uthgardt Barbarians was waiting for a new god in the form of a mortal human to arrive, just like their god Uthgar had. When my player came to their tribe, acting as though he was a man of great power and renown, and wreathed in supernatural flame, they immediately assumed that it was him. Instead of arguing with them, the player latched on to this idea, and began to proclaim himself the god of the sun.

This would be humorous enough, but somehow things got even stranger. The barbarians had captured a dragon egg from a nearby dragon and had attached it to a pole in the middle of their village. Because it was an amethyst dragon (well actually a red/amethyst dragon hybrid but thats no super important) the pole began to grow crystals out of it, that radiated gravitational pushes and pulls. The barbarians believed that if a human could climb this pole and return with the egg that it would signify their deity, and they would be gifted the dragon egg. I had set this physical challenge up to be all but completely impossible, especially with how low level the party was, to force them to either leave the egg, or steal it later. Against all odds, however, the player cloaked in flames made over a dozen high rolls in a row, and succeeded at the challenge, recovering the egg.


These curses and craziness got them into a lot of trouble later, but it was very very entertaining to see an undead (oh yeah, this happened too) ball of flame screaming about being the lord of the sun, while riding an angry dragon wyrmling, and commanding a small army of barbarians, and mainly because of a few great dice rolls, one players compulsive behaviour, and the bizarre way my notes got jumbled and overlapped over time.

Now THAT’S how you do D&D! A long-term D&D campaign needs no injected humor or gonzo, the players will generate all you can stand just by interacting with the world.

BTW, a book of curses is a great idea! I might actually buy a 5e book.

 

[mysticflame]

Now THAT’S how you do D&D! A long-term D&D campaign needs no injected humor or gonzo, the players will generate all you can stand just by interacting with the world.

BTW, a book of curses is a great idea! I might actually buy a 5e book.

Thanks!

Yes I've found that my players need absolutely no prodding to create insane situations. I think that's part of why I lean so heavily into writing sandbox style adventures. Every time I try and build a linear story for them they blow it up in the most bizarre ways imaginable!