Curse (715)
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Curse imparts one of eight dangerous curses upon a target. Use the CURSE verb to control which curse or nightmare is cast. If the Curse spell is cast directly without using the verb, then one of six possible curses will be selected based on the caster's stance. The spell may also be cast directly upon items. Any damage inflicted by Curse is generally somewhat minor; it is more commonly used as a disabling spell. In the case of Curse of the Star, it can also be used to boost bolt attack strength (AS).
| Name | Stance | Color | Success | Effects | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clumsy | Offensive | Pure black | Moves erratically | Target constantly falls down (causing injury) and may have difficulty standing; may curse worn items. (Unbalance crit) | 0 |
| Weakness | Advancing | Deep crimson | Trembles noticeably | -40 AS; health loss. (Impact crit) |
2 |
| Darkness | Forward | Blood red | Trembles slightly | -15 AS; may curse held items | 3 |
| Itch | Neutral | Swirling grey | Shivers weakly | -50 DS and occasionally forced to scratch, dropping items and causing roundtime | 4 |
| Hex | Guarded | Brackish blue | Shakes slightly | -24 or 25 TD, no warding check | 5 |
| Pox | Defensive | Sickly green | Cringes | Health loss. (Disruption crit) | 2 |
| Nightmare | Any | None | Nightmare | Health loss, may stun or fall | Special |
| Star | Any | None | Loses some inner strength | -10 AS plus -1 AS per 3 sorcerer ranks above 15. Upon death of target AS penalty transfers to caster as bolt AS bonus (sorcerers only) | 15 |
Usage
- PREP 715 | CURSE {target} {cursename} to use a specific curse, overriding the default stance-based selection
- PREP 715 | CAST {target} or INCANT 715 in the specified stance for any stance-based Curse.
Curse Power and Lore Benefit
Curse Power refers solely to what curse-choices are available to a sorcerer. Thus, it can largely be ignored when it comes to the casting process itself. With a Curse Power of 50 or greater, all curse variants are available. CURSE HELP will display the current power level, which cannot be lower than zero.
| Curse Power = Sorcerer Base ranks + (Summoning Lore ranks / 3) + (WIS bonus / 2) + (INF bonus / 5) |
Curse Strength (see below) also benefits from training in Summoning Lore.
Cursing Items and Curse Strength
The original six curses can also be cast upon an item. The caster may safely handle their own cursed items, but the moment another character comes in contact with one, they will be subjected to the curse as if it were just cast upon them. This will cause a warding roll which utilizes the sorcerer's CS at the time of the item being cursed. Cursed items will 'stick' in the hand or inventory of the victim, and can only be removed by having Remove Curse (315) cast upon them.
- Holy items cannot be cursed
- The difficulty of removing a curse is based upon a comparison of the caster's ability versus the curse remover's ability
- Cursing items does not currently work properly with Nightmares or the Star curse
All coefficients are equal between clerics and sorcerers. There is no random roll. Whichever caster has the higher strength wins. Additionally, clerics receive an immense bonus to Remove Curse if Neutralize Curse (309) is cast first (see the template discussion page for more about this).
The strength formula for a Curse and/or Remove Curse on an item is based on the following factors:
- Discipline and Aura bonuses
- Appropriate spell ranks for each caster (Sorcerer or Cleric Base circles). Spell ranks count significantly more than lore ranks.
- Ranks in the appropriate lore (Summoning for Curse, Blessings for Remove Curse)
- Level (the coefficient for this is reduced if the spell is not native to the caster)
Nightmare
This spell will cause the target to experience their worst nightmare, which will manifest in their mind and begin to attack them. Though the spell is actually just an illusion, the target will suffer stuns and small amounts of damage. Targets will routinely fall to their knees and begin to weep before the vision in their mind.
Spell Mechanics
Due to the nature of the spell, it is set to begin a few seconds after being cast. The target will initially feel a chill breeze and nothing else. As a bonus to the spell, creatures that are normally immune to stuns will suffer short stuns from this spell. Many creatures are immune to this spell, however, including all undead and various monstrous creatures.
Sorcerers with a higher Curse Power can control which nightmare to inflict upon a target. They might even be able to create a customized nightmare of their very own. To specify a particular nightmare, refer to the numbers in the table below (a number is not needed for the non-specific option.) F.ex., to bury your target alive in a dastardly nightmare:
- PREP 715
- CURSE {target} NIGHTMARE 13
Nightmare curse list:
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Rose Illusion
The Sorcerer Guild skill Illusion Rose contains this spell. Sorcerers can specify which nightmare is contained in a rose by specifying the assigned number for the nightmare after ILLUSION ROSE. Any non-sorcerer eating one of those roses will be under the effect of this spell for one second per level of the sorcerer who created the rose. Any character dying from the small amounts of damage done during this spell will cause a murder charge for the caster.
Star Curse
Every living being or thing was born under the soft glow of a certain star. Traditions of old suggests that the type of birth-star ascendant has a very important influence on a person's life, traits and future. By cursing that very star, a sorcerer can interfere with a victim's life and power. Under certain circumstances the sorcerer can even absorb some of that power and make use of it in nefarious ways.
Those abused by this curse will find that they've lost a general AS of 10, plus 1 for every 3 sorcerer spell ranks above 15 that the caster has learned - this is capped at the caster's level. If the caster is a sorcerer, that person will gain the equivalent amount of spell/bolt AS when the victim dies. This bonus will last for 1200 sec with an added duration of 60 seconds per target level. The duration is stackable.
Messaging
- Clumsy
- Initial cast:
You gesture at a hill troll. CS: +252 - TD: +59 + CvA: -11 + d100: +38 == +220 Warding failed! A thread of pure black magic issues forth from your hand toward the hill troll. It coils itself around the troll, whirling malevolently before disappearing within its body. A hill troll begins to move erratically and looks extremely clumsy!
- Ongoing:
A hill troll suddenly trips and falls over! A hill troll was injured in the fall! ... 10 points of damage! Pop! Kneecap wrenched.
- Ending:
The hill troll looks much more coordinated.
- Weakness
- Initial cast:
You gesture at a hill troll. CS: +252 - TD: +59 + CvA: +9 + d100: +24 == +226 Warding failed! A thread of deep crimson magic issues forth from your hand toward the hill troll. It coils itself around the troll, whirling malevolently before disappearing within its body. A hill troll trembles noticeably and looks extremely weak!
- Ongoing:
The hill troll shakes slightly, looking very weak. The hill troll flinches in pain! ... 10 points of damage! Light blow to left arm.
- Ending:
The hill troll no longer looks so weak.
- Darkness
- Initial cast:
You gesture at a hill troll. CS: +252 - TD: +59 + CvA: -11 + d100: +4 == +186 Warding failed! A thread of blood red magic issues forth from your hand toward the hill troll. It coils itself around the troll, whirling malevolently before disappearing within its body. A hill troll trembles slightly and looks very weak!
- (No ongoing messaging.)
- Ending:
The hill troll no longer appears so weak.
- Itch
- Initial cast:
You gesture at a hill troll. CS: +252 - TD: +59 + CvA: -11 + d100: +31 == +213 Warding failed! A thread of swirling gray magic issues forth from your hand toward the hill troll. It coils itself around the troll, whirling malevolently before disappearing within its body. A hill troll shivers weakly and looks very uncomfortable!
- Ongoing:
The hill troll shakes slightly, looking quite weak. A hill troll scratches itself uncontrollably! The hill troll drops its sword!
- Ending:
The hill troll looks somewhat less weakened and much more comfortable.
- Hex
- Initial cast:
You gesture at a hill troll. A thread of brackish blue magic issues forth from your hand toward the hill troll. It coils itself around the troll, whirling malevolently before disappearing within its body. A hill troll shakes slightly and looks very vulnerable!
- (No ongoing messaging.)
- Ending:
The hill troll appears a bit less vulnerable.
- Pox
- Initial cast:
You gesture at a hill troll. CS: +252 - TD: +59 + CvA: -11 + d100: +43 == +225 Warding failed! A thread of sickly green magic issues forth from your hand toward the hill troll. It coils itself around the troll, whirling malevolently before disappearing within its body. A hill troll cringes and looks extremely ill.
- Ongoing:
The hill troll shivers slightly. A sickly green mist erupts from the hill troll and slowly circles its body. The mist condenses in one location and quickly sinks into the troll! The troll contorts itself in pain! ... 15 points of damage! Minor muscle tearing on the hill troll's left leg. The hill troll is stunned! A sickly green mist erupts from the hill troll and slowly circles its body. The mist condenses in one location and quickly sinks into the troll! The troll contorts itself in pain! ... 20 points of damage! The hill troll's neck bones snap. Head looks precariously balanced now. The hill troll is stunned!
- Ending:
The hill troll no longer looks so ill.
- Item
You gesture at a black crystal. A wisp of brackish blue magic flows from your hand toward the black crystal. It wraps itself around the crystal, swirling momentarily before disappearing within it.
- Nightmare
- Initial cast:
>prep 715 You trace an intricate sign that contorts in the air while forcefully invoking Curse... Your spell is ready. >curse troll nightmare 2 Holding a hill troll in your gaze, you utter a foul curse upon her. CS: +297 - TD: +230 + CvA: +12 + d100: +98 - -5 == +182 Warding failed! You weave the "Terror of the Rolton" nightmare for a hill troll. Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
- Ongoing:
A hill troll flinches and cringes at nothing. > A hill troll suddenly looks terrified! > A hill troll's eyes suddenly glaze over. > A hill troll begins to sob pitifully. She falls to her knees! > A hill troll weeps softly. > A hill troll is able to move again.
- Star Curse
- Initial cast:
>pre 715 You trace an intricate sign that contorts in the air while forcefully invoking Curse... Your spell is ready. >curse troll star Holding a hill troll in your gaze, you utter a foul curse upon him. CS: +219 - TD: +59 + CvA: +20 + d100: +35 == +215 Warding failed! The hill troll loses some inner strength. You are seized by a sudden premonition of his demise. Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
- Target death:
incant 702 You trace an intricate sign that contorts in the air while forcefully invoking Mana Disruption... Your spell is ready. You gesture at a hill troll. CS: +219 - TD: +59 + CvA: +20 + d100: +11 == +191 Warding failed! Massive internal disruption. The hill troll screams one last time and dies. The deep blue glow leaves a hill troll. You acquire a certain murky complexion, and you feel more deft. Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.
- Recast messaging while active:
Your complexion grows murkier.
- Wearing off:
Your murky complexion fades away, and you feel less deft.