Bestow Curse (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Bestow Curse

The following are variant effects for bestow curse.

Spell Effect The target suffers the effect of one of these spells, chosen when the curse is inflicted. This is a permanent necromancy (curse) effect, with a range of touch and allowing a Will save to negate. The save DC is based on the level of the spell that delivers the curse (normally bestow curse, but other spells can mimic bestow curse effects). A spell effect curse never has a partial effect; either the target is cursed and suffers the full effect, or it is not. An effect that would counter one of these spells instead suppresses the curse as long as the countering effect remains. An instantaneous effect that would negate the effect suppresses the curse for 1 minute.

1. anticipate thoughts
2. aversion
3. calm emotions
4. compassionate ally
5. dimensional anchor (no emerald field)
6. faerie fire
7. fairness (no symbol appears)
8. false belief
9. haze of dreams
10. imbue with aura
11. inflict pain
12. isolate
13. jealous rage
14. jitterbugs
15. mad hallucination
16. reckless infatuation
17. shamefully overdressed
18. stage fright
19. touch of mercy
20. twisted space
21. Alienation The target does not consider any creature its ally, does not grant or benefit from flanking bonuses, is never a willing target of any effect, and cannot voluntarily fail a saving throw or lower spell resistance.
22. Anonymity All of the target’s facial features, vocal cues, and identifying physical traits change, transforming the target into an unremarkable member of its race and a gender selected by the caster. Any skill check to affirm the target's identity has a DC of 30.
23. Aphasia The target cannot speak, read, or write any language. The target can understand spoken language relating to the situation at hand, but not abstract or distant subjects. The target cannot cast spells with verbal components and cannot use spellbooks, scrolls, and similar written magical devices. The target cannot use or be affected by language-dependent effects and Bluff checks to deceive or Diplomacy checks to make requests.
24. Bad Luck Every time the target makes an attack roll or skill check, it rolls 2d20 and takes the lower result.
25. Carrier The effect of the most severe disease (highest save DC) on the target is suppressed, but the target cannot be cured of this disease by any means and remains contagious. If the creature contracts another disease, only the disease with the highest save DC is suppressed; the target suffers the effect of any other diseases normally. If the target does not suffer a disease when this curse is inflicted, it automatically contacts filth fever.
26. Day-blind The target treats conditions of normal or bright light as dim light and bright light as darkness. Low-light vision and darkvision do not negate these penalties, but still allows improved vision in dim light and darker conditions.
27. Death's Door When the target is reduced to -1 or fewer hit points it immediately dies, but the soul is locked in the body, making it susceptible to effects that capture a soul for up to 24 hours, effects like soul bind.
28. Dread Target suffers the shaken condition. Whenever the target suffers any fear condition from some other source, the target is terrorized for the period it would normally suffer that fear effect. A target that is immune to fear or mind-affecting effects is immune to this curse.
29. Fatigue Target suffers the fatigued condition. Whenever the target becomes fatigued from some other source, the target is exhausted for the period it would normally be fatigued. Targets immune to the fatigued conditioned are immune to this curse.
30. Hallucinations The target has a 50% concealment miss chance on all attacks, and anyone can use Stealth against the target.
31. Hemophilia This spell causes any existing wounds that the target possesses to bleed profusely. If the creature’s current total hit points are less than its maximum, the target takes 1d6 points of bleed damage each round. A successful DC 15 Heal check or any spell that cures hit point damage negates the bleeding until the next time the target takes hit point damage.
32. Honesty The target cannot lie, dissemble, or use trickery. It suffers a -20 penalty on Bluff and Sleight of Hand checks. Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks to make the target reveal secrets gain a +10 circumstance bonus.
33. Infirmity The target is sickened. In any round when the target attempts to take a standard or full-round action, there is a 50% chance the target is nauseated and must change their action accordingly.
34. Land-bound The target cannot fly or walk on air or water. This negates all magical and mundane air travel and cannot be moved off the ground by telekinesis or similar effects. The target can still swim and ride a creature or vehicle.
35. Locked Gaze The target is compelled to look at the caster of the curse and only at them. When the caster is not in sight, the target's vision is constantly distracted. The caster gains a +4 bonus on Charisma-based skill checks and on the save DC of gaze attacks and enchantment spells against the target. The target is distracted on all Perception checks and all creatures except the caster gain concealment against the target. Blind creatures and creatures with all-around vision are immune to this curse.
36. Mute The target cannot speak or sing. Target cannot use spells with verbal components or items with command word activation, and suffers a -4 penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Use Magic Device checks.
37. Obvious The target suffers a -20 penalty on Stealth checks, and must make a Stealth check each round to remain hidden, even if conditions would not normally require a check. Survival checks to track the creature gain a +10 bonus.
38. Odor Target suffers a distinctive and unpleasant body odor. The DC of Survival checks to track the target are reduced by 5. The target suffers a -5 penalty on Diplomacy, Disguise, and Stealth checks. Double the effect against creatures with scent.
39. Painless The target cannot feel pain. It does not realize how hurt it is, the GM should secretly track damage, ability damage, and ability drain for the target. The creature's survival instincts are impaired, causing a -2 penalty to AC and all saves. The target cannot be tortured and is immune to pain effects.
40. Reverberation This curse reflects the force of weapons used by the target of the curse, damaging the weapon. After making a successful weapon attack, the target used must make a Strength check (DC is the weapon's hardness) or the weapon gains the broken condition. If the weapon already has the broken condition, it is destroyed. Natural and unarmed attacks are unaffected by this curse.
41. Rudeness The target suffers a -20 penalty on Diplomacy checks without realizing it.
42. Selective Invisibility The caster names or points at a creature when inflicting this curse. This creature becomes imperceptible to all the target's senses except touch. This includes exceptional senses like blindsense, blindsight, scent, or tremorsense. See invisibility does not let the target perceive the creature, but true seeing does.
43. Silence The target is affected by a silence effect that has no area and only affects the target. The target cannot make or hear any sound whatsoever. All sound is stopped: conversation is impossible, spells with verbal components cannot be cast, and no noise whatsoever issues from or can be heard by the target. The target is immune to sonic or language-dependent effects and gains a +4 bonus on Stealth checks, but suffers a -4 penalty on Perception, and any sound-based Perception checks automatically fail.
44. Sleeplessness Target cannot sleep. Any effect that causes sleep is negated after one minute, which is insufficient to rest. Characters who do not get a full night’s sleep may suffer the effects of fatigue. The target must make a Fortitude save (DC as the spell) each night or be fatigued and take a –1 penalty on all skill checks and on saving throws against sleep effects. A second night without sleep requires another Fortitude save. A failed save results in the character becoming exhausted and the penalties increasing to –2. Each additional failed save on a later night increases the penalties by 1.
45. Shrinking The target shrinks in size and power. The target's size category is reduced two steps (Medium becomes Tiny, Small becomes Diminutive). All damage the target inflicts is halved (including damage from spells and supernatural abilities) and the save DC of all abilities is reduced by 4. Speed and the range increment of all weapons is reduced to half. The target gains a +4 size bonus to Dexterity and suffers a -8 Size bonus to Strength. The target gains a +2 bonus on AC and attack rolls, a +4 modifier of Fly checks, and a +8 bonus on Stealth checks.
46. Staggered Target suffers the staggered condition.
47. Venerable The target suffers the effects of venerable age; -6 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, +3 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. In addition, it suffers -10 on Perception checks and its speed is reduced by half. Any effect that negates age penalties suppresses all the ability modifiers of this curse. Undead are immune to this curse.
48. Vertigo The target cannot fly and is nauseated whenever it stands up. Treat the target as prone when sitting. Targets without a land speed are immune to this curse.
49. Youth Target gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity and a –2 penalty to all other ability scores. The target is not taken seriously and suffers a -20 penalty on Diplomacy checks to make requests. Any effect that negates age penalties suppresses the Dexterity bonus of this curse.

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