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. bite the hand affecting any creature the target summons. Summoned creatures are allowed a Will save (DC of bestow curse) to negate the effect.
4. bungle on the target's first action each round.
5. calm emotions
6. cognitive block
7. compassionate ally
8. compulsive liar
9. confess against all questions asked of the target; a save is allowed each time to ignore the effect, but this does not negate the curse.
10. confusion whenever the target is in combat.
11. crime wave
12. decrepit disguise on all objects the target wears or carries, lasting 1 hour after target drops the item.
13. dimensional anchor No emerald field.
14. faerie fire
15. fairness No symbol appears.
16. false belief
17. fear the sun
18. feast of ashes
19. fumbletongue
20. garrulous grin
21. haze of dreams
22. hidden presence The caster can choose another person to become undetectable. If broken, the effect resumes after 1 minute.
23. hostile levitation
24. ill omen
25. imbue with aura
26. inflict pain
27. isolate
28. jealous rage
29. jitterbugs
30. kinetic reverberation affecting all the target's attacks.
31. lock gaze
32. lullaby
33. mad hallucination
34. negative reaction
35. open book
36. rage
37. reckless infatuation
38. shadow anchor
39. shamefully overdressed
40. stage fright
41. status
42. steal voice
43. touch of mercy
44. twisted space
45. unprepared combatant
46. unwitting ally against all opponents.
47. vocal alteration
48. witness
49. 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.
50. 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.
51. 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.
52. 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 for 24 hours, making it susceptible to effects like soul bind that capture a soul.
53. 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.
54. Enforced Alignment If the target fails its initial save, it is cursed. Each time the target performs an action of an alignment opposite to that of the caster's deity (or to the caster, if he has no deity), it must save against the curse or take 1d4 damage to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. A successful save does not not negate the curse, only the consequences of that action. The cleric of a lawful Good cleric uses this. The target risks taking damage whenever it performs a chaotic or evil act.
55. Farsighted Anything less than 20 ft. away has concealment from the target. The target cannot read text that is concealed this way.
56. 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.
57. Fearless The target is immune to fear. Its survival instincts are impaired, causing a -4 penalty to AC and all saves.
58. Gigantism The target grows in size but becomes clumsy. The target's size category is increased by two steps (Medium becomes Huge (25 ft. space), Small becomes Large (20 ft. space) but reach does not change. The base damage of melee weapons is doubled. The target gains a -8 size penalty to Dexterity and gains a +4 Size bonus to Strength. The target suffers a -4 penalty on AC and attack rolls, a -4 modifier of Fly checks, and a -8 penalty on Stealth checks. This replaces normal size modifiers.
59. Hallucinations The target suffers 50% concealment miss chance on all attacks, and anyone can use Stealth against the target.
60. 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.
61. 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.
62. 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.
63. 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.
64. 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.
65. Motion Sickness Whenever the target is riding a vehicle, it is stunned and falls prone.
66. 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.
67. Nearsighted Anything more than 5 ft away has concealment from the target.
68. Night-Blind The target cannot see at all in dim light or darker conditions, regardless of visual abilities.
69. Oblivious The target suffers a -40 penalty to Perception.
70. Obvious The target suffers a -40 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.
71. 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.
72. Painless The target cannot feel pain. It does not realize how hurt it is, the GM should secretly track hit point damage 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.
73. Rudeness The target suffers a -20 penalty on Diplomacy checks without realizing it.
74. Selective Invisibility Randomly select a nearby creature. If the target of the curse does not encounter this creature for 1 hour, select a new nearby creature. This creature becomes imperceptible to all the target's senses except touch. This is a mental block that perception-enhancing abilities cannot remedy.
75. 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.
76. 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 cannot prepare arcane or psychic spells and suffers the effects of fatigue. The target must make a Fortitude save (DC as the spell) each night or be exhausted. A successful nightly save makes the character fatigued, but does not allow preparation of arcane spells.
77. 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 items, 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.
78. Spellblight The target suffers a minor spellblight This is still a curse, and removed as a curse, not a spellblight.
79. Staggered Target suffers the staggered condition.
80. Starvation Target needs to eat and drink each hour what they would normally need each day.
81. 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.
82. Vertigo The target cannot fly and is nauseated whenever it stands up. Treat the target as prone when sitting.
83. 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 also suppresses the Dexterity bonus of this curse.

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