How Far is too Far with Cursed?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Keiko

Why is taking it stupid if it fits your character concept?

Well it's not impossible for a character concept to be stupid in that the player will find out the hard way that playing it is no fun. Of course it's also possible for a character to be nothing but a load for the other players to carry which can be a pain for the other players even if the designer of the Load enjoys being carried.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

How bad is Cursed, anyway?

I remember back in 3E it was -75 points, which was incredibly crazily massive. I think it's been toned down for 4E but I don't actually remember.

It's still -75 points.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by johndallman

It's still -75 points.

Well, that does mean the character (and the player, if he's at all empathically inclined) will be entering a world of pain.

[Keiko]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Eventually, the other characters in the fellowship are going to do the realistic thing, and ditch the jinx. Tell him to leave. At swordpoint if necessary. Unless, of course, they are somehow able to see the invisible rotating "I am a player character" hologram above his head.

But there's no legitimate way they can ever be aware of that hologram.

Whether or not the Cursed character is allowed to stick around depends on play-style, the reasons the characters are together in the first place and the nature of how Curse manifests. They could be a beloved friend, a relative, a child or other dependent or on a more pragmatic level have vital skills or connections that make up for their horrid luck. Their "Cursed" nature might mostly plague them and the group learns not to rest anything vital that's particularly up to chance on them.

There are other Disadvantages that might cause trouble for the entire team too like enemies. Just because someone's presense isn't optima or even detrimental doesn't mean they're automatically ditched, at least not in the real world or in much fiction so there's no reason it has to happen in a role playing game.

It might be hard to believe but some people enjoy role playing suffering and misery, the reaction to it and fighting against it. There's an entire rpg that's basically focused on playing doomed characters that are probably going to fail in spectacular ways in whatever they're trying to do in the end.

I haven't had any PCs take Cursed in GURPS but I haven't been playing it that long. I have had players want characters that more or less had the same issues, been invited to "do my worse" to them as the gm in games without Disadvantages type effect so they player wasn't even getting some kind of compensation for it so, while I won't say its common, the desire for and ability to find such characters fun is out there.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Disliker of the mary sue

It kind of a train of thought I been having for awhile while thinking of the Disadvantage Cursed. The basic premise is if anyone is stupid enough to take this disadvantage you make their in character lives as miserable as possible. However I been thinking on how that would work in practice in a group game.

Here my logic, in other works of media you do kind of have the Butt-monkey who gets treated like crap by the universe and everything in it. Charecters like Squidward or Charlie Brown who get all the bad luck and has people in real life pity them. I keep thinking in game if you abuse this player too much your are going to really make the rest of the group kind of mad at you. I suppose I should mentioned the player himself but well I thinking anyone stupid enough to take a disadvantage like that to begin with deserve no pity from a dm.

Hm does anyone have experience dming someone with that disadvantage in a long term campaign? How exactly do you handle it? In general how far should you go with this disadvantage?

I've had three different characters with this in my games since 4th edition came out - all played by different players. They knew what they were getting into and it made thematic sense for the characters. One had committed a awful crime and was cursed by his strega grandmother to "suffer without equal" in order to keep the rest of his family from killing him. The player took it all in stride and when he finally atoned the curse came back one more time and he died while making sure the other characters escaped a trap that should have killed them all. One was just "born under a bad sign" and made it through twenty-three sessions before the player said "I need to retire this character," which I agreed to. We'd talked about possible outs, but eventually we came up with a EPIC way for his character to go out and to help restart a flagging campaign. Basically, the character committed suicide - something he'd never do under any circumstances. My other players grew obsessed with finding out why and after nearly twenty sessions they discovered there was no "why." Stuff just happens sometimes. It didn't help that the player absolutely refused to explain why when they questioned him about it (for nearly 6 months he did that!). It added a hint of normalcy to a otherwise gonzo game. The last was a dwarven warrior who betrayed his oaths and got his entire clan killed - he ran away when they needed him most and the gods cursed him. He actually got it removed after he faced his fears, helped take back his homeland, and freed his remaining kin who "languished in durance vile," but he was one-armed, dragon-scarred, and broken by the end.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Cursed can be used for a role-playing tool if you're clever and have players who fully understand the consquences they are getting into. "Oops, you forgot to reload. You're out of ammo - so's you're backup. Time to scrap." "Your car catches on fire - one in a million factory defect. You need to bail out going 40 mph or take burning damage." Sure, you made your Active Defense roll, but your shield breaks." "You have a magnificent night with the woman of your dreams...but it turns out she was looking for a one-night stand - and she's married - also her husband is the governor and knows what you did. Cheers."

How far should you go? You ever have a terrible GM? Just a godawful jerk with a chip on his shoulder but no one wants to GM so he's stuck doing it and he resents everyone for it? We've all met that guy or at least head about him. Imagine what that guy would do - then go one step beyond. I use that methodology and just so the game isn't "all about" the Cursed character I roll a d6+1 and that's how many times the character gets screwed that session - and they build up (I tell the player straight up "Something bad is going to happen X times - remember to remind me if I forget"). I've never had even one complaint when I frame it like that to the player and it turns something that's normally "Nah, I'm good" into "Maybe...if the character is right for it."

[WingedKagouti]

Cursed should generally not affect the other members of the party at all (other than to have the Cursed character fail at a task). The character should usually not die from whatever mishaps happen to him/her. Those are the only two limits to Cursed IMO.

Also, a Cursed character should have some notable successes, if only to allow for the Curse to take away anything the character has gained from that at the most brutal/tragic/funny moment (depending on campaign style).

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Unless, of course, they are somehow able to see the invisible rotating "I am a player character" hologram above his head.

But there's no legitimate way they can ever be aware of that hologram.

Well actually, that sounds vaguely like some Oriental religions.

[Disliker of the mary sue]

Hm correct me if I am wrong since it has been awhile since I more then casually read the basic book, but I don;t think their the good equivalent to cursed....mainly an advantage that makes the character lead a bit of a charmed life so to speak, where bad things rarely happen to them and when good things happen, they are somehow made even better.

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by Disliker of the mary sue

Hm correct me if I am wrong since it has been awhile since I more then casually read the basic book, but I don;t think their the good equivalent to cursed....mainly an advantage that makes the character lead a bit of a charmed life so to speak, where bad things rarely happen to them and when good things happen, they are somehow made even better.

That would be done as a high level of Serendipity.

[LemmingLord]

Cursed is a great disadvantage.

I had a minmaxer take it because he wanted the points. He was a little upset when I had him find an old pit trap and break both his legs. It was delightful watching him fight and dodge as if on a pummel horse.

Like any disadvantage, add it to your character sheet only if you are going to have fun with it.