Talent/Spell of the Week: Curse

[Shostak]

This incredibly powerful IQ 13 Thrown spell changes each of the subject’s rolls by 1 for each 2 ST powering the spell. The cursed character adds to all rolls they make for which they want a low result, and rolls for which a high result would be desirable are subtracted from. For example, a 2-ST Curse would add 1 to a to-hit roll and subtract 1 from a damage roll. Curses are permanent unless cancelled by Remove Thrown Spell.

Curse is ideal for taking a boss adversary or overconfident PC down a notch or two. But, unless a wizard who wants to use Curse enjoys the benefits of a high DX, they must get close to their target if they want good chances for a successful casting. A cunning sorcerer might try to obtain an audience or other social engagement with their intended victim and cast Curse surreptitiously from proximity. A wizard with IQ 15 or more can cast this spell silently by making a one-handed gesture, but it might not be unreasonable to assume that the gestures for Curse are well-known, even by those who have not studied the magical arts. It would take an IQ of 18 to be able to cast it completely silently. Curses are especially effective against figures using lower-damage weapons against armored opponents.

Despite Curse’s ability to influence all of a victim’s rolls, I don’t see this spell chosen very often for PCs. And, althoughI have frequently given it to NPCs in my games, they have not often used it against the PCs. Perhaps its due to those range penalties; if a target is close enough to be Cursed, its close enough to be Frozen.

Conversation Starters

• Is Curse most often used as a tactical spell or enchantment in your games?
• How might Curse be combined with other spells to make it more effective?
• Do the societies in your corners of Cidri accept Curse, or is it taboo?
• How does Curse interact with critical successes and failures?