Curses

The goal here is to create things that both have some kind of general mechanical benefit while also having some kind of role play to the curse.

Child

You’re just a kid. Those afflicted with the child curse can never grow up. They have the minds of someone much older than they appear mixed with an odd assortment of child-like tendencies and interests.

Benefit - You are one size category smaller than what is normal for your race. Your apparent age cannot be magically altered, even through [polymorph] effects.

Drawback - Whenever you try to appeal to authority to someone unfamiliar with your curse, you take a -2 penalty to any skill checks related. You take a -2 penalty to poise.

Empathetic

You love people. Those afflicted with the empathetic curse consider most people their friends, and find it difficult to treat others harshly, even those on the other side of the battlefield. Woe to he who makes an enemy of an empathetic oracle.

Benefit - When you cast a spell or use an ability to restore hitpoints, it heals an additional 3 HP. Whenever you defeat a creature, they instead gain the time out condition. You can cause a creature that is defeated to automatically stabilize and not die as an immediate action.

Drawback - You are physically unable to intentionally and knowingly kill living creatures, even when magically compelled to do so. If a creature within 30 feet of you is dying/bleeding out, you must at the very least stabilize them to prevent them from dying, using any actions you have available.

Special - In scenarios where compulsively healing people equates to suicide (such as in a warzone) you can ignore the compulsion to save lives.

Follower

You live for someone else. Those afflicted with the follower curse have separation anxiety turned up to 11. Whoever they are bound to is burdened with the undying loyalty of their companion.

Benefit - Choose another creature to form a permanent bond with. You can move in tandem with them if you have the movement. You can choose to be the target of a harmful effect targeting your bond as an instant action. If the effect is AoE and would target both of you, you can instead choose to automatically have them pass while you automatically fail. You get a +10 bonus to any skill checks related to your bond (heal checks to stabilize, perception to tell if someone is disguised as them etc). You can innately cast reincarnate (Frogg 2), but only targeting your bond. It also function on them if they are dead.

Drawback - If you have not seen your bond for 1 minute, you are shaken 1. If you have not seen your bond for 1 hour, you are shaken 3. If you have not seen your bond for 1 day, you receive the prior penalties and cannot do anything other than search for them unless physically prevented from doing so. In the event you are shown convincing evidence that your bond is dead, you attempt to use resurrection magic to get them back. If that is impossible, you are shaken 3 for one week before you must select a new curse, or a new bond.

Frenetic

Can you quit moving? Those afflicted with the frenetic curse are excellent multitaskers. They’re always pacing around and touching things when they do anything.

Benefit - You get +2 init and a +4 bonus to AC when provoking attacks of opportunity. Increase your base speed by 10.

Drawback - You must move at least 10 feet every round. You cannot take 20. If you cannot move, you take 3 true damage at the end of your turn.

Generous

You love to give to others. Those afflicted with the generous curse always tip, always take the tab and will gladly buy things for others.

Benefit - Any money that you donate to charity or pay with the curses drawback is put into a “good will” fund. At any time you can call upon this fund to have some non magic positive (and somewhat realistic) occurrence to happen of your choosing. For example you could have a pair of horses delivered to you in your hour of need, then subtract the cost of two horses from your fund. If you sell these gifts then your good will fund immediately depletes and goes negative equal to double the gold gained from selling the gifts.

Drawback - Whenever you spend gold (not including your good will), you spend an additional 20% more gold to make whoever you’re paying happy. You cannot intentionally and knowingly steal money or possessions from others, or participate in plans to do so.

Special - Some scenarios related to this curse are left up to interpretation. If you wanna make a cool heist mission where you're stealing from a tomb then you can realistically make an exception. But if you’re just casting buffs on a rogue while they rob people blind, that’s a no go. Realistic for the benefit just means no milk delivery when cows are extinct. If the player can come up with a creative way to get what they want, then you should give it to them, or increase the cost.

Honest

You just can't help but speak the truth. Those afflicted with the honest curse are rarely trusted with secrets. Their honesty is seen as a virtue to many, but it gets them into trouble quite often when they suddenly start getting quiet, or worse, when they run their mouth.

Benefit - When you surpass the DC of a sense motive check to detect if someone is lying by 5, they automatically blurt out the truth.

Drawback - You cannot knowingly tell a lie. Not even a half-truth. You are compelled to answer questions to the best of your knowledge. The best you can do to not reveal your deepest secrets is to not speak at all.

Horny

Your mind is often filled with lustful thoughts. Those afflicted with the horny curse often tell dirty jokes and hit on anything with a pulse. Worse yet they tend to have deviant tastes.

Benefit - You gain post nut clarity. After nutting/helping someone achieve nut, you may glean information from your intimate bond. You effectively ask a question and receive an answer in three or less words. The subject does not know you gleaned this information.

Drawback - Your partner also gets to glean information with the same restrictions. You know what they gleaned.

Identity Crisis

Who are you? Those afflicted with the identity crisis curse are really good at not being themselves. Thoughtful parents give their lil’ curse bearers unisex names.

Benefit - You can assume the form of any playable race with a duration of one hour 1/day. It doesn’t affect your racial features. You cannot choose to look like the other you (see drawback).

Drawback - Every monday morning you wake up as a new person, swapping between two different people. In your head you’re still you, but you look completely different. You still stay the same race, but you swap genders, change size and shape, eye color, all the above and more! You take a -5 penalty to any skill check to convince someone that you're still you if they haven't experienced both yous a few times or aren't a close friend, family etc.

Loner

You just want to be alone. Those afflicted with the loner curse are physically drained when in the presence of other people, and thrive when left to their own devices. Confrontation is terrible, especially when they have to do the confronting.

Benefit - You get a +2 bonus to AC and saving throws when you aren't being threatened and no allies are adjacent to you. When you aren't in the presence of other creatures you get a +2 bonus to skill checks. Something like a familiar, companion creature or a pet can be a reasonable exception.

Drawback - You take a -2 penalty to any opposed skill check. You cannot benefit from or provide flanking and assist other bonuses.

Mute

You’d love to chat, if only you could. Those afflicted with the mute curse cannot speak, but are much better at developing intimate connections with those you physically interact with.

Benefit - You can cast spells while silenced. You learn sign language as a bonus language. You can telepathically communicate via touch. Your communication happens simultaneously to all creatures touched. While in direct contact with someone, you have advantage on skill checks against them.

Drawback - Whenever you spend gold (not including your good will), you spend an additional 20% more go

Oblivious

You have no idea how bad things really are. Those afflicted with the oblivious curse have things fly right over their heads all the time, sometimes to their benefit!

Benefit - You get a +4 bonus versus fear effects. You get a +4 bonus to ac and saving throws until you act in combat. These bonuses stack. Whenever making a saving throw out of combat, also add these bonuses.

Drawback - You take a -4 penalty on perception and sense motive. You do not gain perception as a skill. You cannot gain perception or sense motive as skills from any source.

Possessed

You share your body…Literally! Those afflicted with the possessed curse have another creature's spirit inhabiting their body. Luckily this spirit has a sense of self-preservation, but it does like having some personal space…Your personal space.

Benefit - When you are stunned, paralyzed, unconscious or suffering from a similar kind of status effect that prevents you from acting, you can still do anything that only requires the use of a single arm (such as drink potions, swing a one-handed weapon or manipulate an object). You still cannot cast spells while CC’d. You have a speed of 5 feet while suffering from such conditions.

Drawback - You only have access to one of your arms. Your off-hand cannot be used to wear a shield, wield a weapon or perform complex tasks that generally require two hands.

SPECIAL - The DM and player should consider the creature that is possessing the limb and perhaps during special moments, or while doing something the possessor likes, the spirit concedes control of the limb to its original owner.

Retrospective

You’re always dwelling on the past. Those afflicted with the retrospective curse constantly reminisce about the great things that happened in their past. By the same token, the negative events that happen to them weigh heavy on their mind for much longer than most.

Benefit - You are immune to effects that magically alter your memory. You recall everything you have ever experienced with perfect clarity. You can cast mirror movie (Larella 4) at-will (self only).

Drawback - When you are suffering from an affliction, any numeric penalties are doubles. If it does not have a numerical penalty, it takes twice as long, or costs twice as much as normal to cure because the memory of your tragedies are so vivid.

Racist

You hate x people. Those afflicted with the racist curse generally have a disdain for creatures that don’t look and talk like them. They channel this distaste into hatred for a few in particular.

Benefit - Choose 3 playable races. When in combat against them, increase your speed to 120. You have advantage on any opposed checks against these creatures, so long as such interactions can be considering "unfriendly." (aka, no persuasion or something like it)

Drawback - As long as a creature of this race is standing, you must end each of your turns threatening one if you are physically able. You must use all of your actions to harm and impede these creatures. If you can't, then dash to move closer to them.

Twinned

You're like brothers, only closer. Those afflicted with the twinned curse come with a +1. They have 2 heads and share control over the body.

Benefit - You have a commoner attached to you that matches your level (see bestiary>humanoids). You have primarily control of your body and your head has no actions of its own, but can still sense normally and speak. This gives you access to 3 more skills, one of which must be profession, and potentially new race features. As an instant action, your other head can shove you 5 ft 1/minute. They can also perform simple interactions such as grabbing things, opening doors etc using this same cooldown.

Drawback - You must concede control of your body in order to use these bonus skills/race features. This requires a free action. Your other head can concede control similarly, or you can forcefully take control by making your other head pass a will save 1/minute. You can also shove them. When your other head is in control it uses its own stat array, skill bonuses, racial features etc. This happens automatically while you are sleeping and the other head isn't, though most loud/physical activities will wake you up.

Special - Because this curse requires cooperation, using it to fuse with enemies can be very challenging. Proceed with caution.