Cursed

The cursed are a great curiosity of the supernatural world. Fully human, but they are afflicted with magic. Like the half-bloods, they are able to utilise it at will, but only at great cost to themselves. Misfortune and chaos are a constant companion to these poor individuals, and the great injustice is that it's probably not even their fault.

The Cursed Path

Perhaps they found themselves on the wrong side of a ritual, or garnered the attention of some otherworldly entity. Perhaps they read the wrong sort of book or were splashed by some strange substance in a madman's lab. Misfortune could befall anyone at any time.

If it doesn't end in death and insanity does not take this poor soul, the cursed find themselves beset with strangeness, physical ailments, and almost preternatural bad luck. They're at the mercy of some power beyond their understanding, even if they may know the source of their curse.

Not all are helpless to the fickle reality of a curse. Some are able to make it work, however, teasing a rhythm out of the chaos, dancing to a tune only they can hear.

Chaotic Magic

Hardy as humans are, they do not have the physical form necessary to control innate magic. As a result, they possess a chaotic form of blood magic. Although they can pull their magic from the aether just like the half-bloods, the magic itself is derived from their curse. Each time they use their magic, strange or unfortunate things happen to them or around them.

The Forms of Curses

There is no set rule to what makes a curse, but there are some classic features that can be implemented or used to inspire a curse. You could pull from classic fairy tales or follow through with the internal world logic of the setting. The only hard rule is that a curse is a negative in their life. They need to constantly handle the 'symptoms' of the chaos magic, and the success or failure of this handling is up to the individual character.

A non-exhaustive list of possible curses

• A witch cursed you (or your family line centuries ago)
• You mishandled a cursed object
• You stumbled into a ritual circle
• You stumbled into a failing ritual circle
• You stepped between two combating magic users
• You insulted a fae (on purpose or on accident)
• You crossed a malicious spirit (on purpose or on accident)
• You pissed off a deity (again, on purpose or on accident)

All of the above, and more, could be the cause for a curse for a human. The flavour the curse takes on (often defined by the Keywords taken) would be inspired by something more specific to the curse. The deity who cursed you was a nature deity, so the magic and the Sorrows might used that as a basis. The witch who cursed you dealt in poisons and malicious magic, so the cursed reflects this. It all comes down to what kind of flavour of magic you want to give your cursed and base their Sorrows on.

Codes of Conduct

Although the Cursed are fully human, they are curiously subject to a few of the Codes of Conduct, namely Oaths, Thrice Asked, and Favours.

Central Features

Cursed Abilities

The abilities a Cursed character has and can gain.

The Seven Sorrows

The disastrous or odd impact the curse has on a character every time they use magic.

Creating a Cursed Human

Although anyone can suffer a curse, this magic roots deeply in humans. Thus, only humans can follow the cursed path. Your curse can take on any flavor, from an ancestral bloodline curse to tumbling into a vat of mysterious liquid.

When creating your character, refer to the Creation Guide for a step by step explanation of the whole process. Below is a quick reference guide to the first two ranks of the Cursed Path.

Quick Creation

Starting at Mischance (Untrained)		Starting at Woe (Dabbler)
You have two (2) keyword slots, which you may fill with a keyword from the Magic Keywords list, ignoring portfolios. This should define your particular curse. You may create one (1) Cantrip based on one or more of your keywords. Create your Sorrows table. Starting at the lowest rank also gives you one (1) Mundane Keyword		You have three (3) keyword slots, which you may fill with a keyword from the Magic Keywords list, ignoring portfolios. This should define your particular curse. You may create one (1) Cantrip based on one or more of your keywords. Create your Sorrows table. You have the Echo ability. You have the Third Eye ability.
⚡Strike 5d6	🔥Cinder 5d6	⚡Strike 5d6	🔥Cinder 6d6

Additional Notes

Starting characters normally are only able to start at one of the two first ranks. To read more about the higher ranks, refer to the Cursed Advancement for an overview.

Character Questions

Here are a few further questions you're welcome to answer as you create your character:

• How did this happen?
• When did this happen and how long has it been like this?
• How have you been coping and has anyone been able to help you? Have you sought help?

Guidebook Navigation

General Information	Forum Guidelines ⁂ Discord Guidelines ⁂ At-a-Glance ⁂ FAQ ⁂ Style Guide ⁂ Custom Codes
Character Creation	Creation Guide ⁂ Paths ⁂ Mundanes ⁂ Arcanists ⁂ Cursed ⁂ Possessed ⁂ Half-Bloods ⁂ Shifters ⁂ Undying ⁂ Spirits ⁂ Face Claims ⁂ Character Census
Magic Information	Magic Summary ⁂ Archetypes ⁂ Wards and Protective Materials ⁂ Codes of Conduct ⁂ Rituals ⁂ Enchantments ⁂ Keywords
Setting Information	General Setting ⁂ Easthaven ⁂ City Map ⁂ Owning Locations ⁂ The Exchange ⁂ Existing Groups ⁂ Events Timeline ⁂ Beyond Easthaven
Game Mechanics	Strike & Cinder Dice ⁂ Dice Pool ⁂ Dice Mechanics ⁂ Difficulty Class ⁂ Success Range ⁂ Encounters ⁂ Advancement ⁂ Reputation
Site Information	Credits ⁂ Help:Archive ⁂ Help:Dice Tracking ⁂ Help:Dice Rolling ⁂ Help:Forum Templates

The member group and type a character is, based on the eight available.

Strike is the die pool of physical abilities of a character.

Cinder is the die pool of mental and magical abilities of a character.