Friday, August 3, 2018

New Spell/Arcanum: Curse Flesh



Curse Flesh
Level 1 Spell
A needle (in item form)
Upon casting this spell, or inserting this needle into living tissue, a curse is hidden within.
  • The curse will lie dormant in the tissue until the tissue is pierced or cut open. When this happens, the curse will inflict itself upon whoever open the wound for it. Roll a random curse table to see what the curse does.
    • The spirits of objects can be cursed if there's no one else around to take it.
    • Magical arts that rely on the body like muscle wizardry or stuff involving chakras are impeded by the curse like the spiritual blood clot. 
  • Flesh that has curses within it becomes is corrupted in a variety of ways. If the curse is removed, and the tissue is still living, the corruption will slowly fade away. If it is dead, than there is close to no way of getting it out.
    • Corrupted flesh becomes more sickly, and constantly irritated by something.
    • Corrupted meat is spoiled, foul smelling and has all the nutritional value of food poisoning.
    • Corrupted bone, hide and so forth becomes infuriating to work with. It will be too easy to rip, and to stubborn to cut somehow simultaneously. No matter how much it's ground there will always be uneven chunks. Any vessel or pouch it's made with will have holes and leaks that won't be noticed until it's too late.
  • While it's not necessary, it's difficult to cast this spell without a huge amount of expletives if your in bad mood. You may need to make a Will save if that matters.
  • Methods of cleansing, curse lifting and disenchanting all work against this spell as long as it's not done by the hands of someone who would willingly cast this spell upon themselves.


World-building implications based around this spell existing.
  • Anti-relics: The exact opposite of saintly relics. Both are used in necromantic magics, while easier to find then relics, anti-relics can still be a hassle.
  • It's common knowledge that wizards need to be beaten with sticks. The exact reason why isn't always clarified, but everyone knows that wizards need to be hit with sticks.
    • Some believe that they need to be hit with their own staves, others say they need to be oak and wrapped in mistletoe, others yet say you need planks used in the construction of a gallows. It's all very confusing and wizards find it upsetting.
  • There are treasures that everyone knows the location of but none is able to get because it's stuck inside the stomach of a madman who has cursed their stomach millions upon thousands of times.
  • Vaults where the cursed dead are stored, far away from where they could do anyone any harm.
  • Complex contraptions that are used to indirectly pierce open sorcerers and the blighted iron spike that result from this.
  • It's possible to bullshit your way out of being eaten by claiming that you have a curse upon your flesh. 

2 comments:

  1. I absolutely love that you not only included the spell, but also the implications it might have on a world where it exists!

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    Replies
    1. After reading things like the tippyverse, I've come to the conclusion that if I don't want magic to break the logic of a world, than the magic should be made to keep it's context in mind.

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