Cursed Scrolls

Some scrolls bear powerful curses, placed intentionally or as a result of flawed scroll-making. Cursed scrolls take effect the instant they are first read. A cursed scroll can have any effect the DM desires, although a few should be outright deadly. Suggested curses include the following:

• Bad luck (-1 on attacks and saving throws).

• The character's beard grows 1 inch per minute.

• The character is teleported away from the rest of the party.

• Random monster appears and attacks.

• The character is polymorphed into a mouse.

• The character shrinks to half his normal size.

• The character is stricken with weakness, halving his Strength score.

• The character falls into a deep sleep from which he can't be roused.

• The character develops an uncontrollable appetite.

• The character must always talk in rhyme (preventing spellcasting).

• The character is stricken with cowardice and must make a morale check every time

a monster is encountered.

• The character's alignment is changed.

• The character suffers 2-6 points of damage.

• The character suffers amnesia.

• The character feels compelled to give away all his belongings.

• The character must save vs. paralyzation or petrification.

In general, the effects of a curse can be negated or reversed by a remove curse. Some cases (such as petrification) may require the use of other spells. Overcoming a curse should be difficult for the player characters, but not impossible.

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