The Cursed One V1.0

The Thief slices at the Traveller's side, spilling blood. The Traveller recoils from the strike, a look of horror across her face that slowly turns into a wide smile. Her skin begins to boil and bulge. She grows larger as her hulking form becomes a mass of bulbous flesh. Her arms split into long ribbon like tentacles that twist and writhe with a mind of their own and the Traveller steps forward to make her move.

A Cursed One hosts a formiddable form of chaos. Where their human form may appear unassuming, their Cursed Form strikes fear into the bravest fighters. Where the host often has enough control over their Cursed Form to maintain a Good or Lawful alignment, there are many who given into their Cursed Form's anger and bloodlust enough to commit acts of evil.

A Half Life

A Cursed One could be anyone from any walk of life. Though many Cursed One's manage to maintain some control over their Cursed Form they spend most of their life hiding it and some that have shown their Cursed Form are hunted by those who consider them monsters.

This makes Cursed One's frequent wanderers, afraid of staying in one place long enough to be discovered.

Creating a Cursed One

When creating a Cursed One, think about how you recieved your curse. This could be a punishment from an evil deity, an ancesteral curse that has plagued your family for generations or perhaps the result of a powerful wizard's experiment.

Work with your DM to best decide on your Curse origins and why you decided to become an adventurer. Perhaps you are looking for away to rid yourself of your curse, learn to control it, or seek revenge against the one who placed it upon you.

Quick Build

You can make a Cursed One quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the soldier background.

Class Features

Your Class gains the following features

Hit Points

---

• Hit Dice: d10 per Cursed One level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: d10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (6) + your Constitution modifier per Cursed One level after 1st.

Proficiencies

---

• Armor: Light armor, Medium Armor, Shields
• Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
• Tools: Disguise Kit

---

• Saving Throws: Constituion, Strength
• Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Deception, Intimidation Perception, Stealth or Survival.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) Any 2 simple weapons or (b) A greatclub
• (a) Leather Armor or (b) Hide Armor
• An explorer's pack
• Disguise kit

Cursed Transformation

At first level, you can unleash your Cursed Form and mutate into a terrifying creature based on your chosen Cursed Form. Whenever you recieve damage you unleash your Cursed Form as a reaction. If you don't wish to enter your Cursed Form, you must succeed in a Constitution Saving Throw DC 10 to keep it under control. You can choose to automatically fail this roll.

You cannot wear Armor or wield weapons while in your Cursed Form. Any armor you are wearing or weapons you are carrying comes loose during your transformation and falls to the ground where you stand.

While in your Cursed Form you recieve the following effects:

• Your size increases to Large.
• You have Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
• You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
• Your Armor Class becomes 11 + your Strength Modifier + your Constitution Modifier
• You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks

If you are able to cast Spells, you can't cast them or concentrate on them while in your Cursed Form.

Your Cursed Form lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked Unconscious. You can end your Cused Form early by using an action to roll a Constitution Saving Throw (DC 10). On a success, your Cursed Form ends.

When you exit from your Cursed Form you fall prone and are considered Stunned for your next turn.

Once you have transformed into your Cursed Form the maximum number of times for your Cursed One level, you must finish a Long Rest before you can enter your Cursed Form again.

Hideous Weapons

While in your Cursed Form, your unarmed strikes count as simple weapons that your are proficient with and deal 1d6 + your Strength Modifier damage.

Mutated Senses

At first level, while not in your Cursed Form you can embrace a part of your dormant Cursed Form's power and gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely of sight, sound or smell. You cannot gain this feature if you are Blinded, Deafened, or Incapacitated. Once you have used this feature you must take a long rest before you can use it again.

Release the Beast

At second level, you can spend a bonus action to cut yourself and take 1d4 damage. After taking the damage you can enter your Cursed Form as part of the bonus action. When entering your Cursed Form in this way, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to twice your level in this class which last for the duration of your transformation.

Cursed Paradigm

At third level, choose a Mutation Paradigm such as the Paradigm of Flesh detailed at the end of this class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd Level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th levels.

Credit: Thomas Elliot

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Alternatively, you can choose a feat.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th Level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on Your Turn while in your Cursed Form.

Cursed Strength

Starting at 6th level, while you are not in your Cursed Form, you can choose to release some of your Cursed Form's power as an action and gain advantage on any Strength based ability check or Saving Throw. You can use this feature a number of times equal to half of your Proficiency Bonus rounded down before needing a long rest.

Magical Strikes

Starting at 9th level, Unarmed Strikes made while in your Cursed Form are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Cursed Healing

Beginning at 11th level, at the start of each of your turns, while you are in your Cursed Form and have no more than half of your Hit Points left, you can regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + 1 (minimum of 1). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Modifier between long rests. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 Hit Points.

Terrifying Presence

Starting at 13th level, while in your Cursed Form you can spend an action to force each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw. The DC for this save is 10 + your Constitution Modifier.

On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. The frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Cursed Control

Starting at 14th level, your connection to your Cursed Form grows stronger. You no longer need to roll a Constitution Saving Throw in order to end your Cursed Form early. In addition you can maintain your Cursed Form for up to 1 hour.

While you are not in your Cursed Form, you have a pool of d8's equal to your proficiency bonus. As an action, you can touch a creature and expend as many dice from your pool of d8's as you wish.

The target recieves healing equal to the total rolled on the spent dice and you take Necrotic damage equal to double the amount of healing.

If the use of this feature brings you to 0 hit points you are considered dead instead of falling unconcious.

Your pool of d8's refills on a long rest.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 17th level, you can attack three times, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Cursed Transformation Mastery

At 20th level, choose either your Strength or Dexterity score to increase by 4 up to a maximum of 24 while you are in your Cursed Form.

Your size when entering your Cursed Form also becomes Huge and you can also choose to enter your Cursed Form as part of an Attack Action. If the attack made as part of your transformation hits, it is considered as a critical hit.

In addition, whenever you enter your Cursed Form you gain the Temporary Hit Points from your Release the Beast Feature.

Cursed Paradigms

This paragraph explains the different archetypes available to the class, what those archetypes specialise in, and what choosing that archetype means for a character.

Paradigm of Flesh

Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.

Writhing Tentacles

At 3rd level, when in your Cursed Form your body bulges and twists with fleshy lumps and your arms become a writhing mass of barbed tentacles. The range of your Unarmed Strikes increases by 5 feet and deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage. Whenever you hit a creature that is your size or smaller with your tentacle attack, you can choose to grapple the creature as a bonus action.

If you have a target grappled with your writhing tentacles, you can make a bonus action offhand attack with the tentacles of your other hand against another target within range. You do not add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack.

Resilient Flesh

Additionally at 3rd level, while in your Cursed Form you have resistance to poison and acid damage and have advantage on saving throws against poison.

Natural Poison

Starting at 7th level, whenever you hit with a tentacle attack you can spend a bonus action to attempt to inject natural poison through your tentacles barbs. If the target is grapple by you this feature can be used as a free action.

The target must must succeed on a (DC 10 + your Constitution Modifier) Constitution saving throw, taking 3d6 poison damage on a failed save.

If the target rolls a 1 on thier saving throw, they are Poisoned for 1 minute.

Cosmic Flight

Starting at 10th level, while in your Cursed Form you can spend a bonus action to grow large black bat wings from your back and gain a flying speed equal to 50 feet. Additionally while not in your Cursed Form you can use your reaction when falling to transform into your Cursed Form and grow your wings as long as you have not expended all uses of your Cursed Transformation.

Acid Blood

Starting at 15th Level, whenever you take bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage, you can use your reaction to spray acidic blood over any creature of your choice within 5 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Dexterity Saving Throw (DC 10 + your Constitution Modifier) or take 4d6 acid damage.

Acid Transferance

Starting at 18th level, while you have a creature grappled with your writhing tentacles you can use your action to tranfer acid blood from your own body into the grappled creature. Choose any amount of hit points that you currently have and reduce your current hit points by the chosen amount. The grappled creature instantly takes acid damage equal to the chosen amount of hit points expended.

Paradigm of Night

Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.

Hooked Claws

At 3rd level, when in your Cursed Form, hair grows over your body, your mouth extends into a snout and your hands grow into long hooked claws that deal slashing damage. Whenever you make an unarmed strike with your hooked claws you can use your bonus action to make another unarmed strike with your other hand. You do not add your proficiency bonus to the bonus action attack.

Dark Born

Additionally at 3rd level, your speed increases by 10ft when you are in your Cursed Form and you can choose to use your Dexterity Modifier in place of your Strength Modifier when making unarmed strikes. In addition, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.

Night Crawler

Starting at 7th level, your unarmed strikes deal an additional 1d6 slashing damage when in dim light or darkness.

Speed Demon

Starting at 10th level, your speed increases by an additional 10 feet while you are in your Cursed Form. You also gain proficiency in Dexterity Saving Throws.

Retaliate

Starting at 15th level, when you take damage from a creature that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your Reaction to make a melee weapon Attack against that creature.

Limitless Rage

Starting at 18th level, your Cursed Form has limitless anger. When you roll damage for an unarmed strike with your claws and roll the highest result possible on the damage dice, you roll that die again, and add its result to your damage roll.

If you roll the highest result possible again, you roll that die again, and continue until you roll less then the highest result.

Paradigm of Weaving

Here you can provide an overview of the archetype. Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.Here you can provide an overview of the archetype.

Arachnid Form

At 3rd level when you enter your Cursed Form, your arms become long spindley legs, you grow additional long legs from your form and you grow articulated fangs. Your fangs replace your unarmed strikes and deal 1d10 piercing damage at a range of 5 feet. Attacks with your fangs crit on a 19 or a 20.

Additionally, while in your Cursed Form you can use a bonus action to spit a thick weave of webbing towards any target within 30ft. Make a ranged attack using your Dexterity Modifier. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 acid damage and must succeed on a Dexterity Saving Throw (DC 10 + your Constitution Modifier) or the creature is restrained until the end of it's next turn or until it breaks free.

A creature restrained by the webbing can use its action to make a Strength check against the saving throw DC. If it succeeds, it is no longer restrained. Creatures one size larger than you or more make this save with advantage.

Sticky Grip

Also at 3rd level, when in your Cursed Form you have darkvision with a range of 60 feet, gain the ability to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings and have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

Green Blooded

At 7th level you become resistant to poison damage and can make saving throws against being poisoned with advantage. Additionally, while in your Cursed Form, attacks with your fangs deal an additional 1d6 poison damage.

Cursed Teleportation

Starting at 10th level, immediately after you transform into your Cursed Form you can turn into black wisps of smoke and teleport to an unoccupied space within 30 feet that you can see. Using this feature does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Silk Weaver

At 15th level you can spend an action to cast the Darkness spell once per day. The spells duration is 1 minute and doesn't require concentration. The DC for the spell is equal to 10 + your Constitution Modifier. In addition, while in your Cursed Form you can create 5 feet of silk rope for each minute spent weaving it.

Nightmare Form

At 18th level while in your Cursed Form, your fangs deal an additional 3d6 (4d6 total) poison damage on a hit. Additionally, your speed increases by 15 feet, you gain blindsight to a range of 30 feet and you can see through magical darkness.

Credits:

Cursed One V 1.0

Writing Credit

Bard and Lute

Legal Disclaimer

The Cursed One is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC.