Cursed Brew

From: Grimroot

Lore: The lore surrounding the Cursed Brew speaks of ancient rituals and dark enchantments that harness the malevolent power of Grimroot to create a cursed beverage. Legends tell of witches, warlocks, or cursed entities who sought to inflict suffering and torment upon their enemies or those who dared to cross their path. It is said that the Grimroot’s toxic properties, when combined with arcane rituals, imbue the brew with a curse that manifests as physical and mental afflictions upon consumption.

Use: The primary use of the Cursed Brew is as a potent weapon of revenge, coercion, or intimidation. It is employed to weaken, incapacitate, or control the imbiber, rendering them vulnerable to manipulation or rendering them unable to resist the will of the one who administers the brew.

Values (Tier One):

Stats:

• Cursed Effect: The Cursed Brew inflicts a debilitating effect on the imbiber, which may include reduced attributes, hallucinations, loss of coordination, or uncontrollable tremors. The severity and duration of the curse may depend on factors such as the concentration of Grimroot essence and the proficiency of the brewer.
• Consumption Method: The brew is designed to be consumed orally, typically in the form of a beverage, potion, or elixir.

Skills gained:

• Potion Brewing: Characters with expertise in potion brewing possess the knowledge and skills to handle Grimroot essence and other ingredients, perform the necessary rituals, and properly combine them to create the Cursed Brew. They are familiar with the properties and effects of various herbs, toxins, and enchantments, allowing them to manipulate and control the outcome of the brew.
• Arcane Knowledge: Characters with proficiency in arcane arts can enhance the potency of the curse through the infusion of magical energy during the brewing process. They can tap into the mystical properties of Grimroot and channel their arcane abilities to strengthen the curse’s effects.

Preparation: Preparing the Cursed Brew involves a combination of alchemical knowledge, dark rituals, and enchantments. The process includes the following steps:

• Ingredient Gathering: Characters must acquire the necessary ingredients, including Grimroot essence, as well as other components that may amplify or enhance the curse’s effects. These ingredients might include rare herbs, alchemical reagents, or even the personal belongings of the intended target.
• Ritualistic Brewing: The brewer performs intricate and often secretive rituals, combining the Grimroot essence with other ingredients. The rituals might involve incantations, specific gestures, or the invocation of dark forces to infuse the brew with its cursed properties.
• Enchantment and Infusion: Characters proficient in arcane arts can imbue the brew with magical energy, enhancing the curse’s potency. Through intricate spells, sigils, or the invocation of ancient incantations, they infuse the brew with their arcane power, further binding the curse to the liquid.
• Containment and Preservation: Once the Cursed Brew is prepared, it is carefully stored in specially crafted vials, bottles, or containers. These containers are designed to preserve the curse’s potency and prevent accidental exposure or premature activation.

Cost: The cost of preparing the Cursed Brew can vary depending on the availability of Grimroot essence, the rarity of additional ingredients, and the complexity of the rituals and enchantments involved. For level one characters, the cost of acquiring the necessary materials and performing the rituals may range from 50 to 100 gold pieces.

Process:

• Ingredient Acquisition: Characters seek out Grimroot essence, rare herbs, and other ingredients required for the Cursed Brew. These ingredients may be obtained from secretive alchemical suppliers, black market dealers, or through dangerous quests and encounters.
• Ritual Preparation: The brewer prepares the ritual space, gathering the necessary tools, symbols, and incantations. They purify the ingredients, ensuring their potency and removing any impurities that may affect the curse’s efficacy.
• Brewing and Enchanting: The brewer combines the Grimroot essence with the other ingredients in precise measurements and follows the intricate steps of the brewing process. They perform the necessary rituals, infusing the brew with their intent and harnessing the malevolent power of Grimroot.
• Containment and Labeling: Once the Cursed Brew is prepared, it is carefully transferred into vials or bottles designed to contain its curse. The containers are sealed, labeled with cautionary symbols, and stored in secure locations to prevent accidental exposure.

Tags:

• Cursed: The Cursed Brew is imbued with a powerful curse that affects those who consume it.
• Debuff: The curse inflicts negative effects on the imbiber, reducing their attributes and impairing their abilities.
• Roleplay: The Cursed Brew can be used as a narrative device to create dramatic and suspenseful moments in the game, adding depth to character interactions and plot development.
• Additional: Dark Alchemy, Malignant Essence, Arcane Rituals, Debilitation Toxin, Hexed Concoction, Forbidden Craft, Revenge Catalyst, Shadowy Elixir, Corruption Brew, Mystical Malediction

The sale of the Cursed Brew is typically conducted discreetly and within shadowy and clandestine circles. Due to its dark nature and potentially illegal applications, it is not openly available in legitimate marketplaces or reputable establishments. Instead, the recipe and ingredients for the Cursed Brew are traded among practitioners of forbidden arts, black market alchemists, or individuals with ties to the criminal underworld.

Where: The Cursed Brew is sold in secretive locations such as underground alchemical laboratories, hidden apothecaries, or within the back rooms of seedy establishments. These places are often frequented by individuals involved in shady dealings, dark magic, or espionage. The sellers may have established networks and contacts among assassins, spies, or unscrupulous individuals who have a use for such a potent and sinister concoction.

When: The availability of the Cursed Brew can vary, as it depends on the availability of the Grimroot plant and the willingness of suppliers to provide the ingredients. Some sellers may only offer it sporadically, while others might specialize in its production and distribution. The timing of its availability can be influenced by factors such as the region’s climate, the success of previous harvests, or the demand from their clientele.

How: To acquire the Cursed Brew, characters must either establish connections within the underworld or engage in covert activities to gain access to the recipe and ingredients. They may need to undertake quests, delve into dangerous territories, or establish contacts with unsavory individuals who hold the knowledge and resources required. The characters may also need to prove their trustworthiness or display their own proficiency in dark arts to gain entry into the secretive circles where the Cursed Brew is sold.

Environment: The Cursed Brew thrives in environments that are rife with secrecy, intrigue, and moral ambiguity. It is commonly found in settings such as cities with sprawling criminal underbellies, forbidden magical academies, or hidden covens practicing forbidden arts. The end results of using the Cursed Brew are often seen in situations involving espionage, political intrigue, assassination contracts, or when characters delve into the dark side of magic and confront morally complex choices.

Usage: The Cursed Brew can be employed in various ways, depending on the intentions and inclinations of the characters. Some possible uses include:

• Assassination: The brew can be used to administer a cursed beverage to a target, debilitating them and creating an opportunity for assassination without direct confrontation.
• Coercion: Characters can use the Cursed Brew as a means of coercion or blackmail, threatening to administer the curse to a person unless they comply with certain demands or reveal crucial information.
• Psychological Warfare: The brew can be utilized to create fear, confusion, or dissent among enemies or rival factions by secretly introducing it into their ranks or through the dissemination of tainted supplies.
• Manipulation: Characters may use the Cursed Brew to control individuals, weakening them and forcing them to act against their will or divulge sensitive information.

It is important to note that the usage of the Cursed Brew is considered highly unethical and morally questionable. It may have severe consequences and may lead to retaliation from powerful individuals or organizations. Characters who utilize the Cursed Brew should be prepared to face the repercussions of their actions and navigate the treacherous waters of their chosen path.

A Bitter Draught

In the forgotten age when the first shadows stretched across the earth, there was a root born of sorrow and deceit, known by whispers as Grimroot. It grew in the places where curses were spoken and tears mingled with blood. The root, they said, carried the bitterness of betrayed oaths and the venom of vengeful hearts.

The story tells of a sorceress, her name long stolen by the winds of time, who dwelled in the heart of a dying forest. Wronged by those she once called allies, she turned to the root, seeking vengeance beyond mere blades. In her cauldron of grief, she brewed a draught of unimaginable bitterness, binding it with words lost to mortal tongues.

The brew, when consumed, bore no mercy. It twisted the mind, broke the body, and left the soul tethered to whispers of guilt and torment. The sorceress poured her creation into goblets and sent them, cloaked in kindness, to those who had betrayed her. One by one, they drank and fell, their laughter replaced by screams, their strength sapped by the curse’s grip.

Legends say the sorceress grew drunk on her own vengeance, brewing more and more until the forest itself withered under the curse’s weight. Her end came when she dared sip her own creation, believing herself immune. It is said that the forest swallowed her in silence, and the Grimroot grew thick over her forgotten grave.

Moral: To brew suffering for others is to drink of its bitterness yourself, for no curse escapes the roots from which it was born.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Cursed Brew

• Type: Alchemical Potion (Consumable).
• Skill Required: Art/Craft (Alchemy) (50%) or Occult (40%).
• Effect: Upon consumption, the imbiber must make a POW roll:
  • Success: Take 1d6 damage to STR or DEX and suffer a -10% penalty to physical actions for 1d6 hours.
  • Failure: Take 2d6 damage to STR or DEX, suffer mild hallucinations, and lose 1/1d4 SAN.
• Crafting Cost: $250 in materials and 10 hours of preparation.

Blades in the Dark

Cursed Brew

• Type: Exotic Consumable.
• Tier Requirement: 2.
• Effect: When consumed, the victim takes:
  • Level 2 harm (Poisoned Mind).
  • They must also resist with Resolve or be unable to focus or act logically for the duration of a score.
• Crafting Clock: 8-segment clock. Requires Grimroot and access to a secretive alchemical lab.
• Special Ability: If administered in a Flashback, it costs 1 Stress and a successful Sway or Consort roll to deliver covertly.

Dungeons & Dragons (5e)

Cursed Brew

• Wondrous Item, Rare (Consumable)
• Effect:
  • The imbiber must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take:
  • 3d6 poison damage and suffer the Poisoned condition for 1 hour.
  • Failure by 5 or more imposes an additional effect: Frightened for 10 minutes as hallucinations take hold.
• Crafting Requirements: Proficiency in Alchemist’s Supplies and access to Grimroot. Cost: 200 gp in materials and 8 hours of crafting time.

Knave

Cursed Brew

• Type: Tainted Consumable.
• Effect: Upon consumption:
  • The target must succeed on a WIL Save or take 1d6 poison damage and suffer a -2 penalty to all actions for 1d6 hours.
  • On failure by 5 or more, the target is incapacitated for 1 turn, overwhelmed by hallucinations or fear.
• Weight: 1 Slot.
• Crafting: Requires Grimroot, an Alchemy Kit, and 25 coins. Crafting takes 1 downtime action.

Fate Core

Cursed Brew

• Type: Malignant Potion.
• Aspects:
  • Venomous Wrath in a Bottle
  • Curse of Shadows and Pain
• Effect: Drinking the brew creates the temporary aspect Cursed by Grimroot, which can be compelled by the GM to inflict physical or mental debilitation.
  • Overcome: Requires a Will or Physique roll to resist its effects.
  • Consequences: The victim suffers a severe consequence, such as Weakened Spirit or Trembling Limbs.
• Boost: Characters skilled in alchemy or dark magic can add free invocations to the curse.

Numenera & Cypher System

Cursed Brew

• Level: 5.
• Effect: Upon drinking, the target suffers debilitating effects for 1 hour.
• Might defense roll (Difficulty 5):
  • Success: Take 3 points of Intellect damage and suffer -1 to Speed-based rolls for the duration.
  • Failure: Take 6 points of Intellect damage, lose 1 recovery roll, and become unable to focus for 1 hour.
• Crafting Requirements: Craft or Alchemy check (Difficulty 5) and Grimroot essence.
• GM Intrusion: The curse lingers, affecting allies or spreading unpredictably.

Pathfinder (2e)

Cursed Brew

• Type: Consumable (Alchemical, Curse).
• Level: 5.
• Price: 75 gp.
• Effect: The target must make a DC 18 Will save upon consuming the brew:
  • Success: Take 2d6 poison damage and be Sickened 1 for 1 minute.
  • Failure: Take 4d6 poison damage, be Sickened 2, and gain the Confused condition for 1 minute.
• Crafting Requirements: Alchemical Crafting feat, Grimroot, and 40 gp worth of materials.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition – SWADE)

Cursed Brew

• Type: Dark Alchemical Item.
• Effect: Upon consuming the brew, the victim must make a Vigor roll:
  • Success: Take 1d6 damage and suffer -2 to Spirit rolls for 1 hour.
  • Failure: Take 2d6 damage, gain the Distracted condition, and suffer -2 to all Trait rolls for 1d6 hours.
• Crafting: Requires an Alchemy roll at -2 and rare components like Grimroot.
• Cost: 200 coins or equivalent per dose.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Cursed Brew

• Type: Alchemical Toxin (Consumable).
• Availability: 12F (Forbidden).
• Cost: 1,200¥ per dose.
• Effect: When consumed, the imbiber must resist using Body + Willpower (3).
  • Success: Suffer 2S (Stun damage) and -2 dice to Perception tests for 1 hour.
  • Failure: Suffer 4P (Physical damage), -3 dice to all actions, and experience vivid hallucinations for 1 hour.
• Side Effect: The curse lingers, requiring a Medicine + Logic (3) test to remove fully within 24 hours.

Starfinder

Cursed Brew

• Item Level: 6.
• Price: 1,200 credits.
• Effect: Upon consumption, the imbiber must make a DC 18 Fortitude save:
  • Success: Suffer 1d6 poison damage and become Sickened 1 for 1 hour.
  • Failure: Suffer 3d6 poison damage, become Sickened 2, and experience hallucinations (Confused condition) for 1d4 hours.
• Crafting Requirements: Life Science or Mysticism check (DC 22) with Grimroot components.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Cursed Brew

• Tech Level: 11.
• Cost: Cr1,500 per dose.
• Effect: When consumed, the imbiber must make an Endurance check (Difficulty 10):
  • Success: Suffer 1d6 damage to Strength or Endurance.
  • Failure: Suffer 2d6 damage to Strength or Endurance and become Impaired (-1 DM to all actions) for 6 hours.
• Special Effect: The curse’s influence spreads subtly, causing paranoia or distrust in those nearby.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Cursed Brew

• Type: Dark Potion (Consumable).
• Encumbrance: Negligible.
• Price: 15 Silver Shillings.
• Effect: Upon drinking, the victim must make a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test:
  • Success: Suffer 4 Wounds and gain the Fatigued condition for 1 hour.
  • Failure: Suffer 8 Wounds, gain the Poisoned condition, and hallucinate for 1d10 rounds.
• Crafting Requirements: Trade (Alchemy) or Trade (Poisoner) Test at a -10 penalty using Grimroot.