Why have curses in the first place?

Curses can be annoying, disruptive and can even lead to a TPK. Players usually can’t wait to get rid of them. Why? Because they don’t serve a particular purpose. Players will always find random curses annoying but with a little tweaking, they can become an integral part of your games.

Give them purpose

If you’re thinking about placing a cursed item in a dungeon, take a moment to think about why it was cursed in the first place. Greed, tragedy, self-preservation, agony and similar concepts can be great sources for a curse. Identifying the origin of the curse helps you design intriguing and meaningful effects.

Make them tempting

When you get a curse that does nothing but penalize you, the only logical option is to get rid of it, which can be easy to do starting from level 5 thanks to spells like Remove Curse. However, if your curse has some tempting features for the player, they can consider keeping it. It can be a great moral dilemma. Maybe the more they give in to the curse, the better the effects get. But no matter what, players shouldn’t know the full extent of a curse until they experience it. 

Reveal it slowly

Revealing the full effects of the curse too fast can ruin the mystery. Instead, start with subtle hints: an unusual odor, a change in hair or eye color, or other minor physical alterations. This will keep the players on their toes until the full effects of the curse are revealed.

Add narrative depth

Curses can be great narrative devices. A sword cursed by a defeated god may enable the character to communicate with said god. A hag may curse a player to spy on them but maybe the player can spy back. Using curses as a narrative device helps you introduce new plot points and have your players think twice before removing a curse. 

In conclusion

Combine these tips to craft engaging, memorable curses. Avoid curses that forcibly change alignments or impose strict behavioral constraints, as these often feel unfair. Instead, use these tricks to have them engage with the curses rather than removing them.