the water method

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Cursed Blood, part 5 - Porting Cursed Blood to B/X & the Doomed (OSE Class)

Cursed Blood Old School Essentials

As I've written about before, Cursed Blood is a setting I used for a homebrew campaign. We used Miserable Secrets by Rose Bailey as a jumping off point, mainly because I wanted a Castlevania setting specifically, but by session #2 we were essentially in uncharted territory.

The original game uses an interesting combination of DnD style tactical play/grid combat, a rigid turn cycle, and a playing card resource management economy. While I definitely think it'd have been a sound and interesting experience, my play group largely didn't respond to the board-gamey aspects or the difficulties making the playing cards work in Roll20.

So I threw together a homebrewed system that essentially ignored the grid/tactical aspects and replaced the resource management aspect with a dice pool economy. It worked just fine, but I kind of hated it the entire time.

Looking back, I think I should have switched to OSE or some sort of B/X immediately, because as we moved out of the structured style of play Miserable Secrets uses, we fell into the most common play pattern I understand, which is alternating between exploring locations and investigative/political role playing.

In addition, as soon as we dug in, we essentially discarded much of the world building in the Miserable Secrets corebook. The reason for that is - I like to make stuff up. I've never used a book completely straight, I don't think, especially something in the realm of fantasy.

This is all to say, I am now converting the custom classes and worldbuilding into an OSE framework. I'm starting with the setting's equivalent to the Fighter.

The Doomed

Requirements: None

Prime requisite: STR or DEX

Hit Dice: 1d8

Maximum level: 13

Armor: Any, including shields

Weapons: A mythic weapon (roll on the table below)

Languages: Common, Hunter's Code

  • The Doomed are inheritors of an ancient lineage of protectors and monster-slayers.
  • They did not refer to themselves as Doomed, but as members of The Order.
  • They are regarded as a necessary evil by the Ascended, as they eliminate the threat from demons and mutated creatures.
  • There are 12 in the Order at any given time, one for each of the mystical weapons possessed by the original 12 hunters.
  • They are indoctrinated as children and if chosen to wield a weapon, are gifted with magical golden eyes and burning toxic blood.
Legacy weapon (1d6 DMG) Bonus
1 Bloodfarmer (Kusuri-gama) Can be used as a ranged or melee weapon. Damage and bonuses remain the same.
2 Starfall (Broadsword) Two-handed Can be used as an implement to cast Light
3 Old Silver (Quarterstaff) Deals an additional 1d4 damage against undead foe. The sight of this staff causes lesser undead creatures to flee
4 Starwatcher (Helm) +1 to INT. Can be used as an implement to cast Contact Higher Plane
5 Hand of Doom (Cestus) +1 to STR.
6 Demon's Tongue (Whip) +1 to DEX. Can be used to start a small fire (i.e a campfire)
7 Thunder (Warhammer) Two-handed Damage die is 1d8
8 The Gentle Reminder (Longbow) Impart your arrows with psychic messages that are communicated when the arrow pierces the skin (on hit)
9 The Raven's Kiss (Wrist-mounted crossbow) Curses the bolt fired from it; on a hit, the victim is compelled by magical suggestion to empty their pockets.
10 The Tower (Cuirass) +1 to CON.
11 Lightning (Mace) Two-handed Damage die is 1d8
12 Dandy Johnny (Spider amulet) Damage is 1d4. The wearer learns the spells Read Languages, Read Magic, and Detect Invisible

Combat

The Doomed can use all weapons and armor. When using their magical weapon, they deal bonus damage equal to their level.

Magic

The Doomed can wield magical weaponry and cast spells from scrolls or magical implements. They cannot learn spells. The one exception is Detect Magic, as below.

Hunter's Code

Hunter's Code is a pictographic language that only the twelve members of the Order fully understand. It is generally used to indicate whether a town will be friendly to the Order (all are not), if a monster is present, what sect Church is dominant here, but it often includes embellishments like clues on where to find a good meal or safe lodgings. It is usually carved into ancient trees or marked on low stone walls.

Toxic blood

The Doomed are physically transformed by their indoctrination into the Order. Their blood is magically infused and replaced with an array of toxins and acidic compounds. If an enemy comes into contact with it, it can cause burn or a poisonous infection. If they are reduced to half of their hitpoints, they roll all damage die twice and choose which to apply.

Hunter's eyes

The Doomed have one physical trait in common; their golden eyes. They have the ability to detect unnatural forces. Because of this, they can make an INT test to cast Detect Magic once per day. The Doomed are well known as travellers and their eyes make it difficult to hide their calling. Some fear the sight of a Doomed entering their town as it usually presages a violent episode. Referees should decide on a town's general feeling towards the Doomed in advance.

A terrible destiny

The Doomed are taught from a young age that they will die in the service of their creed. This belief is so pervasive that at a certain point, they come to believe that outlive their usefulness and start to behave with an incredible disregard for their safety. As they increase in level, they become more succeptible to death and saving throws start to decline.

Legacy weapon

The Doomed wield a powerful legacy weapon that they've inherited from a previous wielder. At level 9, the legacy weapon gains an additional ability. This should be something that the player and the referee work out together. It should reflect the nature of the weapon and the choices the character has made.

Example: A player reaches level 9 wielding Bloodfarmer, the Kusuri-gama. Since they've played thier character as an analytical problem solver who prefers to talk rather than fight, the referee suggests that perhaps the weapon should cast "charm person." The player agrees but asks if it can function more like Wonder Woman's lasso, as a difficult to escape enchantment that compels those bound with it to tell the truth. The referee agrees!

What do you seek?

  1. The village of your birth
  2. The corrupt priest who killed your mentor
  3. Your lost ancestral keep
  4. The resting place of the first bearer of your weapon
  5. The name of the demon whose blood you possess
  6. The long-missing 13th weapon of the Order -- and it's wielder

Level progression

Level XP HD D W P B S
1 0 1d8 12 13 14 15 16
2 2000 2d8 12 13 14 15 16
3 4000 3d8 12 13 14 15 16
4 8000 4d8 10 11 14 13 14
5 16000 5d8 10 11 14 13 14
6 32000 6d8 10 11 14 13 14
7 64000 7d8 8 9 10 10 12
8 120000 8d8 10 9 10 10 12
9 * 240000 9d8 12 9 10 10 12
10 360000 9d8+2 14 9 8 13 14
11 480000 9d8+4 16 9 8 13 14
12 600000 9d8+6 18 9 8 13 14
13 720000 12d8 20 9 6 13 14

D: Death / poison; W: Wands; P: Paralysis / petrify; B: Breath attacks; S: Spells / rods / staves.

* At Level 9, armor and shields no longer grant bonuses to AC.