A curse, as defined by the Player’s Handbook, is either the reverse
of the first level Clerical Spell, Bless, or the reverse of the third level,
Remove Curse. Let us include also for this purpose curses coming from
the spells Quest, Geas, Limited Wish, Wish, and forces emanating from
power objects, the Artifacts. Do not consider magical or clerical spells in
the category of Enchantment, for these are a one shot bemusement of
the recipient, clouding his mind in some way rather than calling on some
other force to cause him grief.

The curses spoken of here are the ones that the Dungeon Master
may lay onto his players as a matter of the course of play, a penalty for
acting out of character (alignment), or just as an equalizer for someone
who has been exceptionally successful. Or for that character that has just
succeeded in demolishing the trap you spent hours agonizing over
(frustrating, isn’t it?) and feel that perhaps, somehow, he shouldn’t get
away scot free. Remember: never get even—get ahead!

When about to strike someone low with a curse, consider the
character. What may be devastating for one may be laughable for
another. One man’s obscenity is another man’s lunch. When cursing,
consider alignment, race, class, and ability scores. If the cursee is a lawful
good paladin, consider placing a curse on him such that for every lawful
good act he performed, he must also perform an act of chaotic evil. Turn
him into sort of a were-vampire (apologies to both lycanthropes and the
undead) who turns chaotic evil after a lawful good deed.

If a character is of the Dwarven race, give him the physical appearance
of an Orc. He will not be able to associate with his own people.
Class must be considered, as you don’t want to curse a cleric with
sword-dropping behavior. And to hit a player where it really hurts, drop
one of their critical ability scores. A thief with a dexterity of three couldn’t
steal a handkerchief out of his own pocket without getting caught.

Also to be considered is the curser. 
    What’s in it for him? 
    What’s his alignment? 
    What’s his religion? (See April ’79 TD)

If he’s chaotic neutral, then expect to see spiteful, malicious curses (shoestrings tying
themselves together, in the thick of battle, would be nice). If chaotic evil,
then there is no limit beyond which the curser might go to get revenge,
except for how much trouble and how much energy he wishes to
expend. A lawful neutral who felt that he had been wronged would
probably feel like “an eye for an eye” would be a good motto. Curses
would be meted out on the basis of the harm the cursee had caused.
Costs could run on the order of “death of the first born male child.”

The profession of the curser would influence the curse also. A Druid
seeking revenge for damage to his forest might curse all wooden objects
the cursee attempts to utilize. They could be caused to flame or warp as
soon as he touched them, leaving him with few comfortable chairs, and
cramping his missile using ability. A cleric of an evil nature might send a
character to desecrate a holy shrine of opposing view.

How long should a curse last? Bless-Curse lasts six melee rounds.
Bestow Curse lasts one turn for every level of the cleric. Quest and Geas,
being of unknown duration, last until the appointed task is accomplished.
Limited Wish curses should be of a duration fixed at the time of
casting. The more burdensome the Limited Wish, the shorter the duration.
It only follows, though, that the more powerful the magic user, the
longer the duration or the more burdensome the curse may be. The
Wish curse is more or less a blank check. As the text in the Player’s
Handbook points out, the scope and power of a Wish is only limited by
what the Dungeon Master is willing to allow in the way of game balance,
and by how many days’ bedrest the MU is willing to undergo for the
privilege of casting the curse.

Duration could also be affected by the nature of the curse. Increased
probability of dropping a weapon in battle would taper off after a few
weeks. A one shot deal, such as passing a fatal disease to a loved one,
could lie in waiting for years before coming to fruition. A reduction in
ability scores may be permanent from the time of the curse’s utterance.

A curse emanating from an artifact, controlled or uncontrolled by a
character, may be permanent, unalterable, and unremovable by anything
save another artifact. The power (mana, juju, primal force, machismo)
stored in these objects is tremendous. One route may be to
attempt to destroy the artifact responsible for the curse. Perhaps removing
the influence of its power would be sufficient, to be accomplished by
draining it or by exile to another plane. As far as is known, no one has
specified rules governing influence of artifacts across planes.

The text for Remove Curse gives no limit to the type of curses that
may be removed, but you would logically believe that the higher the
level of the curse, the more difficult it would be to remove. Perhaps there
should be a base 75% chance for a curse to be removed by an equal
level spell user, with a plus 5% for each level the spell user is above the
curser, and minus 5% for the reverse situation. To keep it interesting
tack on a 25% chance of the curse rubbing off on the spell user
attempting the curse removal in the event he fails.

If the exact wording of the curse is known (either by being present
when the curse was spoken or by research with Commune or Contact
Other Plane) then it may be possible to sidestep the curse for the
duration. This is perhaps the safer approach if there is no high level spell
user available. If the curse is to have your sword break in the midst of
battle, switch to a morning star. If it is for the sacrifice of your firstborn
male child, never marry, or wish for only daughters. Depending on the
phraseology, you may be able to pervert the particulars if not the
intention. This would be more the case for a Quest or a Geas.

In conclusion, cursing can be fun. It can become a battle of wits and
resources between DM and player. It can be used for revenge, to keep a
player in alignment, or to guide the campaign into an area the DM has
prepared and is looking for a logical way to get his players deep into it.
The possibilities are without limit. Let the punishment fit the crime, and
never get even—get ahead!