Credits

Developed and Written by: The Curseborne Team

Editor: Reginald Pewty
Art Direction and Design: Mike Chaney
Layout: Dixie Cochran
Creative Director: Richard Thomas

© 2024 Onyx Path Publishing. All rights reserved. References to

other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the
respective copyright holders of that material. “Curseborne” and all
characters, names, places, and text herein are copyrighted by Onyx
Path Publishing.
Keep up to date with Onyx Path Publishing at theonyxpath.com.

2 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
INTRODUCTION 4 Attacking 16 Practice of Mutable Form 43
The Ashcan Edition 4 Damage 17 Practice of Depthless Fury 44
What You Need to Play 5 Investigation 18 Practice of the Stranger 44
This Accursed World 5 Finding Evidence 18 Outcasts Practices 44
The Dice Pool 6 Solving the Mystery 18 Practice of Dynamism 44
Enhancement 6 Influence 18 Practice of Manifestations 44
Difficulty 6 Influence Tricks 19 Practice of Physical 44
Roll Results 6 Integrity Tricks 19 Perfection 44
Refusing Influence 19 Liminalities 46
STORYPATH ULTRA 6
Attitudes 19 Entering a Liminality 46
Complications 7
Bonds 20 THE STORYGUIDE 46
Tricks 7
Equipment 21 Exiting a Liminality 47
Momentum 7
Weapons 21 Interstitial Zones 47
Advantage 8
Armor 22 Battlegrounds 47
Status Effects 8
Tools 22 Shattered Spaces 48
Aggravated Wound (Combat) 8
Entanglement 22 The Outside 49
Agony (Combat) 8
Using Curse Dice 22 The Hell of It All 49
Awed (Social) 8
Bleeding (Combat) 8 THE ACCURSED 25 Living in the Outside 49
Confused (Social) 8 The Dead 26 Adversary Templates 50
Dazed (Combat) 9 Lineage Rules 27 The Champagne Room 50
Ennui (Social) 9 The Hungry 28 Drones 51
Exhausted 9 Lineage Rules 29 Zombie Flesh-Eaters 51
Fast-Acting Toxin 9 The Outcasts 30 Qualities 52
Frayed Temper (Social) 9 Lineage Rules 30 Clear Vision 52
Grappled (Combat) 9 The Primal 32 Frightening Presence 52
Guilt-Ridden (Social) 10 Lineage Rules 33 Immunity 52
Immobilized (Combat) 10 The Sorcerers 34 Invulnerability 52
Inspired 10 Ready-Made Characters 35 Reanimation 52
Liar (Social) 10 Dead: Sam 35 Unusual Anatomy 52
On Fire 10 Hungry: Evelyn Crane 36 Vulnerability 53
Refreshed 10 Outcast: Cassandra Billings 36 Dread Powers 53
Stunned (Combat) 10 Primal: Izzy Plummer 37 Bend Minds 53
Taken Out (Combat) 10 EDGES AND PRACTICES 39 Consume 53
Terrified 11 Edges 39 Devour 53
Unearthly 11 Practices 41 Hypnotize 54
Unexpected Favor (Social) 11 How to Read a Spell 41 Spawn 54
Action Sequences 11 Clashes 41 The Danger of Missing Out 55
Simple Actions 11 Dead Practices 42 Scene 1: Stick Season 55
Reflexive Actions 12 Practice of Emotional 42 INTRODUCTORY STORY 55
Teamwork 12 Manipulation 42 Scene 1: Stick Season 55
Units of Time 12 Practice of Incorporeality 42 Scene 2: Yes, And? 56
Initiative and Spotlighting 13 Practice of Discorporation 42 Scene 3: Lose Control 57
Areas and Area Effects 13 Hungry Practices 42 Scene 4: The Highlights 58
Range Bands 14 Practice of the Vital Force 42 Scene 5: Beautiful Things 58
Action-Adventure 14 Practice of the Iron Edict 43 Scene 6: Murder on
Moving 14 Practice of Smoke and Shadow 43 the Dancefloor 59
Defense 15 Primal Practices 43 Epilogue 60

Table of Contents 3
 Introduction
The world of Curseborne isn’t so different to ours. him on the way to work. Never take the first bus.
It’s just ever so slightly weirder. The Always wait for the second.
supernatural exists, and it creates a near-perpetual And of course, although curses are unknown to
underlying tension and fear. most of humanity, they’re real. They have weight.
They impact lives, families, societies, places,
That ruined church at the end of the lane
events, and fates.
is creepy, inspiring nightmares in the minds of
everyone who lives within its sight. In this game, you play one of the Accursed,
supernatural characters lurking in the boundaries
The paranoia surrounding those disappeared
of the world. Tied into powerful familial curses,
local girls spreads like pernicious mold, locking
you accept or reject them in equal measure,
down the entire community in a gradual state of
working with your friends and family to carve a
paralysis and later, violent reaction.
path through this cursed world.
The adults in your life are jaded, refusing
to believe the facts before them, treating every
account, even those with evidence, as a means to The Ashcan Edition
divert them from their truth.
The purpose of this Ashcan Edition is to
That new kid in school goes without blinking preview the upcoming Curseborne RPG. You can
for an uncanny length of time. Why does he stare find out more at curseborne.com. We invite all
at you? Why does he keep licking his lips? feedback to be posted on Onyx Path Publishing’s
Avoidance is the chosen course for many. forum or Discord (both have dedicated Curseborne
Avoid that part of the city. Avoid that strange sections) and to follow along with our blog.
family in the run-down house. Cross the road and Curseborne uses the Storypath Ultra system. If
speed up to avoid that assault in progress. Avoid you want to learn more about Storypath Ultra, you
that creep. Don’t even think about confronting it. can check out the Storypath Ultra Preview for free
on DriveThruRPG, as well as in many future releases
Others handle the strange with ritual. Jump
by Onyx Path Publishing, not limited to Curseborne.
over the cracks in the pavement. Count backward
Storypath Ultra is based on the Storypath system
from thirty every morning upon waking. Always
present in the Trinity Continuum, Scion, and They
put a coin in the beggarman’s cup when you pass
Came From game lines.

4 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 enemies. No major entity can claim the Accursed
What You Need to Play as sole benefactors or manipulators. The nature
of the Accursed sees them punching up alongside
2–4 players
the disenfranchised and repressed. The humans
1 Storyguide (the individual running the in these groups practice all manner of rituals and
game) ceremonies to avoid misfortune.
Pencils and note paper (or an equivalent The world of Curseborne can prove unjust
program on tablet, laptop, or computer) or freeing, but it very much depends on where
you are, who you are, and what you’re doing.
Up to ten 10-sided dice (or a dice roller app)
You might take advantage of the frozen winters
2–4 hours per session and lengthening nights to pursue your plots out
of sight. You might enjoy the power garnered
This book to serve as your reference
through deals with other supernaturals. You might
lord it over others or free the oppressed from their
This Accursed World masters. You might use your spells to improve your
life while disadvantaging others, and see doing so
The world of Curseborne is easily evoked as totally reasonable.
within your gaming group. It’s our world, but at
After all, a curse is a problem, and we’re always
the edges everything starts getting a little more
told it’s smart to share our problems.
threatening, slightly weirder, and — deep under the
surface — a lot more cursed. The corruption from The world of Curseborne is just like ours. But
common power figures like politicians, landlords, there are parts of it, people within it, and incidents
CEOs, and religious leaders isn’t curse-fueled, that can only be described as Accursed. And you
but they’ll sure as shit take advantage of curses are among them.
to reinforce their positions and suppress their

Introduction 5
 Storypath
Ultra
In Curseborne, the Storypath Ultra system is
meant to facilitate quick gameplay through cinematic
pacing, dramatic editing, and intuitive mechanics.
The Dice Pool
Roll a number of ten-sided dice (d10s) equal
to Skill + Attribute.
Count all dice showing an 8 or above as a hit.
10s count as 2 hits. Some special abilities may
allow 9s to also count as 2 hits (double 9s).
If any dice show hits (or if a power applied
hits before the roll), add any Enhancement
your character might benefit from.
Use hits to overcome the difficulty of the
action as set by the Storyguide.
Enhancement
Enhancement (with a rating of +1 to +3) comes
from either equipment or special abilities that add
hits to an action. Enhancement adds additional hits to
an action that can be used to overcome difficulty, buy
off Complications, or purchase Tricks. Enhancement
applies after rolling dice, and only if the player has at
least one hit. Unless otherwise noted, Enhancement
does not stack; use the highest available source.
Enhancement from multiple sources cannot exceed
+5, regardless of the individual ratings.
6 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
Difficulty
Difficulty is set by the Storyguide and implies
how difficult a task is to achieve. The difficulty is
the base number of hits a player must spend to
have her character successfully accomplish the
action she’s attempting.
Where a required roll is stated in a text example,
and the difficulty isn’t specified, it’s automatically 1
unless outside forces influence its increase.
Roll Results
Disaster: The player does not garner enough
hits to overcome the difficulty but chooses to
allow any Complications to occur anyway.
Failure: The player does not garner
enough hits to overcome the difficulty.
Complications do not occur.
Success: The player accumulates hits equal
to or greater than the difficulty and may
purchase Tricks with remaining hits.
Success with consequences: The player
suffers consequences for any Complications
on the action. Players may avoid unintended
consequences by using leftover hits to buy off
Complications. Players may also purchase
Tricks instead of buying off Complications.
 Extraordinary success: The player buys off
any Complications and may purchase Tricks
to make their action better.
Complications
Complications are unplanned circumstances to the pool equal to the number of hits spent on
that change the outcome of a successful action. this Trick.
Players can avoid the effects of a Complication by
spending the requisite number of hits to buy them for the target of your action. One hit creates a
off. If the action fails, the Complications don’t trigger, Minor Complication, two hits create a Moderate
unless the player decides to make it a disaster.
If the player nets enough hits to meet or
exceed the difficulty but a Complication is
present, the action is considered a success
with consequences. Not all actions have a
Complication attached to them.
Complications are rated as Minor (1), Moderate
(2), or Major (3). Minor Complications are
relatively simple to avoid, Moderate Complications
are avoidable but might have severe consequences,
and Major Complications are difficult to avoid.
Example consequences of not buying off a
Complication:
The acting character suffers damage.
The character gains an appropriate status
effect.
The character suffers a social setback or
embarrassment.
An adversary is alerted to the acting
character’s whereabouts.
Tricks
A player may spend hits to make her normal
action better by purchasing Tricks. She does not
have to buy off a Complication to purchase Tricks
with her hits.
A player can purchase as many Tricks on an
action as she has hits to spend, though each Trick
can only be purchased once per action unless
stated otherwise.
The following are general Tricks that players
can apply to any action:
Storypath ultra
Assist (2 hits): You may extend your successful
action to a single ally, allowing them to overcome
the difficulty of the same action without any
additional hits.
Bolster (1–3 hits): Add a number of Momentum
Complicate (1–3 hits): Create a Complication
Complication, and three hits create a Major
Complication. Failure to buy off the Complication
results in your character gaining an advantage
over the target.
Shockwave (2 hits): You may apply the effect
of your action to another target. If the difficulty of
applying that action to your new target is higher
than the original (such as an opposed difficulty), you
must spend hits to make up the difference. You may
purchase this Trick multiple times on the same action.
Momentum
Momentum is a shared resource that any
player may choose to apply to his action. Each game
session begins with Momentum points equal to the
number of players around the table, regardless of
how many Momentum points were available at the
end of the previous session.
Certain Tricks may add Momentum to the
pool, and you always add at least 1 Momentum to
the pool on a failed action.
Momentum can be used in the following ways:
Add an Enhancement hit to an action on a
one-for-one basis. Spend Momentum after
the dice have been rolled, and only if the
dice roll has at least one hit (as per normal
for Enhancement).
Spend 2 Momentum points to change a failure
into a success or a success with consequences
if a Complication is present. If you choose
this use, you cannot spend more Momentum
points for Enhancement for Tricks or to turn
the action into an extraordinary success. Other
sources of Enhancement apply normally.
7
 Spend 1 Momentum to describe a story
element in a scene that is now a fact.
Spend 1 Momentum point to gain a piece of
evidence about an investigation.
or accepts a disaster while under the effect of
this status effect, she immediately drops to Near
Death, no matter how many Injury Levels she has
left. Antagonists with this status effect drop to one
remaining injury instead.

Advantage Resolution: The character benefits from first

aid, certain healing abilities, or takes no physical
Sometimes, characters in Curseborne are so actions for the remainder of the scene.
incredibly different in certain aspects that they
are beyond normal comparisons. Instead of simply Agony (Combat)
using the base system for taking actions when The character is suffering excruciating pain
dealing with these situations, we turn to Advantage from a wound. She took damage from a weapon
to describe it. made to hurt more than to kill. All actions are
Advantage only comes up when two characters made at +1 difficulty for the remainder of the scene.
are in opposition to one another. Characters with Resolution: The character benefits from first
Advantage tally up their total Advantage and aid, certain healing abilities, or takes no physical
compare it to each other and use the results below actions for the remainder of the scene.
when taking an action against that character:

Gain +2 Enhancement for every point of Awed (Social)

Advantage a character has over the other.
Suffer +1 difficulty for every point of
Advantage a character has under the other.
If the difference in Advantage is three
or more, neither character rolls, and
the character with higher Advantage
automatically succeeds.
In an opposed action, the character with
higher Advantage gains Enhancement on
their action, but the character with lower
Advantage does not suffer a difficulty increase.
The character witnesses something that defies
explanation and left them speechless. This could be
the beauty of a sunset, or the terrible visage of an
Outcast. The character’s attention is drawn to the
source of her awe, ignoring all else until resolved.
She suffers +1 difficulty on taking any action that
would redirect her attention and suffers a Moderate
Complication on those actions that leave her Dazed
if she does not buy it off.
Resolution: The scene ends or the inciting
event ends or leaves the scene.

Status Effects Bleeding (Combat)

Status effects are long-term effects that apply a
condition or status on characters over time. These
effects are often negative, but can sometimes be
positive, depending on the source. All status effects
have a description of what they do to the character
and how they are resolved.
The character is bleeding out from a wound
or suffering internal bleeding. All physical actions
come with a Minor Complication that if not bought
off deals one injury to the character.
Resolution: The character benefits from first
aid, certain healing abilities, or falls to Near Death.

Aggravated Wound (Combat) Confused (Social)

The character has a grievous wound that puts Something has bamboozled the character and
her at death’s door. If the character fails an action left him unable to process his environment fast

8 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
enough. His reaction time slows, and he cannot Resolution: The character rests for 8 hours,
keep up with the action. The character suffers or the character has the status effect removed
+1 difficulty to actions that require thought or through an appropriate ability.
mental acuity (such as presenting an argument,
resisting influence, searching for clues, or making Fast-Acting Toxin
a precise shot).
The character has encountered a toxin either
Resolution: The character must spend his turn through ingestion, injection, or contact. This
reorienting himself to shake the effect. Otherwise, status effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to
this status effect resolves at the end of the scene. one plus any additional hits garnered on the action
spent to inflict the poison or the environmental
Dazed (Combat) toxin’s rating. For each round it persists, it inflicts
The character has suffered a shock that 1 injury to the target.
leaves her with a heady sense of disorientation. Some fast-acting toxins are soporifics, may
The character cannot perform more than a single paralyze their target, or deal any number of other
simple action or two reflexive actions each round unusual effects rather than damage. Instead of
until this status effect is resolved. For example, dealing damage that persists, this inflicts whatever
the character cannot move and attack, though she kind of effect it would supply otherwise, resolving
could move and draw a weapon. itself as listed below.
Resolution: This status effect wears off as time Poisons can be administered as part of a
passes: Two rounds if the effect that applied it was normal attack or placed in food or drink. In the
a Minor Complication, three rounds for Moderate, case of someone attempting to poison their target’s
and four rounds if it was Major. Otherwise, the food or drink, make an opposed Larceny action
effect resolves when the character benefits from against their action to notice.
first aid or certain healing abilities.
Resolution: The character can attempt
to overcome the poison with a Survival action.
Ennui (Social) Otherwise, the effect fades when the time lapses.
Your character is emotionally exhausted and
has lost all her drive and passion. She suffers a
+1 difficulty on all actions that aren’t directly in
Frayed Temper (Social)
support of reinforcing a bond or Aspiration. Your character has reached her last straw and her
temper is close to boiling over. Whenever she takes
Resolution: The character spends a scene
an action, she suffers from a Minor Complication. If
taking no physical actions and instead connecting
not bought off, she must vent her anger at whatever
with friends.
or whomever she blames for her anger, and suffers

Exhausted +1 difficulty on all actions until she vents. During

action scenes, venting like this takes an action.
The character has been awake too long and Resolution: The character vents her anger at a
is running on fumes. Either that, or she has been target that makes things more difficult for her, or she
under extreme duress. Whatever the cause, the makes up with whomever caused this status effect.
character suffers a Moderate Complication on
all actions until she goes to sleep. Failure to buy
off the Complication results in the character Grappled (Combat)
hallucinating, short term memory loss, or being You are held in a grapple and must take actions
affected by another appropriate status effect. to attempt to maneuver, and you cannot buy

Storypath ultra 9
Defense Tricks. However, you may purchase the
following Tricks on attacks against your opponent. Liar (Social)
Overwhelm (2 hits): Gain control of the You’ve been caught in a lie. Choose one: the
grapple. Resolve this status effect and apply it to target holds the lie against you and creates a 1 step
your opponent. bond of animosity, or he accepts it this time and
Disengage (1 hit): You leave the grapple. gains +1 Advantage to resist attempts to lie to him
Resolve this status effect. for the rest of the scene.

Resolution: Purchase either the Overwhelm or Resolution: Only time or the truth will restore
Disengage Trick or someone else breaks up the grapple. his faith in the character.

Guilt-Ridden (Social) On Fire

Your character feels guilty for her actions and The character has been set on fire, either from
believes she must atone for her misdeeds. Every being in a burning area or from a magical source.
time your character takes an action that is not in the The character takes one injury at the end of her
effort to atone, she suffers a Minor Complication. turn until this status effect resolves.
Failure to buy off the Complication increases her
Resolution: The character spends her action
attitude toward the person or institution she feels
on her turn putting herself out, or someone else
guilty about. If the attitude is already positive, she
spends their action for her.
forms a new bond of sympathy at 1 point toward
the character or increases an existing bond by 1
step. Refreshed
Resolution: The character buys off the The character has been bolstered and is ready
Complication, successfully atones, or at the end of to take on the world. Gain +1 Enhancement on all
the session. actions until this status effect ends.
Resolution: This status effect ends after the
Immobilized (Combat) character has taken her third action, or at the end
The character is stuck in place and cannot of the session, whichever comes first.
move. This may be because they’ve been tied up,
injured, trapped in mud, or something similar. They Stunned (Combat)
cannot take any movement actions predicated on
physical movement (teleportation is permitted). The character is frozen in her tracks. She either
took a great deal of damage or suffered a great
Resolution: The character spends an action
shock. All actions suffer a Moderate Complication,
freeing herself from whatever prevented her
and failure to buy it off means the character can
movement, or someone else frees her.
only take a single reflexive action on her next turn.
Resolution: The character benefits from first
Inspired aid, succeeds in overcoming the Complication, or
Your character has been inspired to act by the scene ends.
another. Gain +3 Enhancement when taking the
action that the inspiring character dictated. Taken Out (Combat)
Resolution: This status effect resolves after
Any time your character would take damage,
the character takes the action dictated.
you may choose to have the character Taken Out

10 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
instead. Fill in the character’s remaining injuries
up to Near Death regardless of how much damage Unexpected Favor (Social)
they suffered. The character does not take any
Your character owes a favor to be completed in
more actions and is removed from the fight.
the future. The player of the character determines
Resolution: The combat scene ends or the the nature of the favor, but it must be something
character benefits from first aid or other healing the character is reluctant to do. It could be carrying
abilities. a message to be the bearer of bad news, or training
someone’s pet. Until your character performs the
Terrified favor, the person she owes has 1 Social Advantage
on influence actions on her.
Your character is so afraid of someone
Resolution: The character undertakes the task.
or something, she can’t help but to try to run
away from it. The character suffers a Moderate
Complication on any action she attempts that does
not involve running from the object of her terror.
Action Sequences
If she fails to buy off this Complication, she must In Curseborne, actions fall within three
spend her next action making a run action away broad areas: action-adventure, investigation, and
from the source of her fear. influence. While not strict categories, these areas
define broadly the kinds of actions characters
Resolution: The character moves beyond
might take and how to resolve those actions. We’ll
Long range of the source for longer than a single
give more specifics for each of these categories
round, or the scene ends.
later, but the following are how characters take
their actions throughout any scene.
Unearthly
The Outcast appears as her Otherworldly self Simple Actions
to all witnesses. This may make her appear angelic
During a simple action, a character attempts
with wings and a halo, demonic with horns and
a single task covered by a single dice pool. For
leathery wings, or some other effect like blue skin
example, the character might use a rope to swing
and glowing eyes.
between rooftops, fire a magical blast at a hidden
For supernaturals (except for other Outcasts), monster, or sweet talk a bartender to get someone’s
all bonds to the Outcast stop working — the Outcast password. The action may involve multiple
cannot use the bond to another Accursed character, movements (“I roll behind the bushes and draw
and vice versa. This only applies to characters who my pistol”) as long as the task is singular (e.g., take
perceive the Outcast in this state. cover) and uses only one combination of Skill and
Any mundane person who perceives her in Attribute. In Curseborne, if the type of action isn’t
this state must either flee in terror or attempt to specified, it’s assumed to be a simple action.
engage with her in personal ways. This imposes
a +1 difficulty on all actions the Outcast attempts,
Doing Two Things at Once
and a +2 difficulty on influence actions against Sometimes a player may want to split a
terrified people. character’s attention to take two different actions
at the exact same time. Unless otherwise noted, a
Resolution: For supernaturals, this resolves
player may choose to combine two actions into the
when the Outcast resolves her Damnation. For
same roll to perform them at the exact same time.
mundanes, this resolves if the character gains the
When doing this follow these steps:
Awed status effect.

Storypath ultra 11
 Form a dice pool using the lower pool for the
two tasks she is trying to complete and rolls;
she cannot perform the same action on two
different targets as part of a mixed action
(instead, she should use the Shockwave
Trick on p. 7).
Apply the highest Enhancement she might
have from either action to her hit pool, but
the Storyguide may decide to only allow
Enhancement from specific, appropriate
sources.
Spend hits on overcoming the difficulty to
accomplish each task separately.
Spend hits to buy off the highest
Complication associated with the set of
actions — other Complications are ignored.
They can also purchase Tricks associated
with each action.
If the player does not garner enough hits
to spend on both difficulties, she picks which
difficulty she wants to overcome and completes
only that action. If she fails both actions, no
Complications occur.
Reflexive Actions
Some actions happen so quickly or are so
trivial to do they don’t take up a character’s
time. This could be anything from chatting while
performing another task to pulling a pistol from
a holster when the character enters a building.
These are reflexive actions, and a character can
take as many reflexive actions on her turn as she
would like, at Storyguide discretion.
Teamwork
Two or more characters want to work together
to accomplish a larger task. Each player uses the
same Skill + Attribute to form a dice pool and
each hit garnered goes toward overcoming the
difficulty of the task, overcoming Complication,
and purchasing Tricks. If they fail at the task, or
fail to overcome Complications, everyone involved
in the teamwork action suffers the consequences.
12 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
Units of Time
In Curseborne, time is measured in two ways.
The first is the time it takes the characters to do
things in the fictional world. This is measured in
real time, such as minutes, hours, day, etc. The
second is the time it takes for players to direct
their characters in action. Characters act in turns,
rounds, and scenes, and players play in sessions,
stories, and campaigns. The following is a list of
those time units in ascending order.
Turn: This is the amount of time it takes a
character to take an action.
Round: This is the amount of time it takes
for all characters to take a single turn before
the initiative resets.
Scene: This is the amount of time it takes
for an entire set of related actions to occur.
This could be anywhere from a few minutes
to an hour. Scenes encompass all the action
for a single thing, so a foot race is a scene,
an interrogation is a scene, and a fight is a
scene. But if a fight transitions into a foot
chase, then the scene changes when the
action changes.
Session: This encompasses all the scenes
in which players act out through a single
afternoon (or day, evening, etc.) of play. A
session is not a concrete unit of time and can
represent multiple days’ worth of in-game
time, or only a few moments spread out over
multiple intense action scenes.
Story: A story is a set of scenes and sessions
that make up a coherent arc with a concrete
beginning, middle, and ending. This could
be a story told in a single session, multiple
episodic single-story sessions with the only
commonality being the player characters, or
it could be a deep story that spans multiple
subsequent sessions.
Campaign: A campaign is a set of one or
more stories. Often the only things that
remain the same from story to story are the
characters involved, though some campaigns
span across periods in time and genres and
each new story gains new characters.
 taking actions. Areas describe the scene and have
Initiative and Spotlighting no size limitations (potentially containing several
range bands, see p. 14).
Normally whenever multiple characters want
to take an action, players can roll simultaneously Depending on what is going on, certain Areas
and decide how those actions fall in the narration. may impose a Complication or grant a bonus to
But, when multiple characters want to take actions certain actions, and we denote these as area effects.
against one another at the same time, the game shifts The following are examples of area effects and
into a round by round situation, called spotlighting. the Complication they impose on characters who
In this case, we turn to initiative to determine who are in them.
acts first, and so on.
Crowded (Minor)
To determine initiative, each player forms
a dice pool for their character using the higher Bodies press in on all sides as people attempt
of either (Athletics + Cunning) or (Empathy + to move through a limited space. Apply this
Dexterity). The Storyguide forms a dice pool for Complication to any attack actions and any rolled
each of the Storyguide characters using their stated movement actions unless the character can fly
initiative number. or otherwise has unerring aim. In an influence
scene, apply this Complication to all social actions
Everyone compares hits, and the person with
involving speech, unless the character has a way
the highest number goes first in the round, taking
to communicate directly or nonverbally (such as
the spotlight. After that character has taken their
using sign language or telepathy).
action, that player chooses a character to go next.
They may choose anyone who has not yet acted in Consequence: If not bought off on a
the round, including a Storyguide character. Play movement action, the character risks getting
continues until all characters have had a chance lost, turned around, or pushed into another range
to act in the round, and then either the inciting band rather than their desired destination. If not
incident that required initiative is resolved, or bought off on an attack action, the results of any
they enter another phase of spotlighting. If the purchased Tricks are applied to a target or piece
group enters another phase of spotlighting, the last of scenery chosen by the Storyguide in the same
character to act in the previous round chooses the range band.
first person to act in the new round. That character Alternate Influence Consequence: If not
can choose themselves to go first in the new round, bought off, someone important overhears the
should they desire. conversation, the target gets the right idea but
While initiative is not an action, certain abilities misinterprets important aspects, or the intended
or equipment may apply Enhancement to the target can’t hear at all — the Storyguide chooses
initiative roll. another character in the scene to be the target of
the influence action instead.
Areas and Area Effects Darkness (Minor)
The characters in Curseborne do not act The Area is pitch-black. Apply this Complication
in a vacuum. Scenes take place in crowded cities to any actions involving movement (such as
or strange dimensions. These locations set the sprinting) or determining range (such as Ranged
scene for the action and define the set dressing for
Combat attacks), unless the character is unaffected
characters to interact with. by darkness. In an investigation scene, apply this
We call these locations Areas and define an Complication to attempts to search for evidence.
Area as a distinct space where the characters are

Storypath ultra 13
 Consequence: If not bought off, the character Areas. They determine what kinds of actions a
takes damage, falls prone, or strikes a different character can take when distance is a factor. For
target than the one they declared. example, a character armed with a pistol can attack
Alternate Investigation Consequence: If at Close, Short, and Medium range bands. They also
not bought off, the character receives one piece represent how near a character is to something.
of misinformation (in addition to any genuine Range bands are not directly influenced by Areas,
evidence they may have located). as the latter are not restricted by distance — that
pistol can shoot out of a window or across a street
Overstimulating (Moderate) into another Area but wouldn’t be able to shoot
An overstimulating space creates a constant someone on the other side of a massive arena just
barrage of stimulation that is distracting. It could because it’s a single Area.
be a crowd of loud people, the roar of a waterfall, Range bands are primarily used for combat
the incessant noise of a nearby vehicle, or the visual because people are moving around in a cinematic
assault of too bright colors or lights. Any place that fashion, and distance should be equally cinematic
creates distraction from easy conversation qualifies. and abstract. Range bands also come up sometimes
in investigation and influence scenes when
Consequence: If not bought off during an
determining a character’s sense of perception or
influence scene, important information may get
how far their voice may carry. We use the same
lost in the background as the character struggles
range bands to abstract those distances.
to process information. In an investigation scene,
a character may be unable to acquire additional Range Description
evidence, as they are too overwhelmed to notice. Close In range to trade blows with fists or
In an action scene, characters might become most melee weapons.
distracted or overwhelmed, causing the character Short Close-quarter battle distance for
to drop their weapon or aim at an incorrect target. shooting and thrown weapons or special
melee weapons designed for reach.
Passions Flaring (Moderate) Medium Range to aim and shoot with a firearm.
The Area is filled with a mob of people who are Long Range to plan and execute long range
easily swayed by a word or action. Tempers may sniping and special weapons attacks.
rise with a single push, or a cheer may break out Extreme Most attacks cannot reach this range.
for a noteworthy performance. The mob mentality Out of Range Beyond the reach of any weapon.
has taken hold and those who are in it have a hard

Action-Adventure
time breaking out. This Complication applies to all
actions taken in the Area.
Consequence: If not bought off, the character Action-adventure covers the fast-paced
risks tipping the mob into a frenzied state; back and forth action of combat sequences. It
Emotions shift wildly, from negative to positive always uses spotlighting (p. 13), and characters
and back again. The character may suffer an injury act on their turn within the round to take actions
as the mob moves against them, be pushed into against each other.
another range band, or be carried out of the Area
by grasping hands. Moving
Normally, characters can move around
Range Bands unimpeded during a scene. In action-adventure
Range bands determine how close one scenarios, maneuvering to get into position to make
character is to another inside an Area or between an attack becomes an important strategy.

14 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 Usually, we abstract movement using range A character’s Defense sets the difficulty of
bands or opposed Athletics + either Might or the attacker’s roll. A character’s starting Defense
Dexterity actions between characters. For the against an incoming attack is always 1. When a
purposes of combat, movement, and speed follow character is attacked, she may take a defensive
those abstractions. action using Stamina (no Skill is added). The
Move: Characters can move between Close difficulty of a defensive action is 0 unless otherwise
and Short or Short and Medium as a reflexive noted. Each hit garnered from a defensive action
action. A character can run as a simple action to can be used to purchase Defense Tricks. After she
move between Close and Medium range. sets her Defense, the attacker rolls for their attack
action.
Drop/Stand: A character can choose to drop
prone or stand from prone as a reflexive action A player does not have to roll for Defense
instead of moving. If a character would need to unless an attack is declared against her character.
rise from prone while in Close range with a hostile Once she is attacked once in a round, the Defense
enemy, she must do so as part of a mixed action Tricks she purchased persist until the end of that
using Athletics + Dexterity with 0 difficulty. round, meaning she may set her Defense on the first
attack and keep it for future attacks if she wishes. If
Rush: A character may move as part of a
she is attacked again in the round, she may choose
mixed action to move into range and attack an
to give up her action to reset her Defense by rolling
enemy using Athletics + Might for the action. The
again, but she must keep the new result. Penalties
character may move from Medium to Close range
that apply to Defense can never bring a character’s
as part of the rush action. The difficulty to rush an
Defense below 1.
opponent is 1 unless the opponent has purchased
the Sidestep Trick as part of their Defense action. A character may want to spend her action in
This cannot be used if the character starts at Short the round to take a full Defense. To do this, roll
or Close range. twice the character’s Stamina (or other Defense
pool, if relevant) and purchase Defense Tricks as
Utilize Cover: Characters can move behind
normal. This is a simple action and may not be part
cover as part of their reflexive move action but
of a mixed action.
cannot do this as part of a mixed action. Cover acts
as a type of expendable armor and is rated as light, Defense Tricks
heavy, or full.
Dive to Cover (1 hit): In response to a ranged
Light cover protects a significant portion of the
attack, the character moves up to one range band
character’s body. Light cover can absorb 4 damage
away to reach cover established in the Area. Cover
before being destroyed.
utilized by this Trick absorbs damage (above).
Heavy cover protects almost all the character,
Dodge (1-3 hits): Each hit spent on the Dodge
leaving only the smallest parts exposed. Heavy
Trick adds 1 to the character’s physical Defense.
cover can absorb 10 damage before being destroyed.
Roll Away (1 hit): Move one Range Band
Full cover blocks line of sight completely to a
away from the attacker after the attack action is
target. It functions the same as heavy cover, but
completed.
the character behind it cannot be targeted with
ranged attacks. Sidestep (1-3 hits): Each hit spent on the
Move Away Trick increases the difficulty for an
Defense opponent to use the Rush movement action against
the character.
In combat, characters can take action to
defend themselves from an incoming attack.

Storypath ultra 15

Attacking
Characters make attacks using their
opponent’s Defense as the difficulty for the action.
Once a player spends enough hits to overcome
the difficulty, she may inflict a single point of
damage to the opponent for free. Any other
maneuver a character may wish to take while in
combat is a Trick she can apply to her attack. As
with most Tricks, each combat Trick can only be
purchased once per attack.
must designate the ally gaining the Enhancement
bonus when you purchase this Trick.
Pull Your Punch (0 hits): You choose not to
deal damage to the target and instead gain 1 hit to
spend on another combat Trick.
Melee Tricks
Break-up Grapple (1 hit): When targeting a
character who is part of a grapple (that you are
not in) you may use this Trick to end the Grappled
status effect.

Close Combat Disarm (2 hits): You use your weapon as

leverage, pulling or twisting your opponent’s
Close Combat attacks are made at Close range
weapon or item out of their hand. You may spend
with melee weapons or bare hands and feet.
an additional hit to knock the item on range band
Close Combat Attack: Close Combat +
away from the owner.
Might or Dexterity
Establish Grapple (1 hit): You force your
Ranged Combat opponent into a grapple. Apply the Grappled status
Ranged Combat attacks are made at up to effect (p. 9) to your opponent. You may purchase
Medium range with weapons such as guns, bows, any normal Close Combat Tricks on your attacks
thrown objects, or other types of weapons designed against them.
to be used at range. Knockdown/Trip (1 hit): Knock your opponent
Shooting Attack: Ranged Combat + Dexterity prone where they stand.
Thrown Attack: Ranged Combat + Might Seize (2 hits): You take an object held by (but
not strapped or attached to) your opponent. You
Combat Tricks
must have a free hand to use this Trick.
The following are Tricks a player may spend
Shove (1 or 2 hits): For one hit you may push
hits on for any type of attack action she makes.
your opponent back a single range band. For two
Universal hits, you may push your opponent two Range
bands instead.
Attention (2 hits): Your blow draws the victim’s
attention, meaning they’ll target you in the next Sunder (2 hits): You use your weapon to damage
combat round unless combat ends before then, or your opponent’s gear (weapon, armor, or otherwise),
someone hits them with this Trick after you. making it useless for the rest of the scene.
Critical (3 hits): Deal an additional damage to Throw Person (2 hits): You may only purchase
your target. this Trick against someone to whom you have
applied the Grappled status effect. You throw your
Distraction (1 hit): The target suffers a +1
opponent one ranged band in any direction.
difficulty on all attacks until the end of your next
turn. An enemy can only suffer from one instance Ranged Tricks
of Distraction each round.
Destroy Object (2 hits): Destroy an object in the
Feint (1-3 hits): For every hit spent on Feint you area, such as light cover or a barrier.
generate Enhancement on your or an ally’s next
Pin Down (1-3 hits): Pin Down applies a Minor
attack against the opponent you’re attacking. You
Complication to the character’s next attack. If

16 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
they choose not to buy off this Complication, then
when taking actions with a Path Skill, you can
they receive one automatic injury. A character can
choose to keep the Wounded benefit or aggravate
spend additional hits on this Trick to increase the
your injuries. If you aggravate your injuries, add +2
Complication level on a one-for-one basis. Enhancement that stacks to the action in addition
Trip (2 hits): You spend hits to knock your to the two dice granted by Wounded, but gain the
opponent prone where they stand. Aggravated Wound status effect (p. 8).
Near Death
Damage One injury. You have one last action left. The
Whenever your character is attacked, she can dice pool for this action gains three dice and +2
suffer damage. She may also suffer damage from Enhancement that stacks. After this roll, regardless
other sources, such as falling, poisons, or failing of the result, your character is out of the fight. Gain
to buy off Complications. The amount of damage the Taken Out status effect.
a character takes that isn’t handled by cover,
armor, and the like is applied to the character and Armor
measured in injuries. Armor absorbs damage as it comes in, preventing
Additionally, a player may choose to prevent all injuries. Each dot of armor the character has
incoming damage from a single source by taking an provides empty boxes of damage that come
appropriate combat status effect instead. If a character before the Bloodied Injury Level. These boxes are
has already taken a combat status effect to prevent marked off first and do not get replaced until after
incoming damage, the second time she chooses to do the end of the scene or if something specifically
so, she must take the Taken Out status effect. repairs or rejuvenates the armor. Armor applies to
all types of damage (including from area effects)
Injuries and Injury Levels unless stated otherwise.
A character has multiple injuries she can take
before falling unconscious or being taken out of a
Healing
Treating a character to heal damage requires
fight. Each damage the character suffers ticks off
a Medicine + Intellect action with a difficulty
a single injury box. For player characters, injuries
equal to the highest Injury Level filled in, with
are separated into four Injury Levels. As your
a minimum of 1. For example, if a character has
character fills in Injury Levels, they become more
five injuries, with completely filled Bloodied
resolved to action and gain small bonuses.
and Wounded Injury Levels and partially-filled
Bloodied Maimed, the difficulty would be 2 for Wounded
being completely filled in. Success on the action
Two injuries. You’re scratched, bruised, or
removes all the injuries from the highest rated
otherwise superficially hurt. This inspires you to
Injury Level. Each appropriate combat status
persevere. Once this Injury Level is filled, actions
effect adds a Minor Complication to the healing
using a Path Skill gain one die.
action to remove the status effect. Failure to buy off
Wounded the Complication means the status effect worsens
Two injuries. You’re hurt, but not too badly. or the character gains a new status effect.
This forces you to focus on your strengths. Once Characters can only benefit from a single
filled, actions using a Path Skill gain two dice. healing action each scene. Characters can take a
Maimed healing action at the end of any scene in which there
was not combat or other heavy physical activity.
Two injuries. You’re badly hurt, but you have Characters heal one full Injury Level between
enough strength for one final push. Once filled, sessions and heal completely at the end of a story.

Storypath ultra 17
 step closer to solving the mystery. Gain a new lead

Investigation immediately.

From trying to understand a strange map to

investigating a murder, characters in Curseborne
may engage in intense investigation scenes.
Investigations are the discovery of a series of
leads and evidence that eventually resolve into a
big reveal as to the answer to whatever was being
investigated.
Storyguides provide leads to the characters to
start off an investigation. Characters cannot miss
a lead or fail to gain a lead; they simply need to be
in the right place at the right time, and sometimes
have a certain Skill.
Solving the Mystery
Investigation requires the characters to find a
series of leads to solve a mystery. The Storyguide
sets a few leads for the mystery and associates them
with specific locations, scenes, or Skills. Characters
will always garner leads when they make it to the
right location to find them. Characters may also
bypass finding the lead physically by garnering
enough evidence to simply deduce the next lead.
Once the characters have found all the leads,
the characters solve the mystery.

Pieces of evidence are associated clues that are

inessential to the plot, offering glimpses into other
characters, side stories, or the world itself. Players Influence
may spend Momentum to purchase evidence. Influence encompasses everything from
convincing a friend to do you a favor to intimidating
Finding Evidence an enemy into giving up a valuable secret. Any
time a character attempts to influence another
Evidence gives player characters supporting into taking an action he would rather not do, that’s
information for a lead and allows them to piece influence.
together parts of the larger picture. Without
Influencing someone is an opposed action,
evidence, characters can still follow leads to their
just like any other time a character wants to
inevitable end and solve a mystery, but evidence
take an action against another character who is
makes it easier, and without it they might miss out
actively resisting. The character initiating the
on the flavor of the mystery, including the why,
influence uses an appropriate Skill + Attribute
where, and how of much of the story.
depending on what he wants to accomplish, and
Success on an evidence roll results in one the defending character rolls using her Resolve or
piece of evidence. Composure to determine her Integrity. Integrity
serves as her social defense, and just like in
Investigation Tricks combat, a character’s Integrity is always at least 1,
Extra Evidence (1 hit): Your character gains an and when the player rolls to resist influence, she
extra piece of evidence from her investigations. uses those hits to purchase Tricks. When taking
Question and Answer (1 hit per question): Spend an influence action, the basic result of the action is
hits one for one to ask the Storyguide a question that your character takes the action she intended
about the lead you are researching. The Storyguide to take before purchasing Tricks.
may suggest appropriate questions, or you may ask Characters also have attitudes and bonds that
one related specifically to how you’re gathering may act as Enhancement toward their influence
information. or Integrity actions.
Unexpected Lead (3 hits): Your character puts
evidence together in a way that brings her one

18 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 it is too far outside the bounds of the character’s
Influence Tricks nature, or if it would make them uncomfortable.
Whenever a player is unwilling to go along with
Players may purchase any of the following
the result of an influence action, they have two
Tricks with their hits on an action to influence
choices: accept a hard bargain or ignore it entirely.
others.
A hard bargain is a narrative tool that allows
Deepen Bond (3 hits): You either forge a new
a player to resist a social influence at a cost to the
bond with the character or deepen an existing
character. The character might suffer a setback,
bond. You may only purchase this Trick on a single
open themself up to a different kind of influence, or
target once per scene.
accept a social status effect as a result. The player
Encourage or Prevent Thought (2 hits): You refusing the influence chooses what kind of setback
change your target’s mind about something her character will accept instead of the influence,
important to them in the moment. You either provide but it must be something of equal measure. When
a compelling lie or reveal evidence of a truth they had choosing a hard bargain, remember to always move
no knowledge of prior. the story forward.
Persuade (2 hits): You persuade your target A player can choose to ignore the influence
to take an additional action they would not have completely, which grants the influencing character
previously, on top of the original influence. +2 Enhancement on their next action against
Shift Attitude (2 hits): Your influence changes her. If the character who refuses the influence
your target’s heart, shifting their attitude toward is a Storyguide character, the player who used the
your character up or down one level — the acting influence may opt to add 2 Momentum to the pool
player decides. instead of gaining Enhancement.

Integrity Tricks Attitudes

People make impressions on one another as
Players may purchase any of the following
they interact, forming attitudes toward each other.
Tricks with their hits on an Integrity action to
Attitudes are measured as one of three levels:
resist influence.
negative, neutral, or positive. Attitudes convey
Cruel Intentions (3 hits): Conversations are modifiers to actions, and all characters start with
a two-way street. Your character successfully a neutral attitude toward people they just met.
performs an influence action on the initiator with Attitudes grant Advantage to influence and Integrity
no additional hits. actions, depending on how someone feels about the
Resist (1-3 hits): Each hit spent on resisting character attempting the influence action.
increases the difficulty to enact the influence A positive attitude grants +1 Social
against the character. Advantage on the influence action of the
Shift Attitude (2 hits): You play on the acting character.
influencer’s own feelings, shifting their attitude A negative attitude grants +1 Social
toward your character up or down one level, the Advantage on the Integrity action of the
defending player decides. defending character.

A neutral attitude conveys no Advantage

Refusing Influence one way or the other.

Players do not have to accept the result of an If the character being influenced is made to
influence action against their character if they feel do something she would rather not do, or is out

Storypath ultra 19
of character for her, and she does not refuse the assigning bond ratings to each person. As the game
influence, her attitude toward the acting character progresses, these bonds can strengthen or weaken,
shifts down one level. If it was already a negative and the character can forge new bonds.
attitude, she gains a bond of animosity toward the To form a new bond or strengthen an existing
acting character. If she already had a negative bond, bond with a character, they must spend time
it is strengthened by 1, but if they shared a positive together in a scene. The characters must interact,
bond, it is decreased by 1. and the players must agree to establish a new bond.
If two characters have an established bond, they can
Bonds strengthen their bond with a bond scene instead.
Bonds are the connections between two Bonds can also be weakened. Characters
characters. For good or ill, bonds tie characters may choose to break or decrease a bond without
together and make them important figures in any scene. The bond weakens in the next scene.
each other’s lives. A character may choose to change the nature
Bonds are listed as positive or negative and rated of a bond without any scene, and it changes
1 to 5 depending on the intensity of the connection. immediately in the same scene.

Positive Bonds Characters in a bond do not necessarily

have the same rating toward each other, similar
Each session players gain a pool of Enhancement
to attitudes, meaning one character may feel as
that stacks equal to the bond rating of the character’s
though someone is their best friend, while that
bond to another character, which they can use when
person views them as merely an acquaintance.
taking teamwork actions with the bondmate. Each
member gains their own personal pool based on Characters have a limit on how many bonds
their bond’s rating. Enhancement from bonds can they can have at each rating. A character may
be spent to overcome Advantage if the characters have one bond at rating 5, two at 4, three at 3,
are acting together against a character or situation four at 2, and an unlimited number of bonds at
that has Advantage over them. The acting characters rating 1.
must spend 2 bond Enhancement to counteract one Contacts
level of Advantage.
Any time a character wishes to get information
Negative Bonds or assistance, they can turn to people, places, and
If the characters are at odds with one another, groups from the same backgrounds, or related
they can instead use their Enhancement from to similar interests. Paths define the ways the
the bond on actions taken against the other. This character ties into the setting through contacts. A
Enhancement can be used to overcome Advantage character can ask for a favor, borrow an item, or get
that might be granted by a negative attitude information from someone in one of their Path’s
between the characters. contacts by invoking the Path.

Characters with a negative bond may still use Each time the character invokes her Path
their bond Enhancement for teamwork actions if contact, choose a Path Skill and roll against
they are working towards the same goal together, difficulty 0 adding any bond rating as free
though this is a much more unlikely scenario withEnhancement to purchase the favors as Tricks
characters in a negative bond. that cost 1 hit each. The next attempt to invoke
the contact in the same session incurs a Minor
Forging and Strengthening Bonds Complication. Any subsequent attempts upgrade
At character creation, characters form bonds the Complication to Major. If she fails to buy off
with the other players’ characters at the table, the Minor Complication, the contact needs a favor

20 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
in response, and she gains the Unexpected Favor Concealable: The weapon is easy to hide.
status effect (p. 11). If she fails to buy off the Major Gain +2 Enhancement to actions to keep it hidden.
Complication, the contact is tapped and won’t Deadly: The weapon’s attacks leave grievous
respond for the rest of the story. wounds. The weapon may apply the Aggravated
If the contact needs to take an action, they roll Wound status effect instead of dealing damage. The
with 8 dice, adding their dot rating as Enhancement person takes this effect regardless of their current
if they possess an appropriate tag. amount of damage. Armor prevents this effect.
Flaming: The weapon blazes with fire. Gain

Equipment access to the following Trick when making attacks

with this weapon:
Equipment in Curseborne is abstracted to Burn (1 hit): Inflict the On Fire status effect (p.
items that grant Enhancement to specific actions. 10) on your target.
The most common equipment is weapons and Heavy Weapon: Heavy Weapons are massive
armor, but anything that would assist a characterweapons that pack a lot of punch. Gain +1 Power
in an action, such as a rod for fishing, a disguise
Advantage on attack actions with this weapon.
kit, or mechanical equipment would all grant This tag cannot be paired with the Concealable tag.
Enhancement to the actions they are designed for.This tag counts as two tags when applying it to a
Tags determine what additional qualities weapon.
equipment has that distinguish one piece of Light Weapon: (Close Combat) This weapon
equipment from another, and some items have tags can be used with Dexterity instead of Might in
granting them special benefits. close combat.
Tags sometimes indicate a limitation on the Long Range: (Ranged) This weapon can be
item, such as those restricted to ranged or close used to make attacks out to Long range.
combat use. Outside of those instances, a tag is Painful: Though few weapons are pain-free,
considered general, meaning a tag in the weapon this one is specifically designed to cause agony. Gain
tag selection could theoretically be applied to a access to the Suffer Trick when making attacks with
tool or armor. this weapon if the damage you deal is not absorbed
by armor.

Weapons Suffer (2 hits): Inflict the Agony status effect

(p. 8) on your target.
While weapons grant Enhancement to Piercing: The weapon cuts through armor or
attack actions, they also have other qualities that exploits weak points. After a successful attack on
distinguish them from other equipment. Weapons an opponent, deal an injury directly and reduce the
can be used up close or at range, and they can deal target’s armor rating by 1.
various kinds of damage. Ranged weapons can
Poisoned: This weapon is coated in poison.
attack up to medium range without a special tag.
Gain access to the Poison Trick when making
All weapons grant at least +1 Enhancement to attacks with this weapon. Armor prevents this
attack actions. Most weapons bear up to two tags, effect.
though more exotic and rare weapons have up to four. Poison (variable hits): Inflict the Fast-Acting
Weapon Tags Toxin status effect (p. 9) on your target.

Brutal: The weapon inflicts massive damage. Reach: (Close Combat) This weapon can be
Reduce the number of hits required to purchase used to make attacks at Short range.
the Critical Trick by 1. Returning: (Ranged) When making a thrown

Storypath ultra 21
attack with this weapon, it returns to the attacker.
Shield: (Close Combat) The weapon can be
used to block damage. The shield acts as light
Entanglement
cover and cannot be refreshed until the next scene. Entanglement connects all Accursed
Silent: (Close Combat) When attacking with characters to the nature of their curse. It builds
this weapon, ignore any Complications that involve their tolerance for curse dice, a reflection of the
making noise or being overheard. curse manifesting itself through their actions.
This ability to control and withstand the power of
Stunning: Gain access to the following Trick
their curse increases as they grow in power. While
when making attacks with this weapon:
this is a measure of a character’s power and the
Stun (2 hits): Inflict the Stunned status effect
overall threats she can handle, it does not have any
on your target.
diegetic bearing on the world, except for the magic
Versatile: This weapon can be used as both a that she can access. Entanglement 1 characters are
melee weapon and at range, up to Medium range. embarking upon their journey of power for the
Worn: The weapon is attached to your body and first time and are still learning what it means to be
cannot be disarmed or knocked out of your reach. one of the Accursed. This is a normal starting point
Wounding: (Magical) Gain access to the for most campaigns.
Wound Trick when making attacks with this
weapon. Armor negates this effect. Using Curse Dice
Wound (1 hits): Inflict the Bleeding status effect
As a reflection of her cursed nature an
(p. 8) on your target.
Accursed’s interaction with probability changes
Wrecking: (Close Combat) This weapon via curse dice. Possessing curse powers their
gains access to the Destroy Object Trick. When Practices — or the manifestations of the curse’s
purchasing the Destroy Object Trick on an attack magic — and alters the outcomes of her successes
with this weapon, you may destroy any armor. and failures.
As the nature of the curse transforms the
Armor character’s dice, they become either held or
Instead of providing Enhancement, armor bled. Held dice persist in the pool and replace
provides additional injury boxes for the wearer. the character’s dice until an effect removes them,
Like weapons, armor has tags that modify it in called bleeding. Some effects allow curse dice
some way. Basic armor provides one additional to exist indefinitely, while others use them right
injury box removed before the Bloodied injuries. away. When a Practice or other effect bleeds curse
Armor tags are provided in the Curseborne book. dice, roll them as normal (typically supplementing
an action such as an attack roll) and apply the
effects of the curse as usual. Then, remove them
Tools from the pool.
Tools represent items that are not weapons The total number of curse dice a character may
or armor that characters may use for various have at any time is limited by her Entanglement
purposes. Tools provide Enhancement to actions (one in this ashcan). These persist from session
that they are designed for. Tools provide at least +1 to session and replace an equal number of dice in
Enhancement to an action they’re design to assist. any Skill action. To represent curse dice, players
Like weapons and armor, tools can be created should use a different color set of dice.
with tags that enhance their abilities. Tool tags are Characters gain curse dice into their pools
provided in the Curseborne book. throughout gameplay and can bleed them for

22 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
various effects. The following are general ways the
character may gain curse dice:
Gain 1 curse die when you fulfill an obligation
to your Family or Role Path.
Gain 1 curse die when you give into either
your personal or Lineage torment.
Your success draws the attention of other
Accursed.
If the roll fails and any of the curse dice are not
hits, it causes a cruel failure. This can manifest as
any of the following. As above, the Storyguide may
always make up her own.

Gain 1 curse die the first time in a scene
when the entire crew comes together to
solve a problem or deal with a situation.
Gain 1 curse die when entering a place of
deferment if you currently have no curse
dice.
Gain 1 curse die when exemplifying your
family’s themes.
Characters may bleed curse dice through
the course of play. The following are ways the
character may bleed their curse dice:
Bleed curse dice to cast Practice spells.
Characters may bleed curse dice when in a
place of deferment to transfer it to another
character.
Altered Outcomes
An enemy or rival takes note of the
character’s failure and gloats.
An implosion of power causes trouble.
Your family’s elders are displeased with
your failure.
Your failure draws the attention of harmful
monsters.
An otherworldly entity arrives to instruct you.
If a roll succeeds and no curse dice show hits,
or if a roll fails and some curse dice show hits,
nothing spectacular happens. It is a success or
failure as normal.
Curse Dice Tricks
The Accursed may use these Tricks only with
hits rolled on curse dice regardless of the type of
success.

When the player rolls a pool containing curse Area (2 hits): You may apply this Trick to any
dice, it creates altered outcomes. influence action. Your action targets all characters
within Close range of the original target. You must
Wicked successes happen when a player rolls
purchase this Trick first, then apply the remaining
a pool containing curse dice and succeeds with
hits to the highest Integrity of the targeted group,
any of the curse dice showing hits. This grants
then may purchase additional Tricks with any
her more than she asked for, which can manifest
remaining hits.
itself as any of the following. The Storyguide is free
to come up with her own results, using these as Fast Friends (1 hit): You may apply this Trick
inspiration. to any influence action. When you buy this Trick,
you automatically establish one bond point. The
An enemy or rival takes note of the
terms of the bond are defined when you buy this
character’s success and becomes jealous.
Trick. You may only use this on a character once
An otherworldly entity arrives to assist or to per scene.
congratulate you.
Gladhanding (1 hit): You may apply this Trick
An overflow of power gives the character to any influence action. When you buy this Trick,
more result than she wants. you may ignore any Complication or increased
Your family’s elders are pleased by your difficulty from imposed social barriers such as red
triumph. tape, social status, Lineage status, etc., applied to
the roll.

Storypath ultra 23
 Otherworldly Sense (1 hit): You may apply
this Trick to any investigation action. When you
buy this Trick, gain additional evidence exclusive
to a supernatural sense. Perhaps you scent the
presence of ghosts or know instantly that you’re
in one of the Hungry’s feeding grounds. If there is
nothing supernatural to detect, the Storyguide will
tell you, and refund you the hit.
Reaching (1 hit): You may apply this Trick to
any appropriate attack or investigation action. You
may extend the range of the action by one range
band — extending senses or the reach of a weapon.
You must purchase this Trick first, then apply
the remaining hits to the target’s Defense, then
purchase any additional Tricks.

24 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 The Accursed
I’m Claudia, and I’m here to help you
understand. You’re one of us: the Accursed. You
might be asking yourself, what the fuck does that
mean? That’s a fair question, and I’m going to do
my damnedest to answer. Of course, you’re here
with us because no one in your family chose to have
an ounce of empathy and tell you this stuff. Look,
your parents are probably assholes like mine who
cling to the way things have always been. Tradition
and all that shit. They had to learn the hard way
and think you should, too. Fuck all that. We’re your
family now. Let us know if you need anything.
First, forget how you think the world works.
The truth is the whole world is cursed. That isn’t
a pithy commentary about the state of things;
it’s a fact of life. That’s been true since the first
beings dragged themselves from water to dry land.
Indiscriminate, unfeeling, uncaring, and worst of
all, ever-present, curses are woven into the fabric
of the world. As Accursed, the curse hammer hit
us hardest. You see, there are basically two kinds
of curses. There’s little curses — everyday bullshit,
like getting your shoelace caught in the people
mover at the airport — and then there are big
curses: the Damnations. These big curses are life-
changing affairs. Where little curses hang around
waiting for someone — anyone — to trip over them,
Damnations are directed and personal. You don’t
just accidentally trip into a Damnation; someone
bestows it on you like the worst fucking inheritance
The Accursed
you can imagine. That someone could be your
father because your grandpappy got cursed to high
hell and back for pissing off someone extremely
powerful. Sins of the father and all that. Or it could
be someone you bumped into on the subway who
decided you looked like a good target to pass their
Damnation on to.
Being Damned opens your eyes, for good and
for ill. You have magic running through your veins.
You might be thinking, it’s fucking cool to be able
to manipulate the very essence of the world. And
yeah, it’s pretty cool, but understand this: You
can’t reach your hand into a pile of shit without
getting covered in it. Sure, growing wicked claws
is awesome, but it always comes with a cost. Your
curse is still connected to that web, and everything
you do pulls a string. Your curse hangs around you,
manipulates you, and makes your life a living hell.
Each Damnation is different, so how the curse
affects you is different — but it’s always bad. You
might have a monster lurking under your skin, or
you might have to eat human flesh to survive, or
you might be hunted by creatures from the Outside.
(Put a pin in that, it’ll be important later.)
I know of five main Damnations, each of which
has spawned cursed societies called Lineages.
(There may be more lurking around the edges of
our world, but I know of five for sure.) Lineages
spread like wildfire, because if you’ve been cursed
25
you can now pass that bullshit along. That’s where
the Accursed come in. Don’t get me started on
the archaic terminology we still use for this stuff,
The Dead
because that implies blood relations, and that’s So, you’re Dead? Me too, I’m Sam, welcome to
not always the case. But it’s the best I’ve got. As the show. We’re not in hell, definitely not in any
far as I know, these Lineages represent five broad kind of heaven I’d imagine, and we’re not nothing.
categories of Accursed: Outcasts (demons, angels, I guess that means we’re somewhere between alive
shit like that), Dead (ghosts and spirits), Primal and not, which is where you’ll be for a while. Me?
(shapeshifters, werewolves, and the like), Sorcerers I’ve been like this for a few years now, at least long
(blood-soaked magicians), and Hungry (vampires enough to show you the ropes.
to you and me). Inside the Lineages, you’ve got a
I’m going to start with the big picture, because
family of “likeminded” individuals who share the
I think that’s what works best in this case. You
same curse. Maybe they got together because of
died and didn’t pass on. Instead, you’re stuck
shared interests, relationships, or maybe they were
in your body, puppeting it around like a bloody
an actual family. Sometimes families are a political
marionette. You are, at your very core, a ghost.
affair. Someone got a particular Damnation and
Not like those other incorporeal sods who don’t
decided they didn’t vibe with the rest of the
have a mind of their own and get stuck on repeat
Lineage, or maybe didn’t even know about them,
for ages. No, you’ve still got all your faculties, and
and fucked off to do their own thing. You need to
even your body in a weird way. You can leave your
be pretty powerful to do that, so people respected
body behind if you want. I wouldn’t suggest doing
the decision. At this point, the families feel fairly
that for too long, because something might happen
set, so if you’re new, you’re likely born into one, or
to it, and then you’re left scrambling to find a new
forced to choose.
one. (More on that later.)
So, that’s who you are. There’s more to this
How did this happen? Well, more than likely,
world than just the Accursed. Hell, there’s more to
someone you met cursed you. I know that’s a shit
this world than just… this world. Let’s start from
answer, but it’s what happens. I’d take a stab and
the Outside in. (I’m so fucking funny.) Outsides
say it’s likely someone dear to you, maybe a family
are realms that literally exist outside the world.
member or a coworker. These things tend to be
There’s a ton of them and they’re connected to
more intimate than people think. Just know, you
our world in weird fucking ways. Sometimes it’s
can also pass this shit on to someone, so if you’re
a portal — a door hidden in the back of a cave —
one of those revenge types, you can get yours.
sometimes it’s a whole-ass building. Normal people
can’t accidentally pass through these connections, Now that you’re Dead, if you play it right, you
but if you can manipulate the fabric of the world, could be around forever. You can try to hold onto
you can find your way through. Like all doors, they that original body of yours as long as you like. It
open both ways. The things on the other side can won’t decay or age now that you’re Dead. But it
open them and come through. also won’t heal naturally or fix itself, so be careful
with it. If you really need another, I’m sure you can
This brings me to supernaturals. Besides us, the
find one, but the ethical quandaries surrounding
Accursed, there are plenty of other supernaturals
that get pretty dodgy. You’ll note that most families
out there. Where do they come from? Dunno.
don’t agree and have drawn firm lines on how one
Personally, I think everything came from some
goes about it.
Outside — even people — but honestly, they’re here
to stay, so who cares. Maybe all those things are just Anyway, this curse, however long it’s been
Accursed that have Damnations so different from around, came about because someone tried to
our own we can’t recognize them as such. fuck someone over. The story goes that there was

26 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
a league of utter bastards who affronted a big
unearthly power by trying to trick it into granting
them eternal life. If you ever meet one of them,
they’ll probably say they asked nicely and don’t
deserve their due. I’m sure you can imagine they
are great dinner guests and have nothing but
nostalgic stories about the good old times. They
got their eternities, in a sense. It struck them down
and bound them to their bodies like Prometheus to
his bloody rock. On top of that, they were governed
by their basest urges, the ones that drove them
to this unutterable sin in the first place. So, they
indulged, and that led to them cursing others, and
now here we are.
Our existences are anything but stagnant.
We might be Dead, but we’re the life of the party.
We’re hellishly impulsive, and we sure know how
to have a good time, whether it’s taking down the
murderer who killed one of us in life or getting
higher than you ever imagined while you were still
breathing. Don’t get it twisted: being cursed to be
stuck haunting your body forever is a drag, but we
make the most of it. We still have those impulses
our predecessors had. That’s part of the curse, too.
Lineage Rules
The Dead have several special rules that apply
only to them.
Being a Ghost
While the Dead often inhabit a body, they do
not have to and can leave it and return as a basic
ability.
A Dead character can leave their body as
a reflexive action by bleeding 1 curse die. The
body enters a trancelike state, appearing to be
sitting quietly, or sleeping. The character becomes
an incorporeal ghost. While in ghost form, the
Accursed cannot interact with the physical world
unless she uses a spell. She can pass through solid
objects such as walls, doors, floors, etc. without
issue. The character cannot take physical actions,
but may use any of her spells that do not require
physical touch to enact.
The Accursed
No matter how far she ventures from her body,
she can return to it immediately as a reflexive
action which requires no expenditure of curse
dice. If the character spends more than a scene
outside her body, she bleeds curse dice, 1 for each
additional scene she remains without a body. If she
runs out of curse dice, she begins to bleed Skill or
Attribute dots as though she were unanchored.
Returning to her body immediately restores any
lost dots but doesn’t automatically replenish spent
curse dice.
Undeath
The Dead cannot truly die. This is part
of their curse. If a Dead’s body is destroyed —
either while she’s in it, or while outside it — she
immediately gains the Taken Out status effect.
She’s considered unanchored until she finds a new
permanent body to inhabit. The new body must
not have a consciousness attached to it, either
because the body is an inanimate object, a dead
body, or someone clinically dead but kept alive on
machines. She must bleed 1 curse die and spend a
full 24 hours in the new body to claim it, making it
her new permanent body.
Every scene a character is unanchored, she
loses part of herself. The character loses Skill
dots every scene she does not have a new body.
If she runs out of Skill dots, she loses Attribute
dots instead. If she runs out of Attribute dots, the
Dead becomes a phantasm that can neither die nor
regain her consciousness. Any dot loss from being
unanchored is temporary, and when she regains a
new body, all her lost dots return to her after her
24-hour acclimation period. Spent curse dice to
not automatically replenish.
Damnation
The Dead are pushed by their urges to feel
emotions and take extreme actions. The more they
use their abilities, the more their urge pushes them
to act out. Any time the character’s curse dice pool
reaches 0, her urges overtake her. While in the
throes of her urge, she cannot cast spells or gain
any new curse dice.
27
 Resolution: She must take meaningful action
to express her urge to gain a curse die. If the action
she takes inconveniences her or one of her crew,
she gains 1 curse die or Momentum (player’s
choice) after taking the action.
Torments
The curse drives all Accursed to act in ways that
make them monstrous. Any time your character
succumbs to this torment, gain 1 Momentum.
Hi, I’m Eve — short for Evelyn, which I hate
— and I’m a vampire. Not that we call ourselves
that much, it’s just what most humans know us
as, thanks to Stoker and Rice and all them. Among
ourselves, we are the Hungry, and now you are,
too. Feel that deep, gnawing sensation in the pit of
your stomach?
That’s your new normal. Drink this; it’ll help.
Yes, it’s blood.

Yearning for Life: Being dead disconnects
a character from the living. They forget
about you, and they move on with their
lives. A character with this torment strains
against the terror of being left behind.
When she succumbs, she must make
herself as memorable as possible to those
she cares about — from leaving overbearing
love notes in unusual places to full-blown
poltergeist activity.
You’ll drink it eventually. No one outlasts
the hunger.
Now, listen to me.
We. Keep. Going. It’s different for each of us.
You hunger for blood, yes, but also for prestige, for
power, for immortality. Don’t deny it. I know you
do, because she brought you back, and she chooses
who gets this gift — yes, it is a gift — extremely
carefully. Others of our kind hunger for souls or

The Hungry other means of satiation, while also hungering for

acceptance or deliverance. Imagine being undead
and still craving friendship, of all things.
What? No. I didn’t kidnap you. I’m here to
help! In a sense. I’m kind of your sister now, so I Anyway, most of the older ones are wrapped
want to make sure you know the ropes and settle in up in their political crap and centuries-old
and all...what? Oh, I see, I’ve gotten ahead of myself rivalries and the like. I’m sure we’ll both get there
again. She’s always on my case for that, too. eventually, but tonight you’re new and I’m here to
Hush. It’s gonna be fine. You’re fine. babysit you so you don’t starve to death or end up
ripping out your former roommate’s throat. Yes, I
Please, you have to calm down or she’ll get
said “former;” you can’t go back. I mean, you could,
angry when she gets back — Mother doesn’t like it
but you’ll have to disappear eventually when
when we lose control. Fine, roll your eyes at me but
people notice you don’t age or eat normal food
fair warning — roll your eyes at her and lose them.
and become weirdly allergic to everyday objects.
Now listen to me.
No, not all the myths are true, they’re just twisted.
We are the Hungry. We are ambition and
You’ll see soon enough, and I’m sure you’re going
unfulfilled need made manifest. We are the
to inherit some of her issues. I know I have.
glittering center of the mortals’ existence, and the
shadow that haunts their nightmares. We spent Stop looking for a way out. This is your life
our lives chasing better, wanting more, seeking now. You are one of us now. You will drink blood to
the top — and more likely than not, it got us killed. survive and you will do as Mother says. Past that,
Except people like us, we never really die. We’ve your time is still yours to do what you want. That
got unfinished business. We claw ourselves out of said, I recommend getting some sleep now; waking
our grave and keep going. Because we’re Hungry. up from death really takes it out of you and you’re
going to want to be fresh when you meet her. I’ll
Okay, you know what? Let me start again.
just leave this glass here, by the bed, for when you
Here’s everything you need to know about your
get hungry later. I’ll be here when you wake up!
new lease on life — err, death.

28 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 Fire.
Lineage Rules Garlic or any allium.
The Hungry have several rules that apply
Items of faith.
only to them.
Mirrors
Feeding
Paper money.
Each type of Hungry has their prey of choice,
decided by family or by the individual. Whenever Running water.
your character feeds, gain 1 curse die. The feeding
Sunlight, or any UV light source.
must be in line with your family of Hungry,
though you may tweak this at character creation Silver of any kind.
to personalize your individual character. Perhaps
White animals.
they only feed off the one percent or people they
perceive as evildoers. The character must spend a Damnation
scene feeding, even if it happens “off-camera,” so
to speak. If the rest of your crew helps you acquire Your character must feed upon the blood,
someone to feed from, or offers themselves to you, emotions, or ghostly essence of others to sustain
add a Momentum to the pool. herself. Whenever your character holds zero curse
dice, she feels the hunger overcome her and must
Undead Strength consume a meal as soon as possible, regardless of
Just like in the folktales, the Hungry are her preferred victim type. The character cannot
immune to mortal diseases, are ageless, and can cast spells, use her undead strength, or gain curse
regenerate given a long-enough timeline. Some of dice until she has had a meal.
their strength, however, comes at a cost. Resolution: She must feed as above to gain a
Whenever you use your undead strength, it curse die. If the feeding makes things inconvenient
lasts for the rest of the scene. You may activate as for her party, she gains either 1 curse die or
many instances of undead strength as you wish, Momentum (player’s choice). If the feeding is in
but each instance you use gains you a new bane. line with her family’s traditional means of feeding,
she gains both.
Gain +1 Enhancement that stacks to actions
made with Attributes in the physical arena. Torments
Gain +1 Enhancement that stacks to actions The curse drives all Accursed to act in ways that
made with Attributes in the mental arena. make them monstrous. Any time your character
succumbs to this torment, gain 1 Momentum.
Gain +1 Enhancement that stacks to actions
made with Attributes in the social arena. Take What’s Mine: The Hungry rule by
birthright. They’re nobility, one and all,
Regenerate 1 injury box at the beginning of regardless of whether or not the rest of the
each round. world acknowledges this fact. A character
When a character encounters a bane, they with this torment recognizes that everything
is hers. When she succumbs, there’s no item,
suffer a Moderate Complication to all actions
good, or service that she believes she cannot
while in its presence. Failure to buy it off results have. She demands the attention and service
in them taking damage, suffering an appropriate of others and takes anything she should own.
status effect, or being unable to regain curse dice, It’s not stealing, it’s claiming one’s royal due.
at the Storyguide’s discretion. (The authorities may feel differently.)

The Accursed 29
 stare in the mirror and see the horns, the wings, the

The Outcasts glowing skin, or the ghostly eyes floating around

our heads. In the smallest hours, the ones where
Do you remember the waves of the Purple Sea we can’t lie to ourselves, pretending to have so-
breaking gently on the shore? What about the smell called “human” relationships seems like a waste of
of the asphodel flowers between the Empyrean time, because we clearly aren’t from around here.
mansions? Can you taste the heat of the fruits Of course, most of us start off thinking we’re
grown along the fiery banks of the Pyriphlegethon? human. It’s only later you find out that someone
When you close your eyes, can you hear the chatter in your family was cast out from another place,
in the cities of the World of the Thirty-Three, the another somewhere. We call this somewhere the
voices of hundreds of beautiful bright-eyed angels Outside, adding to the irony of our existence — we
clamoring together like so many bells? have been abandoned by everything that isn’t here,
Of course you can’t, and anyone who says they and most of the time we don’t even know which
can is a liar. I should know. I’m Cassie, and I’m a part of the Outside you’ve been banished from.
defense lawyer. This world, with its smiling liars and relentless
judging, is the prison to which our entire kind is
Yeah, yeah, get the “demon lawyer” jokes out
sentenced, and we didn’t even get a fair trial.
of your system now. Every day I go into the office I
deal with a parade of liars, and it takes one to know Worse, it’s a generational sentence.
one. Because you and I? We both lie to ourselves. Somewhere in the dim mists of supernatural
Outcasts pull their delusions from the wealth history, a great-great-great-great-grandparent got
of mythologies available to us, but at best, we’re kicked out of the Silver City or the Glowing Abyss
trying to define a world based not on hard research for loving a human too hard, or providing succor to
but wishes and desires. a secret enemy, or any of a thousand other reasons.
We patiently bear their exile — or so we’re told. We
We want to believe in cities of gold and silver,
walked with archons once, and that’s something to
exotic miracles birthed from impossible pyramids,
be proud of.
and sensation beyond all human understanding,
but in the end, all we have is what’s happening right So lift your chin, open your eyes, and look
here, right now. We can daydream about the rivers toward the sky. Imagine what it’s like to fly among
of the Underworld all we like, but that’s what they the stars. As you do, know in your heart there’s
are: dreams. And it hurts because, deep down, we someone or something out there that hates you just
know we came from somewhere else. Discovering because you’re you, and no one else will defend you
ourselves and taming our intense power is an against the crime of existing. But in the end, you
infinitely deep rabbit hole you can’t stop yourself were left with the power to build something new
from diving down, and it’s easier to lie than to face for you and those that still love you, no matter what.
the truth.
So, we’re good at lying to ourselves, but as a Lineage Rules
result we’re also good at lying to everyone else.
The Outcasts have several special rules that
We put on a pretty face and a charming smile,
apply only to them.
using kind words or rousing rhetoric to convince
everyone else that we’re good people, someone you Being an Outcast
can rely on, or at least someone you can lend a buck
Each Outcast has an unearthly form, hidden
to. But those other people — our friends, our marks,
under their human guise. This can peek out
whatever you want to call them — they aren’t the
at inopportune moments, such as when the
ones that see us at our lowest points. They don’t

30 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
character’s Damnation comes into play, but also positive and negative bonds as a consequence of
when they travel to the Outside. This form doesn’t this resurrection.
meaningfully change the character’s statistics, If an Outcast dies in the real world, they die
unless they possess spells that relate to this form. just like any other character.
Slipping Off the Mask
Damnation
By bleeding 1 curse die, the Outcast can let a
Outcasts aren’t completely human. Most of
portion of their alien nature slip through, helping
the time that’s fine, since they’re so good at getting
them with social interactions. This provides 1
people to like them, but occasionally things go
automatic hit to the Outcast which applies before
sideways. Any time the character’s curse dice
the roll for relevant influence actions.
pool reaches 0, everyone in the nearby area gets
Entering the Outside a momentary glimpse into what the Outcast truly
An Outcast can enter a Battleground they is: an inhuman creature from another plane of
know about as an action by bleeding 1 curse die. existence. The memory quickly fades, but it has
The method of entering is up to the player, but a lingering impact. Accursed (except for other
it must be visible and flashy — a flash of light, a Outcasts) and normal people nearby gain the
glowing rent in the air, walking into a mirror, Unearthly status effect.
and so on. If the character wants to quietly enter Resolution: The Outcast must reconnect
the Battleground, they can bleed two curse dice with normal humanity, in the form of creating or
instead. Returning to this reality is a reflexive improving a bond to a mundane human to gain a
action that doesn’t require bleeding any curse dice. curse die. This usually takes the form of some kind
Outcasts can only go to Battlegrounds they of mundane act, such as giving an acquaintance
know of, either from personal experience or via advice about love, or helping their favorite barista
researching ways to get into them. The first time to get a raise from her manager. If the sudden
passing into a new Battleground may require a shift in priorities inconveniences her or one of her
specific ritual, incantation, or sacrifice in addition crew, she gains 1 curse die or Momentum (player’s
to bleeding curse dice, but subsequent entries only choice) after taking the action.
require the desire to go there and the requisite
Torments
curse dice.
The curse drives all Accursed to act in ways that
Others can intentionally accompany an
make them monstrous. Any time your character
Outcast to a Battleground, but only if the Outcast
succumbs to this torment, gain a Momentum.
performs a ritual (even if they’ve been there
before) and bleeds an additional curse die for a Show of Force: The blood of archons
group of up to nine other people. Occasionally screams to be used. A character with this
people might accidentally be drawn into a torment knows she is no mere mortal and
craves to show the world her power. When
Battleground, at Storyguide discretion.
she gives in to this torment, she must use
Dying in the Battleground the strongest effects available to her to
solve her problems, even if they are not the
Outcasts are only mortal in this world, where right tool for the job and especially if using
they are imprisoned. If an Outcast is killed in a them would cause collateral damage or be
Battleground, they instead gain the Taken Out total overkill.
status effect. However, this act of not-quite-death
reinforces to the Outcast that they are not human
on a visceral, fundamental level, so they lose all

The Accursed 31

The Primal
Hey, I’m only telling you about this because
if I don’t, you’re fucked. I’m not your friend, I’m
not your sister, I’m just Accursed like you. Just like
you, there’s a Creature inside me that loves to hunt,
snap, and bite. So, if you know what’s good for you,
you’ll quit whining and listen to what I’m telling
you. Pass me one of those if you’re going to smoke.
Ah shit, let me do it. Your hands are shaking.
Look, I know what you’re going through. It’s
not cool and it’s not fun, but it is what it is, and you
gotta make the best of a shitty situation. Thanks for
the smoke. Do you roll these yourself or get your
worker bees to do it for you? Forget it. This thing
we’ve got. It makes me… excitable. Distractable.
Chatty, I guess. And energetic. Sometimes I get
punchy and it takes a minute for me to realize I just
called someone a cunt.
Did that shock you? Yeah, so, normally I
wouldn’t talk to a little prep like you and I’m sure
you wouldn’t piss on me if I was on fire. I’m Izzy,
but you probably knew that. No? Oh yeah, you
and your friends call me “Dog.” Course you do. I
remember the fucking hi-lar-i-ous notes you’d
stick to my bag, my desk, my locker… “Beware of
Dog.” Not so funny now, is it, bitch?
Ah fuck, you crying now? Take one of these.
You’re going to need a stronger pair than that to
handle what’s coming. So, what are you? Wolf,
snake, spider, something in between? Not ready
for that yet?
The basics, then. Primal 101. Let’s get that
covered before we head back to class. Lunch
break’s only so long and I don’t wanna get reamed
out by Smith for turning up to French lessons un
peu tard.
food and the kids are hungry, so the mother tells
The way the older Primal like to tell it — oh them to eat the man and his friends. Some of them,
yeah, this change is for life, you can get older and they eat alive, or so the story goes.
it’ll still be here — there’s a lot of origin stories,
you know, like Spider-Man, except we’re wild and
me?” Well, that depends on who you ask. Maybe
varied enough that most of them are partly true.
you’re that woman’s descendant. Or you’re the
32 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
The best one I heard was how a mother, years
and years ago, was struggling to feed her children.
She tried foraging. She tried hunting. But life
was shit, she had no fire, and she had no tools.
Her children were dying. But this story doesn’t
get all Grave of the Fireflies. I love all that Ghibli
stuff. You look more Disney princess. Let’s say I
identify with Mononoke. Anyway, a man comes to
her door and tells her she’s on his land and needs
to leave if she can’t pay. He demands the payment
there and then.
This woman, she has nothing. This man, he’s
an ancient Hungry or something and a special
kind of asshole. She begs. Pleads. Offers up what
she has, which isn’t much. He offers her a deal,
but nobody knows what that deal was, because it’s
the one thing she won’t do, Meatloaf style. He says
her kids’ll starve if she won’t accept his deal, and
he knows a little about starving. He gives her until
the morning and walks off.
That night, the woman prays to everything.
The trees, the river, the rocks, the wind, the beasts
in the forest. She says “anything but him.” Only
the wolf answers her. Was it an actual wolf named
Lyka or the wolf raging inside her? Whatever, it
doesn’t give her money or food, but it does give her
the elemental strength to fight back. This thing…
It makes a bond with her. It’s the Creature, and
it finds its way into her heart and stays there. So,
when the man turns up the following morning
with his muscle, she becomes a monster! And
when he begs and pleads and offers up what he has,
she realizes at that moment “I could stop this and
there would be peace.” But instead of accepting
peace, she listens to the fire inside, a fire fueled by
years of being shit on by men like him. So, she eats
his heart clean out of his chest.
It doesn’t end there. The family still don’t have
You’re wondering “what’s this got to do with
descendant of someone who did what she did
when offered the power to be predator or prey. Or
you, yourself, made a deal with raw nature without
knowing it. A Primal deal. Maybe it happened in a
dream. Maybe it was when those pricks from the
football team wouldn’t leave you alone after the
big game. Right? Right. You didn’t want to let them
win. You chose to fight. That’s what being a Primal
is. Letting your instincts take over. Sometimes not
being able to help it, even when you should. Point
is, just as that woman turned into a screaming,
fierce, death machine, you can too.
wild form react as any human might to a primitive
beast stalking toward them. Friends and trusted
associates try to remain calm, soldiers and cops
enter kill mode, scientists want to study, and the
average human adopts a fight or flight response.
While in wild form, the character gains the
following benefits and drawbacks:
Gain +1 Enhancement that stacks on all
physical actions.
Gain +1 difficulty on all influence actions
other than intimidation.

Gain +1 Enhancement that stacks to

Lineage Rules defensive actions.

The Primal have several special rules that Wild Form Complication
apply only to them. The Creature fights to control the Primal
while she takes on her wild form. Apply the
Wild Form following Complications to actions in the
Sometimes it’s a necessity to shapeshift, other following conditions.
times it’s a choice. When a Primal chooses, it’s Minor Complication: Any non-attack actions
never a decision undertaken lightly. when challenged. If not bought off, the character
A Primal character can transform into their cannot leave her wild form until she suffers at least
wild form as a reflexive action by bleeding one 1 injury, and the Creature dictates the character’s
curse die. The body rapidly shifts, their skin splits, next action.
their bones twist, and muscles bulge. Few can Moderate Complication: Any non-attack
transform in silence due to the pain of the body actions when a bondmate has been hurt or
alterations, requiring a Stamina or Resolve action humiliated. If not bought off, the character cannot
to do so without shouting or howling in agony. leave her wild form until the end of the scene, and
The shift always turns the Primal into a vessel the Creature dictates the character’s next action.
for the Creature, which differs from family to If the player does not wish to give up control,
family. The wild form is always larger than the they can reject the Creature’s influence. Doing so
human who shifted. More subtle changes — such grants +1 Enhancement to the next action taken
as into their domestic or beast forms (a dog or wolf against them.
for the Get of Lyka, a domestic cat or panther for
the Sphinx, a swarm of house spiders or a large Primal Sense
redback spider for the Eight Hands, etc.) — require The Primal are constantly switched on to two
specific spells to achieve. things: danger and prey. The part of them that in
While transformed, the Accursed can ancient times said “here be monsters” is the other
communicate as a human might (though with side of the same instinct reassuring them “I am the
abnormal vocal qualities) and solve problems, monster and this is my territory.”
but their physical shape may restrict them from At the start of any scene, you may bleed
doing so with subtlety and can limit the areas 1 curse die to ask the Storyguide one of the
they can access. People who see a Primal in their following questions:

The Accursed 33
 What here is the greatest threat? succumbs to this torment, gain 1 Momentum.

What here is more powerful than me? Elemental Fury: Primal are thunder,
earthquakes, and hurricanes given form.
What here is weakest to me? They are rage at an elemental level. Nature
does not respect self-control and human
Is anyone here hurt or suffering a disease? codes of loyalty. It destroys. When your
character is in her wild form and in combat,
Does anyone here have a strong (3+) bond to
you can trigger this torment. Your Primal
another person present?
hyper-focuses on the biggest, most deadly
target in the area, preventing her from
Damnation assisting or interacting with allies unless
The Primal are elemental predators. As they’re in the way, in which case she gruffly
ceaseless hunters, they feel the urge to snarl, snap, orders or throws them aside.
lash out, and exert their primacy, no matter their
surroundings. This may take the form of mental
belittlement, social intimidation, or physical The Sorcerers
assault. Any time the character’s curse dice pool You didn’t ask for a lot, and what you got was so
reaches 0, the need to exert themselves as a force much more than you bargained for. You expected
of nature takes over. The character shifts into theirequal exchange, a quid pro quo, and instead got
wild form heavily influenced by the Creature. She the crap end of a shitty deal and didn’t even get
suffers a Minor Complication on all actions, and what you were owed. Someone else fucked it up,
if not bought off, the Creature dictates the target and now you have to live with the consequences.
of the action instead of her. She cannot gain curse You thought if you did exactly as you were told,
dice until this is resolved. you’d come out the other side all good. Of course,
Resolution: The Primal must express her you planned to use the power for good. You were
elemental nature and satisfy the Creature. She must supposed to change the world.
complete an action that imposes the Aggravated God, get over yourself.
Wound, Bleeding, Destroyed Reputation, Taken Out,
I’m Kai, and I’m here to help you get a grip
or Terrified status effect on a victim who can fight
before bad things happen. A few important things
back to gain a curse die. If the action she takes
before I get into it.
inconveniences her or one of her crew, she gains
1 curse die or Momentum (player’s choice) after First, magic is real. It’s incredibly powerful,
taking the action. and if you don’t want to accidentally kill yourself,
you’ll learn to respect it. Fast.
Torments
Even if you do want to kill yourself (who am I to
The curse drives all Accursed to act in ways that judge), magic isn’t the way to do it. You’re just as likely
make them monstrous. Any time your character to kill everyone you love as you are to get yourself.

MORE TORMENTS?
Every Lineage has more than one torment available to them in the full version of
Curseborne, allowing players to vary their characters’ paths into this Accursed world.

34 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 WHERE ARE THE SORCERERS?
The Sorcerers — cursed magicians stuck in bad deals with terrible beings — are
a part of the world of Curseborne and are viable player characters. You will
find out more about them, and how to make Sorcerer player characters, in the
full Curseborne book.

Next, you can’t get out of this by just not
engaging. I’d love that for us, but instead you’re
always itching to cast a spell. Sooner or later,
you’re going to need magic, and it’s always right
there waiting.
Finally, don’t get too attached to anything in
your life. Permanence isn’t for you anymore.
With that settled, here’s the rundown I never
got, and wish I had. You’re a Sorcerer. Just like it
sounds, you are a spell slinger with a nearly infinite
source of magic. You’re also cursed to always give
more than you get back. I know you’re thinking,
that’s life, and it is, but it’s also your curse.
missing, and the cold case was never closed.
The police never found a body. That’s because
immediately after dying, he got back up and started
walking again.
Sam’s social life was never dull before he died,
and after finding himself damned to be a Dead, he
wasn’t interested in letting it die with him. He was
quickly picked up by the Dead who damned him,
which didn’t go as she planned. He resented her and
left as soon as he met others. It didn’t take him long
to join the Mavens, as his desire for connection drove
him to desire extreme highs wherever he could find
them.
Now he runs a bar, which means he can’t stay in

Ready-Made Characters his old body for too long or folks will get suspicious.
Concept: Undead stoner with all the time in the
There is a wide range of Accursed in the world on his hands
world of Curseborne. The complete game of Lineage Path (Minor): Dead
Curseborne will give you a full range of options Family Path (Major): Maven
on how to make characters, but this ashcan Role Path (Minor): Criminal
presents four pre-made characters to portray to Skills: Artistry 1 (Family), Culture 2 (Family),
get a taste of the game. Motifs are special bonuses Empathy 4 (Lineage), Esoterica 1 (Lineage), Larceny
characters get from their families — these benefits 3 (Role), Persuasion 3 (Family, Role), Pilot 1 (Role),
are detailed below. Information on their Edges Ranged Combat 2, Survival 1 (Lineage)
and spells can be found starting on p. 39. Attributes: Intellect 3, Cunning 3, Resolve 1;
Might 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2; Presence 5,
Manipulation 3, Composure 4
Dead: Sam Inheritance: Once per scene, while incorporeal,
“Drugs, sex, and rock and Sam may apply the Overstimulating area effect on the
area at a major Complication instead of moderate.
drugs again. The drugs are
really the only thing I Torments: Yearning for Life (Lineage torment);
enjoy anymore.” Being denied a desire (personal torment)
Sam died young, in the early 2000s, in the back Damnation: Dead Damnation.
of pawn shop in London. He died with all the pomp Contacts: Brook Timms, drug dealer 3 (dangerous,
fence, sneaky); Florence Shaw, the bitch who
and circumstance of someone catching a one-
damned him 1 (Tech Geek); Norman, Maven
way train into the city and dying of an overdose. brother 1 (Loyal)
Which is to say, none. His family reported him
Edges: Determined Silence, Haunt, Notoriety 2

The Accursed 35
Practices: Discorporation, Emotional
Manipulation, Incorporeality
Spells: Dissonance, Provocation, Shared Senses
Motif: When casting a spell with the Emotional
Attunement, bleed an additional curse die to apply
the Passions Flaring area effect to the scene.
Entanglement: 1
Bonds: Cassie 2, Eve 1, Izzy 1
Aspirations: Hire a new bartender (short-term), score covering her face in blood. She can resolve one
some drugs (short-term), find a new body (long-term) status effect this way once per scene.
Hungry: Evelyn Crane
“It’s not spin, it’s
telling the truth in an
artistic manner, designed
specifically for the
target audience.”
Evelyn (Eve to anyone who doesn’t want a
fist in their mouth) started life as a quick-witted
woman in a life of privilege. She went to the best
private school in Rochester, NY, and graduated
at the top of her class. She earned her Bachelors
in Science from Rochester University, and
started a Master’s shortly after. She specialized
in bloodborne diseases, which is probably what
attracted Mother Camilla Hadrid to her in the
first place. Mother damned Eve to existence as a
Hungry, and when she did, Eve lost all her will to
continue her research.
Mother was not good for Eve, though she has
learned to thrive in the cutthroat environment she
fosters. Instead of remaining on her research path,
Eve took up politics within the Hungry. First, she
managed damage control for Mother, but as the
other family members saw her spitfire resolve and
creative resolutions, they started asking her for
the same. Soon she became the entire brand and acquaintances, and really anyone else who isn’t
PR management for House Báthory both within a lawyer or a judge) always knew she wanted to
Accursed spaces, and without.
Concept: Socialite and PR manager in charge of
spin and damage control
Lineage Path (Minor): Hungry
Family Path (Major): House Báthory
Role Path (Minor): Influencer
36 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
Skills: Artistry 1 (Family), Close Combat 3 (Family),
Culture 3 (Family, Role), Empathy 3 (Lineage),
Leadership 2, Medicine 1 (Lineage), Persuasion 2
(Lineage, Role), Technology 3 (Role)
Attributes: Intellect 3, Cunning 2, Resolve 3;
Might 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2; Presence 3,
Manipulation 5, Composure 3
Inheritance: When Eve is suffering from any status
effect, she gains a new resolution condition for it:
Torments: Take What’s Mine (Lineage torment);
Elder abuse (personal torment)
Contacts: Allen Griffin, Hungry PR manager 1
(Investigator); Mother, hated mentor 2 (Dangerous,
Influential); Pierre, cousin and rival 1 (Sneaky);
Sylvia Tanner, marketing friend 1 (Informant)
Edges: Allure, Fame 1, Resources 2, Unusually
Secure Headquarters 1
Practices: Vital Force, Iron Edict, Smoke and
Shadow
Spells: Dire Command, Embraced by Darkness,
Tabula Rasa
Motif: When casting a spell with the Psychic
Attunement, bleed 1 additional curse die to apply
the effect to a second target.
Entanglement: 1
Bonds: Cassie 2, Izzy 1, Sam 1
Aspirations: Blow off some steam (short-term),
stick it to one of her brothers (short-term), prove to
Mother that she’s independent (long-term)
Outcast: Cassandra Billings
“Go ahead and sneer
now. But here’s my
number for when you’re
in real trouble.”
Cassandra (“Cassie” to her friends, and
go into law school to help people. Even though
working in civil liberties was guaranteed to
ensure she wouldn’t be able to pay off her school
loans, she knew she couldn’t just stand by and
watch injustice happen. Her family encouraged
her, hoping to channel her scholarly tendencies
into something that can be used to fight against a
corrupt system.
So, when they told her she was part of a
bloodline of Nephilim devoted to studying the
ancient horrors from beyond, she wasn’t all that
surprised. It explained a lot, actually. Sure, she had
to start going to gym more and learn how to fight
with more than just her words, but a lot of things in
her life made sense after that.
A shame that didn’t last.
Concept: Demonic defense lawyer passionate
about injustice
Lineage Path (Major): Outcast
Family Path (Minor): Nephilim
Role Path (Minor): Investigator
Skills: Athletics 2 (Lineage), Artistry 1 (Lineage),
Culture 1 (Family), Empathy 3 (Role), Enigmas 2
(Role), Esoterica 3 (Lineage, Role), Persuasion 4
(Family), Ranged Combat 2
Attributes: Intellect 3, Cunning 4, Resolve 2;
Might 2, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Presence 4,
Manipulation 4, Composure 2
Inheritance: Whenever Cassie attempts to
persuade a stranger, she gains her Entanglement in
hits that apply before the roll.
Torments: Show of Force (Lineage torment);
Seeing the innocent harmed (personal torment)
Damnation: Outcast Damnation.
Contacts: Simon Devois, legal assistant 2
(Informant, Investigator); Aunt Pat, Outcast mentor
1 (Mentor); Kevin Fleming, owner of an obscure
magic shop 2 (Informant, Fence)
Edges: Resources 1, Logical Leap, Quick Read,
Devil’s Own Luck
Practices: Dynamism, Manifestations, Physical
Perfection
Spells: Archonic Voice, Implacable Pursuer,
Magnetic Draw
Motif: When casting spells with the Psychic
Attunement, you may bleed 1 additional curse die
to immediately gain a lead.
Entanglement: 1
Bonds: Eve 1, Izzy 2, Sam 1
Aspirations: Win a case (short-term), find a
Battleground (short-term), defeat an archon (long-
term)
The Accursed
Primal: Izzy Plummer
“Yes, I’d kiss my mother
with this mouth. It’s the
mouth I used to chew her
head off. Fuck you.”
Izzy is fast approaching graduation, and like
most girls her age, has no earthly idea what she’s
going to do once she leaves school. It’s not that
she won’t have the grades and it isn’t that she
doesn’t have the motivation to get a job or go for a
degree. Her issue is the howling wolf she keeps just
beneath the surface.
How much of her “fuck off” attitude is down
to her Lykan curse and how much of it was there
before she experienced her first Primal shift is
debatable, perhaps going to prove that curses are
far from random. She’s been biting, scratching,
and roaring at people since long before she could
develop fangs and claws.
Izzy has carved out a part of the city as her
territory, as all Primal do. Like many werewolves,
she shifted young, therefore she claimed her high
school and surrounding neighborhood as her
hunting ground. When she’s not running with
other Accursed, she causes mayhem in other
ways, typically involving heavy metal (though
her tastes aren’t exclusive), blood-soaked action
movies, indulging in recreational pot and booze,
and putting school bullies and abusive teachers in
their place.
Concept: Metalhead werewolf with a justifiable
chip on her shoulder
Lineage (Major): Primal
Family (Minor): Get of Lyka
Role (Minor): Student
Skills: Artistry (Role) 1, Athletics (Lineage) 2, Close
Combat (Lineage) 5, Culture (Family) 1, Empathy
(Family) 2, Larceny 2, Medicine (Family) 1, Science
(Role) 1, Survival (Lineage) 1, Technology (Role) 2
Attributes: Intellect 2, Cunning 4, Resolve 3;
Might 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3; Presence 3,
Manipulation 2, Composure 3
Inheritance: When taking an action to hunt or
track a target, add Izzy’s Entanglement as hits that
37
apply before the roll. Additionally, the first time in Spells: Aspect of the Beast, Berserker’s Focus,
a session Izzy gains a piece of evidence, she may Force of Nature
gain a second without spending anything. Motif: You may cast spells with the Physical
Torments: Elemental Fury (Lineage torment), being Attunement as a reflexive action.
left alone or singled out (personal torment) Entanglement: 1
Lineage Damnation: Primal Damnation Bonds: Cassie 1, Eve 1, Sam 2
Contacts: Tommy Allen, Schoolmate 2 (Fence), Aspirations: Establish the high school as my
Grandma Plummer 1 (Healer); Elvis, Eight Hands territory (short-term), score some weed (short-term),
Mentor 1 (Training); School Campus Security graduate high school DO. NOT. FLUNK. (long-
Systems 1 (Security) term)
Edges: Endless Fury, Nimble Defense, The Quick
and the Dead
Practices: Mutable Form, Depthless Fury, The
Stranger

38 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 Edges and
Practices
Characters can possess Edges, Practices, and
spells as detailed in Chapter Two: Your Character. Devil’s Own Luck
The Ashcan Edition presents a limited number of Archons are supernally attuned to the flows of
Edges, Practices, and spells, but many more exist probability, and so are you. You might write it off
in the full book of Curseborne. to quick reflexes or a sixth sense to keep unwanted
attention away from your otherworldly nature.

Edges Once per scene, so long as you are holding curse

dice, you may bleed 1 to reroll all dice not showing
While paths define the character’s past a hit on a failed action.
experience, her professions, and her Lineage,
Endless Fury
Edges provide an additional level of texture. These
grant her mundane benefits to social situations, You cannot be stopped. You may bleed curse
procedural processes, and the like. dice 1 for 1 to ignore a difficulty increase or
Complication’s severity equal to the number of
Allure dice exchanged. You cannot expend more dice
You’re too appealing to be resisted. You have than your Entanglement and you cannot reduce
something you can deploy that draws prey to you, difficulty below 1.
no questions asked. This might be a pleasing voice,
Fame
pheromones, or a clever multi-level-marketing
scheme. Whenever you use it to attract prey, reduce You’re a well-known personality, whether
their relevant resistance pools by 1, including pools that’s a local celebrity or a viral internet sensation.
for defense calculations. Total strangers know your name and face and
want your autograph.
Determined Silence When you engage socially with your fans or
Whether through training or natural bull- use your fame to leverage a Path’s Assets, gain
headed stubbornness, your character does not +2 Enhancement. Higher dots of Fame will be
give in to social pressure. Once per scene, when indicated in the full Curseborne book.
you make a successful Integrity action (pp. 18-19),
gain 1 Momentum.

edges and practices 39

 Haunt The Quick and the Dead
You have a person or place you can always No one is faster than you. You believe in the
safely return to or be with. If it is a place, it’s a philosophy that striking twice is always better
modest space (a particular room within a house, than once. When you make mixed actions with
a basement, an attic, etc.) that others must make Close Combat, you always use the higher pool
an Integrity action to enter. If it is a person, you rather than the lower.
always have a connection to the human world,
even if they don’t always appreciate your presence.
Quick Read
You’re the master of a fast cold read. Tiny
Nimble Defense details jump out to you as plain as day. The first
Your character knows how to set themselves time you encounter a Storyguide character in a
up in the most defensible position at the start of scene, you may ask the Storyguide one question
combat. Gain access to the following Trick on an about small mundane details you notice, which she
Initiative action. must answer honestly. These could be things like:
Nimble Defense (1-3 hits): Apply Enhancement How do they take their coffee? What’s their current
equal to the number of hits spent on this Trick to mood? Do they have a connection to someone in
your first Defensive action this round. the scene? Do they have children or pets? You may
spend Momentum to ask an additional question.
Notoriety
Resources
Unlike fame, which indicates a specific
cultivated audience, your character is notorious. You have a great deal of resources at your beck
You did something audacious, illegal, or subversive and call. This could be raw materials, equipment,
and now everyone remembers you as the person information, or simply cold hard cash. Other
who did that. people respond when you flash it around.

Whenever you leverage your notoriety in a At •, you have a generous disposable income.
relevant social action, gain +2 Enhancement. Doing Whenever you leverage your resources for a
so may cause unwanted attention brought upon relevant influence action gain +1 Enhancement
you. Higher dots of Notoriety will be indicated in that stacks. This includes invoking a Path for an
the full Curseborne book. Access.

Drawback: Being notorious doesn’t garner the
same adoration as fame. When you leverage your
notoriety in an Intrigue scene, if your reputation
would offend or discomfort the target, you suffer a
Complication equal to its rating. If not bought off,
the target may do what you ask, but does not trust
you and will act on this suspicion later.
At ••, you are known for your wealth and
simply flashing a card gets you whatever you
need. Whenever you leverage your resources for
a relevant influence action, gain +2 Enhancement
that stacks. When you invoke a Path for an Access,
ignore the first point of Complication related to
invoking the Path.

Logical Leap Unusually Secure Headquarters

Your mind leaps to correct conclusions even
before you’ve finished reviewing all the data. While
making a research-based investigation action, you
may spend 1 Momentum to gain a lead rather than
evidence due to a successful action.
Your character or your group has a hidden
base of operations. This secure place is protected
from invasions or discovery by the group’s enemies
and is always a haven to which they can retreat. If
one of the crew requires special needs (such as no
exposure to sunlight, or fresh grave earth to sleep

40 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
in,) the secure headquarters provides such a thing.
It is always a safe place to store items, or to keep
vulnerable Storyguide characters away from harm.
This Edge may be purchased individually or
may be contributed to by all members of the squad.
It may only have a total of five dots, regardless
of how many each character invests. Each dot
invested increases the difficulty to uncover or
breach the location by 1. At the players’ option, the
headquarters may have traps or defenses which
attack intruders using a pool equal to twice the
Edge’s rating, plus one. Traps or defenses may
be detected with a Larceny + Cunning roll at a
difficulty equal to the Edge’s rating.
Practices
Practices are overall categories that define
the types of spells an Accursed can cast. Spells
are individual powers that reflect this category.
Spells have three ranks: Foundation, Ascendant,
and Ultimate. This chapter only contains a
few Foundation spells; more will be in the full
Curseborne book, along with Ascendant spells.
How to Read a Spell
Name: This is the name of the spell.
Cost: This is the cost in curse dice. The cost
can either be bled or held (p. 22).
Attunements: Attunements determine
elements that interact with other aspects of the
Storypath system.
Attunements
Spells have attunements which interact with
Curseborne’s greater mechanical systems. This
can be specific variations of damage, certain
defensive effects, the arena in which it can be used, lockpicker), this provokes a clash. During a clash,
different Lineages that can access those spells, and the player’s character rolls any relevant Skill plus
so on. Family Motifs often invoke attunements as Entanglement against a Storyguide character’s
a way to allow specialization within each Lineage. appropriate pool. Two players’ characters rolling
Elemental: Pertaining to an element of
the world — from classical to Taoist to the
edges and practices
periodic table. This can be detection or
affinity for a specific element, or the ability to
spontaneously generate it. A corresponding
Resistant armor tag is required to absorb
elemental damage.
Emotional: Emotional type spells
manipulate or control a target’s feelings and
state of mind.
Ethereal: Ethereal type spells are strictly
magical. This could be weaponized shadow
or bursts of pure energy. It requires magical
defenses and resistances to defend against it.
This can also involve conjuring illusions or
phantoms, or manifesting energy that reveals
your enemy’s hidden location, and so on.
Lineage: Accursed of the specified Lineage can
access this spell. If no Lineages are specified,
all other Lineages may access the spell.
Physical: Pertaining to the material reality
of the world. This is usually damage-related
but can also apply to a character’s strength
or senses.
Psychic: Psychic type spells afflict the
mind. This can be confusion, telekinesis,
or damage to the psyche. It can also involve
reading the mind or altering the target’s
thoughts or memories.
Clashes
In some instances, an effect may state a
flawless effect (for example, creates an effect
without a rolled action). Examples include telling a
perfect lie or picking a lock instantly without tools.
Other effects generate a resistance that happens
flawlessly, such as detecting all lies or seeing all
hidden objects.
When two of these effects contest one another
(an unpickable lock versus the unstoppable
against each other use the player pool.
41
 Dead have access to a greater suite of powers while

Dead Practices in ghost form, allowing them to interact with the

physical world and possess all manner of things.
These following Practices are native to the
Dead Lineage.
Shared Senses
Cost: Bleed 1 curse die

Practice of Emotional Attunements: Psychic, Lineage

Manipulation The Dead rests lightly in a friendly host, aiding

them instead of directing them.
Emotions, from unfettered passion to
When you activate this spell, choose a willing
enduring grief, make the existence of the Dead
character to share senses with (this may be another
possible and bearable. These practices give the
supernatural). While you remain in your own body,
Dead the ability to understand, alter, and build
you can see, hear, and sense from either body at any
upon the emotions of others.
time by concentrating on the body with a simple
Dissonance action. While sharing someone’s senses, you can’t
control their actions, but you can provide advice,
Cost: Bleed 1 curse dice
guidance, and an extra set of reflexes. Your target
Attunements: Emotional, Psychic benefits from the teamwork rules on all actions
Waves of panic, disgust, confusion, or medleys of they take that you assist them with, regardless of if
any sort of emotion make a powerful weapon as the you aren’t present as though you had a bond rating
Dead batter at their enemies’ minds. 1 step higher. Additionally, if they suffer damage,
Make an attack with Empathy at Medium you may choose to suffer it in their place.
range and the Stun tag. You may choose to ignore
the Stunning tag, but damage only applies to armor Practice of Discorporation
that specifically works against Psychic effects.
The Dead’s inherent state is immaterial, but
Provocation they are forced to possess other forms to keep
Cost: Bleed 1 curse die their minds and senses intact. However, mastery
over their native state allows them to extend the
Attunements: Emotional
benefits of incorporeality to their borrowed and
Without need for words or reason, the Dead stir worn forms, making the material world’s limits
a person’s emotions, turning suppressed or fading often optional.
feelings into rising, roaring passions.
Choose a target when activating this spell
to heighten their current emotions. This inflicts
Hungry Practices
a status effect consummate with whatever the These following Practices are native to the
emotion is: Awed, Confused, Ennui, Frayed Temper, Hungry Lineage.
Guilt-Ridden, Inspired, or Terrified. If the target has
a resistance to Emotional effects, provoke a clash.
Practice of the Vital Force
Practice of Incorporeality The consumption of vitality goes beyond mere
nourishment for the Hungry. Properly cultivating
Ghosts have a knack for spooking those around their abilities, the Hungry gain incredible insight
them with a little telekinesis or manifestation. The into its flow and mastery over its form and function.

42 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN

Practice of the Iron Edict
The Hungry naturally extend their thirst for
power and will to mastery over lesser creatures,
their curse allowing them to rouse and control
natural animals. While many families have
preferred animal servants, these powers affect and
compel wide swaths of the animal kingdom.
Dire Command
Cost: Bleed 1 curse die
Attunements: Psychic, Lineage (Primal)
The Hungry binds even the greatest beasts to their
will, replacing natural drives with the Hungry’s
desires and goals.
Make an influence action against your target
to force them to follow a command you give them.
The target is compelled to follow your command
to completion or until the scene ends, whichever
comes first. The command must be succinct and
cover a single completable goal, such as “kill
my enemy” or “lead me to a safe place.” Overly
complex or convoluted commands simply fail to
take. You cannot compel your target to do things
that would put them in mortal danger, or would
go against their nature. If you target an animal
with this, the animal must be physically capable of
following your command. You may only dominate
one target with Dire Command at a time.
Tabula Rasa
Cost: Bleed 1 curse die
Attunements: Psychic
The Accursed cares not for the mortals watching
her actions. With a single command, she can make
them forget her very presence.
Choose a target when activating this spell to
change their memories of the scene. You can edit
information out of their memories, but cannot
replace it with anything or change the memories
into something different. This happens selectively animalistic aspect to better hunt down information.
and naturally, so for instance, if you choose to edit
yourself out of someone’s memories, they will
edges and practices
automatically fill in the blank space with more of
the same from previous or later memories. If you
target a supernatural, this provokes a clash.
Practice of Smoke and Shadow
Deception and concealment accompany
pursuit of power and consuming thirst. The
Hungry turn their cursed powers towards
becoming invisible forces in the world, whether
unseen masters or waiting predators.
Embraced by Darkness
Cost: Hold 2 curse die
Attunements: Ethereal, Lineage (Dead)
The Hungry recedes into darkness and shadow,
becoming a flitting shade hidden from all eyes,
unless revealed by the unflinching light of the sun.
When you activate this spell, become like a
shadow and invisible to the naked eye. If someone
uses magic to reveal invisible or concealed things,
they provoke a clash with you, and you gain +1
Enhancement to the roll.
Primal Practices
These following Practices are native to the
Primal Lineage.
Practice of Mutable Form
This practice gives the Primal access to shape
changing magic: the magic that typically defines
the Lineage. Mastering this Practice grants the
Accursed power over the shape of her form, and
that of others.
Aspect of the Beast
Cost: Bleed 1 curse die
Attunements: Boost, Physical
The Primal shifts part of her body into an
The character manifests an animal
aspect to assist them in gathering evidence.
43
While manifesting their bestial traits, gain +1
Enhancement relevant to the animal shape
(for example: being able to pick up scents
Outcasts Practices
imperceptible to human noses while manifesting These following Practices are native to the
a wolf snout). Outcasts Lineage.

Force of Nature
Practice of Dynamism
Cost: Bleed 1 curse die
The Practice of Dynamism grants the
Attunements: Elemental, Physical
practitioner the power over violence and death.
The Creature inside him presses against his flesh, They become a dynamo of power, cutting their
attempting to burst forth. Ice rimes his fingers, and way across the battlefield. Those descended from
flames wreath his legs as he holds it back. the archons find that they resonate most strongly
Gain +1 Power Advantage, and an elemental tag with this art.
on your unarmed attacks (meaning it ignores armor Implacable Pursuer
unless that armor works against elemental attacks).
Cost: Hold 2 curse dice

Practice of Depthless Fury Attunements: Psychic

No one escapes the sharp senses of the Accursed.
The rage of the Primal is a thing of legends.
Once she’s chosen her target, there’s nothing they
This Practice gives the Accursed absolute mastery
can do to flee her.
over this boundless anger, channeling it into
useful forms. This also grants her the power of Name a target when activating this spell (an
intimidation and leadership. enemy, a specific creature, a killer, or criminal you
intend to bring to justice). For the rest of the scene,
Berserker’s Focus your character cannot be deterred from following
Cost: Hold 1 curse die or moving towards them. Ignore all area effects
that would result in slowed or lost movement,
Attunements: Boost, Physical
gaining false information, loss of time, the target
Following a time-honored practice, the Accursed discovering they are being looked for, or any other
turns his pain into motivation. The more injured the thing that would hinder the character’s goal. If
character becomes, the fiercer he fights. there are no appropriate Complications on the
Use an action to activate this spell. For the rest of action, gain a +1 Enhancement that stacks instead.
the scene, you may apply the bonus dice you would
gain at each Injury Level as hits that apply before
the roll for the sole purpose of overcoming your
Practice of Manifestations
opponent’s Defense or purchasing the Critical Trick, The Practice of Manifestations summons
and any other damage-related Tricks you may know. weapons and armor from the character’s innate
power. At greater levels it allows the Outcast to
transform herself into the archon sleeping within her.
Practice of the Stranger
Primal with this practice become the monster
lurking on the fringes of society. Its spells transform
Practice of Physical
the Accursed into the other, a trickster, and a witch
Perfection
— a thing to be loved and feared. The Practice of Physical Perfection frees the
Outcast from having to obey silly things like the

44 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
laws of nature. Her physical form is perfected ignore Complications on influence actions due to
in ways that allow her to move faster, become the Overstimulating area effect.
stronger, and speak with the voice of angels,
Magnetic Draw
Archonic Voice Cost: Bleed 1 curse die
Cost: Hold 1 curse die Attunements: Emotional, Lineage
Attunements: Psychic, Lineage (Hungry) The Accursed’s physical mien is so impressive that
The Outcast empowers her voice with the magic of the others have no choice but to look upon her glory
curse and can be heard even above the loudest noise. and tremble.
Cast this spell as a simple action to extend Activate this spell to apply the Awed status
your voice beyond normal capacities for the rest effect to all characters within Medium range of
of the scene. You can be heard out to Long range, the caster. If the character is supernatural, this
even over competing noise. Gain +1 Enhancement provokes a clash.
that stacks on all influence actions. Additionally,

edges and practices 45

 The Storyguide
Storyguides make the world of Curseborne
— with its strange events, mysterious families,
terrifying creatures, and bizarre magic — come
alive. The full version of Curseborne details the
setting and its adversaries. The content in this
Ashcan Edition’s chapter is just a teaser of the
setting, and a handful of adversaries to encounter.
Liminalities
Liminalities exist in the folds between reality. and abduct its missing partner or someone who
Some of them are echoes of times gone by, others
are manifestations of fears, thoughts, or hopes.
These places have no right existing in our world,
and yet through belief, tangled memories, or the
actions of the supernatural, they’re brought into
being. For observers, liminalities are curiosities
that compel them to warn “Don’t get off the
elevator on the 20th floor” or “Don’t leave the trail
at nightfall.” For explorers, the Accursed, and other
supernatural beings, liminalities are phenomena
ranging from wondrous to horrifying.
Liminalities give little warning of adjusting
from eerie to dangerous. Horrifyingly, the dance
floor in this club stimulates the people on it to
whip themselves into a dervish culminating as
their blood and emotions leech through the ground
to feed the liminality. Suddenly, the trail you were
following opens out into an unfamiliar city, where
46 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
the people have no eyes, and the streets are all
conveyor belts leading to a colossal machine with a
champing mouth. Now, the door won’t open, your
windows look out onto nothing but stars, and the
fire in this house is rapidly becoming an inferno.
Liminalities aren’t restricted to places: people,
sounds, and feelings can be liminal. The hitchhiker
who always walks the same stretch of highway and
always curses anyone foolish enough to stop for
him. The calling voice condemned to search for
resembles him. The unrelenting sense of nausea
and fear whenever one walks in the footsteps of
the serial killer Resurrection Jake. All of these
are liminalities — phenomena with no rational
explanation, sometimes a byproduct of magic and
curses — and all of them pose risks to life and sanity.
Entering a Liminality
Liminalities vary between those locked behind
set rituals and others accessible to anyone.
Locked liminalities are hidden, though the
Accursed have a natural sense for such spaces.
They may require an offering such as the sacrifice
of an object of significance, shedding blood, or
deliberately confusing oneself before trying to
enter. Other times, entering a locked liminality
requires directions from a supernatural creature,
winning and using a key (which doesn’t have to be came. To exit liminalities, the explorers who enter
a physical key in the traditional form), or slaying a
them must invariably head deeper, witness or
beast. Locked liminalities are often bizarre spaces,
experience something they’ve never encountered
and the deeper one walks into one, the less like the
before, and then find an exit from that point.
normal world they appear. Lingering at the place one entered a liminality is
Open liminalities are easier to enter, with a surefire way to find predatory supernaturals
most occupants stumbling upon them accidentally. homing in on your location.
Sometimes open liminalities have restrictions The worst liminalities lure visitors down
such as only existing at a certain time of night, paths to an ostensible exit, only to drop them on
to individuals of a certain gender, ethnicity, or the wrong side of their space: the Outside.
Lineage, or may flicker in and out of existence
intermittently and without reason. For all the
ease that comes with accessing an open liminality,
Interstitial Zones
the risk with such fluid places is they can vanish Interstitial zones are broad liminalities
from existence with as much ease as they appear. spanning between places. Unlike common
Whether they take their current inhabitants with liminalities (if that’s not an oxymoron), interstitial
them differs from liminality to liminality. zones can trap people in them and fool them into
Liminalities are always weird, but always, thinking this place is normal, replacing their reality
ultimately, on Earth. They’re always escapable, for whatever exists within the zone.
there will always be reason in the mind and If liminalities are capable of intellect,
heart of at least one native inhabitant, and there’s interstitial zones are capable of cunning. They
always something to gain from visiting. The risks may be as limited as the size of a hotel you can
of visiting or passing through liminalities may never leave or as wide as a city in which you
offset the rewards, however, unless one travels could live a reasonable, if unknowingly warped
prepared. To discover something new or little life. They’re not Shattered Spaces as they have no
known is a magnificent feeling, but wonder and hunger to feed on, torment, or kill the people who
fear go hand in hand. wander inside them.
Interstitial zones are always accessed in places
Exiting a Liminality of zero emotional significance, which is perhaps
why they’re so demanding of affection, gratitude,
Whether locked or open, liminalities are
and occupancy.
always harder to exit than they are to enter. Once
you’ve entered one of these between spaces, Interstitial zones are still in between the
slipping into a gap where reality can’t reach, it real world and the Outside, but the weirder
takes hold of you and has no desire to let you go. they are, the closer they are to the Outside. Even
inhabitants of the Outside fear interstitial zones,
For some liminalities, duration is a sufficient
as similar phenomena exist in their bizarre realm
curse for anyone who enters and wants to leave. If
outside space, and supernaturals can get trapped
you’ve experienced weirdness and frights for the
within them.
appropriate amount of time, you may find yourself
hammering on a door that suddenly opens,
depositing you into the world you left behind. For Battlegrounds
others, you must make a payment.
If most liminalities are the world bleeding into
What’s clear is it’s never as easy as just
the Outside, Battlegrounds are the reverse. These
retracing your steps and heading out the way you
are the liminal spaces where things turn alien,

The storyguide 47
disastrously hazardous, or unmitigatedly hostile. Few Outcasts enjoy the Battlegrounds, but
Battlegrounds are of particular importance to compared to them, the other Accursed see them
the Outcasts (not least the Battleground Angels) as nightmares made real. There’s no reason to be
as they use these spaces to wage wars against the found in the Battlegrounds. There are no deals
Outside’s inhabitants when they dare to cross and to be made, no treasures worth risking your
interfere with humankind and the Accursed. existence and mind for. When Outcasts wax lyrical
There’s only a brief period during which about the Battlegrounds being the perfect staging
one can confuse a Battleground for anything grounds for trials and tests of mettle, the rest of the
other than a war zone. A reek of ozone fills your Accursed don’t hesitate in making excuses for why
nose, your eyes water, your skin prickles, and they need to be elsewhere.
any disguise you might be wearing (supernatural
or otherwise) sloughs off to reveal your truest Shattered Spaces
self. In the case of Outcasts, the physical shift
Shattered Spaces are the most predatory of all
is pronounced. For Primals, most cannot help
liminalities. They don’t exist to coddle or confuse;
but take their wild form, while many Dead find
they exist to drain anyone who makes the mistake
themselves outside their host bodies. As you grow
of entering them and letting their guard down.
accustomed to your body, you see the walls peel
This draining may occur in any number of ways,
away around you; pleasant decorations take on a
from a physical life leeching to a slow sap of a
macabre appearance; smoke, fog, or mist obscures
person’s willpower, the erosion of their trust, or
your vision; a cacophony of discordant noises
the ebb of their sanity or soul.
fills the air; you can now sense everything and
somehow it makes you feel insignificant. Shattered Spaces arise in places where a
great horror has been perpetrated, an Accursed
The environment in a Battleground has no
or other supernatural produced an epic magical
conformity to Earth physics. Gravity may not
effect, or where the repercussions of a curse or
exist, rivers may flow in arcs through the sky, and
supernatural deal were felt. It’s difficult to ascribe
buildings may exist in a semi-state of ruin and
emotions to a place, but Shattered Spaces are
glory as they float in the sky. This is the home
different. They’re avaricious, cruel, and often
of creatures like the battleforged and P-Borgs,
bloodthirsty, relishing violence within their
and more bizarre entities besides. This is where
confines.
archons reach from their realm into ours and alter
reality with a touch or thought. Shattered Spaces pose few restrictions on
entering. They want people to underestimate
Humans cannot enter the Battlegrounds
them or see them as normal before they ambush
unless someone or something leads or drags them
their victims. Unlike most liminalities, exiting
there. This makes them the near-exclusive space
is theoretically easy with Shattered Spaces. The
for Accursed and other supernaturals. For the
door is right there. You just need to have the will
Accursed, great treasures and deadly secrets can
or the might to claw your way to it, away from
be uncovered in the Battlegrounds, but they’re
the creatures, effects, and hazards the Shattered
incredibly dangerous places you enter at your risk.
Space spawns around you.
As with other liminalities, accessing a Battleground
may be as simple as knowing where to find it (often These are the only liminalities with traits in
at a site of natural disaster, bloodshed, or extreme the same fashion as other adversaries, though
faith), but escaping invariably requires someone’s most require set conditions being met to defeat
death or destruction. them permanently. Most Shattered Spaces
regenerate or reform, sometimes in the same

48 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
place as before, mocking those who attempted to There’s no single way to describe the Outside
destroy them, and sometimes far away, even on because it’s divided into hundreds, perhaps
the other side of the world. thousands of pocket realms along with wider,
Shattered Spaces are one of the known ways more daunting expanses. Some are as the Outcasts
to reach the Outside if a visitor is bold enough to describe, but there’s much to the Outside they do
explore their depths for hidden gates. It’s through not know, including its most ancient of inhabitants.
Shattered Spaces that many Outsiders enter the Scholars among the Outcasts (and a few from
real world. They often work in concert with other Lineages) believe the Outside is the source of
Shattered Spaces to make transitioning to the all curses and therefore, all magic. Some Outcasts
Outside as perilous as possible for anyone but the believe that to retain their power and preserve
appropriate travelers, though deals can always be their perfect realms, the first cursed cast out every
made, and keys obtained to make transit easier. descendant to the real world. The feeling of not
knowing and abandonment makes the Outcasts

The Outside particularly bitter about the Outside.

There are places beyond humankind’s ken.
Threatening city blocks, interstitial zones, even
liminalities where up is down and the walls drip
an unidentifiable ooze are at least in the realm of
reason. Beyond those exists the Outside.
The Outcasts claim the Outside is a place of
wonder and miracles, where once they were whole
and they could soar through a cinnabar sky over
bubbling seas that smelled like the sweetest of
perfumes. The Outcasts tell tales of magnificent
architecture, from spires that reached to the stars
to cities carved from marble and bone, studded
with sapphires. The sustenance here is ambrosia.
There’s no persecution, no punishing class system,
and the world is accessible to everyone. The
Outside is a utopia, they say.
Or at least, some of it is.
The Hell of It All
Along with the Empyrean wonder comes
the dark, dismal Underworld. Along with the
pillars of silver and roses come the openings to
Battlegrounds. Amid the fountains of eternal youth
stand sentinels prepared to rend any intruder
apart, starting at the digits. The Outside has its
places of glorious beauty, but it contains many
planes dedicated to searing inferno, torturous
practice, and wretched disease.
The Outside isn’t built for humanity. It’s a place
only supernaturals inhabit. The elemental hell of
every realm in the Outside proves challenging for
the Accursed, but where an atmosphere (or what
passes for one) might be unbreathable to rank
and file humankind, the Accursed can breathe
(if they need to) with some effort. The waters in
an Outside realm may share the temperature of
Venus’s surface to humans, but to the Accursed
they’re cleansingly hot. Or they peel the skin off in
thick layers. If there’s a truism to the Outside, it’s
that it’s predictable in its unpredictability.
Living in the Outside
Few Accursed dwell in the Outside. Most
inhabitants of these realms are monstrously
inhuman. It’s possible Accursed who have grown
to a significant power level can establish kingdoms
here, but few Accursed would choose such a path.
The Outside’s “native” inhabitants run
the gamut between mythical beasts and super-
intelligent godlike beings of magical origin. Lurking
in isolated realms few have visited and fewer
have returned from are monsters, peoples, and
Accursed condemned to the books of history and
folklore. This is where devils known to humanity
are said to hide, and where the Fae from whom the
Sorcerers bargained their power gestate, waiting
for the appropriate time for their rebirth.

The storyguide 49
 The farther one travels in the Outside,
becoming accustomed to its alienness, the more
one changes physically and spiritually. Eventually,
you won’t resemble the person you were when
you arrived, and you’ll no longer survive in your
original world. For this reason, if Accursed need
to visit an Outside realm, few contemplate living
here. They travel where they need to go, they make
the deal that needs making, pay the outstanding
debt, or slay the monster that’s been dogging them,
and make a hasty escape.
Is the Outside a realm of fairies, a human hell, or
a place of cosmic horror? It could be all these things.
Initiative: The adversary’s initiative score
should be equal to its desperation pool.
Qualities: All adversary Qualities are listed
here.
Dread Powers: All adversary Dread Powers
are listed here, as well as how many times they can
be used in an encounter.
Special: Some adversaries have unique perks
or ad hoc rules to reinforce their identity.
The Champagne Room
The Champagne Room is the newest nightclub
opened in the heart of downtown. It’s got the latest

Adversary Templates sound system and an elaborate light set up above an

Adversaries use a simplified set of character
details to allow the Storyguide to easily put one
together and abstract what it’s doing. These
simplified templates give a general sense of
the power level of the adversary and important
information in condensed format.
Drive: What the adversary’s general goal is.
innovative smart dance floor that responds to the
dancers’ movements. Beneath the well-polished
and modern exterior is a darker history staining
the essence of the building. The foundation of this
nightclub is built upon the corpse of an old church.
Catacombs lie hidden just beneath its storage
rooms; whatever Sorcerer seals were placed to
keep the malice of the site in check have weakened.

Primary Pool: The adversary’s primary pool Decades of collective death and pain have
is its large action pool. stained the Champagne Room’s soul. Newly
awakened, these tainted grounds sing a siren song,
Secondary Pool: The adversary’s secondary
beckoning the Accursed to them. “Feed me.” It
pool is what it is next best at.
whispers sweetly. “I’ll make all your dreams come
Desperation Pool: The desperation pool is true. Come to me.”
for everything else.
The call is so strong that even mundane
Enhancements: Adversaries have access to human visitors are affected by it. Food spoils,
Enhancements on certain actions, just like characters. blood runs hot, and fights frequently break out
Defense: Adversaries do not roll for Defense. on crowded nights. Every drop of blood spilled in
Instead, this number is a static number that serves the mouth of this Shattered Space gives it more
as the difficulty to hit the adversary. power to spread its influence.
Integrity: Adversaries similarly do not roll for People vanish, never to return in the
Integrity against influence actions. Champagne Room. For some reason, the cops
never investigate beyond asking the blank-faced
Injuries: Adversaries have injuries, but
staff the most basic of questions before moving on
not Injury Levels like the players’ characters.
to other cases. Families with a party tendency —
Otherwise, injuries work the same way.
the Mavens and Heirs among them — have grown
Armor: If the adversary has armor, it is stated increasingly concerned, as they’ve lost several of
here. If the armor is magical or elemental in nature, their kin in the Champagne Room’s vicinity.
it will be denoted as such.

50 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
Template: Shattered Space
Drive: Spread its reach across the world.
Primary Pool: 10 (Conceal Bodies, Lower
Inhibitions, Set the Scene)
Secondary Pool: 8 (Dope Drinks, Manipulate
Dreams)
Desperation Pool: 5
Enhancements: +1 Charm Offensive, +1
Enthralling Music
Defense: 3
Integrity: 2
Injuries: 7
Armor: 0
Initiative: 5
Qualities: Clear Vision, Invulnerability,
Vulnerability (vulnerable when its zombie flesh-
eater is destroyed, or when its only inhabitants have
negative attitudes toward it)
Dread Powers: Bend Minds ×2, Devour ×1,
Hypnotize ×2, Spawn (Drones) ×1
Special: 2 Social Advantage
Drones
When the Hungry, the Sorcerers, or the Dead
are done with a feeding vessel, living test subject, or
host, the result is occasionally the tragic drone. Not
so much a brainwashed cultist as a brain drained
victim, the drone is a human who can no longer
emotionally connect with their family and friends,
can only accomplish the most uncomplicated
of work and leisure tasks, and barely even reacts
when something horrific takes place around them.
They are broken victims of the Accursed and other
monstrosities, and only extended compassion,
therapy, and targeted medication is likely to bring
them back to a semblance of “normality.” Until
then, they’re pawns who unscrupulous monsters
might push around to deliver threatening
messages, drugs, relics, and bombs to targets.
Template: Shiver
Drive: Do what I’m told and avoid struggle.
Primary Pool: 5 (Deliveries, Escape, Show No
Feelings)
The storyguide
Secondary Pool: 3 (Secrets of the Outside,
Vengeance)
Desperation Pool: 2
Enhancements: +0
Defense: 1
Integrity: 1
Injuries: 1
Armor: 0
Initiative: 2
Qualities: Immunity (Fear)
Dread Powers: None
Zombie Flesh-Eaters
They’re called zombies, shambling corpses,
undead cannibals (technically a misnomer, as they
generally avoid eating other undead, outside of the
Hungry), the walking dead, and flesh-eaters. As
creatures common in pop culture, it’s natural that
their name changes depending on the movie, TV
series, or video game popular at the moment.
What’s common among zombie flesh-eaters
is they’re never subtle and they’re hungry for flesh
(in rare cases, brains only). Although zombies have
probably been around for centuries, common lore
puts their more recent origins to a century ago via a
supernatural virus of unknown origin. Frustratingly,
it’s one that spontaneously reoccurs every few years.
The Reeves blame the Hydes for fucking around
with death magic while the Hydes blame the Reeves
for getting in too deep with reviving dead tissue.
Neither has offered a solution as to how to stop the
growing numbers of hungry undead.
Zombie flesh-eaters are exactly what the name
implies. They possess little cognitive thought,
though some demonstrate vestiges of human
memory. It rarely stymies their hunger, however.
Some move slowly and moan, their limbs and jaws
in a permanent rigor, though since the turn of the
new millennium more have shown an alarming
capacity to sprint and even use tools as bludgeons.
When they’re not independently seeking meat,
they’re in the thrall of some rogue Accursed or Fae
monster.
51
 More powerful zombies can bloat and
ultimately explode in a shower of infected viscera,
develop claws and fangs with which to hunt, or act
as commanders to their own kind.
Template: Fright
Drive: Devour Accursed flesh and souls.
Primary Pool: 8 (Bite, Grapple, Pursue)
Secondary Pool: 6 (Listen, Spot Movement)
Desperation Pool: 4
Enhancements: +1 Rend Prey
Defense: 2
Integrity: 1
Injuries: 4
Armor: 0
Initiative: 4
Qualities: Frightening Presence, Immunity (Fear),
Reanimation (Beheading), Unusual Anatomy
Dread Powers: Consume ×2, Devour ×1, Spawn
(Zombie Flesh-Eaters) ×1
Qualities
Each adversary comes with a set of Qualities
that makes them formidable opponents for the
Accursed. Qualities are passive abilities that do
not require activation. These are only a handful
of the Qualities that will be available in the full
Curseborne book — the ones the adversaries in
this ashcan use.
Clear Vision
This adversary can perceive characters
cloaked in any form of invisibility or in incorporeal
form. This provokes a clash using the adversary’s
Primary Pool. If the hidden character would still
be obscured by physical cover or is operating
stealthily (sticking to the shadows, in disguise)
they can still take mundane actions to conceal
their presence.
52 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
Frightening Presence
Both people and animals see the adversary as
a threat not to be provoked, providing it 1 Social
Advantage when intimidating others, and imposing
the Terrified status effect when it successfully
frightens a target. Minor characters and Shivers
flee from the adversaries at the mere sight of them.
Immunity
Choose a single source of damage, such as
toxins, fire, electricity, and so on. The adversary
doesn’t suffer damage from this source. This
Quality can be applied up to three times.
Invulnerability
The adversary loses injuries only when hurt
by the source picked for its Vulnerability Quality,
which should be specific but open enough for all
players’ characters to exploit. Fire or poisons are
common, valid options.
Reanimation
Unless slain with a specific method or tool,
the adversary returns to life after the scene ends.
Common options to counter this Quality include
fire, beheading, or complete body destruction. Some
adversaries follow other criteria, such as a limited
number of resurrections or specific conditions.
Unusual Anatomy
The adversary’s biology demonstrates
extraordinary resistance to all sorts of stress, to
the point it’s questionable to define it as “living.”
Increase the cost to purchase the Critical Trick by
1 hit for all non-spell altered attacks.
The Storyguide can also use this Quality
to represent undead, artificial, or otherworldly
creatures, choosing whether the adversary ages
and if it needs to breathe, sleep, or eat.
 Vulnerability
Choose a sensation, behavior, substance,
or source of damage. Each turn the adversary
is exposed to their vulnerability, they must roll
their secondary pool as a reflexive action. On a
failure, they either flee or are unable to act while
their Defense lowers to 0. The adversary suffers
1 additional damage from all attacks or hazards
related to this vulnerability.
Dread Powers
Where Qualities represent innate features
requiring no conscious effort to manifest, Dread
Powers are terrible effects the adversary chooses
to activate. While some Dread Powers are simple
actions triggered just as player actions are, others
are reactionary responses. These reactions are
represented as Complications on an action
against the adversary. If the character fails to buy
off the Complication, then the adversary’s attack
or action hits. If they do buy off the Complication,
they successfully divert or defend against the
action. Either way, that instant of the Dread
Power is used up.
Complications on Shiver and Fright Dread in close combat, it can regain 1 injury by eating
Powers are Minor, and Shattered Space Dread a generous handful of their enemy. Adversaries
Powers are Moderate.
Type: This indicates if the Dread Power is
a reaction or an action the adversary takes. For
example, a specific attack will be denoted as Simple
Action, while a reaction to a melee attack will be
denoted as Complication (Melee). The severity of
the Complication is determined by the adversary
template (Shiver and Fright: Minor, Terror and
Shattered Space: Moderate, Nightmare: Major).
These Dread Powers are a small example of
the potential abilities available to adversaries. A
complete list is available in the Curseborne book. While inside the adversary, the target can only
make an Athletics action against difficulty 1 for
The storyguide
Bend Minds
Type: Complication (Influence)
The adversary invades their victim’s thoughts,
forcing them to do its bidding. The adversary
implants a single suggestion in the target’s mind. If
the latter accepts the influence, they must act upon
the order during their next turn or at their earliest
convenience when outside of combat.
Orders such as “attack your friend” and “jump
off the bridge” are valid options, but protagonists
gain a +3 Enhancement on their Integrity action
against directly suicidal orders. A player can
choose to ignore the influence completely, which
grants the influencing adversary +2 Enhancement
on its next action against them.
For Shattered Spaces, this Dread Power
forces a villainous Aspiration on a target which,
if accepted, grants experience as usual when
accomplished. Shattered Spaces can reach targets
within medium range of their location.
Consume
Type: Reflexive Action
The adversary consumes the curse inside its
victims to sustain its own life. If it successfully hits
express this Dread Power in different ways, such
as devouring blood, brains, and souls.
If using this Dread Power would bring the
adversary’s injuries above its maximum, the
creature gains a +1 Enhancement on all rolls for the
remainder of the scene, with successive instances
raising it up to +3.
Devour
Type: Complication (Melee)
The adversary swallows their prey whole.
53
Frights, and 3 for Shattered Spaces to escape.
Failure to escape inflicts 1 injury on the swallowed
character. Each injury the antagonist suffers in the
same turn lowers the difficulty to escape by 1, to a
minimum of 1.
Most adversaries can devour only creatures of
smaller size, but exceptions exist.
Hypnotize
Type: Complication (Any Action)
The adversary’s presence charms and
beguiles those who interact with it. Lower the
54 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
Integrity of the character by 1 to a minimum of 1.
If the character’s Integrity is already at 1 when the
effects of Hypnotize would be applied, apply the
Exhausted status effect instead.
Spawn
Type: Complication (Any Action)
The adversary summons a number of drones
equal to the player characters involved in the
scene.
 Introductory
Story
“The Danger of Missing Out” is a short,
introductory story designed to introduce the players
to the world of Curseborne. Using the characters,
powers, adversaries, setting information, and rules
presented so far, the following acts as a fast, fun,
and scary encounter for the ready-made characters
from this book to star in. Use this story to give your
players an introductory taste of what Curseborne
is all about.
What follows is a summary of the events of the
story. Only the Storyguide should read from this
point forward!
The Danger of
Missing Out
This story centers on a crew of four friends
who are all Accursed. A mutual friend, Alex
Clarke, has gone missing. The crew tracks down
the last two people Alex was seen with, but they
turn out to be mind-drained drones, and the
three of them were last seen in a place called
the Champagne Room. Upon infiltrating the
Champagne Room, the Accursed discover the
club is secretly alive, and many of the past patrons
have been turned into drones, who are protected
by a zombie flesh-eater. How the crew decides reservation or any plans to tip — in fact, all they
to proceed is up to them.
introductory story
Italicized text can be read aloud to players or
paraphrased as the Storyguide sees fit. As the story
goes on and players make decisions that drift from
the written details presented here, the italicized
text becomes less relevant, so feel free to adjust it
to whatever circumstances are relevant.
The players should review what their
characters are capable of and where their strengths
lie before play commences.
Scene 1: Stick Season
Sam, Eve, Cassie, and Izzy are in their
favorite coffee shop. The four of you are waiting
for the arrival of your friend Alex Clarke. He’s
not Accursed, but he’s been a good ally through
all your collective weirdness and doesn’t ask
too many awkward questions. Someone who
is asking awkward questions, however, is the
woman at the head of a pack of college kids,
loudly complaining to the manager about why
the so-called “losers” (in other words, the four
of you) get the so-called “good table.” Welcome
to another day of being cursed.
The loud woman’s name is Olivia. She and her
friends decided to meet here. They don’t have a
do have is a huge sense of entitlement. If left alone,
55
she will continue to berate and verbally abuse the
manager until she eventually stomps over to the Scene 2: Yes, And?
crew and demand they move to another table (even
though all the four-seater tables are full). The employee fiddles with the stud in her
nose as she talks. “Yeah, I saw Alex last night.
This is an opportunity for the players to test
He was with a couple other people, but I didn’t
out their characters, roleplaying them for a bit and
get their names. They mentioned something
learning how to use the dice. There are a number
about going out to get drinks, but then Megan
of ways to convince Olivia to leave the manager (or
yelled at me to wash the dishes, so I didn’t hear
them) alone. Some examples are:
anything else.”
Convince her to be more polite in her
requests: Empathy + Presence, difficulty 1 This discussion with the employee is a lead to
Threaten to post her tirade on social media: the next step in the story, something the characters
Technology + Cunning, difficulty 1 will get no matter what. There is a second lead in
this scene, which are the names of the people with
Lie to her about a better coffee shop
Alex: Henry Fletcher and Vicki Morrison. Any
somewhere else: Persuasion + Manipulation,
difficulty 1 employee can get their names because they paid
with credit cards, and if the characters don’t think
Members of the crew might want to try and to ask before they leave, the manager will wave
use their spells or special abilities as well. This is a them down and give them that information.
good chance to explain how keeping and bleeding
The players can attempt to get additional
curse dice work. Olivia and her friends all have
pieces of evidence. Some examples of rolls to make
an Integrity of 1 and a pool of three dice if they
are:
need to roll for any reason, with +1 Enhancement if
their entitlement helps them in any way. Asking other patrons if they saw anything:
Persuasion + Cunning, difficulty 1.
Once Olivia and her coterie of friends have
been dealt with, the manager comes over to the Stalk Alex, Henry, and Vicki’s social media
crew’s table with some free coffees. They thank the feeds: Technology + Cunning, difficulty 1
characters for their help, and mention that Alex Looking them up online to find their
hasn’t been in all day. In fact, one of the employees addresses: Culture + Intellect, difficulty 1.
saw Alex last night.
Go to Scene 2: Yes, And?

ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO THAT IN PUBLIC?

Some players may be concerned about using their powers in public. They may think
they’ll get in trouble with some kind of Accursed authorities or draw the attention
of those who hunt the supernatural. Let them know even when curses don’t actively
distort people’s memories of strange events, they’re often skeptical or reluctant to
look into strange incidents too deeply, and even recorded evidence of supernatural
phenomenon is generally be seen as a deepfake or publicity stunt. That said, if
you turn into a murderous monster in a crowded coffee house, that will attract the
attention of the police and other investigators, so characters can’t simply use their
abilities and expect no consequences.

56 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
 If the players make a roll that makes sense for Once the crew is inside, no one answers
the second lead, give it them in addition to their Henry’s door. Breaking into the apartment is a
evidence. Some evidence they might find include: Larceny + Dexterity action, difficulty 1. Once
Pictures of the three of them, looking happy they’re inside, they see no one’s home and the bed
and excited the night before. hasn’t been slept in, indicating Henry probably
never came home last night.
Someone remembers the time they were in
the coffee shop: 9pm. Vicki’s House
One of their social media posts has the Vicki is renting a small house just north of the
hashtag #champagne. city center. It’s in a rougher part of the city, where
the rent’s cheap but the shadows are deep. There
Both Henry and Vicki have been friends
are lights on inside the house, but no one answers
with Alex for a while, but they aren’t
particularly close. the door when the characters knock.
The crew can attempt to break into the house
Players can use investigation Tricks to get more with a Larceny + Intellect action, difficulty 1.
information or use the evidence they accumulate The action has a Minor Complication of Sketchy
for the investigation in Scene 4: The Highlights. Neighborhood, and if the Complication isn’t
Go to Scene 3: Lose Control. resolved, two police officers divert their patrol to
investigate in about ten minutes.
Scene 3: Lose Control Inside the house are Henry and Vicki. They
are sitting on the couch, staring at a television
Now you know Alex was last seen with that’s turned off. They don’t respond to any verbal
two other people: Henry Fletcher and Vicki prompting, but will attack if anyone shoves or
Morrison. Did either of them do something to shakes them. They are drones (p. 51 for traits).
Alex? Are they also Accursed, like you? Or have Lead: If the two are defeated, incapacitated,
your lives become so entwined in curses that or ignored, one character finds a small cardboard
you’re getting paranoid? The only way to know flyer next to the couch the two were sitting on. It’s
for sure is to confront them both. for a new nightclub called the Champagne Room.
The crew can take actions to investigate
If the players didn’t already get the addresses for
further, like in Scene 2. Some evidence they might
Henry and Vicki from the previous scene, listen to
uncover include:
what ideas they have to track them down, and let any
Turning the TV back on reveals they were
reasonable method succeed without requiring a roll. in the middle of binging a sitcom, so the set
must have turned itself off automatically
Henry’s Apartment when they didn’t respond to the prompt
Henry lives in an apartment close to the center asking if they were still watching.
of the city. If the crew go to the building, they get The two look (and smell) as if they haven’t
no answer from the front door buzzer. They can showered in a couple of days.
attempt to get someone else from the building to let
Nothing else in the house has been disturbed.
them in with a Persuasion + Manipulation action, Neither of them went to bed, nor did they
difficulty 1. The action has a Minor Complication make or order any food.
of You Look Suspicious, and if the Complication is
If the crew want to investigate the Champagne
not resolved, the resident who lets the crew in will
Room, go to Scene 4: The Highlights. If they
then surreptitiously take photos of them and post
want to go straight to the club, go to Scene 5:
them to social media with a note “looks sus.”
Beautiful Things.

introductory story 57

Scene 4: The Highlights
The first thing you do is look up the
Champagne Room online. The website promises
an experience like no other, built in the ruins
of an old church. It seems like it’s quite a
popular club with people who like some edge
and spectacle in their nightlife… if you can get
through the long waiting list.
Looking into the Champagne Room and getting
the address is a lead. Any evidence the crew has
accumulated thus far can be used as Enhancement
to learn more about the club. Let the players
decide how they want to investigate and determine
an appropriate Skill + Attribute combination. The
difficulty is 2 (the club is still relatively new and
COPS
If the police arrive and you need traits for
them, you can use the following.
Drive: Order: it needs maintaining, and if
that fails, enforcing.
Primary Pool: 6 (Arrest, Car Chase,
Marksmanship)
Secondary Pool: 4 (Intimidate, Profiling)
Desperation Pool: 3
Enhancements: +0
Defense: 1
Integrity: 1
Injuries: 1
Armor: 0
Initiative: 3
Qualities: Attentive (actions to avoid
a cop’s attention come with the Major
Complication is Suspicious — failure to buy
it off leads them to investigate the area even
if they don’t notice the character; further,
attempts to evade a cop are at +1 difficulty)
58 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN
trying to manage its public image). Here is some
information the characters might uncover:
The social media around the site has several
people asking insinuating questions around
various people who have disappeared or
who were randomly attacked in the club,
implying something nefarious has happened
to them. Fans of the club have taken to
mocking them for their concerns.
Even happy patrons have reported that the
drinks and food rots or turns sour shockingly
quickly.
Several patrons ended up going to the
emergency room because their feet were
bleeding from dancing so much. One person
even posted a picture from the ER, giving a
thumbs up and saying she’ll go back once
she’s healed.
Police have reported a number of fights in
and around the club.
Go to Scene 5: Beautiful Things.
Scene 5: Beautiful Things
When you arrive at the address for the
Champagne Room, you see an old, deconsecrated
church dripping in neon and shooting two
massive floodlights into the sky. From here you
can hear the thumping bass from inside, as
well as the screams of delighted patrons. You
can also see a massive line of beautiful people
waiting to get inside, all dressed to impress.
Getting inside isn’t easy. If the crew opt to
wait in line, they’ll quickly discover that it rarely
moves, and some of the people near the front have
been waiting for hours. The crew may need to
attempt things such as pretending they’re on a VIP
list, boldly cutting in front of the line, or sneaking
past security. Attempts to get inside are difficulty
2, with a Minor Complication of Who the Hell Are
You? — if the Complication isn’t bought off, the
other patrons resent the characters for getting in
ahead of them, and difficulties to sway any of them
increase by 1.
 Once inside, the club is intense. The music is
so loud you can feel it thumping in your body, the
tiles light up whenever people step on the dance
floor, and even the food and drinks are bright and
pungent. Everyone is speaking at top volume. The
whole club has the area effect of Overstimulating.
This imposes a Moderate Complication. If not
bought off during an influence scene, important
information may get lost in the background as
the character struggles to process information.
In an investigation scene, a character may be
unable to acquire additional evidence, as they
are too overwhelmed to notice. In an action
scene, characters might become distracted or
overwhelmed, causing the character to drop their
weapon or aim at an incorrect target.
There is a lead in this scene: Occasionally,
particularly attractive and boisterous patrons
are invited to a roped-off area in front of an old
staircase leading downstairs. The roped-off section
and the crowd hanging around directly outside of
it are a separate Area, with its own area effect of
Seductive Call. If this Major Complication is not
of noise, read the following:
bought off any action taken in the Area, Accursed
characters are compelled to go downstairs. They
can take a hard bargain to avoid the call, but non-
Accursed characters will want to pick fights with
the character (with +1 Enhancement to their
attacks) until they go downstairs or leave the
Champagne Room.
Once the crew heads downstairs, go to Scene
6: Murder on the Dancefloor.
Scene 6: Murder on the
Dancefloor
Your skin turns clammy as soon as you make
your way down the stairs. You’ve walked right
into a catacomb. All around you are corpses in
various states of decay, sitting in niches carved
into the rock. The stone is embedded with human
bones arranged in grotesquely symmetrical
designs, with one particularly detailed collection
framing a door on the opposite side of the space.
introductory story
In the middle of this, you can see several
of the club patrons, looking dreamily into the
middle distance. You can hear the words “must
consume” echoing repeatedly inside your mind,
as something starts to pull your thoughts from
your head.
Once the characters descend, the compulsion to
enter the room disappears (although it can compel
the characters again if they head back up the stairs
and re-enter the Seductive Call area effect).
This is the true heart of the Champagne
Room, as the church itself has become alive from
decades of mourning and emotional pain. It is a
Shattered Space, a strange part of the world where
the Outside has started to bleed into reality (you
can find the traits for it on pp. 50-51). The patrons
here are more drones, who will not respond to
verbal cues but will attack if the crew assault them,
or if they injure or upset the Champagne Room
entity.
If a fight breaks out, or if the crew makes a lot
A heavy wooded door, stained by what
appears to be blood, suddenly slams open.
Behind the door you see Alex, dead in a heap on
the floor. The deep shadows of the room beyond
start to pool into his body. His cadaver lurches
to its feet. The words “must consume” throb
painfully in your skull.
This is a zombie flesh-eater, animated by
the spirit of the church to protect itself (traits are
on pp. 51-52). The door the zombie flesh-eater
bust through leads into a small room with an altar
made from human bones and stained with blood.
This is the center of the Champagne Room’s
power. The altar has a Defense of 1 and can take
5 injuries before it is completely shattered. Once
destroyed, the zombie flesh-eater falls to the
ground, becoming a lifeless corpse once again,
and the Champagne Room entity is unable to act.
The patrons never recover from being made into
drones, however.
59
 SURPRISE ZOMBIES!
If a fight starts before the zombie flesh-eater is introduced, you can use the initiative system
to help reveal its presence. Don’t let the players know there’s another SGC in the Area aside
from the drones but remind them that the Champagne Room is a character that also gets a turn
in spotlighting. Once the initiative passes to the Champagne Room, take its turn as normal,
and then announce that the Champagne Room passes the spotlight to someone behind the
door. The zombie flesh-eater can then use its action to open the door and reveal itself before
passing the spotlight to someone else. It’s a way to use the Storypath mechanics to dramatically
introduce a new element into a conflict.

Returning upstairs to the club, the music has
stopped and all the patrons look confused and
exhausted. All area effects are resolved as the
befuddled partygoers make their way home..
killed? What created the Champagne Room in
the first place? And will it return? You can use
the materials in the Curseborne ashcan to create
a follow-up story, should the players decide they
want to continue to explore the dark mysteries

Epilogue surrounding their friend’s fate.

The Champagne Room as an entity is no more,

but who was running the club? How did Alex get

60 CURSEBORNE ASHCAN