D&D 5E Big Curses and Greater Restoration

[Quickleaf]

A 9th level cleric can cast greater restoration to end charm/petrification, end reduction of ability scores, end reduction of maximum hit points, or end a curse afflicting a creature.

I tend to use Big Curses in my games as story-driving magic. In the past I've hand waived that remove curse and similar spells/rituals don't work on Big Curses but I never had any story justification besides "the DM says so."

To an extent greater restoration mitigates this workaround by requiring the spell to target a creature who is cursed. Thus Big Curses can simply be on family bloodlines, places, everyone who witnesses a painting and other things which transcend the individual. Now, that works for a lot of cases, but there are still going to be times when you want a Big Curse on a creature that can't be broken with the simple casting of a spell.

I'm wondering how you handle (or plan to handle) such Big Curses on creatures in your games? Do you differentiate between a curse (like lycanthropy or a backbiter sword) and a Big Curse (the Beast of Bechauex, the Nameless One)? If so, do you use story justification or just hand waive it as DM?

 

[jadrax]

I'm wondering how you handle (or plan to handle) such Big Curses on creatures in your games? Do you differentiate between a curse (like lycanthropy or a backbiter sword) and a Big Curse (the Beast of Bechauex, the Nameless One)? If so, do you use story justification or just hand waive it as DM?

basically yes, I do. Some curses can only be stopped by fairly specific means. A wrong must be righted, a princess kissed or or a god must be somehow appeased.

In such cases I might let Greater restoration solve the mater until dusk or something like that.

Frankly, if Pelor has cursed Baron von Bloodbath with the state of vampirehood, you don't want him being able to nip down to the local temple of Hexor and just have it removed for 100 gp.

 

[Mistwell]

A 9th level cleric can cast greater restoration to end charm/petrification, end reduction of ability scores, end reduction of maximum hit points, or end a curse afflicting a creature.

So can a Bard, or a Druid

 

[MarkB]

I tend to feel that a Big Curse is more than just something passive. In most cases, it represents the ongoing, negative attention of some sentient force - whether that's the ghostly spirit of a betrayed lover, or a god, or a demon. In some cases, a mortal who bestows a particularly powerful curse might infuse some of his own will and soul into it, so that the spell itself becomes a malevolent being.

With such a curse, one might deflect or distract or disempower the source temporarily, but it will always return. I might allow Greater Restoration to banish the curse's effects for 24 hours - but after that, further castings would have no effect until at least a week had passed, or in some cases much longer.

Alternatively, Greater Restoration may be a necessary part of the solution, but insufficient in itself. It would need to be cast as part of some quest or rite to either appease the curse-giver or redeem the curse's subject. Essentially, the spell acts as enforcement during a peace negotiation.

 

[77IM]

I'd allow greater restoration cast using a 9th-level slot to cure just about anything. I mean, if you spent a wish to remove your lycanthropy it should work, right?

It's not like there are a lot of 17th-level clerics running around, and the ones that are probably won't help you without asking for a quest...