D&D 5E Ideas for removing a curse

[randrak]

So my players are currently in the UNDERDARK and have been traveling there for a while. This has led to 2 of them having permanent madness (which they seem to love), one of the mad ones having Mummy Rot and the not mad one has a cursed sword that makes him obsessed with it. All in all a pretty normal underdark adventure c.f.

This party just made it to a duergar city (which has a section that allows outsiders to stay in for short periods of time) and have two objectives: cure the Mummy Rot and find their informant who contains info for the next part of the adventure.

The informant aside, the cursed druid is in desperate need of a remove curse because the Mummy Rot will very likely kill her in a few hours. They have little money and are about to enter the city next session.

Any idea on interesting plots? I feel that them just finding a good natured deep dwarf cleric that cures her right up is too much of a cop-out.

 

[OldSchoolThief]

Hello Randrak,
It was not uncommon in the early days of 1st edition, for there to be pools, fountains or obelisks or strange altars' to be found that would have a variety of different effects when interacted with. Perhaps, once the party has arrived in the section for outsiders, merchants, travelers or traders to stay within, that a traveling underdark merchant has heard tales of such a thing not too far from the duergar city...

"Ho strangers! I couldn't help but overhear a bit of your conversation; these stone caverns carry sounds and voices in strange ways it seems. I may be able to help ye. Not but a few hours travel from here lies a strange and mysterious fountain lying amid the ruins of some forgotten chapel. It's waters have never faded or fouled, though whatever walls once protected it fell long ago."

The strange merchant then quickly looks around, and dropping his voice to a whisper, leans in towards the party and says,

"But be warned, even the animals of the deep dark avoid drinking from it. Strange tales of both wondrous and wicked sorceries affect those who would dare to taste the clear waters! It be dangerous to be sure, though it may yet save ye!"

This is just an example of course, if you should choose to use the fountain idea, but it should give you an idea or two to craft your own.

Good luck to your adventuring party!

 

[steeldragons]

A "good natured" duergar cleric? Nuh no. Not a chance. A duergar cleric who would like nothing more than to have a party of outsiders bound to him as "personal minions/mission-goers for...ohhhh...how's the next 20 years sound? OR you can undergo this single [nigh impossible, well beyond their current level/capabilities] "holy" quest...or the upland nature-priest dies. Your choice." <smiles deviously>

 

[steeldragons]

Thought #2, the [little known, but to a few in the duergar city] "good natured" myconids that live a short distance away have a very powerful king who has potions to cure all ailments.

Naturally, myconids aren't going to be overly concerned to stopping "rot", but the king is probably aware enough to dislike or wish to curb the spread of an undead disease/affliction.

The spore/potion concoction takes the nearly completed mummy rot and transforms it, saving the druid from death, but using the rotting disease to transform the druid into a myconid/fungal-based being. Still a druid, and still sentient and free-willed (versus other myconids within a king's "circle"). Perhaps, in time, wildshape could be used to reform their shape into one vaguely resembling their former self...but of spongy pale grey or [any] purple mushroom flesh and reshaped "cap" into hair-like appearance...

I'm thinkin' a bit "martian manhuntery" druid...but mushroom. ;P

 

[GMMichael]

The friendly duergar cleric places a new curse on the druid, which only postpones the old curse, and has its own effects.

Myconids is a good idea...except the myconids don't have the cure; they are the cure.

Also, I hear vampirism stops diseases. Maybe it works on curses, too.

 

[aco175]

You could have the Duergar send the party to the myconid caves to kill the king and enslave his people in exchange for a cure. It provides a dilemma for the party if they think the myconids are good.

Another idea is to have a prisoner of the duergars signal the PCs somehow and offer a cure for his escape. The cure could be the location of a holy shrine or mystic fungus. The prisoner could be another surface race such as an elf or an underdark race like drow or derro.

 

[randrak]

I love the ideas! The only issue is that the party is pretty much tapped out of spells and HP by the time they have reached the city and if they take another long rest, the cursed druid WILL die...because she has 8 Max HP left and it's a 3d6 roll.

 

[jgsugden]

Evil cleric is found right off the bat. The cleric says he will cure the curse, but only if the druid agrees to do any one task that the cleric asks in the future. They can negotiate a few terms (no murder, etc...) and you can play around and find a loophole to exploit down the road...

 

[Eltab]

Ah, yes, I can find out how to cure that. But I want his sword in exchange.

 

[randrak]

They will be meeting their informant in the city and he'll know of a couple of ways to deal with the curse. I'm thinking of giving them Four Choices:

1- A Duergar Cleric that will heal her in exchange for a future favor. He can weaken the curse until the favor is done (I'm thinking of curing her lost Max HP and allowing her to heal, but each long rest she loses 3d6 HP).
2- An enslaved wizard that calls them as they pass by. She will offer them a cure if they free her. This can lead to loads of problems since she is a slave to a powerful duergar clan in the city.
3- A neutral stone giant witch (warlock). They met an insane stone giant a while back and everything was going great until the druid succumbed to a short term bout of madness that made her attack him, prompting the whole party to fight to protect her. The giant fled and was never seen again, but he had mentioned being part of a clan in the city. There is a small clan of stone giants in the city and with enough persuasion they might be able to convince the giant to help remove the curse, or at least promise to find their missing member in exchange.
4- Rumors have it that a fountain exists somewhere outside the city. This fountain contains waters that cure any ailment (secretly increasing a person's madness). This could be a problem, since it's outside the city and she doesn't have lots of time.

Thoughts?

PS: The Myconids idea was amazing, however this is a player that has a very narrow idea of what he wants his characters to be. It wouldn't be the first time that he rerolls a character just because they gained something he didn't like (like some deformity or enslaved to something). He has an idea of his character and doesn't really enjoy them if they stray from that idea. So her turning into a Myconids would likely be a turn-off for him and lead to a reroll.