Unholy Compulsion

Curses are a fourth handicap which may be imposed on a necromancer by a patron god as a compensating punishment for some Dark Gift. The curse usually manifests as some form of uncontrollable compulsion (such as howling at a full moon). Others affect the necromancer’s behavior (such as never being able to speak the truth). A final class of curses makes the wizard susceptible to a special attack form (like holy water). The handicaps listed in Table 8 may also result from willingly dabbling in black necromancy or using necromantic (and cursed) magical items.

The recipient is usually well aware of the nature of his or her compulsion, but as with a geas or quest, the subject is unable to take any measures that would remove it. Instead, the wizard may try to compensate for the weakness with appropriate precautions. For instance, a wizard who was susceptible to weapons hewn from freshly cut holly might destroy all trees near his or her lair.

Only a remove curse (employed by a higher-level caster than the victim) or a wish can eliminate an unholy compulsion.

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