Gypsy Curse

Jevedor

Jevedor

Fighter
New Hampshire Staff
Crossroads Staff
I just got around to reading the race descriptions in the new rule book, and under Gypsys when it talks about the gypsy curse, it makes it sound like they will only ever use it on other gypsys, or at least they are only supposed to use it on gypsys. is this new? I've never played a gypsy so im not sure.

Also I remember once i was NPCing a goblin and got gypsy cursed to have to jump on one foot to swing my sword... or something like that. It states in the rules that the curse cannot be used to effect combat or in game skills. Should i have not taken the effect as jumping on one foot directly effects my ability to be effective in combat?
 
It is generally believed that the Gypsy Curse should only be used for family affairs. In other words, if someone cheats at cards against a gypsy, a Gypsy Curse would be considered inappropriate. If the person were cheating only because he was playing against a gypsy, then the Gypsy Curse would be more appropriate. Gypsies are very vigilant in making sure the Gypsy Curse is used only for family business. Gypsies who use them for personal profit or petty revenge that has nothing to do with the family are often punished severely.
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The effect works on anybody, gypsy or no. The in-game philosophy is that it should only be used when gypsies as a whole are being disparaged, rather than any one individual gypsy. IE - some noble creates a law that harms/hinders all gypsies, he's probably got a few curses coming. There are some gypsies who might use it as their own little toy, in which case the local tribe will probably bring him in and give him a spanking of some sort. But that is strictly in-game philosophy, not a rule-rule.
 
What he said. In actuality you really should never use a Curse on a fellow Rom, if they wronged you or the family in such a deep and personal way that you would curse them were they not Rom, then you should take that up with the Bandolier and have THEM mete out punishment to the individual in question. There are, however, many interpretations on just how deserving people are of getting Cursed, and you will almost never get the same answer from two different Roms about whether someone deserves one unless it's really obvious.

Also, yeah that curse they did on you shouldn't have been involving using your sword. It should have been "hop on one foot with everything you say and do" or something like that, which would mean that you would hop on one foot at all times except when in combat, although if you were in a battle with multiple people and you could do it safely, you might hop from one opponent to the next while not directly engaged with someone.
 
MaDCap, my Raven scavvy, has Gypsy Curse for one of his racials. I justified it to plot by the fact that ravens, in legend, often used tricks to teach people a lesson. That's what Gypsy Curse means for him since it doesn't really matter who's a Gypsy and who isn't. Well, and it's fun to watch people flounder around dealing with the effects. I carry a bag when I play him that is basically just filled with Curse phys-reps.

Funny thing is, I've yet to use my Curses in anger. Every time I've convinced the recipient to let me do it. For example, there was a High Orc (Spidereye) who fell in love with a Stone Elf (ren), so I cursed him to have "a manner of speech that would impress a Stone Elf". Of course he still thought like an Orc so even though he talked really nice he still tried giving her body parts from kills and such. He learned to be himself. Lesson learned. Curse removed.

Another time MaDCap was talking to someone working in the kitchen who was upset at the large amount of dishes that needed to be washed. She said something to the effect of "I wish all these dirty plates would disappear". So I Cursed her to not be able to see dirty plates. She couldn't see the plates anymore, only the food remnants seemingly floating in the air without their plates!
 
Telokh_Amdo said:
Another time MaDCap was talking to someone working in the kitchen who was upset at the large amount of dishes that needed to be washed. She said something to the effect of "I wish all these dirty plates would disappear". So I Cursed her to not be able to see dirty plates. She couldn't see the plates anymore, only the food remnants seemingly floating in the air without their plates!
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That's a nice one. Though I think it would be a bit unnerving to see food floating in the air....Meep...

I'm gonna have to do a phys-rep bag too. Sounds like it could be tons of fun.

BTW when are you bringing out MaDCap? I really want Lanna to meet him.
 
While that does sound like cheeky fun to have with a skill that is intended to be all about roleplay, that's really not a valid gypsie curse. True, that particular one does no harm and I'm sure it was completely well intended as fun RP and it sounds it, but the precedent is bad. Do I now have the power to curse someone not to be able to see Warder Glyphs? What if someone said "I wish I'd never met that dark elf!" so now you curse them never to see dark elves. Of course by you, I mean someone who is intending to be abusive of the power, but it's far easier for Marshals to be able to point to the rule and say "This is what the rule says" without the counter argument of "It's been done before". Beware slippery slopes.
 
Maxondaerth said:
While that does sound like cheeky fun to have with a skill that is intended to be all about roleplay, that's really not a valid gypsie curse. True, that particular one does no harm and I'm sure it was completely well intended as fun RP and it sounds it, but the precedent is bad. Do I now have the power to curse someone not to be able to see Warder Glyphs? What if someone said "I wish I'd never met that dark elf!" so now you curse them never to see dark elves. Of course by you, I mean someone who is intending to be abusive of the power, but it's far easier for Marshals to be able to point to the rule and say "This is what the rule says" without the counter argument of "It's been done before". Beware slippery slopes.
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The one I cursed to not see plates was a Fae NPC who I was trying to impress. As soon as she realized I was able to do it, and roleplayed it for a few minutes, I removed it. I considered it an Uncontrollable Action, which is one of the allowed curses. So, in IG terms the person simply ignored plates and the Curse made her justify it in her own mind by saying they couldn't see them. As far as Warder Glyphs, since they cause damage I would consider them to be "combat" so, by the rules, Gypsy Curse can't affect them. I'd love to see someone walking around not being able to see Dark Elves, that would be a riot. However, I would consider that one a bit too big to actually use as a curse. Whatever character I play (see my sig LOL) I'm all about the roleplay so, as long as something isn't a game breaker, I'm all for it being able to be used as a Gypsy Curse.

EDIT: Changed "behavior" to "Uncontrollable Action".
 
I, as a player and a gypsie, am totally behind ya on that one. Now, please don't take this as any sort of criticism of your RP ability or any kind of character assassination cause that's not what I'm doing, but as a marshal, had I been on site would have called foul. I'd have given ya mad props on the idea and all, but would have had to nip the precedent in the bud. Same way I'm doing in this posting, just making sure that newer players don't come in with mistaken expectations of what they could or could not potentially do with any given skill.

Now, for the free-advice-take-it-or-leave-it-as-you-choose portion of our diatribe, I've discovered through watching several friends play gypsies for nigh on ten years and playing one myself for going on 3, one of the effective ways of doing vague-ish curses like that and make them go the way you want. When using the "be the opposite of that which you are" format of the curse, use a statement before you Curse them to bring the subject you want changed to the surface of their mind, players more often than not will read into your intentions and either consciously or no, will go with what they were thinking about when you Cursed them. I'll use your scenario as an example.

Fae: I wish all these dirty dishes would go away!
Madcap: So you can't abide dirty dishes?
Fae: No, they drive me to distraction.
Madcap: Then, by the powers of my blood may you be the opposite of that which you are, activate gypsie curse!"
Fae: *blink blink* Ya know, these dishes can wait for someone else to come along and clean em. I got better things to do than worry about a dirty dish.

Course, this is if you're the type to use curses "casually". I've only ever cursed anyone once, and he was an unrepentant necromancer who claimed he did it because "his ancestors had always done it so, and his ancestors knew better than I" so I called up all the powers of MY ancestors to try and change his mind. I doubt it worked, but my sensabilities were offended ;).
 
Watch out if you say "Activate Gypsy Curse". Activate isn't needed and some marshall may choose to have you lose a charge from a magic item since you "blew the verbal" for it.
 
You know, you're right I see that it isn't written that way into the rules, but I've honestly never heard a Curse put out that that wasn't tagged onto the end in order to let the person know "Yes, I was not just being extravagant and chewing you out, yo' *** been Cursed!" Good to know.

Although, honestly I think intent would have to come into play there. Otherwise, anytime someone starts a sentence with "I, With, or Prepare" I want a tag ;).
 
Telokh_Amdo said:
Another time MaDCap was talking to someone working in the kitchen who was upset at the large amount of dishes that needed to be washed. She said something to the effect of "I wish all these dirty plates would disappear". So I Cursed her to not be able to see dirty plates. She couldn't see the plates anymore, only the food remnants seemingly floating in the air without their plates!
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Mr. Engler, you are a sick and twisted individual.
 
Horribly annoying all the time in my face RP crap.

I do not mess with Gypsy's for fear of their curses.

Gypsy curses scare me. The End.

:eek:
 
Looking at the wording for an Uncontrollable Action in Gypsy Curse rule, I think the operative word there is "inconsequential". I think my disappearing dishes would fit that, but not seeing an entire race (per the dark Elf idea above) would be a bit much.

As far as indicating a Gypsy Curse is being used I usually just say "Gypsy Curse" as an aside to the person affected, or even put my hand on my head and say it. I really think "Activate" should be avoided due to making people think you are using an item.
 
I agree with you also, Mike. Now I'm curious if this is one of those legacy calls from a really old edition that no one noticed it went away and since it gets used so rarely either no one picked up on it (around me anyway) or just didn't bother to call em on it. I'll have to look into that. It's been a while since I've run across any other ones like that but I remember back when I started for the first three or four years after the split there were things that kept cropping up that were being done that was a carry-over from old Int'l habits that persisted until someone noticed they were gone (like red spell packets indicated chaos magic and white indicated arcane).
 
Maxondaerth said:
old Int'l habits that persisted until someone noticed they were gone (like red spell packets indicated chaos magic and white indicated arcane).
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That was never a rule, just one of those "wouldn't it be cool if" kinda things that different chapters invoked in different ways. (In DFW, for example, you weren't limited to the color of packets you carried, but the school you memorized could determine what color your hands would "glow")

Telokh_Amdo said:
Watch out if you say "Activate Gypsy Curse". Activate isn't needed and some marshall may choose to have you lose a charge from a magic item since you "blew the verbal" for it.
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You should call him for a blown verbal for using a "gypsie curse".
 
jpariury said:
You should call him for a blown verbal for using a "gypsie curse".
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I thought that was just his accent. ;)
 
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