Curse of Cold Embers
A powerful curse that was once feared but now only holds any meaningful power in the underdeveloped world. The curse snuffs any fire created or used by the afflicted. Flint and matches will not strike, torches sputter out, camp fires die.
Unlike it’s spiritual descended the Curse of the Electric Death, the victim is placed in more more overt danger by the curse. If one cannot cook food or warm oneself during the winter, starvation, food poisoning and hypothermia become tangible dangers. In pre-electric civilization the victim can be easily identified as the source of the failed fires and can suffer ostracizing from his or her community or pitch fork wielding mobs.
GM Note: Obviously this is best suited for period games or ones out in the wilderness. It still can be a quite effective tool for instilling fear in PCs in the right circumstances.
How to beat it…
Magic: rolling to Cast Magic can disrupt the curse for a time however only a Big Magic ritual may defeat the curse.