Events reached either during extreme focus or moments near death, you manage to glimpse the core of cursed energy. Breakthroughs take one of two forms.
Black Flashes
Channeling cursed energy into an attack within 0.000001, you cause a spatial distortion where cursed energy sparks black. This event is called a black flash.
In order to land a black flash, you must land a critical hit. After landing a critical hit, you roll a second d20, on a natural 20 you activate a black flash. This causes the melee attack to deal triple critical damage, rolling 3x the dice instead of 2x and ignore damage resistances.
Reverse Cursed Technique
Wish whoosh, reverse cursed technique processes negative energy into positive energy by taking two sources of cursed energy and multiplying them by one other.
After almost dying, be it being reduced to 0 in one hit while at max hp, or failing two death saves and then rolling a nat 20. Those are moments where the GM can choose to bestow reverse cursed technique. Alternatively roll a d100, on a 90+ you get Reverse Cursed Technique.
You learn to use your cursed energy in a completely opposite way, channeling positive energy instead of negative. You have a pool of healing you can use with your reverse cursed energy that’s equal to 5 x your level x your Cursed Energy modifier. As a bonus action for cursed energy up to your CE Modifier, you can remove healing from that pool to regain hit points. You can also remove healing from the pool as a reaction to receiving damage once per round. For every 1 cursed energy spent, you regain 10 hit points, removing an equal amount from the pool. If you are suffering from a physical condition or injury such as a concussion or something else, one of these effects can be healed for every 10 hit points recovered with the reverse cursed technique. Limbs can be regenerated for 20 hit points.
You can use your Reverse Cursed Technique until your healing pool ends before getting burned out, during which you can’t use RCT until your healing pool recovers. At the beginning of every two rounds, your healing pool recovers 10 hit points. Your healing pool automatically refills at the end of a long rest.
Awakened Understanding
The awakened state following a breakthrough causes a sorcerer to gain an increased understanding of their cursed energy. When a character lands a black flash or awakens reverse cursed technique, your DM can allow the following upgrades as your ability to use cursed energy improves dramatically.
Skilled Cursed Energy Manipulation
Prerequisite: 16+ Cursed Energy score, 1 Breakthrough
You have focused on the basics, allowing you to directly manipulate cursed energy to great effect.
- Cursed Strike. On a hit, you can spend up to your proficiency bonus, dealing an additional d10 necrotic damage per CE spent.
- Cursed Reinforcement. As an action you can spend up to your Cursed Energy modifier to reinforce your body. You gain 5 temporary hit points per CE.
Advanced Cursed Energy Manipulation
Prerequisite: Skilled Cursed Energy Manipulation, 4 Breakthroughs
You have perfected the basics of manipulating cursed energy, causing your effectiveness and efficiency to explode.
- Cursed Strike. On a hit, you can spend up to your Cursed Energy modifier + your proficiency bonus, dealing an additional 2d6 necrotic damage per CE spent.
- Cursed Reinforcement. As an action, bonus action, or reaction you can spend up to your Cursed Energy modifier + proficiency to reinforce your body. You gain 5 temporary hit points per CE.
- Efficiency. When using a cursed technique, the base cost decreases by 1 (min cost of 1).
Mastered Cursed Energy Manipulation
Prerequisite: Advanced Cursed Energy Manipulation, 8 Breakthroughs
- Cursed Strike. On a hit, you can spend up to your Cursed Energy modifier + your proficiency bonus, dealing an additional 2d8 necrotic damage per CE. Additionally, you can spend CE up to your proficiency to add to your attack roll.
- Efficiency. When using a cursed technique, the base cost decreases by 2 (min cost of 1).