The Crimson Curse

The Crimson Curse has a large number of effects, both positive and negative: altering heroes' stats, causing them to deal stress to party members, making them act out in combat, and possibly even killing them outright. If left untreated the Curse will progress in stages (Passive, Craving, Wasting, and Bloodlust), detailed in the sections below.

The Crimson Curse may be contracted from a number of different ways, most commonly by being attacked by an enemy from Exclusive to The Crimson Court DLC The Crimson Court. Mechanically the Crimson Curse is treated as a special type of Disease. Once a hero contracts the Curse, they become immune to all other diseases, and any previous diseases they may have had are automatically removed. Heroes' chance to resist the Curse from any source is determined by their disease resistance.

Unlike diseases, however, it is initially very difficult to treat the Crimson Curse—normal methods like the Sanitarium or Camping Skills cannot remove it. Killing a Boss in The Courtyard will remove the Crimson Curse from all heroes, and killing the Countess will unlock the ability to treat the Crimson Curse in the Sanitarium like a normal disease.

The Curse can spread amongst heroes left in the Hamlet—if an uncursed hero spends a week in the same building as a cursed hero, they too will contract the curse.

Cursed heroes remaining in the Hamlet each week will have their curse state progress by 30 rounds. They may also consume The Blood if it is available.

When embarking upon an expedition with at least two cursed heroes, The Fanatic may appear and try to hunt down the party. The Fanatic is an extremely dangerous opponent, easily killing most unprepared parties, and care should be taken to avoid bringing too many cursed heroes to avoid triggering his appearance.

The Crimson Curse is in its Passive state when first contracted. The Passive state has few obvious effects:

Passive State
Stat Changes
-5% Stun, Blight, and Bleed resist -10% Max HP +1 SPD
Random Actions
None
Duration
31-75 rounds

Giving a Passive hero The Blood will grant them a buff of +7 DODGE and +4 SPD for 3 rounds. After a number of rounds, a hero in the Passive stage will begin to crave The Blood.

In the Craving stage, a hero's condition begins to deteriorate:

Giving a Craving hero The Blood will send them into Bloodlust. Otherwise, their condition will continue to deteriorate, and after a number of rounds they will enter the Wasting stage.

In the Wasting stage, the hero's condition noticeably worsens, and bloodflies begin to buzz around them. Compared to Craving, the hero loses the previous SPD bonus and instead suffers a severe SPD penalty along with several other debuffs:

Giving a Wasting hero The Blood will restore their curse to the Passive stage.

On the other hand, going for too many rounds without The Blood will cause the hero to die immediately.

Wasting Heroes left in the Hamlet will automatically consume 1 vial of The Blood from the Provisions at the end of the mission. If there are no vials of The Blood remaining at this point, however, the hero will die.

Giving a Craving hero The Blood will cause them to enter a euphoric state called Bloodlust, granting them significant buffs while also causing them to act unpredictably:

Heroes in Bloodlust can be buffed even further: if a Bloodlusted hero is given an additional vial of The Blood, they will receive massive (35-40) Stress Damage, but gain +50% DMG and +4 SPD for 3 rounds.

After a number of rounds, Bloodlust will fade, returning the curse to its Passive state once again.

The table below describes the status effects that a hero may inflict on another hero during a Bloodlusted act-out attack:

Hero Status Inflictions
Hero	Effect	Hero	Effect	Hero	Effect
	Blight		-3 SPD Debuff		Mark
	Mark		Stun		Bleed
	Blight		Bleed		(None)
	Bleed		+Stress		(Deals higher damage than the others)
	Stun		-10 Dodge Debuff		Blight
	-10 ACC Debuff		-7 SPD Debuff

Defeating Courtyard bosses will remove the Crimson Curse from all infected heroes in the roster. This does not prevent them from contracting the curse in the future.

When The Fanatic is killed, he will drop The Cure, a provision item which can remove the Crimson Curse. The Cure can only be used during a mission; it is usually best to save it for end of the quest, as heroes may get re-infected with the curse during the mission itself.

Upon completing the quest "A Bewitching Predator", an event called "Of Curse and Countess" will trigger. The event removes the Crimson Curse from all affected heroes and allows the curse to be treated in the Sanitarium like other diseases. The Crimson Curse still cannot be removed with camping skills, however.

A Special Town Event called They Made a Tonic from the Color of Madness DLC. For 30 shards, every hero in the roster has 1 disease cured. This also applies to the Crimson Curse.

Within the Darkest Dungeon community the Crimson Curse is considered, for the most part, a net buff instead of a "curse". By consuming The Blood, cursed heroes can be almost always maintained in the Bloodlust or Passive states, allowing them to take advantage of the Curse's massive stat bonuses while avoiding most of the downsides. In general the best users of the Crimson Curse are front-line heroes and damage dealers with high HP.

• Insane stats: The +4 SPD and +25% DMG from Bloodlust are incredible, equivalent to two full trinkets' worth of stats. The Stun and Blight resist are also decent, as well as the extra SPD from Passive.
• Blood buffs: Drinking The Blood while in Bloodlust grants another +4 SPD and +50% DMG, allowing the party to generate extreme amounts of damage on demand. No other buff in the game comes close. Drinking The Blood while in Passive also grants a sizeable Speed and Dodge buff.
• Disease immunity: Diseases can be extremely debilitating, and the Crimson Curse makes heroes immune to them.
• Stress healing: Heroes in Bloodlust may sometimes heal their own stress. While this does not mitigate the stress generated by their other act-outs, it is still nice to have.

• The Fanatic: The easiest way to deal with the Fanatic is to avoid bringing more than one cursed hero on an expedition. While this in theory limits party choices, note that the Fanatic will not appear during boss expeditions or expeditions to the Courtyard, Farmstead, or Darkest Dungeon, which are the expeditions when party composition choices are the most important.
• Act-outs: Heroes can sometimes move forward, use random skills, attack party members or deal stress to the party. Can generally be mitigated, or at least minimised, by preventing heroes from going into the Craving or Wasting states. Front-line or rank-flexible heroes can somewhat ignore forced movement.
• Stat debuffs: As above, the most harmful stat debuffs can be mitigated by avoiding the Craving or Wasting states. The HP debuff from Passive can be highly detrimental, however, to certain low-health heroes like the Grave Robber or Occultist.
• Need for Blood: The party needs to acquire Blood and use an inventory to store it. That said, it is not too difficult to acquire an excess of Blood in the early game, and the benefits are well worth it.

See Curios#Courtyard Curios.

Name	Monster	Attack(s)	Target(s)	Effect(s)
Courtesan		The Thirst	Any 1	45% Crimson Curse 85% Stress +8
Esquire		The Thirst (bloodlust form)	Any 1	31% Crimson Curse 85% Stress +12
Manservant		The Thirst	Any 1	31% Crimson Curse 85% Stress +8
Supplicant		Gather the Blood	Any 1	31% Crimson Curse
Sycophant		The Thirst	Any 1	31% Crimson Curse 85% Stress +8

Enemies or Curios that inflict random Diseases do not count as Crimson Curse adders.

• The Blood! I must have the Blood!

• I am the fury! I will drink from my enemies!

• My pulse slows...the need abates.

• I must...please...the Blood...

• Relief - at last!

• I'm weakening!

• You are keeping The Blood for yourself, aren't you!
• Just give me a taste!
• Do not deny me what I need to survive!

• As if encouragement and magics will help! Only The Blood!
• True strength can only come from the Blood!
• Those benefits are ephemeral and will eventually betray me!

• The only thing that will restore me is The Blood!
• All that supports me now is the Blood!
• I would rather thirst forever than accept any inferior nourishment.

• Touch me not — I am on the hunt!
• I will yield no quarter till I am sated!
• No! The Blood is mine!

• Disgusting! Have you any of The Blood, though?
• It simply won't fill me up like the Blood does.
• What dross, how dull everything tastes once one has sampled the exquisite Blood!

• I can smell their blood!
• What is that sweet smell that sings to my very veins?
• Stand aside! I must slake my thirst!

• I want it so...so much.
• I am reduced to pure desire, a fire that cleanses reason!
• Hold! It transfixes my every nerve!

• Mmmmmm, the wondrous smell of a wound!
• Oh gods! That odour! That aroma of freshly spilled Blood!
• Please just a taste! You're already injured!

• Perhaps this contains The Blood!
• I must see if there's any Blood hidden here!
• Blood?! Could there be some here?

• Oh! I was not myself for a moment...
• Blood... blood... blood... blood...
• So hungry... I didn't even notice...

• I asked nicely before, I just really need some Blood.
• Please just a small taste! Do not make me drain your veins dry!
• I made every reasonable offer possible, and look at what you just made me do.

• But will it soothe my thirst?
• I will be dead of thirst soon anyway.
• Nothing could overcome this thirst I feel.

• Useless. Give me only my red nectar...please.
• I don't want THAT.
• Much appreciated, but come back when you have some Blood.

• Only... The Blood... will do...
• Is it Blood..? Oh nevermind then.
• Would you mind if I just nicked your wrist instead? Oh well then...

• I am fading...
• Too faint... but have you any Blood?
• Give me some Blood and I'll consider it.

• I must gather what little I have left...
• Must find...blood...
• Hee hee hee — The Blood is within me!

• It must have The Blood hidden within. I pray...
• Please let there be Blood, even the tiniest drop.
• Forgive me but I must make absolutely sure there's no Blood.

• I fear my thirst has made my footing unstable.
• I am just so tired, please end it now!
• It is hopeless, I will never drink Blood again.

• ALL MUST BLEED! IT IS THE WAY!
• BLOOD FOR ALL!
• GIVE IT TO ME, I KNOW YOU HAVE IT!

• I AM A GOD!
• DO NOT TAINT THE PURITY OF THE STRENGTH THE BLOOD GIVES ME!
• NOTHING COMPARES! BLOOD ABOVE ALL!

• HA! I NEED NOTHING! THE BLOOD COURSES THROUGH ME!
• WHAT FOR?! I AM FULL TO THE BRIM OF CRIMSON NECTAR!
• I ALREADY SURGE WITH THE BLOOD'S VITALITY!

• WE STAY! THEY BLEED!
• SOON ALL WILL RUN RED!
• WE MUST FLOOD THIS PLACE WITH BLOOD!

• COME TO ME, PREY!
• HERE I WILL STRIKE FOR BLOOD!
• I CAN SMELL WHERE BLOOD WILL BE SPILLED!

• Ahhh...it courses through my veins!
• Yesss — behold the power of The Blood!
• I am the Blood God!

• AAHAHAA! I FEEL... SO....ALIVE!
• I WILL DO ANYTHING FOR IT!!! ANYTHING!!!
• I AM LOST IN THE THROES OF ITS ECSTASY!

• YES! BLEED FOR US!
• TEMPTATION GROWS WITH EACH BLOW!
• I WILL TASTE YOU AND NOTHING WILL STOP ME!