Paradoxical Recoil
Description
Paradoxical Recoil is a supernatural or psychological condition that causes actions to frequently result in unintended, opposite, or wildly unpredictable consequences. Those afflicted find that fate itself plays tricks on them, warping reality when they least expect it.
Fate-Twinned Roll Mechanic
Whenever a creature with Paradoxical Recoil makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, they must roll two d20s instead of one and take the higher result.
- If both dice land on the same number, reality distorts, and the effect is determined by the table below.
Paradoxical Recoil Effect Table
| Double Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 & 1 | Eye for an Eye – The action succeeds, but the exact same effect happens to the character (e.g., striking an enemy also deals the same damage to the attacker, picking a lock locks another door nearby). |
| 2 & 2 | Miraculous Luck – Not only does the roll succeed, but the next failed roll the character makes is automatically turned into a success. |
| 3 & 3 | Opposing Will – A hidden cosmic force resists the action, and the character must reroll the check normally without Paradoxical Recoil’s effect. |
| 4 & 4 | Time Skip – The action completes, but 1d6 seconds are mysteriously skipped, making it unclear what happened during that time. |
| 5 & 5 | Reality Glitch – The action completes, but something unrelated randomly changes (e.g., the Rogue picks a lock, but suddenly their hair turns bright blue). |
| 6 & 6 | Mundane Madness – The roll works, but something minor goes bizarrely wrong (e.g., your sword works perfectly, but your boots suddenly untie themselves). |
| 7 & 7 | Lost in the Moment – The action works, but the character briefly forgets what just happened and has no memory of what they did for the last few seconds. |
| 8 & 8 | Echo of Fate – The next time the character makes this type of check (attack, skill, or save), they must reroll two d20s again regardless of whether Paradoxical Recoil is cured. |
| 9 & 9 | Quantum Stumble – The action works, but the character teleports 5 feet in a random direction immediately afterward. |
| 10 & 10 | Schrodinger’s Gambit – The outcome of the roll is unknown until observed. The DM secretly determines success or failure but does not reveal it immediately. The result manifests only when it naturally becomes evident (e.g., a picked lock might seem open but stays stuck until someone tries the door). |
| 11 & 11 | Parallel Outcome – The roll’s outcome affects someone else nearby instead of the intended target (e.g., casting Cure Wounds on an ally accidentally heals an enemy). |
| 12 & 12 | Delayed Reversal – The roll succeeds now, but within the next 24 hours, the universe will take something else away in return (DM’s choice). |
| 13 & 13 | Karmic Bounce – The roll fails, but another event in the world shifts in the character’s favor (e.g., failing to sneak past guards, but another distraction pulls them away). |
| 14 & 14 | Cosmic Echo – The exact same scenario will happen again in the near future, as if reality is on a loop (DM will determine when). |
| 15 & 15 | False Confidence – The roll appears to succeed, but the character won’t realize the failure until it’s too late (e.g., they think they disable a trap, but it actually triggers when stepped on). |
| 16 & 16 | Divine Trickery – The roll succeeds, but a random deity, fey, or supernatural entity takes interest in the character, marking them for future interference. |
| 17 & 17 | Energy Surge – The roll succeeds, and the character gains temporary magical energy, causing their next action to have advantage. |
| 18 & 18 | Destiny’s Favor – The roll succeeds, and the character is granted one free reroll to use anytime in the next hour. |
| 19 & 19 | Perfect Execution – The roll succeeds so well that it creates an additional positive effect (e.g., not just sneaking past a guard, but stealing their key while doing so). |
| 20 & 20 | Divine Rejection – Instead of a critical success, this counts as a natural 1, as the universe itself resists the action. The failure should be catastrophic, often leading to unintended disaster. |
Escalating Chaos
If the creature triggers Paradoxical Recoil three times in a row, the DM introduces a major plot-altering event—this could be a divine omen, a rip in reality, or a change in fate itself.
Curing the Condition
Paradoxical Recoil can be removed by:
- A Greater Restoration spell
- A successful DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check after a long rest, as the creature mentally overcomes their chaotic misfortune
- Breaking a powerful magical curse or completing a fate-altering event determined by the DM
DM Notes
Paradoxical Recoil is best used as a temporary affliction to add tension, comedy, or narrative twists. It works well for cursed items, mischievous fey magic, or divine trickery from chaotic deities. The Fate-Twinned Roll ensures that at any moment, the player could experience something they never expected—good or bad.