Farwoods #1 Black Magic enjoyer here /j

I'm well aware that Black Magic is currently not in the best place at the moment, and there are already plans for some reworks to make it more interesting. I wanted to put in a few suggestions before anything gets reworked, since there are some things I would be interested in seeing!

• "Sleep" spell

Basically exactly as it sounds. A spell that will progressively make a critter drowsy. To avoid being entirely overpowered, it could take longer to set in than other curses, and also only downs the afflicted critter for a few seconds at a time. (I.e, 1-2 seconds downed. Cannot fall asleep again for a bit of time in-between. They can get back up again by pressing the sleep button once it lights up.)

• Alternative offense spell "Puncture"

At the moment, Bleed is the only true offense spell that Black Magic has. While I wouldn't say Black Magic is a completely offense-based magic, it's certainly a choice that will likely land you in combat situations. Bleed works, but it's not particularly threatening to any critter who has put decent stats into fortitude and strength. The tick damage is slow and takes forever to actually be a threat, and much of the time, the critter can heal faster than the damage they take by just sitting on a stool, even if your mage has used a clear crystal.

I'd love to see something that does some slightly more immediate damage, while not overstepping on Orange Magic's entire appeal of being combat magic. My current suggestion would be for a spell called "Puncture," that possibly works paired with Bleed. The opponent is hit with an attack dealing some moderate damage, but nothing that couldn't be tanked on its own. It causes a very short bleeding effect, draining a bit of extra HP over a few seconds (~3 or so?) based on the damage of the initial strike. However, paired with Bleed, it causes the individual to lose HP more rapidly. Again, to prevent anything seriously overpowered, the effects of Puncture could only last for a small amount of time, even if Bleed persists after it wears off.

• Black Magic Sigil

This was suggested by Mireluch in a separate forum post, but it was an idea I enjoyed enough to suggest it here as well. A sigil that does tick damage when a critter stands on it, or possibly within a small radius like 3x3. The outer range could do very slight damage, whereas standing directly on the sigil itself causes a much faster health drop.

I don't think I suggested a black sigil. You must've gotten that elsewhere.
I'll just repost my other suggestions here, but a bit cleaned up.

"Miasma" - 
The afflicted target suffers under a progressively worsening curse that damages critters in a small radius around them. (Perhaps the critter themselves too, if the curse persists long enough. This would be an offensive spell that can be self cast, also offers the opportunity for roleplay. Could also just damage stamina.

"Black ward" -
Has a chance to stop beneficial spells similar to how counterspell attempts to block offensive spells. It definitely fits the theme of a curse given you can make it incredibly hard for mundanes especially to receive buffs like commune. And can serve to partially counter some of the nonsensical HP/stamina refilling that yellow and white can do currently. Does not affect existing beneficial effects.

"Rust" -
Makes equipment take damage overtime, including in their inventory. Very punishing for nomads, inconveniencing for jobs like smiths. Would mean a critter has to go stash their gear somewhere safe, offering opportunity to steal it, or pressure the critter. Perhaps wearing more items splits the effect, meaning you could diminish the punisment by wearing some decoy equipment, like wooden armor.