Cursed Items
Oh No, You've been Cursed!
A curse, or cursed item, is a harmful item type received by some items and events. Cursed items come with their own unique mechanics that can not only hinder, but even help your current backpack build if you use them right. They come in all shapes, sizes, and even item types, just like normal items. Smaller items tend to have more intensive downsides to counteract their smaller profiles, while larger items are usually more benign, with their main downside being filling up the backpack itself.
Obtaining a Curse
The two methods of obtaining curses are:
- Obtaining one from an item or event, such as the Pandora's Box item or the Frog Roulette and Glitched Eye events. These, if obtained, are directly spawned in, available to be added or left behind as you wish.
- Ending a combat with the "Curse" Status. This status is placed by certain items such as the Cursed Shiv. Like any status effect, this may be removed by items such as a Cleansing Potion to prevent obtaining a curse. Upon combat end, you are prompted into choosing one of three potential curse items to be your next cursed item. Upon selection, this curse will subsequently replace one of your combat rewards.
Removing Curses
Upon leaving behind a curse, a curse counter located at the top of the UI will increment, indicating the number of curses outside of your backpack. While curses aren't required to be inside the backpack at all times, future combat rewards will have up to 4 options replaced by any curses left behind from previous combats or events. To properly remove a curse from your backpack, you must either destroy or cleanse the cursed item.
Cleansing Curses
Cleansing is a special item property provided by a select few items and events. This property removes the cursed item from the curse counter, allowing it to be left behind with no repercussions. The current item sources of cleansing are the Lantern and Lil Lamp. Upon alternate use outside of combat, you may select any non cleansed cursed item to cleanse. Another method of cleansing is choosing the Cleanse All Curses option from the Healer at the end of Act 1 and Act 2. While costing 10 gold and losing the opportunity for healing or increasing max health, all curses, both inside and outside of your inventory, will be promptly be cleansed.
Destroying Curses
As all curses are technically items, they are able to be destroyed by anything that may destroy a normal item. This includes items such as the Hungry Manastone, Dynamite, or even a cursed item like Evil Hand. External item modifiers from relics, such as Bombstone also work. Other methods of destroying items include events such as the Shady Trader or Chester, as well as placing a curse inside a Pouch, then removing or destroying it.
Managing Curses
One of the main mechanics of cursed items is their double edged nature. While providing downsides ranging from self damage each turn to disabling adjacent items on use, they also provide benefits such has higher base damage/block, buffs, and many times, unique interactions with both normal items and other curses. Combined with the occasional scarcity of removal options, key placement and management of curses is a key factor in the early and mid game of any run, as proper usage of cursed items can swing negatives into net positives, and potentially increase the power of other items in a backpack.
History
- Originally, curses took up space like normal items, and were given by enemies the same way enemies currently give out hazards. Eventually, curses could be placed over items. Curses were ultimately reworked to cursed items in the Curse Update, with hazards fulfilling its old role. In the Enemy Update, enemies lost their ability to give cursed items.
Trivia
- Cicada Shell is a reference to the Pokémon Shedinja.
Cursed Items
| Sprite | Name | Type | Size | Cost | Stats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Antler |   |
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For each Item in this Pocket
On Use:
Noctua turned the solid ground wet, and the burning oak against them | |
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Beast's Ring |   |
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Adjacent Melee Weapons get +1 Each Turn:
He who haunts the dungeon | |
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Begonia |   |
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Each Turn:
On
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Blood Bow |  |
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On Use:
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Blood Wand |   |
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On Use:
Each Combat:
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Cicada Shell |  |
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Each Turn:
On take
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Cordesceptor | |
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Summon Cost: |
On Summon:
Each Turn:
When an adjacent Consumable is Used:
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Corrupted Ring | |
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Summon Cost: |
If in hand on turn end:
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Cursed Battery |  |
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1 Can be On Use:
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Cursed Sap |  |
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Summon Cost: |
when connected to 3 Saps:
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Cursed Shield |  |
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On Use:
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Edelwood Branch | |
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Summon Cost: |
Each Turn:
On
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Evil Hand |   |
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Each turn:
When an item is
Here's your new home | |
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Exposed Wire | |
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On Use:
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Homework |  |
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On Use:
At end of turn:
Don't forget to do your homework | |
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Insidious Buckler | |
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On Use:
On take
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Joker Cleaver |   |
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On Use:
"He's laughing at me" ? | |
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Kodoku | |
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For each defeated Pet:
Each turn:
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Kotoribako | |
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Must be Played on an item At end of turn:
On Use:
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Living Rock | |
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Each turn:
If this can not move:
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Matryoshka | |
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Each Turn:
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Possessed Pot | |
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On Use:
At end of turn:
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Rafflesia Shield | |
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Summon Cost: |
If in hand at end of turn:
On summon:
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Red Ribbon Rapier | |
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On Use:
On take
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Shackle | |
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At the start of combat:
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Shamisen |  |
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On Use:
When an item kills an enemy:
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Soul Axe | |
(I don't think anyone has this shape) | |
On Use:
When an adjacent item is used:
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Spiky Crown |  |
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When an adjacent item is used:
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Curse Creating Items
| Sprite | Name | Type | Rarity | Size | Cost | Stats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cursed Potion |   |
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  On Use:
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Pandora's Box | |
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On use:
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Unlucky Horseshoe | |
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At combat end:
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Cursed Shiv | |
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Can be On Use:
On kill (non summon):
3 | ||
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Cursed Whetstone | |
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On Use:
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Curse Interacting Items
| Sprite | Name | Type | Rarity | Size | Cost | Stats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Lantern | |
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2 Used with these types:
On
When out of uses:
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Little Lamp | |
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Used with these types:
On
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Cursed Blade | |
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On Use:
For each adjacent
3 | ||
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Emerald Bracelet | |
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For each Adjacent
Each Combat:
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