Cursed Equipment

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Cursed Equipment, as its name implies, are weapons or armor pieces that are cursed and will inflict misfortune on those who equip them. Some items that are cursed will remain permanently equipped until the player must visits a Church and gets it removed. What curse befalls the player varies from equipment to equipment. Cursed Equipment are obvious to spot, be it their name, appearance, or their ominous item description. Sometimes Cursed Equipment are one of, if the most powerful items in the game, making them high-risk, high-reward.

Later installments, starting with Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, introduced the Saint's ashes, an item that rids the curse off the item, turning them into more powerful and useful equipment.

Appearances

Repeat items have the same effects unless stated otherwise.

Dragon Quest

• Choker - Prevents the Hero from entering Tantegel Castle.
• Wasteband- Prevents the Hero from entering Tantegel Castle and sometimes makes him unable to move.

Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line

• Devil's tail - Makes the wearer more susceptible to Snooze and Fizzle.
• Sword of ruin - Occasionally paralyzes the wielder.
• Thanatos' shield - Occasionally paralyzes the wielder.
• Wailer's mail - Occasionally paralyzes the wearer.

Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation

• Cower ring - Changes Personality to Wimp.
• Double-edged sword - Deals 25% recoil damage when attacking.
• Golden claws - Causes the wearer to get into random battles every single step (in the remakes this effect is restricted to Pyramid it is obtained in).
• Hapless helm - Reduces Luck to 0.
• Headsman's axe - Has tremendously low accuracy, but every hit it scores is a critical hit.
• Mask of Implacability - Inflicts permanent Confusion on the wearer and makes them unable to cast spells outside of battle.
• Shield of shame - Damage dealt to the wielder will sometimes be passed on to a random ally.
• Skull Ring - Changes Personality to Lone wolf.
• Sword of ruin - Same effect as Dragon Quest II.
• Ten ton toupee - Changes Personality to Mule.
• Hate mail - 33% chance to paralyze the wearer.

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

In the game's remakes, the 9th Chosen One can equip cursed items and not suffer any of their negative effects.

• Double-edged sword - Same effect as Dragon Quest III.
• Hela's armour - Reduces Agility to 0.
• Hela's hammer - Has low accuracy, but every hit it scores is a critical hit.
• Massacre sword - Reduces Defence to 0.
• Zombie mail - Reduces HP every step.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

• Massacre Sword - Hits all enemies when attacking, but reduces defense to 0.
• Double-edged sword - Wielder takes 25% recoil damage.
• Hela's armour - Reduces agility to 0.
• Restless armour - Reduces Agility to exactly 43, Defence to exactly 54, and Attack to exactly 69.
• Ruinous shield - Reduces Defence to 0.

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation

• Massacre Sword
• Hela's Armour
• Ruinous shield

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past

• Hate mail
• Hela's armour
• Shield of shame
• Ruinous shield

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

• Demon whip - Stuns the wielder 25% of the time.
• Devil's tail - Makes the wearer more susceptible to magic attacks.
• Hades' helm
• Ruinous shield - Makes the wearer more susceptible to elemental attacks.
• Skull helm - Reduces Attack to 0.
• Skull ring - Reduces MP by half.
• Thanatos' shield - Makes the wielder unable to act on the first turn.
• Zombie mail

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

• Archdemon whip - Sometimes prevents the wearer from acting in battle.
• Demon whip - Sometimes prevents the wearer from acting in battle.
• Hades' helm
• Nightmare gown - Increases susceptibility to Sleep, Confusion, dazzling, Paralysis, and instant death.
• Oh-No bow - Occasionally stuns the wielder.
• Reckless necklace - Sometimes prevents the wearer from acting in battle.
• Ruinous shield - Same effect as Dragon Quest VIII.
• Skull helm - Sometimes prevents the wearer from acting in battle.
• Skull ring - Sometimes prevents the wearer from acting in battle.
• Terrible tattoo - The wearer takes 20% more damage from all elemental attacks, and is 50% more susceptible Dazzle, Snooze, Fuddle, Poison, and Paralysis.