The Dungeon of Comprehensive Curses

[Baconbastard]

Last night we ended up in the Dungeon of Comprehensive Curses, which makes it so whenever a curse happens it effects the whole group. Upon realizing that I was holding a curse that stated "lose the item that is currently giving you the highest bonus" I decided to unequip all my things and watch everyone else suffer. This led to everyone unequiping everything at all times except right before they kicked open the door, because anyone willing to help out in combat can just put their stuff back on before deciding to help.

Would this be a legitimate strategy for this dungeon to save yourself from curses that state "lose the ______ that you are wearing" while it's not your turn?

#powerstrategy

[Mister Ed]

I don't see why not. If the particular Curse only applies to items you are using, then it would not effect you.

On a related note, I know people that routinely unequip everything when it is not their turn to make themselves unattractive prospects for forced assistance through whatever means.

It CAN backfire, though, if somebody wants to drag you into combat with the intention of losing and sticking you with the bad stuff, or if somebody plays Transferral Potion to send a nasty monster your way while you are unprepared.

[MunchkinMan]

Mister Ed is correct. In the case of such a Curse that affects the things you are using (a.k.a. wearing, or have equipped), you will not be affected by that Curse's effects if you change all of your Items to unused. Since you can change the status of your Items at any time that you are not in combat or Running Away, you can always choose which Items you want to use before joining a combat willingly, but, as was previously stated, that kind of silliness can backfire on you.

[Mister Ed]

I do kind of wonder, on second thought, in the case of the specific Curse mentioned, where it says the item currently giving you your highest bonus, if you have NO items currently giving you a bonus does that make you immune, or are all your items just tied at ZERO bonus (since they aren't equipped), meaning you still have to lose something, but you get to choose which since they are all tied.

I'm inclined to treat it as only effecting items which ARE giving you a bonus of some kind at present, so that if you have none doing so you dodge the effects, but I could see how it might fall under the "Curses are supposed to hurt you" notion, meaning that any ambiguity should err on the side of hurting you.

[Clipper]

Yeah, in the case that it was Curse! Truly Obnoxious Curse, or one of its equivalents, where you lose the Item that 'gives you the biggest bonus', I'd definitely agree you still have to discard an Item of your choice if all of them are currently giving you a bonus of zero.

[Baconbastard]

Originally Posted by Clipper

Yeah, in the case that it was Curse! Truly Obnoxious Curse, or one of its equivalents, where you lose the Item that 'gives you the biggest bonus', I'd definitely agree you still have to discard an Item of your choice if all of them are currently giving you a bonus of zero.

I forget what the curse was specifically called, but it was from the Pathfinder expansion and it stated "lose the item that is currently giving you the highest bonus to you combat strength" or something to that effect. So you're saying that because none of them are giving any bonus that you would still need to get rid of one of them?

[Clipper]

Originally Posted by Baconbastard

I forget what the curse was specifically called, but it was from the Pathfinder expansion and it stated "lose the item that is currently giving you the highest bonus to you combat strength" or something to that effect. So you're saying that because none of them are giving any bonus that you would still need to get rid of one of them?

That would be Curse! Fail the Test of the Starstone.

As you need to discard the Item which gives you the highest total combat bonus, all of your Items would qualify as choices (even any One-Shot Items), I'm pretty sure. They all give you zero combat bonus, so zero is the highest value that any of your Items provide you, and the Curse text is clear it's only after one Item, so you can choose which.