Curse

icon res curse
Curse is a status effect (with a build-up bar similar to poison and bleed effects) that instantly kills the player when filled. As they die, their corpse slowly becomes petrified. 

Curse is a gameplay mechanic in Dark Souls and Dark Souls Remastered. It is a debuff status effect and one of the auxiliary special effect and a damage type.

 

 

General Information for Curse:

  • Allow the players to damage Ghosts without using a Transient Curse and block attacks from ghosts when using two-handed or left-handed cursed weapon.
  • Curse is a status effect (with a build-up bar similar to poison and bleed effects) that instantly kills the player when filled. As they die, their corpse slowly becomes petrified.

 

 

Benefits of being Cursed

The player is able to hit ghosts, in New Londo Ruins, while being Cursed. Note that this can also be done with the Transient Curse item.

Effects of being Cursed

  • A skull will replace the Humanity counter on the HUD.
  • Unlike other status effects, players remain Cursed even after reviving.
  • While being Cursed, players' health points will be reduced by 50%.
  • Curse won't stack: being cursed again will kill the player, but health points will remain at 50% (patch 1.05).
  • Players can still collect Humanity, but Reversing hollow effect and Kindling at Bonfires will be unavailable.
  • Cursed players can be summoned as a Phantom, but can't summon or be invaded since they cannot revive.
  • Getting Cursed while playing as a phantom in another world will not curse the phantom, but it will kill them.

Cure

  • The most common way to remove the curse status is by using a Purging Stone.
  • Purging Stones can be purchased from Oswald of Carim in the Gargoyle Belltower for 3,000 souls or from The Undead Merchant (female) in the aqueduct between Firelink Shrine and The Depths for 6,000 souls.
  • Ingward, who resides in New Londo Ruins, will cure the players Curse for a fee of 1 humanity, but getting to him can be a pain.
  • Some enemies, such as the clam shells in Ash Lake and Crystal Cave, can also drop Purging Stones.
  • Snuggly gives you 2 Purging Stones for 1 Cracked Red Eye Orb. You can obtain 4 Cracked Red Eye Orbs from Firelink Shrine. Instead of riding the elevator up to Undead Parish, simply fall down the shaft and it'll be located in one of the chests.
  • If you are cursed and have not yet rung the bell in the Undead Parish, Snuggly represents your easiest method of reversing the curse.

Prevention

 

Weapons, Items with Auxiliary Effect, Curse:

 

More Defense against Curse:

  • Armors
    • Light Armors
      • Antiquated Set
      • Dingy Set
      • Lord's Blade Set
      • Antiquated Set
      • Maiden's Set
      • Big Hat's Set
      • Pyromancer Set
      • Great Lord Set
      • Black Set
      • Black Sorcerer Set
      • Gwyndolin Moonlight Set
      • Hollow Theif Set
      • Chester's Set
      • Crimson Set
      • Witch Set
      • Xanthous Set
    • Medium Armors
      • Paladin Set
      • Adventurer's Set
      • Artorias' Set
      • Elite Knight Set
      • Ornstein's Set
      • Favor Set
      • Painting Guardian Set
      • Silver Knight Set
      • Brass Set
      • Crystalline Set
      • Iron Set
      • Dark Set
    • Heavy armor sets
    • Shields
    • Rings

 

Enemies who can Curse:

 

Notes:

  • If the game is played online, you can see other players' bodies that have been cursed in the same location.
  • Curse was a stacking effect prior to Patch 1.05. The first Curse reduced your health to 1/2, the second to 1/4, and finally the third to 1/8.
  • If a phantom gets cursed in a host's world, the curse does not carry over to the phantom's world.

 

Damage Types
Bleed  ♦  Divine  ♦  Fire Damage  ♦  Lightning Damage  ♦  Magic Damage  ♦  Occult  ♦  Physical Damage  ♦  Poison  ♦  Slash damage  ♦  Strike Damage  ♦  Thrust Damage  ♦  Toxic



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    • Anonymous

      It would be interesting if you could go into pvp as a cursed player, since you already in disvantge , it would be cool to be able to curse others. Acting like the egg parasite, imagine after a while, beign able to breath cursed gas.

      • Anonymous

        They need to make this stack again so you can perfectly offset power within with sanctus at sl1

        MAKE CURSE STACK AGAIN #MCSA

        • Anonymous

          I get Miyazaki’s intention with this, 1/8 was a bit extreme but 1/2 is fine, being “cursed” should be a bad thing that happens and not a minor inconvenience.

          • Anonymous

            Was genuinely surprised by the fact that you had so little curse resistance by default in this game because in the other souls games that I've played you get a much higher amount of resistance curse and it's equivalents by default. So needless to say, when I got cursed in a nanosecond by the basilisk smog I was pretty upset, espcially considering I didn't see it coming at all and didn't get any purging stones in preperation. Also 6000 souls is a big ask for just one purging stone at the point in time when you go into the depths for the first time.
            Whoever decided that any of this was a good idea should be shot (in minecraft of course).

            • Anonymous

              Yeah when this came out going down to 1/8 health would be brutal. Now though? Meh only if you play blind and go off on the goose chase the crestfallen warrior sends you instead of paying attention to what the female undead merchant sells.

              • Anonymous

                Get cursed from learning of frogs -6000 souls
                Get cursed from scripted seeth the P#### -6000 souls
                Get cursed to fight ghosts because you are out of transient curse+You dont want to use a ghost weapon - 6000 souls
                Once you clear new londo upper you can even trade liquid humanity for cures
                Why are people complaining about a mechanic that exists for about 5 seconds of playtime total?

                • Anonymous

                  I think i would have more enjoyment not being able to pleasure myself for my entire life then ever have this status effect again

                  • Anonymous

                    first souls game after elden ring...i let a basilisk kill me in the Depths because i thought i had nothing to lose. instant regret

                    • Anonymous

                      Does curse transfer over when you are summoned as a phantom?

                      I'm cursed, so might as well make the best of it and help out people running New Londo Ruins if it does transfer over lol

                      • Anonymous

                        I think we can all agree that this mechanic should burn in the 7th circle of the abyss. Whoever designed this was probably high on green blossom.

                        • Hello all! Currently there roughly only 3 Armors listed with Curse Resistance I will be listing ALL Armors that have Curse resistance, however I do not know how to link pages through the Phone to said proper page. If a member were to know how to link pages, when I am finished I would greatly appreciate it!

                          • Anonymous

                            With the cursebite ring, sealer set, bloodshield, and crown of the dark sun, curse ceases to exist as a threat since the only enemies that do it suck at any other damage

                            • Anonymous

                              The curse status in 1.0 actually stacked four times, not three. Just verified it. The fourth level of curse reduces the player's health total down to 1/16th of the original value.

                              • Anonymous

                                I got cursed as Phantom. Back in my world I was cursed. Probably a cheater. Didn't see, how he killed us. Dark Saitama was his name. Right before the Gargoyles... Curse him.

                                • Anonymous

                                  I wonder if the curse status is supposed to be a more potent version of the curse of the undeath that is ironically easier to be rid of(within the first games era anyway)... because the body instantly turns to stone(actually fast acting decomposing?), and then bars you from accessing your humanity for kindling and turning human, and it literally makes you lose half health due to extreme decay(which incidentally death + the curse status in DS2 also does). Then again, it could also be the undead curse reviving you at a fire at a point just before the full petrification curse took effect, and you needing to rip some of your body off to be mobile again.... ...or is it just a bunch of different curses mashed together in a package of one that petrifies you, one that rips your spirit out of your body(thus allowing you to interact with ghosts + half HP if you view it as like being in soul form in demon's souls), and one that makes all humanity trapped in your body and inaccessable until you can lift the curse (thus reclaim your old shell when it is revived by the curse of the undead proper)?

                                  • Anonymous

                                    forgot that curse gives 1/2 hp. still managed to get through blighttown dying only twice. blighttown is so easy, the depths are just a sprinkling of bs though.

                                    • Anonymous

                                      Of course I finally get cursed in the freakin depths of blight town. Lord have mercy as I try to escape...

                                      • Anonymous

                                        Same as the guy below me, thankfully i was only to the undead burg bonfire. Just starting again offline till this mess gets sorted hopefully.

                                        • Anonymous

                                          I am new player and some asshole just came into my world, lit me up like a fucking bonfire, gave me like 60 humanity in the space of a few seconds while i was unable to move and then i instantly died and re spawned with half health and this curse bullshit. very nice mechanic when other players can give it to you, very nice indeed.

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