Curse

Curse is a mechanic in Dead Cells where the Beheaded is punished for angering the gods. Curses cause any amount of damage to one-hit kill the player, and they must kill enemies in order to lift it. Curses function as a risk-reward mechanic that can greatly benefit the player with rewards such as Scrolls, Gems and healing.
== Mechanics ==
Nearly all sources of damage kill the player while cursed, regardless of their current health or any damage-reducing abilities they may have.
* Curses work off of a point-based system, where killing enemies reduces the total points by one. Each time a curse is inflicted, another set of points is added to the total amount of curse points that are already there.
* Curses have synergies with certain Gear and Mutations.
The following damage sources instantly kill the player while Cursed:
* Any enemy hit that deals at least 1 damage, even while blocking with a shield.
* Any trap hit.
* Jumping into a bottomless pit.
* Damage-over-time due to .
* Self-damage from using continuously for too long.
While most sources of damage kill the player in a single hit while cursed, there are a few exceptions:
* Darkness in the Forgotten Sepulcher.
* Damage inflicted by the .
While cursed, the player can not use the Homunculus Rune.
* However, the player can still use the Homunculus Rune if the only source of curse is the Cursed Sword.
== Sources ==
There are a few different ways one can be afflicted with a curse:
* Opening a cursed chest (10 points).
* Breaking a golden door (10 points for normal ones, 50 points for the 3 found in the specialist's shop, 15 and 5 points for the doors on the final floor of The Bank and 30 points for the one in the Forgotten Sepulcher that bars access to the Night Light).
* Picking up a Corrupted Artifact (20 points).
* Eating food when having the mutation (5).
* Examining the altar for the (1).
* Equipping the (as long as the weapon is equipped or in the ).
== Synergies ==
* While cursed, the does hits.
* makes it so decreasing the curse counter restores 5% HP but increases the number of enemies required to lift the curse by 50%.
* reduces gained curse counter from sources by half, but consuming food inflicts curses.
** Having both alienation and acceptance will reduce curse gain by 25%, rounded up.
== Notes ==
* will prevent instant death when getting hit while the skill is active.
* Gaining curse while having the equipped still gives a curse counter.
* The amount of curse received from cursed chests can be changed using custom mode to any number between 0 and 99. This blocks achievements.
== Trivia ==
* Curses are the only mention of gods in the entire game.
== History ==