Throughout Alefgard, you may encounter 'cursed' items, such as the Death Necklace and the Cursed Belt. These items, when equipped, will significantly lower your stats and cannot be unequipped normally. To remove a cursed item, you must visit a priest in a town (e.g., Tantegel Castle) and pay a fee to have the curse removed. The fee can be quite substantial, especially early in the game. The best strategy is to avoid equipping any item you suspect might be cursed. If an item's description seems too good to be true, or if it's found in a particularly dangerous or unusual location, exercise caution. Cursed items are primarily a trap for unwary adventurers, though some can be used in specific side quests.
While the original game requires a priest's intervention for removal, Dragon Quest X evolves this mechanic by allowing players to lift curses using specific restorative abilities or items.