Uncursed ring became cursed on equip?

[McBazul]

I got lucky and found an altar on the second floor of an early dungeon (The one with Jharrod and the carpenter).

So it was easy to make sure and check the B/U/C of every item I get. I found a 'fire opal ring' and I took it to the altar. The altar revealed it as uncursed, but when I put it on it glowed with a black light and became cursed.

How did this happen?

[Mobius]

Some rings apparently are tricky that way.
Also happens on some gauntlets, amulets, weapons, and such.

[Soirana]

I got lucky and found an altar on the second floor of an early dungeon (The one with Jharrod and the carpenter).

So it was easy to make sure and check the B/U/C of every item I get. I found a 'fire opal ring' and I took it to the altar. The altar revealed it as uncursed, but when I put it on it glowed with a black light and became cursed.

How did this happen?

Some items are autocursing - aka curses themselves on equip. There is at least 3 type rings with autocursing.

Let me think...fire opal... If strength has not been reduced dramatically it ought to be ring of fish.

[McBazul]

If strength has not been reduced dramatically it ought to be ring of fish.

I'm playing an Elementalist, and I think I have lost some strength due to overburdening, so that's possibly the case.

This isn't a glitch or anything is it? Just part of the game that it isn't possible to determine if some rings are cursed or not?

[blunk]

Welcome to the harsh world of adom.
Yes, as if rng wasnt enough some items cheats like that.
They show as autocursing ie curse no matter what status.
Edit: the items that are autocursing are the same in every game, for example ring of the fish.

[McBazul]

Heh, I love it already.
Thanks for all the help :)
Any advice on these kinds of object? Is their any way around their cursing? And how many items act this waa?

[blunk]

Heh, I love it already.
Thanks for all the help :)
Any advice on these kinds of object? Is their any way around their cursing? And how many items act this waa?
Make sure to have holy water available, if blessed you can remove them immediately after. Same goes with remove curse scroll.
As for the items, check wiki or learn.
How bad they are depends, Gauntlets of peace can be ok for a wizard but are horrible for a melee char.

[grobblewobble]

Any advice on these kinds of object? Is their any way around their cursing? And how many items act this waa?
There are not that many of these items. Early game, it's basically just ring of the fish and gauntlets of peace. A cursed ring usually isn't that bad, because (normally) you don't have that many good rings available to equip anyway. Since you still have the other ring slot available, losing one ring slot in the early game isn't terrible. You can solve it later. If you're literate, you'll be able to read a blessed scroll of uncursing soon enough. That will uncurse your entire inventory.

There are also rings of doom. Those are quite bad, because they doom you. Fortunately, they are quite rare and can only be found in place with somewhat higher danger level (ie, places where more experienced monsters spawn, like deeper in the CoC). I do not know exactly where they start to drop, but in the early game you normally are not likely to find one. If you do, you should try to remove it with holy water asap.

Then there is also something called Ring of Weakness, but those are exceptionally rare and only drop on levels with very high danger level. In theory you could perhaps find one, but I don't remember ever finding one in all the games I played, and finding one in the early game is extremely unlikely, if not impossible.

The other common early game autocursing item is Gauntlets of Peace. Cursed gauntlets are very annoying, because they block your gauntlet slot and both of your ring slots. Luckily, you can easily avoid these. If an unidentified item is called "gauntlets" (not "red gauntlets" or "gloves"), they could be Of Peace. If really you want to equip them to gain some PV, you can test whether it are gauntlets of peace, however. Drop them in front of a humanoid monster and let him walk over them until he picks them up. When he does, wait until he equips them. If it are gauntlets of peace, you will see a message saying that the gauntlets suddenly glow in a black light. ;-)

edit: i forgot the black torc, this is a special quest item that you can get early game (amulet, reward for killing black druid) and is also auto-cursing

[Al-Khwarizmi]

Early game, it's basically just ring of the fish and gauntlets of peace. A cursed ring usually isn't that bad, because (normally) you don't have that many good rings available to equip anyway. Since you still have the other ring slot available, losing one ring slot in the early game isn't terrible. You can solve it later. If you're literate, you'll be able to read a blessed scroll of uncursing soon enough. That will uncurse your entire inventory.
In fact, wearing a ring of the fish is sometimes useful in the early game. Even though it's autocursing, its effect is good, contrary to rings of weakness and doom.

By the way, there is also the amulet of hunger. They used to be very rare, but there was an RFE to make them more common, although I haven't noticed it, to be honest. I don't think I found any in my last games.

Oh, and the really cool thing, any apparently normal armor can be auto-cursing if it has the auto-locking prefix! And there's also the trapped prefix which is also very, ehm, fun. Both are rather rare though, not a real early-game concern if you don't have a really bad RNG day.

[anon123]

you can test whether it are gauntlets of peace, however. Drop them in front of a humanoid monster and let him walk over them until he picks them up. When he does, wait until he equips them. If it are gauntlets of peace, you will see a message saying that the gauntlets suddenly glow in a black light. ;-)

One of those few instances where ADOM's unfairness can be used to your favor. I'm surprised no one has asked to nerf it already :p