A couple questions just occurred to me (these questions apply to both games):

1. If you equip a cursed item and then dual-class into a class that can't equip it, what happens?

2. If you equip a cursed item then become unable to equip it (i.e. it has a stat requirement that you no longer meet), what happens?

(A cursed item, for purposes of this topic, is any item that you can't unequip without casting Remove Curse. Assume Remove Curse has not been cast.)

For 2), I assume it would still be equipped, since you can for instance do that with weapons that require a certain strength, then remove e.g. the item that gives you the required strength, and the weapon will still be equipped, but with the slight disadvantage of rooting you to the spot.

Maybe the same for case 1). The item will still be equipped, but you can't remove it by remove curse and then re-equip it.

1. The game (original) won't let you dual. The item cannot be dropped, and cannot be worn by the dual class. Try again.

2. I don't know of any item with a high enough stat requirement that could cause this. The only stat requirements that I can think of on cursed items are Kiel's Morningstar, the Cursed Berserking sword (2H) and T'rahcie's Plate, and none of those stats (STR) are ever likely to go down.

Actually, Strength can easily decrease; the most common cause of this is removal of an effect that increases Strength, especially given how easy it is to temporarily increase that particular stat.

You're completely missing the point. The highest strength requirement in the items I listed is 12 for the armour. Are you seriously telling me that a fighter is going to have that low a strength stat to begin with? I don't think so, and I am one of the few who don't power game.

Actually, Aerie can equip plate mail and has a natural strength of only 10, so it is possible to equip her with it. (It's easy to forget that she actually *can* equip everything a Priest can, which includes all types of armor and some pretty heavy weapons. I have actually (with the help of a Strength spell) given her the Flail of Ages.

If Aerie equipping it seems like a stupid strategy, keep in mind that Viconia can also equip it (if you don't mind having only 3 Constitution) and has a natural strength of only 10.

Also, a mod could introduce a new item that is cursed and has a high Strength requirement. (One mod idea I have had; make the Flail of Ages cursed with Haste immunity; its other properties remain unchanged.)

One more thing: Just because something is unlikely to happen under normal play doesn't make it not worth discussing; I actually find it interesting how the game handles such unusual cases.

(Of note; the Wizardry series keeps cursed equipment when you class change; this allows you to, for example, have a fairy who isn't currently a ninja wield the Cane of Corpus. Then again, later Wizardry games actually have cursed items that are actually worth equipping, unlike the Baldur's Gate series.)

Except that nobody else but you seems able to come up with these scenarios. I give up.

Remove Curse-> dtgreene? ;)

Anyone have an *actual* answer to question number 2?

(Also, if the game lets you keep the item equipped, what happens when you level up? I remember Aerie being forced to unequip the Flail of Ages (which isn't cursed) when leveling up, but what if the item whose stat requirement isn't met is cursed?)

Turns out that the stat requirements in BG1 are waived, or rather don't exist on the cursed items. In BG2 the items stay equipped but are marked as items that can't be equipped (red). Level up is allowed, and items stay equipped as above.

Tested on fighter (classic, NOT enhanced edition): T'rachie's Plate, Cursed Berserking Sword, Cursed Scroll of Weakness.

You've apparently got the game. Go figure it out yourself. It really shouldn't be that hard.

Edit: or Hickory can ninja me with the answer.