Cursed Whetstone Armor
Description: Shining, finely made, mostly metal armor (could be plate, chain, or a combination of the two) that gives off a noticeable odor of linseed oil. Magical senses clearly reveal that it not only bears defensive enhancements, but it can temporarily share those enhancements with weapons by sharpening them on it like a whetstone. Only experience or potent divinations will reveal its curse.
Powers: This armor has a defensive bonus appropriate to your campaign, or perhaps one tier higher than normal to encourage keeping a cursed item rather than immediately trying to dispose of it. Once per battle, the wearer can draw a bladed weapon across its surface and gain the same bonus to the blade's accuracy and damage rolls. This offensive boost stacks with any other magical bonuses, and lasts until the end of the battle.
Possible Origins: As with many cursed items, Whetstone Armor was the first made by an ill-intentioned wizard as a trap for an unsuspecting enemy. The formula for its creation has spread far and wide, which at least has made it slightly easier to recognize once the curse starts operating. Unmaking the armor is more difficult, but far from impossible.
Complications: Whetstone Armor is cursed. Any creature attacking its wearer with a slashing or piercing weapon who either misses with a natural odd die roll or scores a hit immediately receives the same enhancement to its weapon the bearer does when using the armor. This stacks with other magical effects and lasts until the end of the battle, even if the bearer is slain or flees while the fighting continues. Moreover, when attacking the wearer the enhanced weapons now ignore its magical bonus to defenses, making them much, much more vulnerable.
Like most cursed items, the armor resists easy disposal. It cannot be removed during a battle and if taken off outside of a fight it will magically appear on its victim the next time they are in danger, which will destroy any other armor they happen to wearing at the time. Whatever spells your system uses for breaking curses (in D&D, that would be the pragmatically-named Remove Curse) will function normally but the armor remains intact after removal. Destroying it outright should require a grand quest, outright divine intervention, or both.
Design Commentary: A cursed item with a strong benefit is the most dangerous kind, because players will waffle about whether it's really that unbearable a curse. Getting a big bonus on offense in exchange for situational vulnerability is a trade-off many would accept, especially burly berserker types. The fact that those enhanced enemy weapons work on everyone in the party may be the deciding factor on how fast they try to get rid of this gear.
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