Necklace of Bloodlust

Version 0.16: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

You wonder what crude brute would wear a bloodstained necklace made of human and animal teeth, plus something that appears to be a ripped piece of spine.

the necklace of Bloodlust
Cursed, 33% chance of recursing itself on equip
+2 strength
-2 intelligence
+30 MR
Forces berserk (on 9% of attacks)
+5 damage
-20 stealth
Extends berserk on 50% of kills

Desirability

The necklace of Bloodlust is definitely not the sort of item you'd want to use regularly, but it can still be situationally useful. Although +5 damage and +30 magic resistance on an amulet are both excellent properties, the most common solution for the berserkitis it inflicts (an amulet of clarity) is not an option, as your amulet slot will already be filled. This makes it a terrible piece of gear for any non-Ashenzari or undead character to wear for any extended period of time. However, it may be useful for characters who find themselves facing a particularly nasty lone melee threat: the slaying bonus will be quite helpful, and moreover, berserking would likely be useful in this situation instead of harmful. However, at a 9% chance per attack, it is not a good idea to rely on the berserkitis from this item. Be sure to have a scroll of remove curse handy in case it recurses itself.