“ An alchemist enchanted his equipment to produce even more powerful alchemical compounds, potions and the like. Unfortunately, it is not well-known that he had different sets of equipment for different processes: If the wrong set of gear is used, the result will invariably fail to function. It's not a cursed item, just something that's hard to figure out.”
“ What happens when, while in the middle of an important fight/Event, the mage that enchanted all your gear suddenly dies? Unless the enchantments outlive their source, you might not either.”