Dry Bone Necklace

Neck armor from the Bone set, found in The Desert. Grants +3 Shield and +1 Thorns, and inflicts Bruise 1 on any enemy that makes contact with the wearer. The combination of Thorns and contact-Bruise makes this a solid choice for melee-range tanks — enemies take reflected damage and end up Bruised just for hitting you. Pairs well with the Dry Bone Helm and Dry Bone Mask to build a consistent counter-attack frontliner.

The contact-Bruise procs whenever an enemy physically touches the wearer, not just on attacks that deal damage. Bruise 1 reduces the enemy's Damage stat, meaning sustained melee attackers become progressively less threatening as they stay in contact range. Combined with the +1 Thorns dealing passive reflect damage, the Dry Bone Necklace punishes melee engagement twice: once through Thorns and once through Bruise.

The full Dry Bone set is a dependable melee-counter setup for Desert runs. It's especially effective in crowded fights with multiple melee attackers, where Bruise spreading across enemies reduces incoming damage for the whole party. Consider combining with abilities or items that encourage enemies to stay adjacent, maximizing both the Thorns damage and the Bruise accumulation.