In most roguelikes, items can be cursed. The most common form of cursing is the “sticky curse”. An item with a sticky curse cannot be taken off or unwielded. Once such an item is worn or wielded, it can only be removed by removing the curse or by exploiting some specific trick of the roguelike in question (such as allowing the item to be stolen by a monster that can steal such items).
There are variety of methods by which items can become cursed or uncursed.
The same effect as sticky curses could be used to represent attacks by aliens that excrete a sticky goo or demons that do the same thing.