That's true, but that's also a whole other game, where they were clearly looking to boost the power of most classes via giving them additional equips. I happen to think that the Martial Artist class in the original feels almost perfectly balanced against the Warrior or Hero, even with their equipment deficiencies.
Conceptually, I can see it both ways. I like the idea of the denizens of the Pyramid making a mad scramble to stop you from leaving with their ancient relic, but I also like the idea of the claw carrying an subtle, lasting curse, compelling the player to eventually get rid of the evil thing.
With all that said, I can still see the appeal of the change for many players, enough so to justify an optional patch. I'll keep it in my head and will probably read through the ASM routines involved with the mechanic at some point. But for now, I need an extended break. Getting through the hacking obstacles of the last few months was rough, and getting through the new job challenges of the next few months will be equally rough. If anyone reports any errors here, I'll jump on top of fixing them right away, but I don't plan on taking on any new endeavors at this moment. I've been slaving over DQ3 for a couple years now, and I hope that people will enjoy the result.