Samhayne and Swede please explain the curse skill for Sorcerers

[Striderevil]

Many players playing mage chars were thankful for the shield skill explanation and I was wondering if you could please explain the curse skill. Due to the poor explanation given in the skill page. The skill states

Curse

- "Targets will take damage everytime they attack"

+ It does not say reflected damage and yet a lvl 36 mage cannot kill lower map goons with curse alone since high lvl mages due to their high armor don't receive damage from them. So assuming, its reflected...

- Words of Weakening - "Curse will reduce affected targets damage output by 10%"

+ If we assume its reflected damage then does this mean that the reflected damage is 10% less as well?

- Penetrating Curse -"Charged curse will cause the target to take additional 15% damage when attacking"

+ So again if its reflected does this mean that the 15% damage they are supposed to take is negated by the previous 10% reduced damage output of the cursed target to give just 5% damage?
+ Kind of a waste of 2 skill points to achieve just 5% additional damage

The next two additional upgrades are just range and number of targets affected which is self explanatory so I won't mention them here.

- How does this skill work when combined with shield?

+ If incoming damage is absorbed to a max point till shield breaks then is reflected damage of curse skill further reduced?

Please explain it as its really confusing.