Curve with curve mask?
Add layer Curve, add curve mask - and there's no curve graph to manipulate what region we want to select.
In fact, a curve tool needs some input data in order to do its job... if your mask only contains a curves layer, it has no pixels to manipulate.
However, I understand that this is not completely intuitive. I see two possible solutions:
1/ disable certain tools in the tool selection dialog, if they cannot be correctly used
2/ by default, send the input data of a given layer to its mask as well, so that for example the curves adjustment would work properly. In this case, the default mask of a layer would correspond to what we usually call a "luminosity mask", but it would be activated only if al least one layer is explicitly added to the mask
I tend to prefer solution #2.